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Post by aerobob on Jan 14, 2019 10:20:17 GMT -5
Greetings All,
It looks like the biggest difference between the Bounty vs the Extra/Ultra units is 45 watt lighting vs 30 watt lighting.
For those with both units, would you say there is a very noticeable difference in plant growth/performance between the two units? In your opinion, how much more value does the bounty have over the ultra/extra? Could you quantify this as a percentage/ratio? ie. The bounty is worth xx% more than the ultra/extra. Trying to get an idea price levels to usability for when I am ready to buy more units :-)
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267 
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Post by Shawn on Jan 14, 2019 10:39:41 GMT -5
I have all three. I use all three. Of course the higher wattage is better but I have been using my Extra and Ultra (as well as my Bounty) for peppers and have had no issues with growing. I never really looked at if one grows better then the other.
AG is always having sales but Amazon does as well. If I find a good deal on one I will post it. If one waits you can get a Bounty for under $200 or a few dollars north of that.
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Post by aerobob on Jan 14, 2019 11:03:37 GMT -5
I have all three. I use all three. Of course the higher wattage is better but I have been using my Extra and Ultra (as well as my Bounty) for peppers and have had no issues with growing. I never really looked at if one grows better then the other.
AG is always having sales but Amazon does as well. If I find a good deal on one I will post it. If one waits you can get a Bounty for under $200 or a few dollars north of that.
I picked up a Bounty Elite from Sur La Table for $160, but also scored a used Ultra for $60 (2 seasons on it - so maybe 1 year used of the three year expected LED life?) I was thinking, if I only aimed for used units (ideally with only one or two seasons on them), I would be ahead if I could keep it at $60 for used Ultra LED units, and $100 or less for used Bounty units? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 11:18:27 GMT -5
I have both Ultra and Bounty. The brightness of the Bounty brings better blooms and growth, no doubt about it! If I am growing something like lettuce leaves/Choy and flowers and toms and had to choose , I would opt for the Ultra for the greens and the Bounty for the blooms and flowering/fruiting vegetables. I have a leafy plant called Polka Dot Hypoestes and it was in the bright Bounty and did not do well. The leaves would curl. Now it is doing much much better in the lower light of the Ultra. Ideal for that plant in the past was the SS6.
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Post by aerobob on Jan 15, 2019 8:46:54 GMT -5
I have both Ultra and Bounty. The brightness of the Bounty brings better blooms and growth, no doubt about it! If I am growing something like lettuce leaves/Choy and flowers and toms and had to choose , I would opt for the Ultra for the greens and the Bounty for the blooms and flowering/fruiting vegetables. .... Thanks for your input! Have you needed more than 12" (or even maxing out to the 24" height) for Greens? If so, how did you decide when it was right to harvest the greens (at some point they will get tougher as they get larger?) Thanks!, Bob |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 9:00:09 GMT -5
Most of my "greens" have been leaf lettuces. I harvest at 4-5 weeks and one can continue to harvest and use the cut n come again regrowth method if one desires and the plants will continue to produce(if they are the cut n come again variety). Shawn has posted some harvesting videos on the forum. The choi is ready when it is crisp and green and the stems are white and juicy. If the leaves look like they are faintly yellowing...it has gone too late. All this comes by doing,ab. And it also varies from seed variety to seed variety. So..just jump on in and start! Don't try to overthink it. Just plant , enjoy, and jot down your growth in a Garden section for your project when you get started. Meanwhile..check out the video thread.There is a lot to help there as well.
Happy AG-ing!
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on Jan 15, 2019 9:52:21 GMT -5
I agree with Corinne, just jump in. Being a newbie at AG'ing, I would start with the pods they give you and the AG Nutes. No guessing. Just plant, watch and feed every two weeks. Be sure to do a Dump and refill once a month too.
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Post by aerobob on Jan 15, 2019 10:53:13 GMT -5
I agree with Corinne, just jump in. Being a newbie at AG'ing, I would start with the pods they give you and the AG Nutes. No guessing. Just plant, watch and feed every two weeks. Be sure to do a Dump and refill once a month too. I have 3 heirloom tomato pods (that expired in late 2017 according to the box) that the seller included with the used SS6 purchase...the new Bounty Elite, should have the herb kit - assuming they all germinate - was planning on two for the Bounty and one for the Ultra (then gauging the results) - leaving the herb pods for the SS6....and I guess gaffers tape (doesn't leave residue like duct tape...usually) over the holes since I wont have enough caps for the ultra and bounty... Going forward however, I was hoping the gauge the value proposition of a ultra/extra vs bounty when I next see a "deal" for lightly used ones.... From the information I have gained so far (and we'll kinda see with the ultra with 1 tomato vs bounty with 2 tomatoes), the Ultra/Extra's optimal use (compared to the bounty) would be for greens/herbs - if that is the case, then the next question (for me) that was answered in another thread - would 2 harvests be better than 1 ultra/extra for greens - (to save future readers hunting for that other thread) the answer seems to be a yes. It doesn't seem any greens would have better productivity/yield rates between 12" to 24" than between 1" to 12"?....so the remaining advantage of the ultra over multiple harvests (24 vs 12 neck height) seems nullified? |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on Jan 15, 2019 12:42:56 GMT -5
Like many have said, everyone has their preference of what they want to grow and what units they want.
What works for me will not work for others. That is why you should concentrate on what you have now. Grow different things in different machines (that you have) to see what works. After that you can determine from your experience what units you may or may not want to purchase in the future.
All comes down to Personal Preferences.
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MaryL
AGA Farmer
Posts: 3,532
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Post by MaryL on Jan 16, 2019 21:41:21 GMT -5
If I recall correctly, Mike did a side by side comparison between the Bounty and the 30 watt Ultra/Extra, using the same pepper seeds from the same packet, and the peppers in the Bounty definitely grew faster. Another significant difference he found was that when attempting super hot peppers, they wouldn’t fruit in the 30 watt, it was too weak for those kinds of peppers. He had more luck in the Bounty for super hots. So I always try to keep my Bountys available for fruiting plants/vegetables. Regarding greens, my herbs have often grown past 12” so I like them in a tall machine, whether Ultra or Bounty. But the Harvests are so attractive and I have 5 of them so I still plant herbs in them. Salad greens are good in the 12” of the Harvest. OTOH, the holes are closer together than the 7 hole machines and I don’t like to crowd my greens. I also think some plants do better with the additional water in the larger basin of the 7 hole machines than in the smaller basin of the 6 hole Harvest. But that could just be due to the fact that I sometimes am negligent in the care of my gardens.  |
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