The day has finally come, we now have cherry tomatoes, and even a few Roma's, popping out all over the place. We noticed the first starts early this week and new ones coming out every day. We did a nutrient change yesterday in the PowerGrower where the cherry tomatoes are growing. Significant difference - higher concentration of Canna Boost and addition of Canna PK 13/14. This nutrient shift is required, per Canna instructions, when first fruits start to bloom. We were low on water in the PowerGrower so the timing was perfect.
The Ebb and Gro system has performed very well since installation. The Grow 3 seedlings we transplanted from the AeroFlo36 (they had been in there only a few days) are keeping pace with the "like" plants from Grow 3 that stayed in the AeroFlo36. One difference noted was in the Basil. The AeroFlo36 seedling growth is beating the Ebb and Gro seedling hands down.
We took lumen measurements under the SuperNova LED this week. We noticed a significant difference in lumen (from the same distance) between the HID HPS and MH lights compared to the LED. Given the LED is only 270 watts, per the manufacturer it is supposed to put off as much light as a 1000 watt HID. Not in lumen - that is for sure. Not sure what the manufacturer means by their statements but clearly the lumen readings are significantly different. Regardless, the plants under the SuperNova are doing well, either because of a more beneficial light spectrum (more "usable" light) or some other magic we don't know of yet.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Grow 4 Planted
We finally got to plant a few new seeds this week. Grow 4 consists of:
1 Fennel (the others from previous Grows are doing very well)
2 Red Shard (new plant)
2 Spinach (new seed pack)
2 Cucumber (new plant)
2 White Eggplant (new plant)
2 Mint (new plant)
2 Leek
2 Romaine Lettuce
We will continue to update you as we progress. Most of these seeds germinate in the 10-14 day range. Hopefully we will have some room to put these plants by the time they grow out of the AeroFlo36. Interestingly, this unit has become our defacto standard for post germination planting. Although the lettuces stay until maturity, the size of our other plants have necessitated transplanting out of this "nursery" system.
1 Fennel (the others from previous Grows are doing very well)
2 Red Shard (new plant)
2 Spinach (new seed pack)
2 Cucumber (new plant)
2 White Eggplant (new plant)
2 Mint (new plant)
2 Leek
2 Romaine Lettuce
We will continue to update you as we progress. Most of these seeds germinate in the 10-14 day range. Hopefully we will have some room to put these plants by the time they grow out of the AeroFlo36. Interestingly, this unit has become our defacto standard for post germination planting. Although the lettuces stay until maturity, the size of our other plants have necessitated transplanting out of this "nursery" system.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Grow 4 Planning
Now that we have Grow 3 coming to an end, harvesting lettuces, basil, and parsley (wish I could say tomatoes) from Grow 2, it is now time to start planning Grow 4.
We have chosen Rockwool cubes (based on tests in Grow 3) for all future germinations. We have decided to plant the following:
2 Cucumbers (new plant for us)
2 Red Shard (new plant for us)
2 White Eggplant (new plant for us)
1 Spinach (from a new seed packet)
2 Leeks
2 Romaine Lettuce
2 Fennel
2 Mint (new plant for us)
We trust our lettuce consumption will keep pace and that we will have a supply of basil from Grow 2 and Grow 3. As we continue to understand germination, vegetative and generative stage durations for these plants in our various systems we will hopefully have "complete" salads, vegetables, and herbs for our family needs.
We have chosen Rockwool cubes (based on tests in Grow 3) for all future germinations. We have decided to plant the following:
2 Cucumbers (new plant for us)
2 Red Shard (new plant for us)
2 White Eggplant (new plant for us)
1 Spinach (from a new seed packet)
2 Leeks
2 Romaine Lettuce
2 Fennel
2 Mint (new plant for us)
We trust our lettuce consumption will keep pace and that we will have a supply of basil from Grow 2 and Grow 3. As we continue to understand germination, vegetative and generative stage durations for these plants in our various systems we will hopefully have "complete" salads, vegetables, and herbs for our family needs.
LED Installed, Ebb and Gro in Production
The SuperNova LED installation was fast and simple. Wish I could say that about the cumbersome reflectors, bulbs and ballasts associated with the HID lights.
