Herb Garden 2 (inactive)

[kanewai]

Squee - the new kids are in their sponges!  This round I'm going mostly with herbs I know I like. There's a few that didn't germinate before, but I had room so I'll try them.  And I know that this will be far too crowded if everything germinates, so I'll move some of 'em into pots as needed.

In retrospect, I think I had spider mite problems long before it became apparent.  My delicate herbs suffered (parsley, basil, chervil, et al), but I didn't notice them on the more robust herbs.  I think that allowed the infestation to spread before I realized what was happening.

Last time I tracked germination; this round I want to track growth rate also.

HARVEST


AG thyme
AG Savory - One of my favorite 'non-traditional' herbs
Chervil - It struggled with the mites the last round.  
Rosemary - We'll see.  If it doesn't germinate I'll replace it with a cutting, which worked last time.
Epazote - This didn't germinate last two tries, but I had the seeds and figure it's worth another shot.
Sage- It also struggled with the mites last round

BOUNTY


AG Dill - I'll stay on top if this guy so he doesn't take over
AG Genovese Basil - Ditto.  I'd like to try Marseille Basil, but seeds are hard to find & I still have Genovese pods
Zaatar (Oregano) - I have a nice supply of dried zaatar from round one. 
Negi Onion -  a local version of scallions.  
Chives 
Spearmint - from seeds. I didn't like the AG mint, but loved the spearmint I grew in pots.
Pipicha - For all my salsa verde needs. 
Papalo - It tasted off last time, but I'll give it another try. Maybe it was just that one plant. It grew well, and grew fast.
Curly Parsley - Another that struggled in the Battle of the Mites.

WISH LIST

There are still herbs I'd like to try in the future: French tarragon (if I can ever find a cutting), all the varieties of lavender, and all the lemony herbs (lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon basil).  I also want to experiment with more basil and mint varieties, and give dwarf fern-leaf dill a try.  This time I went with seeds I had on hand.  I sense another Bounty in my future ...

[Sher]

This is so exciting, kanewai ! A brand spanking new fresh start!

And  of course  there will be another Bounty.

Wishing you the very best and looking forward to your new and improved gardens.

[Shawn]

Looking forward to all the new seedlings.

[kanewai]

Well, this is strange.  After ten days only six of the fifteen pods have sprouted.  I'm using the same seeds as last couple times; they should all still be viable.   Some of them grew quickly last time!    The only things that I did differently this time was to pre-soak the sponges, and to hold off on adding fertilizer.

The pepper garden is quiet too.   

Sprouted
AG Savory
AG Genovese Basil
Negi Onion
Chives
Papalo
Spearmint


Nothing yet
AG thyme
Chervil  
Rosemary 
Epazote 
Sage
AG Dill 
Zaatar
Pipicha  
Parsley 

I'm not sure how long to wait before I replant. Last round everything except the epazote had sprouted after ten days.  

[maskedsonnet]

Have you added fertilizer yet? They might just need a little food to nudge them along

[Sher]

kanewai , I think my seeds germinate better when I add a weak nutrient solution to them.

The AG Harvest seed starter recommends 4 ml.

So I add a little bit of nutes, maybe 2-3 ml when I plant. I get algae. It looks ugly, but it is not enough to hurt the plants. Then when the plants grow, the algae is shaded out.

That is not a popular approach on this forum, but it works for me.

[kanewai]

Apr 20, 2021 17:39:20 GMT -5 maskedsonnet said:

Have you added fertilizer yet? They might just need a little food to nudge them along

I added a capful, and will add a bit more tonight.  I think that might be the issue.

[kanewai]

Apr 20, 2021 19:33:15 GMT -5 Sher said:

kanewai , I think my seeds germinate better when I add a weak nutrient solution to them.

The AG Harvest seed starter recommends 4 ml.

So I add a little bit of nutes, maybe 2-3 ml when I plant. I get algae. It looks ugly, but it is not enough to hurt the plants. Then when the plants grow, the algae is shaded out.

That is not a popular approach on this forum, but it works for me.

I can live with a bit of algae!

[maskedsonnet]

I like to add a dash of peroxide to the water when I first start seeds, since I always add nutrients from the very start. I find that it keeps algae from growing on the top of the pods, but everyone's water is different. On the very rare occasion that I DO get algae on the pod tops, swabbing it with a Q-tip dipped in peroxide gets rid of it nicely. Hopefully the nutrients kick-start your gardens, good luck!

[Sher]

That is also excellent advice, maskedsonnet .

[kanewai]

There was obviously something odd going on.  Only 1/3 of the pods sprouted, the AG basil, the papalo, and three pods using seeds I just bought: negi onion, chives, and spearmint.

The irony is that three of these, the onion, spearmint, and papalo, will likely grow too big for the aerogarden one day & need to be put in pots!

I'm not sure how to explain it, but almost none of the seeds I saved were viable.  But what's odd is, I always save seeds, and don't treat them with any kind of special care. I throw 'em in a box in the cupboard until I'm ready to replant.   I must have done something different the past few months.  

I replanted two pods using the same saved seeds: zaatar and pipicha.    For the rest, I went ahead and ordered a bunch of AG pods.  At first I balked at the cost, but it would have cost even more to order a dozen individual seeds packets (and then waste 90% of the seeds).

I stuck with herbs I know: thyme, chervil, Italian parsley, sage, and dill.  I'll give pericón a try (what the AG folks call tarragon ... but it's not) to complete my Latin collection.  And I have three pods waiting to see if a spot opens: marjoram, oregano, and Marseille basil.

On the wish list: I'd still like to give one of the lemony herbs a try (but I don't know, lemon balm v lemon verbena vs lemon basil), and hyssop sounds interesting.

