2023-09-14
Yesterday was a "Feed Me, Seymour" day. All the iDOOs and Harvests got a dose of Miracle-Gro Plant Food. The QYOs and LYKOs got the two part plant food that ships with iDOO, QYO, and LYKO products.
In establishing my "farm," I have relied on six types or brands of hydroponic equipment: Amber Mason Jars (regular and wide mouth), which are all retired, iDOO 12-pod gardens, AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod gardens, Click & Grow Smart Garden-3s, and QYO 12-pod units. I traded the QYOs for another iDOO last year and just got them back and commissioned them. In addition to the QYOs, I added two LYKO units. LYKOs and QYOs are interchangeable. There are many types and styles of hydroponic gardens.
Last report I said that among the plethora of internet guides, reviews, and how-tos, one that stands out is EverCrest, the MythicalMom, Brittany. Brittany has dozens and dozens of video posts and articles showing the unboxing of every system I own, how to clean them, pruning and harvesting. Tell her I sent you.
ZERO Kratky Mason Jars
Template
All the amber mason jars and their lighting have been decommissioned and stored until needed again.
ZERO Smart Garden-3s
The Click & Grow Smart Garden-3 Template
All the Smart Garden-3s have been decommissioned and stored until needed again. Alternatively, I will happily ship them free to a good home.
FOUR AeroGarden Harvests
The AeroGarden Harvest Template
From Left to Right:
SEBLE, ANNY, HARVEY, LASSY, THERESA, DORIS, HARVEY TOO
All the green onions were pruned but one. Some were over a foot tall. They went into a batch of soup and were excellent. A second wave of red fire peppers were harvested, then a third. They are much fatter than last year's crop, and every bit as hot.
There are advantages to the AeroGarden systems, but I've seen some bloggers describing them as "boutique" systems, meaning you pay a bit more for the name. You're also paying for the availability of a lot of pre-seeded pods and support from Etsy vendors. Other than Click & Grow and to a limited extent, Lyko, you don't find that level of support for other systems. Of course, they'd argue that you don't need it, either.
Since the last report, I've ordered and received a number of lettuce seed pods and a box containing Kale and Arugula and Mustard and more jalapeño pods. They didn't have exactly what I ordered, so the substituted some Japanese greens and sent 15 pods instead of 12.
Seble: (Scheduled from 00:00 to 15:00) [Seble is a female Eastern African, Amharic name that means Harvest]
AeroGarden Red Fire Pepper Seed Pod, after severe pruning. Since replaced with a much milder AeroGarden Anaheim Pepper seed pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Poblano Pepper Seed Pod, growing. Poblanos are lower on the Scoville scale than Jalapeños. I made a chili with one pepper, and the next went into a soup. Two buds growing now.
Harvey: (Scheduled from 06:00 to 21:00) [Harvey is short for Harvest]
AeroGarden Salad Greens
AeroGarden Salad Greens
AeroGarden Salad Greens
AeroGarden Salad Greens
AeroGarden Salad Greens.
Teresa : (Scheduled from 12:00 to 03:00) [Teresa in numerous languages, also means Harvest]
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Jalapeño Pepper Seed Pod. It contributed one pepper to my chili.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Jalapeño Pepper Seed Pod. It added two peppers to my chili.
Harvey Too: (Scheduled from 18:00 to 09:00) [Harvey Too is a play on Harvey the second and Harvey also]
Genovese Basil
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Bell Pepper. Contributed three peppers to my chili.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
Mint
Changes;
There are 8 AeroGarden Bamboo Storage Drawers. Only two were occupying space on the Garden Wall. Now all eight are there in a two stacks.
I grew the AeroGarden Purple Super-hots just to prove (to myself) that I could. Reviewing the chart at right, those peppers are just below habaneros in heat, and I don't eat anything that hot. Habanero powder used sparingly is a great seasoning. I ripped the PSH plant out of Seble and exchanged it for the Poblano plant in a mason jar.
Having put a purple super hot in a mason jar, I then transferred it to my dotter's custody for further transplanting outside. I told her to regard it as ornamental. I even included the heat chart shown here so she wouldn't think I expected her to eat the peppers. She is less tolerant of heat than I am. I can eat the red fire peppers in a salad or chili. She tops out with jalapeños. That's odd, given the blue diamond almonds I've seen her eat, coated with everything up to ghost peppers.
On order now from AeroGarden are seed pod kits for Poblanos, Anaheims, and Banana Peppers.
I named the QYOs after my mother and my aunt, her sister. I named the LYKOs after Faith and Madison, my eldest granddotters, and did some planting. There is now an Aerovoir water tank (Ariel) behind Alice. Lori now resides behind Faith.
Both tomato plants in Cecile survived a pruning. Everyone recommends that if a fruit plant sends up multiple shoots, you pull or cut away all but the healthiest. So I did.
I did the same to the Jalapeño plant you see in Madison. Two skinny stalks removed. That's supposed to let the survivor bulk up on nutrients and produce more and larger fruit.
