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Post by kanewai on Dec 11, 2020 16:56:45 GMT -5
Did my first round of replanting after 28 days of no germination:
epazote - Replanted using a new sponge.
chervil - Replanted using replacement from aerogarden
marjoram - I have replacement pod from aerogarden, but I used the slot to try and sprout an hoja santa seed.
garlic chives - I put new seeds in the same sponge; I have no idea if that's a good idea or not.
Meanwhile, I've been harvesting and using lots of basil and dill, and occasionally some thyme.
I have enough mint to use, though I'm not sure what to do with it. I tried making a tea, and it was ok. I think I like the idea of herbal tea more than I actually like drinking it. I'm not sure I like this cultivar, and might try different types of mint in the future.
The other herbs looks healthy, but are growing much more slowly. I think I'll be able to use the zaatar oregano & savory soon, in small quantities. Parsley and chives aren't even close to being harvestable.
In the new garden, I have sprouts already for pápalo, sorrel, and Aleppo pepper. The last surprised me - it sprouted after 6 days, which seems fast for a pepper. There's been no growth for lovage, cress, or borage after 8 days. I'm a bit surprised, since everything sprouted super fast in my other garden.
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Post by kanewai on Dec 7, 2020 21:40:46 GMT -5
I have purchased a ton of different basils. I have also bought plenty of geneovese too and depending on the vendor it will grow tall and tight or tall and leggy. I guess it all depends. Regardless it all looks good. I'd be curious to know how the taste compares between the types!
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Post by kanewai on Dec 6, 2020 19:43:31 GMT -5
Aerogarden sells a Marseille basil pod - I wonder if that's it. It doesn't look like my Thai basil, which is growing taller than even the Genovese basil. How's the taste?
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Post by kanewai on Dec 4, 2020 17:14:35 GMT -5
I think if you plan for the herbs to be shorter-lived and/or plan on transplanting, you can likely have time to "sneak" them in. I just know that herbs and peppers have different nutritional needs, so I do not know if that will be a factor...likely not if you do not plan to have them together for long. If you planted the herbs now and your seeds arrive in 2 weeks...it would be several weeks before the peppers are much more than a little sprout-ling (in my limited experience). What kind of chiles did you order? Maybe look at some of the pepper threads and see how many weeks before a plant got too big? That might give you an idea of how long you have... Thanks - I'm going to give it a shot. My peppers are: sheepnose (based on the reviews here; I had never heard of them before), mirasol, and Aleppo. I went for flavors that I can't find in the stores here.
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Post by kanewai on Dec 4, 2020 16:56:36 GMT -5
I know that basil is a fast grower. Will you have a place for the herbs when the peppers get large? No ... it'll be survival of the fittest at my place! I planted them last night; most are experiments to see if they grow well. If they do, and I like them, I'll have to sacrifice something in my other Harvest to make room, or find a pot to put them in.
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Post by kanewai on Dec 4, 2020 13:23:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the reviews. I may have to try some of these. I hope you do not mind but I may create a post for reviews of herbs and use yours in them. definitely, feel free!
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Post by kanewai on Dec 3, 2020 20:09:57 GMT -5
pipicha (Porophyllum tagetoides) looks so delicate. I hope it produces enough to use. This is a type of quelite, the Nahuatl word for wild greens used in indigenous Mexican cooking. I'm going to experiment with a couple different types in the aerogarden. This pipicha is the only one so far that has sprouted. I think the aroma of the pipicha amazing, sort of a mix between cilantro and lime. It's used in salsa verde, guacamole, and a pork and pumpkin stew out of Puebla that ... hopefully, I'll be able to make one day!
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Post by kanewai on Dec 3, 2020 20:02:00 GMT -5
za'atar (Origanum syriacum) is looking healthy. It has a slight pine aroma, but otherwise has a strong oregano flavor. I've read that folks have trouble sprouting regular oregano; this might be a good alternative for the aerogarden. I used seeds from Thyme Garden.
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Post by kanewai on Dec 3, 2020 19:57:39 GMT -5
Week Three I got impatient, and did an early taste test of three of my non-traditional herbs. They're all so young, and I only snipped a leaf off of each - just enough for a first impression. savory (Satureja hortensis) has a very fresh, peppery taste. I can see using this with meats, potatoes, grills, salads ... it seems like it will be very versatile. I know it used to be popular in the US, but at some point disappeared from our shelves. On first taste, I'm gonna say it's time to bring it back.
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Post by kanewai on Dec 3, 2020 18:25:06 GMT -5
I've got a bounty arriving today. I've earmarked it for chile peppers, but my seeds won't arrive for another week or two. However ... I do have a lot of herbs seeds and extra sponges, and I'm thinking about testing them out while I wait for the chiles.
