Farm 3 12/8/17 Chamomile and Lettuce Terminated

[serri588]

I finally turned on the last Farm Plus today. The chamomile was starting to get crowded in the harvest, so I bit the bullet and turned on the beast. These came from my Patriot Seeds tea sampler.

Lettuce was planted 12/23/17 and is a mix of Burpee Bibb and AG varieties. To continue the nutrient tests, this one will get General Hydroponics Maxigro. In the long run, this is the nutrient solution I want to use for all my lettuce, but we'll see how it does first.

[drbanks]

Farm #3.

So envious. 

[serri588]

And already eyeing up #4 It'll be awhile though- these first 3 need to pay for themselves a bit before I should invest in any more. Just so many tasty veggies to grow!

Someday I should think up some more entertaining names than numbering them by type.

[MaryL]

I like Patriot Seeds as a supplier.  Their packaging can’t be beat for protecting the seeds from light and moisture.

Was it you who has ordered the Farm stacking kit?

[serri588]

I don't remember who did, but I don't know that we've heard anything about how it actually worked. I'll probably get some before I order my next farm though, time to start stacking.

[Shawn]

Jan 6, 2018 21:54:30 GMT -5 serri588 said:

I don't remember who did, but I don't know that we've heard anything about how it actually worked. I'll probably get some before I order my next farm though, time to start stacking.

I sure do not know how it would stack, but looking at this there are several little parts

[MaryL]

When I first looked at other members’ Farms and saw the curved top, I thought, well how can it stack if it’s not a level top?  And then today for the first time I saw the stacking kit on their site, and given the shape of it, I get how it can work.  That’s very cool.  As long as it’s stable.  

(Just realized that here in earthquake country it wouldn’t be the best option for me. )

[Shawn]

It would not be here either.  Not because of earthquakes but because I have a a dog that zips around and if she bumped any of those stacked I would be afraid LOL

[serri588]

Oh nice! When I talked to support in December they said it was a call and order thing only. I'm glad they decided to put it on the site.

[serri588]

I've been harvesting flowers off the chamomile for about a week now, and I've grabbed a decent amount of the lettuce for salads and sandwiches. I'm trying to harvest early and keep them "mowed" down a bit so they don't get old and bitter.

[Shawn]

Tip:   add ice cubes to keep the lettuce water cool.  Also do not harvest the lettuce right after feedings.  It will take more bitter.  Always harvest hers and lettuce a few days after or up to before feedings.

I learned this from watching AG HH

[serri588]

I do want to start getting in the habit of throwing a couple ice cubes in the morning. I also keep my apartment quite warm though (around 74), so I do expect them to bolt more readily.

[MaryL]

I’m amazed at how warm the water gets even when the room is cool.  And I always forget the ice cube trick.

[serri588]

After a full cup of dried chamomile, I decided I'd had enough, even though the plants were still going strong. This was a very successful grow if you have a large machine. They do start to grow up into the lights, but I would just hack them down by about half and they would just start flowering all over again.

[Shawn]

Did you make tea? How was it?

[serri588]

I've tried a couple times- it is much more floral than I'm used to. I haven't done any kind of test of whether it is more calming than store-bought, but the flavor is definitely stronger. That may also be because it is a lot fresher than what comes in a box.