Any newbies splurge for BF? Got 3 more AeroGardens

[kissyboots]

Hi! New poster, I hope this thread is okay!

I have a Sprout growing herbs I really like (10 or so days in) and ordered another Sprout for tomatoes. I really wanted Strawberries but I felt like investing in a Bounty or Ultra was a lot for one plant.

But with today's deals I ended up with a Bounty, Harvest, and another Sprout. I got the grow bowl with strawberry crowns and lettuce for the harvest and tomatoes for the other Sprout.

I can split the lettuce between Sprouts and do the tomatoes in the Harvest, but I'm completely new! Any advice? Am I in over my head? It was about $300 for all the stuff I got which is how much a Bounty seems to cost so it seemed unpassupable. 

Thanks!

[Shawn]

First let me welcome you to the forum kissyboots.

Next, let me say you did indeed get a lot for your money.  Congrats on the purchases.  I will tell you I started with one unit and in almost two years I now have I thin 8 units.

I myself have not grown strawberries but would love to try one day.  I think others here have grown them and they can chime in.

Herbs, Lettuce and Choi many of us grow with great success.  You will also see a lot of peppers and tomatoes as well.  I think tomatoes will be talked about more in the Spring and summer but again, those that have grown them can help you with your questions.

Flowers are also big here too!  Well as you stroll around you will see we have grown beans, cukes and someone even has a lemon tree growing.


What AG Kits do you have?  I know some tomatoes can be in any machines, herbs as well.  

AG Kits are great for beginners (as well as the seasoned growers).  As you get more comfortable you can venture into custom projects.  These are grown from seeds received from vendors other then AG.  You will see a lot of custom grown projects.

Please don't be shy if you have questions, post them!  Someone will answer.  

Take a look at all the boards, and again post anything you may need help with, share ideas and show us your gardens with pictures!


Once again 

[Shawn]

I forgot to ask, in your Sprout, what herbs are you growing?

[kissyboots]

Nov 24, 2017 15:40:05 GMT -5 Shawn said:

First let me welcome you to the forum kissyboots.

Next, let me say you did indeed get a lot for your money.  Congrats on the purchases.  I will tell you I started with one unit and in almost two years I now have I thin 8 units.

I myself have not grown strawberries but would love to try one day.  I think others here have grown them and they can chime in.

Herbs, Lettuce and Choi many of us grow with great success.  You will also see a lot of peppers and tomatoes as well.  I think tomatoes will be talked about more in the Spring and summer but again, those that have grown them can help you with your questions.

Flowers are also big here too!  Well as you stroll around you will see we have grown beans, cukes and someone even has a lemon tree growing.


What AG Kits do you have?  I know some tomatoes can be in any machines, herbs as well.  

AG Kits are great for beginners (as well as the seasoned growers).  As you get more comfortable you can venture into custom projects.  These are grown from seeds received from vendors other then AG.  You will see a lot of custom grown projects.

Please don't be shy if you have questions, post them!  Someone will answer.  

Take a look at all the boards, and again post anything you may need help with, share ideas and show us your gardens with pictures!


Once again 

Thank you, Shawn! It seems like this is rapidly addictive- I was annoyed at the constant basil expense so I found an openbox Amazon Sprout deal, and within a week ordered a second for tomatoes and then I got the strawberry itch

My first Sprout (here) has the standard 3-pod herb pack- parsley, dill, and basil.

The second Sprout (en route) has three tomato pods.

My order from today has 9 pods and 6 pods of Heirloom Greens and 3 more pods of tomatoes.

I can't believe I somehow ended up with five AGs because of Black Friday But I live with my dad and we had a terrible tomato season this summer and did not get over it. My dad also travels a lot, so I hope that the lettuce and tomato yields can save $ I'd have spent at Panera- my kids don't eat veggies :/ maybe strawberries.

And my husband leaves tomorrow for 3-6 months so I need something to focus on I think was part of it. 

Thank you so much for the welcome! I lurked around a bit when I was doing my Strawberry recon but I'm so new to AGs I didn't have much time to lurk! 

ETA: Now that I ordered a Harvest, I think it might be better to split the lettuces in the Sprouts, I don't know much about how tomatoes grow. Part of why I like the AG is because I can't get my head around soil planting and I live at the beach so our ground is sand. 

[Shawn]

Anything in dirt I usually kill big time, however for the first time I planted flowers outside and they did amazingly well.  BUT I do not like the bugs that come along with soil so AG's are perfect for me.

