Radish Experiment in DIY tank (COMPLETED)

[belugaleuca]

Setup: Vivosun plastic bucket (~8 L) with silicone muffin tray on top
Species: Cherry Giant Radish (Burpee) (no longer found on Burpee website), ready in ~25 days
Fertilizer: Miracle grow
Aeration: Bubbler stone with 1W pump
Light: Phillips 15.5W LED Plant Grow Light 

Experiment:
Testing two types of growing media
A) Aerogarden sponges in Aerogarden pods (x5)
B) Trader Joe's cellulose popup sponges, cut into rods. 2 rods per pod, with a seed in between them. (x4)

Result: 
Aerogarden pods resulted in faster growing seedlings compared to the cellulose sponges. The root growth seemed stunted in the cellulose sponges, and ultimately the sponges structure collapsed and began to decompose. The root systems became diseased and the experiment was ended after 2.5 weeks.

The Aerogarden sponges had larger radishes by the harvest, and thankfully it was still enough for a breakfast snack. The taste was mild with a little zing. The lightly sauteed leaves were also tasty.

[belugaleuca]

Here is the bucket setup. 
I don't have a circle drill right now, so this is what I found as a substitute. Pros - It's easy to manage and easy to cut holes in, and fits the bucket. Cons - it's not completely opaque so some light gets through the tray. Also, my bucket is clear which might be a problem unless I cover it somehow. So, I put the bucket inside a cardboard box to block some light, but it's not perfect.

[belugaleuca]

Here's the first look at the seedlings for each type. The sponges were two long strips with a seed in between. Already at this point the Aerogarden sponges are growing faster.


A view of the roots shows that the roots were not as robust or deep reaching in cellulose sponge.

[belugaleuca]

About 1.5 weeks in, the Aerogarden sponges continue to excel, and the radishes are growing bulbs while the cellulose sponges still have stunted plants

[airscapes]

Nice Job and good luck! if you have some black material you could maybe use some duct tape and wrap the bin to cut down on the light.
Far as AG sponges go, Parks Seed sell sponges for their Sponges for their BioDome seed starter, the 60 count is the same size as AG and I think work better and are much more affordable.

[belugaleuca]

The one fastest growing radish started to crack! Not sure why, maybe our air is too dry. 

[belugaleuca]

After 2.5 weeks I had to harvest early, because the cellulose sponges were starting to decompose. The roots were starting to look brown and wilting, so I thought we'd make the most of it and have a snack.

The Aerogarden pod radishes were noticeably larger.

[belugaleuca]

Here are the cleaned radishes (cellulose sponges on the left, Aerogarden sponges on the right)


We lightly sauteed the leaves, and cut the radishes on top. It was small but still tasty!

[belugaleuca]

Apr 4, 2021 16:44:05 GMT -5 airscapes said:

Nice Job and good luck! if you have some black material you could maybe use some duct tape and wrap the bin to cut down on the light.
Far as AG sponges go, Parks Seed sell sponges for their Sponges for their BioDome seed starter, the 60 count is the same size as AG and I think work better and are much more affordable.

Thanks for the tips! Yes I might try duct tape, that could be simple enough. And wow, a pack of 60 sponges for $10.95 is pretty good! I had gotten the 50 pack from Aerogarden for $14.75 so yeah the park sponges would be cheaper.

[Sher]

What a fun experiment. I also appreciate the info on the drawbacks of the cellulose sponges.

I knew radish leaves were edible, but was turned off by the hairy leaves, so never tried sauteing them. I bet they were a good way to extend the radish harvest. And they look yummy together!

Especially with that lovely black pepper!

On second look, it looks like herbs.

[belugaleuca]

It was yummy! I was originally thinking of eating the leaves raw, but I was also too scared about the spiky hairs. After sauteeing them, the hairs were no longer a nuisance (they may have softened) and it was fine to eat. It was my favorite part, because all the radish leaves at the grocery store are in terrible shape and not good for eating, so having them fresh is really a treat!

[Sher]

I learned something new. Thank you! 

[campingcorgis]

Thanks for posting/sharing this project.  You are very creative!  Enjoyed the pictures and reading the posts too.