GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
Hello to all of you out there! 
First post...and I'm afraid it's going to be a long one... better go get your stash...
This is my first attempt at leaving the dirt outside.
I will start by saying that before I went and bought the Aerogarden, I read 99% of the posts I could find that were related.
A few members stood out for their efforts and also for the patience they had with members that for some reason couldn't read a few pages back...
If a thread interests you, READ IT FROM THE BEGINNING !!!!
It will make the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone...
OK! With that out of my chest... I will now tell you what and how.
I am trying to maximize the Aerogarden's capabilities, while proving that one can supply himself with the good medicine so many of us are privileged to have found.
The Mods
Standard Aerogarden with separate power cord for the light, connected to a $4 hardware store timer. This will allow me to control the 12/12 automatically.
A small aquarium air pump, 3 "T" fittings, 4 small airstones, silicone airlines and a little bit of black "duct tape".
The reason I am using such a complicated airstone system is the fact that in every one of the posts I saw, one or two plants did really well, one really poorly and the rest were OK.
My theory (still unproven at this time) is that since the Aerogarden "pours" the water onto the roots, as opposed to the more sophisticated high pressure "misters", the airstone's bubbles create that "misting" effect as they brake the surface of the water, in fact filling the "airspace" with mist.
As people used one airstone, with the idea of oxygenating the water, some plants were closer to the bubbles, therefore getting "misted", while the others, though still healthy, were not showing the growth rates produced by "misting".
With the slightly more complicated 4 airstone system, I will be distributing the bubbles more evenly, hoping to "mist" the entire "airspace", and with it all of the grow sites.
I am not sure if the pump I bought will be sufficient to run all four stones, although combined they are smaller than some of the others I have seen people use with small pumps.
If that is the case, I will upgrade the pump to a size that will cause bubbles to burst all over the surface of the water, which may require more "T" fittings and additional airstones.
As you may notice, I used one of the "grow holes" to run my air line out of the unit, securing it and blocking the light with back "duct tape". This is temporary, if this system proves itself, I will drill a hole and use a grommet on the back of the container for the line and I will also mount the air pump permanently.
This is all unproven theory!
You can see I added a thermometer and will also be checking the Ph daily.
I believe a little care can make a world of difference in the end result.
The Madness
I think the Aerogarden is capable of producing a wonderful mini garden that produces more than enough to justify the effort.
I plan on using clones.
The first batch will go into flowering 3 days after I see healthy roots. Immediately if I get them already rooted.
The idea is that I can have one nice cola out of each grow site. The mini garden.
I expect to be able to turn the aerogarden every 8 weeks, if not sooner, and I have been wondering about having more than one clone per grow site.
I read of people growing from seed having more than one sprout per pod and keep it there until they actually broke the plastic "hoppers".
I am thinking that since my garden will stay little, I can use something (like the little castle hiding the air line) to make sure they are far enough apart. With clones, it would be easy enough to create this arrangement.
The plants would grow side by side, but with about a 3 to 4 inch separation.
Another idea, which I may try at a later time, would be to do one plant with a longer veg time, and bondage it Bonsai style to create a very wide flowering surface.
If things go as I plan, the light will not be raised much, if at all, during the whole process. Keep it small so the turn around is faster.
I have no idea how much I will end up with, but I will try my best to supply myself year round with no more than 2 aerogardens.
The pictures will hopefully illustrate some of what I am talking about.
I will post again when I actually turn the system ON, in a few days or so...
Till then...
Be Well...
Gypsy...
First post...and I'm afraid it's going to be a long one... better go get your stash...
This is my first attempt at leaving the dirt outside.
I will start by saying that before I went and bought the Aerogarden, I read 99% of the posts I could find that were related.
A few members stood out for their efforts and also for the patience they had with members that for some reason couldn't read a few pages back...
If a thread interests you, READ IT FROM THE BEGINNING !!!!
It will make the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone...
OK! With that out of my chest... I will now tell you what and how.
I am trying to maximize the Aerogarden's capabilities, while proving that one can supply himself with the good medicine so many of us are privileged to have found.
The ModsStandard Aerogarden with separate power cord for the light, connected to a $4 hardware store timer. This will allow me to control the 12/12 automatically.
A small aquarium air pump, 3 "T" fittings, 4 small airstones, silicone airlines and a little bit of black "duct tape".
The reason I am using such a complicated airstone system is the fact that in every one of the posts I saw, one or two plants did really well, one really poorly and the rest were OK.
My theory (still unproven at this time) is that since the Aerogarden "pours" the water onto the roots, as opposed to the more sophisticated high pressure "misters", the airstone's bubbles create that "misting" effect as they brake the surface of the water, in fact filling the "airspace" with mist.
As people used one airstone, with the idea of oxygenating the water, some plants were closer to the bubbles, therefore getting "misted", while the others, though still healthy, were not showing the growth rates produced by "misting".
With the slightly more complicated 4 airstone system, I will be distributing the bubbles more evenly, hoping to "mist" the entire "airspace", and with it all of the grow sites.
I am not sure if the pump I bought will be sufficient to run all four stones, although combined they are smaller than some of the others I have seen people use with small pumps.
If that is the case, I will upgrade the pump to a size that will cause bubbles to burst all over the surface of the water, which may require more "T" fittings and additional airstones.
As you may notice, I used one of the "grow holes" to run my air line out of the unit, securing it and blocking the light with back "duct tape". This is temporary, if this system proves itself, I will drill a hole and use a grommet on the back of the container for the line and I will also mount the air pump permanently.
This is all unproven theory!
You can see I added a thermometer and will also be checking the Ph daily.
I believe a little care can make a world of difference in the end result.
The MadnessI think the Aerogarden is capable of producing a wonderful mini garden that produces more than enough to justify the effort.
I plan on using clones.
The first batch will go into flowering 3 days after I see healthy roots. Immediately if I get them already rooted.
The idea is that I can have one nice cola out of each grow site. The mini garden.
I expect to be able to turn the aerogarden every 8 weeks, if not sooner, and I have been wondering about having more than one clone per grow site.
I read of people growing from seed having more than one sprout per pod and keep it there until they actually broke the plastic "hoppers".
I am thinking that since my garden will stay little, I can use something (like the little castle hiding the air line) to make sure they are far enough apart. With clones, it would be easy enough to create this arrangement.
The plants would grow side by side, but with about a 3 to 4 inch separation.
Another idea, which I may try at a later time, would be to do one plant with a longer veg time, and bondage it Bonsai style to create a very wide flowering surface.
If things go as I plan, the light will not be raised much, if at all, during the whole process. Keep it small so the turn around is faster.
I have no idea how much I will end up with, but I will try my best to supply myself year round with no more than 2 aerogardens.
The pictures will hopefully illustrate some of what I am talking about.
I will post again when I actually turn the system ON, in a few days or so...
Till then...
Be Well...
Gypsy...
THE FIRST OBSTACLES 
Another Update... I thought it was in order since there have been some definite rooting action...