Kind of looks like an alien space ship getting ready to land. The LED has separate and controllable hue settings for blue and red light. Nice! We have the LED on the same timer as the HIDs which is controlled by the 240/120v Power Box unit.
The Ebb and Gro system is now in full production. We transferred 12 plants from the AeroFlo36 today. We now have more room for Grow 4. Transfers included Romaine, Basil, Parsley, Roma Tomatoes, Yellow and Red Peppers, and even a few Leeks.
The plants transferred to the Ebb and Gro were from Grow 2 and Grow 3. We have a pretty equal split of plant species between the STG inserts and Hydroton grow media in this new system. I will admit, STG is spot on when it comes to preparation time. Take the insert and put it in the pot, versus, washing Hydroton which took about 20 minutes for 6 pots. Hint - use the top pots from the system to help rinse the dust out with the hose - the holes in the bottom make a great sieve. You can see that the LED puts off a pretty red / pinkish spectrum. Compare that to the more yellowish hue (HPS bulb) in the photos below with the Grow 2 Basil, Parsley, and Yellow Pepper plants that are in the PowerGrower.
An update on our Spinach - all hope is not lost, we now have two sprouts in the Rapid Rooter cubes and one in the Rockwool cubes from Grow 3. We are hoping to get more sprouts, but after two unsuccessful germination attempts, I will take what I have at this point.
Kind of looks like an alien space ship getting ready to land. The LED has separate and controllable hue settings for blue and red light. Nice! We have the LED on the same timer as the HIDs which is controlled by the 240/120v Power Box unit.
The Ebb and Gro system is now in full production. We transferred 12 plants from the AeroFlo36 today. We now have more room for Grow 4. Transfers included Romaine, Basil, Parsley, Roma Tomatoes, Yellow and Red Peppers, and even a few Leeks.
The plants transferred to the Ebb and Gro were from Grow 2 and Grow 3. We have a pretty equal split of plant species between the STG inserts and Hydroton grow media in this new system. I will admit, STG is spot on when it comes to preparation time. Take the insert and put it in the pot, versus, washing Hydroton which took about 20 minutes for 6 pots. Hint - use the top pots from the system to help rinse the dust out with the hose - the holes in the bottom make a great sieve. You can see that the LED puts off a pretty red / pinkish spectrum. Compare that to the more yellowish hue (HPS bulb) in the photos below with the Grow 2 Basil, Parsley, and Yellow Pepper plants that are in the PowerGrower.
An update on our Spinach - all hope is not lost, we now have two sprouts in the Rapid Rooter cubes and one in the Rockwool cubes from Grow 3. We are hoping to get more sprouts, but after two unsuccessful germination attempts, I will take what I have at this point.
LED Has Arrived
The awaited day has come. The SuperNova enhanced LED light arrived last night and we are very excited to get it installed, some plants transferred to our Ebb and Gro system and start monitoring the progress with this new set-up. We will update with some photos later.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Big Harvest
Took 6 lettuce plants out of the AeroFlo36 today. Salad for dinner tonight (and a few more nights too). We transplanted many of the Grow 3 plants into the AeroFlo36 today. I have to tell you that my fears of the Rapid Rooter cubes came true. Very "crumbly" medium - especially when it comes to transplanting. Rockwool and STG are no problem to transplant. I am still using STG hail in my net cups around the transplanted seedling cube.
We took a fairly equal number of Rapid Rooter and Rockwool seedlings into the AeroFlo36 from Grow 3. Only two STG seedlings were taken due to the slower growth rate, and well, we had enough for a transfer in this grow. I still have Grow 3 seedlings germinating. Two Spinach seedlings ! I am going to give them another week or so, then see if we can transplant. One is in Rockwool, one in Rapid Rooter.
I think I am going to move forward with Rockwool for seed germination on future grows due to the results and observations during Grow 3.
