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Post by scarfguy on Sept 2, 2023 19:25:58 GMT -5
SO... I've also been having trouble with my peppers in the summer. Dropping flowers, curling leaves, dropping small fruit, no flowers. After trying everything I could think of with nutes and suppliments, I finally found a reference that said, "as the water temperature goes up, the water can't absorb as much oxygen".
I thought that,perhaps, with a water temp above 80, the pump wasn't aerating the water enough and I was actually suffocating my peppers.
SO... I did two things. I added an aquarium air pump and a couple of air stones. They are running on a timer that is on 15 minutes out of every hour. I also added 10ml of hydrogen peroxide once or twice a week. H2O2 breaks down quickly to just water and a free oxygen atom. Thus, adding oxygen to the water.
I've had good luck with this approach. My leaves are no longer curly and all of my peppers have full rich foliage, lots of flowers, and lots of fruit.
I'm still getting a lot of flower drop but I think that it is still too warm. It produces more flowers than it can support fruit. If I would guess, I think perhaps as much as 2/3 of all the flowers drop but 1/3 are producing fruit to full harvest.
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Post by swimmom500 on Sept 3, 2023 7:30:48 GMT -5
SO... I've also been having trouble with my peppers in the summer. Dropping flowers, curling leaves, dropping small fruit, no flowers. After trying everything I could think of with nutes and suppliments, I finally found a reference that said, "as the water temperature goes up, the water can't absorb as much oxygen".
I thought that,perhaps, with a water temp above 80, the pump wasn't aerating the water enough and I was actually suffocating my peppers.
SO... I did two things. I added an aquarium air pump and a couple of air stones. They are running on a timer that is on 15 minutes out of every hour. I also added 10ml of hydrogen peroxide once or twice a week. H2O2 breaks down quickly to just water and a free oxygen atom. Thus, adding oxygen to the water.
I've had good luck with this approach. My leaves are no longer curly and all of my peppers have full rich foliage, lots of flowers, and lots of fruit.
I'm still getting a lot of flower drop but I think that it is still too warm. It produces more flowers than it can support fruit. If I would guess, I think perhaps as much as 2/3 of all the flowers drop but 1/3 are producing fruit to full harvest.
Is the 10 ml of hydrogen peroxide going into a Bounty or a Farm? I don’t want to add too much and kill the plant! |
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Post by scarfguy on Sept 3, 2023 8:27:00 GMT -5
The 10ml H2O2 is going into a bounty (10ml/gal). I thought that would be too much also but I saw somebody on the internet that recommended 10-15 ml / gal. so I thought I'd try 10. I haven't seen any ill effects. You could start with 5 ml (a teaspoon) just to make sure if you want. Any would be better than none. Be sure to use just 3% H2O2 (food grade).
Here's a good read. Down in the middle, he recommends 2-3 teaspoons/gallon which is 10-15ml.
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 840 
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Post by slw on Sept 3, 2023 13:21:31 GMT -5
I have set up the oscillating fan for my pepper plants. They all have heavy canopies and tons of flowers so I want to help pollination. I considered pruning them but I must admit that pruning somewhat scares me so I don't do much of it. I will trim the bottom leaves but I mostly "leave" the rest.
My little tomatoes in the Spider Farmer are getting ripe. This is another area that could use some pruning but you know the story.  I know they'd probably produce more if pruned, but I just love those leafy canopies.
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Post by scarfguy on Sept 3, 2023 13:56:49 GMT -5
I'm with you, slw. I like to see a nice, full, green canopy.
Makes me feel like I'm a successful farmer even if production would be a bit greater if I pruned more.
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 840
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Post by slw on Sept 3, 2023 20:26:36 GMT -5
Well, I broke down and did a little bit of pruning on the peppers... just a few of the lower leaves. I was thrilled to find my first "Fajita Pepper"!! It's about the size of a marble and so cute! The plants have a lot of blooms and so far aren't dropping many, but we all know how that can change in an instant.
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Post by lynnee on Sept 4, 2023 1:14:24 GMT -5
slw, scarfguy, you will definitely get more tomato production if you prune the leaves that aren't getting any light, and the twisted leaves in the middle that have no room to grow. Your tomato plants are putting a lot of energy into sustaining all those leaves. In my experience, pruning makes the plant pour its energy into the existing blooms and already-set fruit. And the canopy will grow back completely in 10-14 days. I haven't as much experience with peppers, but mine also benefit from pruning. It just takes a little longer to see the results. 
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,264
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Post by Shawn on Sept 4, 2023 4:23:05 GMT -5
I am finally going to plant new gardens today!! Herbs in the Farm Basic, Peppers in the XL.
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Post by swimmom500 on Sept 4, 2023 13:23:47 GMT -5
So today I did an R&R on my Bush Early Girl tomatoes in my Bounty. When I put the tank back on, the water level indicator says the water level is medium. It’s definitely full but it won’t show it as full. This is the same Bounty I can not get connected to WiFi because I keep getting a message that it’s already registered to an email address I have never heard of. I have given up on the WiFi but does anyone have any insight as to my water level issue?
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Post by scarfguy on Sept 4, 2023 13:36:59 GMT -5
So today I did an R&R on my Bush Early Girl tomatoes in my Bounty. When I put the tank back on, the water level indicator says the water level is medium. It’s definitely full but it won’t show it as full. This is the same Bounty I can not get connected to WiFi because I keep getting a message that it’s already registered to an email address I have never heard of. I have given up on the WiFi but does anyone have any insight as to my water level issue?