I know that eventually three chile pepper plants will dominate the garden - but will I have time to sneak in an herb harvest before they do? I'm not sure how fast the chiles will grow.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 30, 2020 5:26:27 GMT -5
Herb Garden Month One update I mixed the pods around, moving the faster growing ones to the Bounty. Between the Harvest and the Bounty I've had 12/15 pods germinate ... I think. I am convinced I saw a marjoram sprout, and logged it, and then it was gone. There are others, like garlic chives, where I saw a sprout after a couple days, but that's all I see: a little yellowish sprout in the sponge, and nothing more. I had thought about logging first leaves rather than first sprout; next round I will. In no particular order: Genovese basil is the master of the garden. I've had to prune leaves a number of times. Surprisingly, I don't think this will produce enough to make a proper pesto Genovese - the official recipe requires about one plant's worth of leaves per serving! I did experiment once, pounding the basil by hand in a mortar and pestle with the cheese and nuts - and supplementing with store-bought basil so I had enough - and it was divine. I could probably do a whole garden just in basil. And aerogarden basil is much much more nicer than store-basil! Thai basil is growing strong, but what do I do with it? I used to grow this outside, and I like the taste, but it doesn't really pair will with the European or Latin dishes that I usually cook. I like having it around for when I try making Asian dishes, but that's not too often. Dill got pruned once. It seemed that one stalk grew too fast, and got too weak, and just fell over. I propped it up with shells to keep it erect while the main stalk firmed up. I cut some of the secondary plants, and the flavor was nice, clean, and strong. Mint started slow, and now is growing quickly. Not enough to harvest, but I pinched some leaves off and tasted them. There was a bitter after taste. I'm not sure I like this cultivar, but we'll see. Thyme looked so weak and frail at first, and could barely stand, but is now looking more solid and is the fifth most vibrant of the first bunch. Italian and curly parsley are slow ... they sprouted after a couple days, but have just broken through the paper cap now! Zaatar (a Middle-eastern oregano), pipicha (a Oaxacan herb) and savory (an old-world Mediterranean herb) are all just under an inch. I'm excited for these guys - I've never managed to grow any of them outside, and I have never once seen them in stores. I can't wait to report back on how they taste! Chives and garlic chives are going to kill me they're so slow. One single chive sprout reached above the paper cover, but I must have brushed him when I was trimming someone else because he totally fell out of the sponge. And I saw a garlic chive sprout four days after planting ... but then nothing. All I see in the sponge is a little worm-like yellow sprout, lying there and not doing anything. Chervil, marjoram, and epazote have not sprouted after three weeks. I thought I saw a marjoram sprout earlier, but it's gone. I re-seeded the epazote sponge few days ago, and maybe I see something? I'll know in a day or two. I also think maybe I saw a chervil sprout this morning? For the official aerogarden pods, I'm only waiting on chervil and marjoram. I am sure marjoram is not happening, but I'll give chervil a few more days until I contact the company. And that's my fifteen! Next up: I ordered another Harvest on Black Friday. I intend to try chile peppers - three plants max (sigh), though I might supplement these with a couple of the herbs I haven't tried in the aerogarden yet (lovage, borage, and pápalo). I know that the chiles will crowd them out the herbs in time, but in the interim I'll at least learn if the new herbs are viable in the aerogarden.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 13, 2020 19:51:37 GMT -5
kanewai , I am interested in wild edibles and have often heard of espazote, which grows wild in a lot of places. Based on the description of its taste by non-espazote lovers, I have never looked for it.
If you have a funnybone, read Green Dean's unflattering description of its taste -- as well as some of the defensive comments.
It made me laugh. Hope it does you, too!
That was good! But not enough to deter me. There are so many things that smell really vile (fermented fish paste, for example) that actually blend well when mixed with other spices. Hopefully epazote is one; I've never actually cooked with it.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 13, 2020 19:41:20 GMT -5
Choices, choices ... I only have four spaces left, but ten packages of seeds. Though I know I want the epazote, pipicha, and za'atar. I've narrowed it down to garlic chives, sorrel, pápalo, or borage for the final slot.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 11, 2020 18:22:56 GMT -5
Late to this discussion, but my young thyme also is growing sideways. I've been rotating the pod so that the direction of growth is facing away from the center. In a few hours the thyme is flopping back towards the center again. I think this is normal - when I've grown thyme in pots I've had to rotate the pots often to ensure even growth.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 11, 2020 2:58:43 GMT -5
I am so happy for your success. It is exciting!
I had never heard of some of those herbs. I think I would like to try za'atar someday. I'll be following your adventurers!
Thanks! Some are actually new to me, herbs that I've read about and wanted to try. I'll be learning too! Za'atar goes in a mix (also called za'atar) with sesame seeds & sumac. In southeastern Turkey they'd mix it with olive oil and serve it as a dip for fresh pita bread for breakfast, and it was delicious. I think all the cultures in the eastern Mediterranean use a variation of the mix. I'm excited to have the fresh herb, I've never seen it in the markets. Others have a similar flavor to cilanto, though they're not related - the culantro, pipicha, and pápalo. I've only grown pápalo, which I think has a beautiful citrus scent ... though honestly, I've shared it with friends and they haven't been impressed. Culantro we get sometimes with Vietnamese pho. And pipicha I've only read about. As for epazote - it's mandatory for black bean dishes in southern Mexico! And also impossible to find fresh where I live.