We took a fairly equal number of Rapid Rooter and Rockwool seedlings into the AeroFlo36 from Grow 3. Only two STG seedlings were taken due to the slower growth rate, and well, we had enough for a transfer in this grow. I still have Grow 3 seedlings germinating. Two Spinach seedlings ! I am going to give them another week or so, then see if we can transplant. One is in Rockwool, one in Rapid Rooter.
I think I am going to move forward with Rockwool for seed germination on future grows due to the results and observations during Grow 3.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Grow 3, Grow Room Update, AND HARVEST !
Significant changes were made to the grow room in the last few days. We added a 30 amp circuit to provide 240 volt power to a new Power Box; we split some existing electrical circuits, added some outlets, and eliminated all but one extension cord; we changed the routing and support system for the exhaust fan which kicks on when the room is too hot (due to HID heat output); and we installed a new Ebb and Flow system from C.A.P. called Ebb and Gro.
The Basil plant has been picked several times for recipes over the weekend, not to mention the great salad we made with Buttercrunch and Arugula. Nice to finally have some rewards for all the hard work. Grow 3 continues, and it is a toss-up between Rapid Rooters and Rockwool. STG has been a dud. I think we may continue with Rockwool due to its ability to hold moisture better than Rapid Rooters even though Rapid Rooters had a faster germination rate. In the end, Rockwool caught up - and didn't dry out.
The Basil plant has been picked several times for recipes over the weekend, not to mention the great salad we made with Buttercrunch and Arugula. Nice to finally have some rewards for all the hard work. Grow 3 continues, and it is a toss-up between Rapid Rooters and Rockwool. STG has been a dud. I think we may continue with Rockwool due to its ability to hold moisture better than Rapid Rooters even though Rapid Rooters had a faster germination rate. In the end, Rockwool caught up - and didn't dry out.
Ebb and Gro has arrived
The Ebb and Gro system arrived and we were excited to get it up and running. It is an Ebb and Flow system made by C.A.P. We have 12 modules that we plan on using for our larger plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, etc. The Power Grower is doing great as a drip system but we wanted to expand, and try a new system at the same time - with an LED light.
Although we don't have the SuperNova LED yet, we went ahead and installed the Ebb and Gro yesterday since we had all the electrical work finished. The instructions were easy to understand, the system was easy to install, and our water test was successful - aka - no leaks !
The instructions indicate that the system was designed for Hydroton. We are going to do another experiment. Sure To Grow (STG) designed a product with their medium to work specifically with this Ebb and Gro system so we are going to try it. We really believe in the concept that STG has for their Hydroponic medium even though the seed germination product just isn't working as well as the traditional mediums of Rapid Rooters or Rockwool (at least it isn't for us).
Our strategy is to plant one STG and one Hydroton module of each plant type from the same Grow to see how each medium works in the Ebb and Gro system. More to come on this...
Although we don't have the SuperNova LED yet, we went ahead and installed the Ebb and Gro yesterday since we had all the electrical work finished. The instructions were easy to understand, the system was easy to install, and our water test was successful - aka - no leaks !
The instructions indicate that the system was designed for Hydroton. We are going to do another experiment. Sure To Grow (STG) designed a product with their medium to work specifically with this Ebb and Gro system so we are going to try it. We really believe in the concept that STG has for their Hydroponic medium even though the seed germination product just isn't working as well as the traditional mediums of Rapid Rooters or Rockwool (at least it isn't for us).
Our strategy is to plant one STG and one Hydroton module of each plant type from the same Grow to see how each medium works in the Ebb and Gro system. More to come on this...
Grow Room Upgrades
Wow what a busy few days. With the coming addition of an Ebb and Flow system we decided to split some circuits, add some outlets, get rid of all the extension cords, and most importantly get our HID lights on 240 volts to reduce our power consumption. Both lights were on 120v circuits, drawing twice as many amps as they would at 240 volts.
We ran a new 4-wire 10 gauge cable from the circuit panel to the grow room on Friday. The cable supports a new 30 amp circuit in the panel and a Power Box system with four 240 volt circuits and two 120 volt circuits. The Power Box has a built in timer that replaces the little timers each light was plugged into before. The two 120 volt outlets on the Power Box can either be constant on, or controlled by the timer.