1. Make sure there aren't any roots growing into the sensor.
2. Make sure the sensor float hasn't been lost and is present and installed in the correct direction. (one end says "UP" on it)
3. Ignore the water level float. None of them work worth a damn.
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Post by lynnee on Sept 4, 2023 14:00:36 GMT -5
Hey, I love the water level indicators! swimmom500, "medium" is the default display when the water level indicator isn't functioning. The Farms require the pump and water level indicator to be connected before you plug in the machine, so something similar might be going on with your Bounty. Try unplugging it, making sure that the pump is COMPLETELY plugged in (at the top), and then plugging the machine in again. Otherwise, as scarfguy said, check for roots that may be blocking the float, and check to see that the float is properly installed. If your float doesn't say which side is supposed to be up, try reversing it. (If memory serves, the magnet should always be on the top.) The float must also be installed so that it can move freely up and down inside the gray column thingie, though there is really only one way to make it fit inside. The app doesn't do anything at all with respect to the water level indicator, so at least you don't have to fool with that.  |
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Post by swimmom500 on Sept 4, 2023 16:02:42 GMT -5
So today I did an R&R on my Bush Early Girl tomatoes in my Bounty. When I put the tank back on, the water level indicator says the water level is medium. It’s definitely full but it won’t show it as full. This is the same Bounty I can not get connected to WiFi because I keep getting a message that it’s already registered to an email address I have never heard of. I have given up on the WiFi but does anyone have any insight as to my water level issue?
1. Make sure there aren't any roots growing into the sensor.
2. Make sure the sensor float hasn't been lost and is present and installed in the correct direction. (one end says "UP" on it)
3. Ignore the water level float. None of them work worth a damn.
Ok. I took it back to the sink and took the top and plants out again. I disassembled the float and didn’t see any roots. Then I made sure there were no roots in the pump. Took it back and plugged the pump back on and voila. It worked. Maybe it just needed a reboot. Who knows. I usually check my water levels by removing the water fill cover every couple of days so it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. Thanks for your help and thanks to lynnee for your tips too! Now let’s just hope I get some nice tomatoes on this thing. |
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Post by lynnee on Sept 4, 2023 22:53:46 GMT -5
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 840
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Post by slw on Sept 5, 2023 10:37:03 GMT -5
swimmom500--I want to hear more about the Early Girls! Is this your first time growing them? How big are the tomatoes?
Not much to report on my gardens; everything is just rocking along.
I assume everyone got the email about the "new" reduced pricing on AGs. All I can say is, it's about time. They were extremely overpriced IMO and now the competition is heating up with tons of excellent knock-offs well under $100 for tabletop models. They need to be more competitive in this economy. (All that "save money on groceries" crap is so silly. Anyone knows it is not cheap to own/use an AG, plus you can't grow enough of anything to seriously impact your grocery budget. Well... maybe basil, lol.)
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Post by lynnee on Sept 5, 2023 10:45:21 GMT -5
slw, the only impact on my grocery budget is that I'm no longer ordering retail lettuce or cherry tomatoes. As you say, that "savings" is offset by the cost of AG electricity, AG nutrients, and CalMag and Koolbloom supplements. Of course it's worth it, to get really fresh salads! 
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Post by swimmom500 on Sept 5, 2023 18:28:13 GMT -5
swimmom500--I want to hear more about the Early Girls! Is this your first time growing them? How big are the tomatoes?
Not much to report on my gardens; everything is just rocking along.
I assume everyone got the email about the "new" reduced pricing on AGs. All I can say is, it's about time. They were extremely overpriced IMO and now the competition is heating up with tons of excellent knock-offs well under $100 for tabletop models. They need to be more competitive in this economy. (All that "save money on groceries" crap is so silly. Anyone knows it is not cheap to own/use an AG, plus you can't grow enough of anything to seriously impact your grocery budget. Well... maybe basil, lol.)
This is my first time growing the early girls. They are listed as growing 18” tall with 6 oz fruits. They are out of stock at Burpee but if you pm me your address I can send you a few seeds. Here’s the link if you want to read more about them! www.burpee.com/tomato-bush-early-girl-hybrid-prod000981.html?queryID=fc0523158936f08c518f850cc0b67b22&objectID=10502&indexName=burpee_production_default_products |
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Post by swimmom500 on Sept 5, 2023 18:30:03 GMT -5
swimmom500--I want to hear more about the Early Girls! Is this your first time growing them? How big are the tomatoes?
Not much to report on my gardens; everything is just rocking along.
I assume everyone got the email about the "new" reduced pricing on AGs. All I can say is, it's about time. They were extremely overpriced IMO and now the competition is heating up with tons of excellent knock-offs well under $100 for tabletop models. They need to be more competitive in this economy. (All that "save money on groceries" crap is so silly. Anyone knows it is not cheap to own/use an AG, plus you can't grow enough of anything to seriously impact your grocery budget. Well... maybe basil, lol.)
This is my first time growing the early girls. They are listed as growing 18” tall with 6 oz fruits. They are out of stock at Burpee but if you pm me your address I can send you a few seeds. Here’s the link if you want to read more about them! www.burpee.com/tomato-bush-early-girl-hybrid-prod000981.html?queryID=fc0523158936f08c518f850cc0b67b22&objectID=10502&indexName=burpee_production_default_productsI was disappointed by the announcement today. I was kind of hoping they were announcing some new products. Their new pricing is still higher than their sales have been lately. |
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Post by AnnSako on Sept 5, 2023 20:54:37 GMT -5
ADDICTION!!!!
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Post by scarfguy on Sept 5, 2023 21:15:07 GMT -5
Hi AnnSako! Welcome to the Aerogarden Addicts forum.
Tell us more about your addiction. What are you growing?
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Post by lynnee on Sept 6, 2023 9:13:26 GMT -5
Hi AnnSako! Welcome to the Aerogarden Addicts forum. Tell us more about your addiction. What are you growing?
 Yes, please do! |
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I know they'd probably produce more if pruned, but I just love those leafy canopies. 