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Post by kanewai on Nov 10, 2020 16:43:00 GMT -5
Week two - so far so good! The Bounty arrived this morning, and I immediately set it up. I'm leaving four pods empty for now, as I have seeds I want to try, but the grow-anything kit is taking forever to arrive. FedEx tracker says it will still take a few more weeks. I have 100% germination in the Harvest! The thyme and the two basils sprouted on day 5, the dill on day 7, the mint on day 8, and the parsley on day 10. These were all the standard pods that came with the unit. In the pots, the oregano and lemon thyme love this set up & are doing strong in the extra light. I moved the Roma tomato outside; its leaves kept trying to grow downward to meet the lights. The lavender seems to be doing well. It gives off a lot of scent; every time I brush it its leaves perfume the air. The sage looks limp, but there's new growth that looks strong. I have room for a few more small pots. In the Bounty I planted the chives and Italian parsley from the standard kit, plus savory, chervil, and marjoram pods. I have four slots left, but have seeds for za'atar, borage, pápalo, garlic chives, culantro, epazote, and pipicha. I change my mind constantly about which four to start with. (links are to The Thyme Garden Herb Co., where I bought the seeds. I'm not affiliated with them, but I love the variety of seeds they have.)
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Post by kanewai on Nov 3, 2020 0:56:06 GMT -5
Wow that was fast - Day 5, and the two basil and the thyme have sprouted. As for the potted plants, the tomato started growing downwards to catch the light. I moved it outside, and will bring it back in when I raise the lights. Or when the Bounty arrives next week - I think that's taller.
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Post by kanewai on Oct 29, 2020 3:49:42 GMT -5
Maybe someone else can explain about your nutrients and water lights. I don't quite understand the problem.
Thanks for the support! I might not have explained that part well. The instructions said "tap once to turn the light off," and that the light would turn on once it's time to feed or water. I thought my machine was already broken, because my lights wouldn't go off no matter how many times I tapped them! It turns out that's not this model: the lights are always on, and will flash red when it's time to feed / water. Not an issue, just a very very minor frustration.
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Post by kanewai on Oct 29, 2020 0:23:25 GMT -5
And we're off! While this is exactly the kind of system I was looking for in my new place, I already have a couple concerns about aerogarden the company. But first, onto the garden: Some background: this is what I used to have at my old place. From back in February, shortly I after turned over the soil and put in new plants. It will help explain why I might get overly ambitious with, and excited about, the aerogarden! And this is what I came home to one day in August. My garden "didn't fit the vision" of what the new property manager had for the house. And it wasn't just my vegetables: they took out a mango tree and some dwarf citrus trees, as well as my native Hawaiian plant corner. Words were spoken. It was time for me to leave anyway, but this was the final straw. I'm happy with my new place, and I do have a strip of sandy soil ... but no sun. Most of what you see here didn't survive. And so I was like an excited kid when my 6-pod Harvest arrived today. I had planned on putting it on my at-home work desk, but as I was warned, it was much too bright for a small studio. Luckily I have a dressing room / laundry room with a shelf just the right size for a Harvest, a Bounty, and some friends. Here's a top-down view. There seemed to be enough extra light, especially with the mirror, that I added a few potted plants: oregano, sage, lemon thyme, lavender, and a Roma tomato. These are all plants that have never worked for me outside at my old place (which had direct sun in the day, and killer slugs at night). I have a nine-pod Bounty on order, along with pods for chervil, savory, and marjoram. There should be just enough room on the shelf for the Bounty. I also ordered seeds for some non-traditional herbs and a do-it-yourself kit. That order, however, is still "in process" - and I suspect it might still be quite a few weeks before it ships. First thoughts: 1. Seriously, I already love this. I researched how to build a DYI hydroponic system, but it looked overwhelming. I'm not a mechanical kind of guy. Also, the only tools I have are a hammer, a screwdriver, and a corkscrew. This is what I needed. 2. Related: I looked at different less-expensive brands, but the presence of an active online community helped swing me in favor of an aerogarden. 3. You all weren't joking that the light is bright! I'm glad this room is enclosed. 4. The seed pods that come with the system are an odd choice. I understand that you need some standardization - but the nine-pod set includes even more basil and parsley. Some variety would have been nice. 5. More of an issue - a serious issue, for me - is that aerogarden won't reveal the botanical names of their seeds. I wrote and asked, and they politely told me that the information was proprietary. What kind of nursery won't tell you what kind of plants they are selling? Given that they are selling a tarragon-scented marigold ( Tagetes lucida) and calling it "tarragon," and the reports that at least the mint and sage don't taste like expected, it makes me suspicious of what some of their other herbs might be. 6. In the end, I'll probably experiment more with my own seeds than with theirs. The trust isn't there. 6. I spent a good hour trying to turn the "add water" and "add nutrients" lights. I followed the instructions, and reset the unit a couple times, then turned to Reddit - and learned that the lights don't go off. Instead, the will flash when it's time to add water / nutrients. The instructions were wrong, which I wouldn't expect from an expensive product. 7. And yet I'm still excited, and if this works I'm already pondering about what comes next ...
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