One think I can tell you when it comes to tomatoes and peppers is that you do not want to use all the spaces available.  They grow wider so if you use all three in a sprout or all 6 in a harvest it will get crowded fast.  Those that have grown may give you their advice.

I have grown lettuce in the Harvest and did well.  I grew Romaine.  


AG's are a wonderful pastime and hobby and I love it.

Be sure to read the Garden Patches as everyone has something different and the same growing in several types of AG's.


So now that you will be getting set up no need to lurk anymore    Post away.

[drbanks]

Nov 24, 2017 16:47:37 GMT -5 kissyboots said:

Nov 24, 2017 15:40:05 GMT -5 Shawn said:

First let me welcome you to the forum kissyboots.

Next, let me say you did indeed get a lot for your money.  Congrats on the purchases.  I will tell you I started with one unit and in almost two years I now have I thin 8 units.

I myself have not grown strawberries but would love to try one day.  I think others here have grown them and they can chime in.

Herbs, Lettuce and Choi many of us grow with great success.  You will also see a lot of peppers and tomatoes as well.  I think tomatoes will be talked about more in the Spring and summer but again, those that have grown them can help you with your questions.

Flowers are also big here too!  Well as you stroll around you will see we have grown beans, cukes and someone even has a lemon tree growing.


What AG Kits do you have?  I know some tomatoes can be in any machines, herbs as well.  

AG Kits are great for beginners (as well as the seasoned growers).  As you get more comfortable you can venture into custom projects.  These are grown from seeds received from vendors other then AG.  You will see a lot of custom grown projects.

Please don't be shy if you have questions, post them!  Someone will answer.  

Take a look at all the boards, and again post anything you may need help with, share ideas and show us your gardens with pictures!


Once again 

Thank you, Shawn! It seems like this is rapidly addictive- I was annoyed at the constant basil expense so I found an openbox Amazon Sprout deal, and within a week ordered a second for tomatoes and then I got the strawberry itch

My first Sprout (here) has the standard 3-pod herb pack- parsley, dill, and basil.

The second Sprout (en route) has three tomato pods.

My order from today has 9 pods and 6 pods of Heirloom Greens and 3 more pods of tomatoes.

I can't believe I somehow ended up with five AGs because of Black Friday But I live with my dad and we had a terrible tomato season this summer and did not get over it. My dad also travels a lot, so I hope that the lettuce and tomato yields can save $ I'd have spent at Panera- my kids don't eat veggies :/ maybe strawberries.

And my husband leaves tomorrow for 3-6 months so I need something to focus on I think was part of it. 

Thank you so much for the welcome! I lurked around a bit when I was doing my Strawberry recon but I'm so new to AGs I didn't have much time to lurk! 

ETA: Now that I ordered a Harvest, I think it might be better to split the lettuces in the Sprouts, I don't know much about how tomatoes grow. Part of why I like the AG is because I can't get my head around soil planting and I live at the beach so our ground is sand. 

I LOVE the Aerogarden tomato kits. One point worth mentioning is that one tomato pod will easily take over an entire harvest. The best advice I can give is one tomato or pepper plant per Aerogarden.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

[drbanks]

And by the way, less than a year after buying my first Aerogarden, I had 13. Plus other stuff. Way too easy to get addicted.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

[mike]

Welcome to the forum Kissyboots. I purchased my first AG Classic 7 in 2012 for the same reason, to have fresh herbs available for meals. Herbs and greens grow very well in the AG. The biggest issue is to make sure they have adequate water. Also, make sure you provide nutrients within a day or two when the garden lets you know it's time. And while they recommend 8 ml nutrients for greens and herbs, I would start off with 6 ml. Greens and herbs don't need as much as they recommend.

If your plants start turning yellow, then they either aren't getting enough nutrients or they don't like one of the conditions that exist. If it is too warm or too cold, etc. If you give them too many nutrients, the leaves tend to curl up.

You will experience all of this with the Aerogarden. But you learn quickly. And with herbs and greens, you have harvestable plants in about a month. Peppers and tomatoes take 3 - 4 months.

Again, welcome to the forum. If you have any questions, we will do our best to help. Oh, and Shawn and Dawn are right, they do get addictive. Within two years, I had 15 gardens. Since then I've purchased 10 more.