Power Box makes several models in 30, 50, and 60 amps. The 30 amp unit we purchased doesn't have all the features of the larger models but is the right size (with growth) for our room. One feature that would have been great on this unit would be a "delay on" for HID lights after power outages. Funny, in the new catalog that came with the box it was shipped in...."New for 2010" - a separate "delay on" box that you can attach. Didn't see that on their website, or in any of the on-line Hydroponic stores.
I can proudly say that now all the extension cords are gone and the Power Box is up and running our HID lights.
We ran a new 4-wire 10 gauge cable from the circuit panel to the grow room on Friday. The cable supports a new 30 amp circuit in the panel and a Power Box system with four 240 volt circuits and two 120 volt circuits. The Power Box has a built in timer that replaces the little timers each light was plugged into before. The two 120 volt outlets on the Power Box can either be constant on, or controlled by the timer.
Power Box makes several models in 30, 50, and 60 amps. The 30 amp unit we purchased doesn't have all the features of the larger models but is the right size (with growth) for our room. One feature that would have been great on this unit would be a "delay on" for HID lights after power outages. Funny, in the new catalog that came with the box it was shipped in...."New for 2010" - a separate "delay on" box that you can attach. Didn't see that on their website, or in any of the on-line Hydroponic stores.
I can proudly say that now all the extension cords are gone and the Power Box is up and running our HID lights.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
New System Experiment
We will add an Ebb and Flow system (Ebb n Gro) to our grow room in the newly reclaimed space. We are also going to do an experiment with both Hydroton and STG Deluge which is designed specifically for the Ebb n Gro buckets. It will be interesting to see which medium does better with our plants. We have an eye on the red and yellow pepper plants currently in the AeroFlo36 as potential transplants to the new system.
As heat is becoming an issue for us (or certainly will in summer), we have also chose an LED lighting system. We selected the Super Nova Enhanced Spectrum light. It sports a nice function of custom selecting blue and red spectrum mixes to support the cycle of your plant's growth. The manufacturer also provides a three year warranty, first year 100%, second and third prorated. Look for that warranty on LED lights you are considering and be careful of the knock-offs on EBAY.
The Super Nova we selected provides light output for a 3x3 area that is supposedly greater than a 600 watt HID. It will be interesting to see if that is true. I am really excited about little to no heat output from the light and 1/8th of the amount of energy usage in the grow room.
As heat is becoming an issue for us (or certainly will in summer), we have also chose an LED lighting system. We selected the Super Nova Enhanced Spectrum light. It sports a nice function of custom selecting blue and red spectrum mixes to support the cycle of your plant's growth. The manufacturer also provides a three year warranty, first year 100%, second and third prorated. Look for that warranty on LED lights you are considering and be careful of the knock-offs on EBAY.
The Super Nova we selected provides light output for a 3x3 area that is supposedly greater than a 600 watt HID. It will be interesting to see if that is true. I am really excited about little to no heat output from the light and 1/8th of the amount of energy usage in the grow room.
Grow Room Changes
We finished the nutrient swap today by draining the FloraKleen solution that ran last night in the PowerGrower and then adding the Aqua Flores, Rhizotonic, Cannazyme, and Boost solution. The Metal Halide bulb was changed to High Pressure Sodium yesterday, and as you can see in the video it definitely has a different color spectrum.
The grow room went through a major reconfiguration today. We removed a large workbench to make room for our next system. A new station was set up with a narrower work surface (not as deep as the workbench) to give us a small working area as well as seed germination and cloning space.
The grow room went through a major reconfiguration today. We removed a large workbench to make room for our next system. A new station was set up with a narrower work surface (not as deep as the workbench) to give us a small working area as well as seed germination and cloning space.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Bulb Change
The PowerGrower plants are now receiving light from a High Pressure Sodium bulb (HPS) that we swapped out with the Metal Halide bulb. Our ballasts are the electronic/digital type that can support either type of bulb.
We are using the HPS bulb now as the plants (mainly the Cherry Toms) are in the Generative stage and require more red color in their light spectrum for the best flower and fruit growth.