Alice
Kale
Lyko Arugula
Lyko Parris Island Lettuce
Lyko Green Chard
Lyko Spinach
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce (harvested and eaten.)
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce (harvested and eaten.)
Lyko Spinach
Lyko Green Chard
Lyko Parris Island Lettuce
Lyko Arugula
Kale
Cecile
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
AeroGarden Golden Harvest Cherry Tomato nine inches tall
AeroGarden Heirloom Cherry Tomato nine inches tall
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Faith
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
AeroGarden Golden Harvest Cherry Tomato (Sprouted 08/19) several inches tall
AeroGarden Heirloom Cherry Tomato (Sprouted 08/22) several inches tall
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Madison
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
AeroGarden Heirloom Cherry Tomato Sprouted 08/20) several inches tall
AeroGarden Jalapeño Pepper Seed Pod, (13" tall) Lots of peppers.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
Empty and covered.
I purchased "QYO Seed Pods Kit for Hydroponics Garden Kit with 24pcs Growth Sponges,24pcs Pod Labels, A&B Solid Nutrient (Seeds not Included)" and "LYKO Seed Pod Kit for Hydroponic Indoor Garden, 500+ Seeds Lettuce Spinach Broccoli - 7pcs Grow Sponges & Basket, A&B Solid Nutrient Plant Foods, Hydroponic Pods Kit for LYKO, QYO, Yoocaa (Square)". The former came with square green pod labels that fit the pods perfectly. The latter came with foil square pod labels or covers that don't fit well. I had seeds from Lyko left over from a previous purchase, so that's what I planted. Same source. Same seed assortment.
FOUR iDOO 12-pod gardens
from left to right:
LULU, SHIRLEY, LOUISE, LUPE, NANCY, LUCY
If there is no other advantage to an iDOO 12-pod unit, it stands out from the rest by having a built-in fan to help with pollination. I saw the effect last year with Sheba before she died. So many tomatoes!
The iDOO 12-pod Template
Lulu: [Named in keeping with the "Loo" sound of Lupe and Lucy] (Scheduled from 00:00 to 16:00)
Empty pod. Covered
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce 6" tall
Empty pod. Covered
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce 6" tall
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce 6" tall
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce (harvested and eaten.)
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce 6" tall
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce
Louise: [Named in keeping with the "Loo" sound of Lupe and Lucy] (Scheduled from 06:00 to 22:00) The broccoli was harvested. I'll not be planting it again. The following were planted 2023-09-13:
AeroGarden Mustard Green Seed Pod
AeroGarden Arugula Seed Pod
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce Seed Pod
AeroGarden Salad Green Seed Pod
AeroGarden Kale Seed Pod
AeroGarden Arugula Seed Pod
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce Seed Pod
AeroGarden Salad Green Seed Pod
Empty Pod with thermometer
AeroGarden Arugula Seed Pod
AeroGarden Romaine Lettuce Seed Pod
AeroGarden Salad Green Seed Pod
Lupe: [Named for Ida Lupino] (Scheduled from 12:00 to 04:00) Only three of the six arugula plants is aruguling. The rest have germinated, but still look like dwarves.
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Arugula
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Arugula
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Arugula
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Lucy: [Named for Lucile Ball] (Scheduled from 18:00 to 10:00) The chard crop is ready for harvesting. Mixed with the lettuce from Lulu and the one arugula from Lupe, I should achieve one fabulous salad. I have been pruning the chard and adding it to salads since the last report.
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Green Chard
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Green Chard
EZ-Gro Green Chard
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Green Chard
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Green Chard
Empty Pod
EZ-Gro Green Chard
Over half my equipment came directly from Click & Grow or AeroGarden or from Etsy. Some even came from Walmart. But all the links above are to Amazon.
SEVEN Aerovoir reservoirs
Shirley [Shirley is short for Chalchiuhtlicue ("She of the Jade Skirt"), an Aztec deity of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism.] She is serving Lulu and Louise.
Nancy [Nancy is from Naiad. In Greek mythology, the naiads are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.] She is serving Lupe and Lucy.
Lassy [Lassy is from Thalassa- primeval spirit of the sea. She was a consort of Pontus and together they presided over the seas.] She is serving Teresa.
Anny [Anny is for Anuket, the ancient Egyptian goddess of the cataracts of the Nile and Lower Nubia in general, worshipped especially at Elephantine near the First Cataract] She is serving Seble and Harvey.
Doris [Named for Doris, a sea goddess.] Serving Harvey Too.
Ariel [named for the Disney princess] Serving Alice and Cecile.
Lori [named for Superman's mermaid college girlfriend, Lori Lemaris.] Serving Faith and Madison.
The various Aerovoirs serve the various units in slightly different configurations. The four Harvests have a base which contains the various controls for the units. That raises the container enough to require the Aerovoir's pedestal to raise the reservoir to the proper height to maintain the proper level in the container.
The iDOOs are short. The pedestal is not employed, and the containers must be raised about ½". Similarly, the QYOs and LYKOs are short. No pedestal and raised units like the iDOOs.
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