[kissyboots]

Nov 24, 2017 17:43:51 GMT -5 drbanks said:

Thanks! I got a Sprout with tomato pods yesterday, the rest is en route. Should I do all my lettuce in the harvest and tomatoes in two Sprouts or vice versa? I am obviously eager to plant but I don't know what route to take! Thanks again

[kissyboots]

Nov 25, 2017 2:27:50 GMT -5 mike said:

Welcome to the forum Kissyboots. I purchased my first AG Classic 7 in 2012 for the same reason, to have fresh herbs available for meals. Herbs and greens grow very well in the AG. The biggest issue is to make sure they have adequate water. Also, make sure you provide nutrients within a day or two when the garden lets you know it's time. And while they recommend 8 ml nutrients for greens and herbs, I would start off with 6 ml. Greens and herbs don't need as much as they recommend.

If your plants start turning yellow, then they either aren't getting enough nutrients or they don't like one of the conditions that exist. If it is too warm or too cold, etc. If you give them too many nutrients, the leaves tend to curl up.

You will experience all of this with the Aerogarden. But you learn quickly. And with herbs and greens, you have harvestable plants in about a month. Peppers and tomatoes take 3 - 4 months.

Again, welcome to the forum. If you have any questions, we will do our best to help. Oh, and Shawn and Dawn are right, they do get addictive. Within two years, I had 15 gardens. Since then I've purchased 10 more.

Thank you! I love this forum, also sorry it took me forever to reply but I had to change my husband's flight and it took ALL DAY. I really want my Aerogardens to thrive so this is very helpful! Thanks

[Shawn]

Hi Kissy.  I hope you got your husbands flights all take care of.

I can not help you with tomatoes as my first and only try was a dud LOL.

[kissyboots]

Nov 26, 2017 11:45:08 GMT -5 Shawn said:

Hi Kissy.  I hope you got your husbands flights all take care of.

I can not help you with tomatoes as my first and only try was a dud LOL.

Thanks- I got him on a different flight! 

I'm nervous about starting the tomatoes but hopeful. I keep trying to see what people on Instagram are doing but they never show anything but closeups!!

[Shawn]

Someone should be able to help you.

[kissyboots]

Thanks, I wish I didn't have to dedicate a whole Bounty to Strawberries but I had to pick that or the other ones since it seems iffy in the best conditions! I Google around a lot but it's hard to tell what people are doing- if I have success with either I'm going to explain when I post pics!

Hi KB! Welcome.
With the permission of Admin Shawn(please delete if not appropriate), I am going to leave a link to the blog I started with my very first AG machine and the Tomato kit way back in 2008! The machines were bulbs, but the kit and the method and steps taken are the same as today with the LED Hoods. I chronicled it step by step, and perhaps you can glean a scrap or  something useful from it that will help.. 
The project starts  at  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

You Say Tomayto/I say Tomahto

[drbanks]

The AG tomato kit (my favorite is the Heirloom Red Cherries) is my favorite and I usually have two or three of them going at once.  I've never really had much problem with them: plant them, feed them regularly, change the water ever few weeks, and buzz the little yellow blossoms to pollinate them and they do the rest.

I usually grow one per Harvest - one of those plants will easily fill the harvest, plus some.  My boss has been successful growing one of these in his Sprout LED.  He was concerned at first that they never ripened until he found his daughter snacking on them as soon as they turned red!

They'll also go through two or three rounds of fruit: after the first batch has ripened and been harvested, they'll often set new blossoms.  I had one plant produce for about nine months before it finally looked done.

Probably the best suggestion I've found for both tomatoes and peppers is to use a Calcium-Magnesium supplement.  Most people here use something recommended by mike, called something like "Mister Moocha Stash."  I use General Hydroponics CaliMagic, but others here have found that to be a bit harsh.  Either way, these supplements can often make a plant that's just been sitting there, doing nothing, suddenly break out in blossoms.  The effect can be startling.

So, aside from being religious with your nutes and dump & refills (I do mine every two weeks when it's time for new nutes, but the standard recommendation is every four weeks), adding CaMg supplements and being sure to buzz those little blossoms (many of us use the Aerogarden "Be the Bee", but an electric toothbrush would work just as well), the other bit of advice would be to not be shy about pruning.  Aerogarden supplies good hints on doing this, but basically, before it starts setting blossoms, cut off anything above the fifth branch, and that'll encourage it to get really bushy.

Most of all, these plants really want to grow, and all you have to do is show up with the right environment.  I find cherry toms to be the most rewarding since I can just walk up to the plant and pick off a tasty little snack.