[Sher]

That is really odd that your saved seeds didn't germinate, kanewai. Usually they are faster to germinate as long as they are relatively fresh.

I have seeds for lemon grass, but it is certainly not Aerogarden size. Lemon balm also gets huge, and lemon verbena is a shrub.

Lemon basil can grow to 3 feet high with a 24" spread

You could probably aggressively prune all but the lemon grass to keep it contained.

It will be interesting to see which you choose  and how you grow it.

Of course, dill can also get massive, but it can be contained in an Aerogarden. So I bet a lemon herb could be, too.

[Shawn]

I created a post about Saving Seeds

[kanewai]

Apr 27, 2021 9:06:35 GMT -5 Shawn said:

I created a post about Saving Seeds

Nice thread!   I suspect that exposure to air might be an issue with me.    Previously I would just collect seeds, toss them in a small tupperware container, and throw them in the cupboard.  For open seeds packets, I had a metal container or a small box I'd save them in.  And then I'd throw them in the cupboard too.  And I'd often forget what I had, find open packets months or years later, and they'd often be still viable.

This round I just had a bin that I threw all my AG supplies in - pods, caps, sponges, nutrients, etc.  It was an open bin ... I wonder if that was the difference?  It wouldn't be the water, or the nutrients, or something wicked in the units, because my new seeds had 100% germination.

[Sher]

kanewai, I was apparently mistaken about those herbs being too big for an Aerogarden, based on others' experiences.

Sorry for my misguided opinions. 

[kanewai]

May 1, 2021 10:00:05 GMT -5 Sher said:

kanewai , I was apparently mistaken about those herbs being too big for an Aerogarden, based on others' experiences.

Sorry for my misguided opinions. 

No worries - thanks for letting me know!  I don't have room in the AG this round, but when I'm ready I think I'll set up a separate "lemon" thread.

[kanewai]

Day 6, and almost everybody has sprouted.  I'm still waiting on Italian parsley, "tarragon" (pericón),  and rosemary, but I know these tend to be slow. 

The pápalo was already pushing against the Bounty lights, even after two trimmings.  I moved him to a pot.  I knew I was going to do this eventually.  These are seeds I harvested from my old outdoor garden.  I liked the taste of the herb from the garden, but it tasted a bit off in the AG. I suspect it's the nutrient mix.

Two other herbs that I've marked for pots are the spearmint and negi onion, but they're not ready yet.

[kanewai]

I had some mixed results this round.    Everything sprouted, but the AG parsley, tarragon, and chervil rotted away.  The chervil had actually put down some roots; the other two never grew more than a few mm.  All were in the Harvest.

I wasn't sure what happened, but when I cleaned the pods I found a thick layer of algae on top of their pods. For some reason my Harvest always has an algae problem.  My Bounties never do.  I didn't add nutrients the first two weeks, so this was a mystery at first.  My current theory is that the water was too warm.  For my earlier garden I was diligent about dropping an ice cube or two in every morning, and refilling the unit with water from the fridge.  I didn't even think about doing that this round ... but from here on out I will be feeding the kids ice each morning!

Doing strong: AG Genovese basil, AG savory, spearmint 
Small but healthy: sage, thyme, zaatar, dill, chives 
New pods: AG Marseille basil, chervil 

I transplanted the papalo to a pot (middle), and it is thriving.  I think it grows better in the soil than in the AG. The taste is much better.  I also moved the negi onion.  It grew to fast, and pretty much climbed right out of the sponge.  It seems to be doing ok. I also took a spearmint cutting and will try to grow that in a pot.  Mint is so aggressive that I think it will also do better in soil.


I moved some of the younger plants to the Harvest, so they should help control the nutrient level.  I have four open slots.  I will keep some of them blank, but want to order lemon balm and more pipicha for two of them.

It's nice to have a few fresh herbs again!

[Sher]

Interesting theories on why the Harvest grows algae. Warm watee is not good, as you discovered. I think the white Harvest deck lets too much light in, too -- that's my guess, anyway.

Following your herbs is an adventure!  Thanks for the updates. 

[kanewai]

It's interesting how different this round of gardening has been.

The Genovese basil has been the fastest grower, as usual.  I've been aggressively trimming it to let the other herbs get more light.

Dill has been growing slowly.  The last round I think it grew as fast as my basil.

I planted an AG Marseille basil pod, but I'm not convinced this is what came up.  The plant I have has large leaves that are a bit crumpled looking, sort of like lettuce. The taste is similar to the Genovese, but not as strong.  Normally Marseille basil has smaller leaves.

My traditional herbs are doing well: the thyme, zaatar oregano, chives, and sage.  I like that they all grow slowly and steadily, and that they produce just enough for me to use as needed.  And oops - I just realized I forgot to plant parsley.

The savory grew quickly, flowered, then died back.  I cut it to its base, and it looks like new growth is coming in.

I tried planting a rosemary cutting, which worked last time.  Not this time.  I also failed to sprout chervil and pipicha, both of which grew so well before. 

I didn't like the AG mint, so I planted spearmint seeds this time.  The taste is far, far better than the generic kind. It grows really well; I have more mint than I can use.  For an experiment, I took a cutting from the AG and planted it in soil.  The new plant grows slower, but produces bigger leaves, as shown below.  I'm holding a sprig from the plant in soil in the picture below, shown next to the AG spearmint.  The flavors are similar.  And I found a great French recipe for a chickpea salad with a mint and lemon dressing.  I'll post it in the cooking section. 



My experiment this time is rau ram (Persicaria odorata, lower right), a SE Asian herb also known as Cambodian mint and Vietnamese coriander.  It is very fragrant.  I haven't cooked with it yet
 

I have some empty spaces now, but the other plants are so big I think I'll leave them empty for now.