We are using the HPS bulb now as the plants (mainly the Cherry Toms) are in the Generative stage and require more red color in their light spectrum for the best flower and fruit growth.
Hydroton Test
The Roma that was kicked back to the AeroFlo36 (Grow 1 plant) after suffering near death due to dehydration in the PowerGrower is now in a stand-alone module. It was starting to shadow the other plants in the AeroFlo36 with its canopy so we thought it a good time to run the Hydroton test.
We used well rinsed Hyrdroton for about three quarters of the module but ran out. The net cup is sitting nicely on Hydroton with roots dispersed throughout. We "topped off" the module with some STG Hail we had on hand.
We took nutrient solution from the AeroFlo36 and filled up the module, added the air pump line. We will leave this plant on continuous drip, watch it closely, and give you some results. We have not used Hydroton as a growing medium to date.
We used well rinsed Hyrdroton for about three quarters of the module but ran out. The net cup is sitting nicely on Hydroton with roots dispersed throughout. We "topped off" the module with some STG Hail we had on hand.
We took nutrient solution from the AeroFlo36 and filled up the module, added the air pump line. We will leave this plant on continuous drip, watch it closely, and give you some results. We have not used Hydroton as a growing medium to date.
Nutrient Changes
We drained both the AeroFlo36 and PowerGrower today. The AeroFlo36 went first, no cleaning as it looked fine, and received a new batch of water and increased nutrient levels. We were running in the high 800s due to the small plants. Now that they have matured a bit, we increased to full strength at about 1050 ppm (vegetative state) using Canna Aqua Vega, Rhizotonic, and Cannazyme with the pH level at 5.5.
The PowerGrower was drained and now has a cleaning solution running through it and we will leave the pumps on continuous drip to help clear residual salts. Tomorrow morning we will drain all of the cleaning solution and change the nutrients to the Aqua Flores, Rhizotonic, Cannazyme and Boost mix as stated in the previous post.
We moved the Basil kickback back to the PowerGrower module with the bigger Basil plant. The root structure looked better and we made sure a the drip ring was right over the root ball.
The PowerGrower was drained and now has a cleaning solution running through it and we will leave the pumps on continuous drip to help clear residual salts. Tomorrow morning we will drain all of the cleaning solution and change the nutrients to the Aqua Flores, Rhizotonic, Cannazyme and Boost mix as stated in the previous post.
We moved the Basil kickback back to the PowerGrower module with the bigger Basil plant. The root structure looked better and we made sure a the drip ring was right over the root ball.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Equipment and Nutrient Change Tomorrow
Nutrients
We have seen the Generative (aka flowering) stage begin on our Cherry and Roma Tomatoes in the PowerGrower. Our nutrient solution in the PowerGrower is Canna Aqua Vega, Rhizotonic, and Cannazyme delivered at Canna's published rates. We will now switch to Canna's Aqua Flores, reduce the Rhizotonic concentration, keep the Cannazyme about the same, and add Boost. All of these products are available in different size containers (1 liter, 5 liter, etc). We will continue to follow dosing rates per Canna's literature.
Lesson learned - if you have two big systems like I do, and run successive grows back to back - get the big jugs of nutrients. You will also need one of those big syringes to get the nutrient out of the big jug (unless you like funnels and big measuring cups).
I have not experimented with other nutrient manufacturers' products, nor am I endorsing any product for any type of financial gain or consideration. All I can say is that this Canna stuff works extremely well for me while following their recommended dosing and while also using their nutrient additives (like Rhizotonic, Cannazyme, Boost, etc) to the base products of Aqua Vega or Aqua Flores.
Lighting
We will change the HID light bulb above the PowerGrower from Metal Halide (MH) to High Pressure Sodium (HPS). A metal halide bulb has a high concentration of blue light spectrum and is primarily used during the Vegetative stage. A high pressure sodium bulb has a high concentration of red light spectrum and is primarily used during the Generative stage. Either bulb will provide results for you. If you want the best results, use them during the identified stages, if you can, to improve your results. The MH bulb in the HID above the AeroFlo36 will remain since those Grow 2 plants remain in the Vegetative stage.