[Shawn]

Nov 26, 2017 14:26:43 GMT -5 @cornne said:

Hi KB! Welcome.
With the permission of Admin Shawn(please delete if not appropriate), I am going to leave a link to the blog I started with my very first AG machine and the Tomato kit way back in 2008! The machines were bulbs, but the kit and the method and steps taken are the same as today with the LED Hoods. I chronicled it step by step, and perhaps you can glean a scrap or  something useful from it that will help.. 
The project starts  at  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

You Say Tomayto/I say Tomahto

How on earth did I not see that.  Great blog.  No reason to remove 

[drbanks]

Nov 26, 2017 11:24:48 GMT -5 kissyboots said:

Nov 24, 2017 17:43:51 GMT -5 drbanks said:

Thanks! I got a Sprout with tomato pods yesterday, the rest is en route. Should I do all my lettuce in the harvest and tomatoes in two Sprouts or vice versa? I am obviously eager to plant but I don't know what route to take! Thanks again

Well, my standard solution has always been to buy more Aerogardens, but I have to admit, there are some days that I want my apartment back.  

I find harvests to be just about perfect for growing lettuce.  Of course, I also find them just about perfect for growing the AG cherry tomato kits as well as the AG Mini Jalapeno kits.

I haven't been so enthusiastic about the Sprout, but that's just me.  I would suggest that once you have a full grown tomato plant (and you'll know because it will outgrow the sprout rapidly), to make sure it gets enough nutrients.

How much is enough?  Beats me.  I've stopped using the Aerogarden nutrients.  Would I suggest you use other brand nutrients?  Not until you have more confidence, because it really is a pain in the sittie down part to use them.

[kissyboots]

Nov 26, 2017 14:26:43 GMT -5 @cornne said:

Hi KB! Welcome.
With the permission of Admin Shawn(please delete if not appropriate), I am going to leave a link to the blog I started with my very first AG machine and the Tomato kit way back in 2008! The machines were bulbs, but the kit and the method and steps taken are the same as today with the LED Hoods. I chronicled it step by step, and perhaps you can glean a scrap or  something useful from it that will help.. 
The project starts  at  TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

You Say Tomayto/I say Tomahto

Thank you! I've been trying to find actual blogs and so many are crowded out by what look like affiliate links where people just copy-scrape AG marketing words so I can't find the real people writing!

[kissyboots]

Nov 26, 2017 14:29:44 GMT -5 drbanks said:

The AG tomato kit (my favorite is the Heirloom Red Cherries) is my favorite and I usually have two or three of them going at once.  I've never really had much problem with them: plant them, feed them regularly, change the water ever few weeks, and buzz the little yellow blossoms to pollinate them and they do the rest.

I usually grow one per Harvest - one of those plants will easily fill the harvest, plus some.  My boss has been successful growing one of these in his Sprout LED.  He was concerned at first that they never ripened until he found his daughter snacking on them as soon as they turned red!

They'll also go through two or three rounds of fruit: after the first batch has ripened and been harvested, they'll often set new blossoms.  I had one plant produce for about nine months before it finally looked done.

Probably the best suggestion I've found for both tomatoes and peppers is to use a Calcium-Magnesium supplement.  Most people here use something recommended by mike , called something like "Mister Moocha Stash."  I use General Hydroponics CaliMagic, but others here have found that to be a bit harsh.  Either way, these supplements can often make a plant that's just been sitting there, doing nothing, suddenly break out in blossoms.  The effect can be startling.

So, aside from being religious with your nutes and dump & refills (I do mine every two weeks when it's time for new nutes, but the standard recommendation is every four weeks), adding CaMg supplements and being sure to buzz those little blossoms (many of us use the Aerogarden "Be the Bee", but an electric toothbrush would work just as well), the other bit of advice would be to not be shy about pruning.  Aerogarden supplies good hints on doing this, but basically, before it starts setting blossoms, cut off anything above the fifth branch, and that'll encourage it to get really bushy.

Most of all, these plants really want to grow, and all you have to do is show up with the right environment.  I find cherry toms to be the most rewarding since I can just walk up to the plant and pick off a tasty little snack.

Thanks- I haven't looked too much into water changing because I'm scared to unplug or move anything! And I haven't seen much about AG food so I have to look into it! I didn't think I'd have more than two Sprouts until two days ago, so I probably would have gotten a Harvest instead of Sprout but I ended up with three I'd love to put the lettuce in the Harvest, but IDK if I will have better luck with the tomatoes in the Harvest than the Sprout. Since the tomatoes and Sprout are here, I'm tempted to just start it tonight! But I want to strategize properly with my weird mix of AGs!