Farm, er... Market?

2024-09-20

Weeks into the all new gardening season, I have sprouts in multiple gardening units. Different kinds of peppers, mostly, and for reasons of not crowding, generally two per unit. There is one unit, however, that only has room for a single pod. (Actually, there are a dozen such units, but only one such unit in service.)

The unit in question is an amber wide-mouth mason jar named Katemcy, shown at right. Most peculiar about Katemcy is that it is being served by one of the AeroGarden Aerovoir reservoirs. See the blue tube? One of the most annoying things about the mason jars is replenishing the water as the plants use it to grow. The reservoir eliminates that problem. Of course, I still have to add plant food, but I do that by lifting out the blue tube and injecting through that hole with a syringe. Then, of course, I reinsert the tube.

What makes this unit report-worthy is that the Heirloom Red Cherry Tomato plant growing in it is three times the size of the next nearest plant of any variety. That's pretty impressive for a Kratky method jar. It has no aeration, no circulation, and no ventilation, and is out-performing units that have those advantages. I am considering putting a Click and Grow unit back in commission with a reservoir to see how it does.