We have seen the Generative (aka flowering) stage begin on our Cherry and Roma Tomatoes in the PowerGrower. Our nutrient solution in the PowerGrower is Canna Aqua Vega, Rhizotonic, and Cannazyme delivered at Canna's published rates. We will now switch to Canna's Aqua Flores, reduce the Rhizotonic concentration, keep the Cannazyme about the same, and add Boost. All of these products are available in different size containers (1 liter, 5 liter, etc). We will continue to follow dosing rates per Canna's literature.
Lesson learned - if you have two big systems like I do, and run successive grows back to back - get the big jugs of nutrients. You will also need one of those big syringes to get the nutrient out of the big jug (unless you like funnels and big measuring cups).
I have not experimented with other nutrient manufacturers' products, nor am I endorsing any product for any type of financial gain or consideration. All I can say is that this Canna stuff works extremely well for me while following their recommended dosing and while also using their nutrient additives (like Rhizotonic, Cannazyme, Boost, etc) to the base products of Aqua Vega or Aqua Flores.
Lighting
We will change the HID light bulb above the PowerGrower from Metal Halide (MH) to High Pressure Sodium (HPS). A metal halide bulb has a high concentration of blue light spectrum and is primarily used during the Vegetative stage. A high pressure sodium bulb has a high concentration of red light spectrum and is primarily used during the Generative stage. Either bulb will provide results for you. If you want the best results, use them during the identified stages, if you can, to improve your results. The MH bulb in the HID above the AeroFlo36 will remain since those Grow 2 plants remain in the Vegetative stage.
Tomato News
The Cherry Toms have continued to sprout flowers all over each plant. Roma Toms continue to baffle me a bit. Roma in the AeroFlo36 has made a great comeback but still is slower than the Cherry was in the AeroFlo36. We are suffering from "leaf curl" with the PowerGrower Roma and I need to get the books out tonight to research a solution. Funny thing is, it actually sported its first flower yesterday.
I have continued pulling suckers off the Cherry Tom plants and now that the CO2 is back on in the room we have seen more growth than ever before. After no CO2 for a week, you can really notice the difference in the veg that was added during this week now that it is back on. Lesson learned - if you want it to grow bigger and faster, add CO2. We run 1500 ppm.
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| Roma in PowerGrower - notice "leaf curl" |
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| Cherry Toms in PowerGrower - adding flowers daily |
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| Roma "kickback" adding veg, no flowers, no leaf curl. Hmmm |
Grow 1 and 2 Plants Exploding
Our AeroFlo36 and PowerGrower continue prove themselves as very good investments. Not only have we seen great progress on our Grow 2 plants placed in the AeroFlo36 but also the two plants (Roma Tom and Basil) that we kicked back from the PowerGrower from Grow 1 that we thought would die. Check out the root mass now on the Grow 1 Basil that is recovering nicely:
The Arugula adds more leaves every day while the Yellow Peppers aren't far behind in veg. I must find a home for these peppers in the PowerGrower soon (or maybe an Ebb and Flow system test? Hmmm). That little Leek in P1 below next to the yellow peppers is sporting good growth too.
The Buttercrunch lettuce seems to just love the AeroFlo36 as seedlings from Grow 2 are doing wonderfully. Our original Buttercrunch plant from Grow 1 is getting huge in the PowerGrower. It may be salad time for that one in the next week. The Buttercrunch from Grow 1 was planted as a seed on Sept. 18. Wow, seven weeks from seed to table. Try that in dirt!
We can't leave out the Basil......so hard to get fresh Basil where I live, not to mention Italian Parsley! I "staked" the Basil plant tonight as it was getting a little top heavy. Another lesson learned. STG hail is a great medium until you start using it for tall, heavy plants. It is light and fluffy....and unless you really pack it in (and I mean really!), it seems as it has a problem supporting these plants. Haven't tried those little pebbles (Hydroton) yet as it has a lot of pre-use maintenance. Maybe another test to add in the book...(Ebb & Flow, Hyrdoton, LED???)
