2023-10-02 [revised ]
In continuing my "farm," I have relied on four types or brands of hydroponic equipment: iDOO 12-pod gardens, AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod gardens, QYO 12-pod units, LYKO units. LYKOs and QYOs are interchangeable. There are many types and styles of hydroponic gardens.
FOUR AeroGarden Harvests
The AeroGarden Harvest Template
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 they substituted some Japanese greens and sent 15 pods instead of 12.
Seble: [Seble is a female Eastern African, Amharic name that means Harvest]
2023-10-12 - The AeroGarden Anaheim Pepper seed pod that was in the #1 pod position was in the shadow of the enormous Poblano Pepper plant, so it is now in a temporary home in Katemcy, an amber mason jar with a pedestal grow light, at least until it propagates.
Empty 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 huge peppers growing now.
Harvey: [Harvey is short for Harvest] I have harvested all six AeroGarden Salad Greens and eaten what I could, followed by cleaning the unit and replanted with peppers.
Empty pod.
AeroGarden Banana Pepper Pod.
Empty pod.
Empty pod.
Empty pod.
AeroGarden Banana Pepper Pod.
Teresa : [Teresa in numerous languages, also means Harvest]
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Jalapeño Pepper Seed Pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
Empty Pod.
AeroGarden Jalapeño Pepper Seed Pod.
Harvey Too: [Harvey Too is a play on Harvey the second and Harvey also] I harvested the last green bell pepper and cleared everything and cleaned the unit, including with a bit of bleach.
Empty pod.
Empty pod.
Empty pod.
Empty pod.
AeroGarden Poblano Pepper Seed Pod
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 would 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
Empty and covered
Lyko Spinach
Empty and covered
Empty and covered
Lyko Spinach
Empty and covered
Lyko Parris Island Lettuce
Lyko Arugula
Kale
Cecile On 2023-10-07, the power supply - or maybe the electronic controls - expired. As a stop-gap, I'm using other light sources, and I have another Lyko unit on order as a replacement. Despite having the manufacturer, model number, and specifications, I can't seem to find a replacement AC/DC Adapter.
2023-10-12 - The Lyko replacement for Cecile arrived a day early and has been placed in commission. I used all new parts except for the deck, so the new gold Lyko unit has a black QYO deck. Same plants. Retired the odd light source.
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.
FOUR iDOO 12-pod gardens
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] As of 2023-10-8, the pods of Romaine lettuce have all been harvested and eaten. I'm considering what to plant next.
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
AeroGarden Anaheim Pepper seed pod.
AeroGarden Anaheim Pepper seed pod.
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Empty pod. Covered
Louise: [Named in keeping with the "Loo" sound of Lupe and Lucy]
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]
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] 2023-10-09 - The Green Chard formerly inhabiting Lucy has been removed. Removal required a hand saw and a drill. The saw reduced the trunks of the chard trees to stumps. The drill took out their centers and allowed me to collapse them through their respective pod holes. I don't think I will grow chard hydroponically ever again, though I might start it to turn over to the dotter in the spring.
That said, there are a couple in Alice.
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
Empty Pod
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.
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