Grow 3 - Cube Test Results Day 4
The results are in, and it appears that the Rapid Rooters are leading the pack. They were the first to show signs of germination (Romaine Lettuce) after 3 days. The seed packet indicated a 5-10 day germination cycle on these seeds. Wow.
The Romaine is in the far left column. Four out of five seeds germinated so far. Second column (from left) has Basil in the top three cubes (going down) and the last two are Roma tomatoes, the far right column - my dreaded spinach.
The STG cubes are getting smoked so far with only two Romaine seeds germinating in the bottom two cubes of the first column.
We can see the beginning of other seeds germinating (as of today) but nothing confirmed as of this posting. As of now, STG is dead last in this three horse race.
The Rockwool cubes are running in second after four days. We have progress on the Romaine as we did in the Rapid Rooters, however, the activity didn't show until late yesterday and early this morning.
As you can see, we have fewer seeds that germinated (only bottom three in first column) and no signs in any of the other Rockwool cubes. The tray with all the cubes shows the three in comparison. All seeds are planted in the same order as to number of cubes per type of plant and layout in the tray.
Grow 3 is comprised of:
Basil - 9 Plants (3 Rapid Rooter, 3 STG, 3 Rockwool)
Romaine Lettuce - 15 Plants (5 Rapid Rooter, 5 STG, 5 Rockwool)
Roma Tomatoes - 6 Plants (2 Rapid Rooter, 2 STG, 2 Rockwool)
Spinach - 12 Plants (4 Rapid Rooter, 4 STG, 4 Rockwool)
The Romaine is in the far left column. Four out of five seeds germinated so far. Second column (from left) has Basil in the top three cubes (going down) and the last two are Roma tomatoes, the far right column - my dreaded spinach.
The STG cubes are getting smoked so far with only two Romaine seeds germinating in the bottom two cubes of the first column.
We can see the beginning of other seeds germinating (as of today) but nothing confirmed as of this posting. As of now, STG is dead last in this three horse race.
The Rockwool cubes are running in second after four days. We have progress on the Romaine as we did in the Rapid Rooters, however, the activity didn't show until late yesterday and early this morning.
As you can see, we have fewer seeds that germinated (only bottom three in first column) and no signs in any of the other Rockwool cubes. The tray with all the cubes shows the three in comparison. All seeds are planted in the same order as to number of cubes per type of plant and layout in the tray.
Grow 3 is comprised of:
Basil - 9 Plants (3 Rapid Rooter, 3 STG, 3 Rockwool)
Romaine Lettuce - 15 Plants (5 Rapid Rooter, 5 STG, 5 Rockwool)
Roma Tomatoes - 6 Plants (2 Rapid Rooter, 2 STG, 2 Rockwool)
Spinach - 12 Plants (4 Rapid Rooter, 4 STG, 4 Rockwool)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Grow 3 Launch and Grow Room Update
We have planted all the seeds for Grow 3. We used 14 cubes of Rapid Rooter, STG, and Rockwool. We used the Rockwool conditioner on all three mediums for control purposes except that the Rockwool cubes were soaked overnight.
Our Cherry Tomatoes have put on an amazing amount of veg since transplanting from the AeroFlo36 to the PowerGrower. We now have our first flowers !! The Basil is getting taller and adding new leaves daily. All other Grow 2 transplants are showing great progress in the Aeroflo36. We lost three Leek plants we placed in the PowerGrower yet the ones in the Aeroflo36 are doing fine. We placed the Leek Rockwool cubes right under the dripper of the PowerGrower so either too much moisture or something else whacked the little Leeks. RIP.
The Roma Tomatoes are growing much slower than the Cherry. Not sure why. All were from the same Grow. We actually had to move one of the Roma plants back to the AeroFlo36 due to its immature root structure. Lesson learned - make sure you have significant roots to spread out in the PowerGrower module if using STG hail. It just doesn't wick and a small root circumference will lead to plant dehydration.
Our Cherry Tomatoes have put on an amazing amount of veg since transplanting from the AeroFlo36 to the PowerGrower. We now have our first flowers !! The Basil is getting taller and adding new leaves daily. All other Grow 2 transplants are showing great progress in the Aeroflo36. We lost three Leek plants we placed in the PowerGrower yet the ones in the Aeroflo36 are doing fine. We placed the Leek Rockwool cubes right under the dripper of the PowerGrower so either too much moisture or something else whacked the little Leeks. RIP.
The Roma Tomatoes are growing much slower than the Cherry. Not sure why. All were from the same Grow. We actually had to move one of the Roma plants back to the AeroFlo36 due to its immature root structure. Lesson learned - make sure you have significant roots to spread out in the PowerGrower module if using STG hail. It just doesn't wick and a small root circumference will lead to plant dehydration.
Grow 3 Experiment - Planting Strategy
Grow 3 will be an experiment with three cube mediums. In our first planting, Grow 1, we used Sure to Grow (STG) cubes and had pretty abysmal results. We thought our methodology may have been flawed and determined we would try STG again to be fair. In our second grow, Grow 2, we used Rockwool cubes using a Rockwool conditioning solution and a different planting/germination methodology and had very good results. We had some Rapid Rooter cubes on hand and determined an experiment with all three was warranted.
Grow 3 will use Rapid Rooter, STG, and Rockwool cubes using the same germination methodology as we employed in Grow 2. We will plant Romaine, Roma Tomatoes, Basil, and the dreaded Spinach. We have yet had spinach germinate (maybe bad seeds?). We will plant each medium with a series of the same seeds and document the results. The medium that produces the best will be the medium we use for all future Grows (until Santa Clause brings me a cloning machine).
Grow 3 will use Rapid Rooter, STG, and Rockwool cubes using the same germination methodology as we employed in Grow 2. We will plant Romaine, Roma Tomatoes, Basil, and the dreaded Spinach. We have yet had spinach germinate (maybe bad seeds?). We will plant each medium with a series of the same seeds and document the results. The medium that produces the best will be the medium we use for all future Grows (until Santa Clause brings me a cloning machine).
Where did the CO2 Go?
We went without CO2 for about a week as I needed to refill the tank I had and add a second (the welding shop that carries CO2 is about 50 miles away) since I have a dual CO2 regulator. I traded my tanks at the welding shop early last week - it is a swap program, empties for refilled tanks - and hooked up the new ones to the dual regulator on . I opened the valves on the tanks, and the regulator showed pressure so all was good....so I thought.
Coming back to the grow room an hour or so later I noticed a strange smell and immediately suspected CO2. I went to the C.A.P. CO2 ppm monitor, and well, I don't want to tell you what it read, only that it was probably deadly to humans. I closed the valves on the tanks and got out the door fast leaving the door open so the room would clear.
Upon my return I verified that the room was safe (C.A.P. ppm monitor back down to reasonable level but still high) and began to check on the tanks. I sprayed the tank connections with a solution of dish soap and water to see if there were any leaks. Bubbles started forming all over the top of one tank. Unfortunately the leak can only be detected once the gas is on, not when the valve is closed. Go figure. Lesson learned. I couldn't get back to the problem until yesterday.
I rechecked all the o-rings on the regulator and they were all fine. I ended up disconnecting the bad tank and am now running on one tank connected to the regulator. Back to the welding shop for a trade in. At least the plants are getting some CO2 again.
Coming back to the grow room an hour or so later I noticed a strange smell and immediately suspected CO2. I went to the C.A.P. CO2 ppm monitor, and well, I don't want to tell you what it read, only that it was probably deadly to humans. I closed the valves on the tanks and got out the door fast leaving the door open so the room would clear.
Upon my return I verified that the room was safe (C.A.P. ppm monitor back down to reasonable level but still high) and began to check on the tanks. I sprayed the tank connections with a solution of dish soap and water to see if there were any leaks. Bubbles started forming all over the top of one tank. Unfortunately the leak can only be detected once the gas is on, not when the valve is closed. Go figure. Lesson learned. I couldn't get back to the problem until yesterday.
I rechecked all the o-rings on the regulator and they were all fine. I ended up disconnecting the bad tank and am now running on one tank connected to the regulator. Back to the welding shop for a trade in. At least the plants are getting some CO2 again.
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