This week has presented a challenge in the garden.  Some of the leaves have been burned, but I'm not sure of the cause just yet.  For those of you who were reading during the first aeroponic experiment, this should be soemthing of a flashback.

Last time, I was pretty sure that it was poor pH regulation that caused the burning of the leaves.  This time, I've pretty much ruled it out.  Before I pontificate on my theories, here's a photo of the problem:

Several of the plants are showing similar symptoms.  I've got slight leaf burning on #6 & #7 (strawberries), #17 (basil), and #10 & #18 (tomato). I talked with Beau, the owner of my preferred hydro shop.  His theory is a calcium / magnesium deficiency.  I'm trying a supplement that he recommended.  Personally, I think it's burning from overexposure to light.  That 400W bulb I've got is no joke.  It puts out a lot of light and a lot of heat.

I've temporarily shut down the 400W light, and replaced it with my smaller 125W fluorescent.  It seems like the damage has stopped.  I'm thinking about raising the roof on the lightstand and giving the 400W another try.

Despite the minor bad news, things are doing pretty well.  We've got flowers on the eggplant (#12), and they look quite healthy.  I've included a photo below of the baby flowers.  For reference, the photo below is much larger than life.  They're about 3/8" wide in reality. 

Here's this week's overview photo.  As you can see, the eggplant and the tomato plants have gotten quite large.

Keeping with my promise of solid record keeping, here's this week's chart:

After an almost endless delay, I've finally got the aeroponic TurboGarden back into play.  I've re-arranged the room, got it running again, and set up the 400W HPS (High Pressure Sodium) lighting system going.

I waited too long to move the plants into the aero.  They were too crowed in the tiny MegaGarden, and some of them didn't get transplanted as soon as I would have liked.  For example, although #7 is very healthy, it's not as large as it could be, had it been transplanted earlier in it's life cycle.  The same is true for #4 and the basil (#17).

I also made another change, based on painful lessons of the past.  The PVC lightstand that I built for the TurboGarden has been reinforced.  Additionally, I drilled the PVC fittings and secured them with an 8-32 machine screw and wing nut.  Normally you would solvent-weld PVC, but I wanted the frame to be modular and disassembleable (not sure if that's a word, but it should be).  The frame is locked together tightly, but I can take it apart, should I need to move it again.

All the plants survived the transplanting.  I've still got one position in the TurboGarden open.  I'm not sure what's going there yet.  The tomato plants are supported by the lightstand, so they have room to grow.

Here's a photo of the new setup.  The larger TurboGarden is on the left; the smaller MegaGarden is on the right.  The TurboGarden has a 400W High Pressure Sodium lighting system.  The MegaGarden has a 125W fluorescent.

Here's an overview picture of all the plants in the TurboGarden.  The eggplant is really getting big.

Keeping with my promise of solid record keeping, here's this week's chart:

I wish that I had more groundbreaking news this week, but sadly, that is not the case.  Things are working well.  The plants are happy, albeit crowded.  I've pruned back some of the dead leaves, and things are growing.

I'm considering setting up the aeroponic unit, but keeping the compact fluorescent lighting.  It's hard to tell until it's set up.  Also, I'm planning on reinforcing the light stand a bit before setting it up again.  I want to add some stabilizing braces to make it stronger.

This weeks pictures: Lots of lettuce

Number 8 is the biggest of the strawberry plants.  It's looking great.

Keeping with my promise of solid record keeping, here's this week's chart:

I feel that it's time to admit a mistake.  A personal failing, on my part.  I did something bad.

I tended the garden while I was hungry.  I regret to report that several of the lettuces have suffered substancial... sampling.

With the exception of taking a bit of an early harvest at the expense of the letti, things are doing well.  Everybody survived the transplanting into the hydroton.   The MegaGarden is jam-packed at the moment.  I'm stalling on the aero as long as possible, and I'll probably make some room in the comming weeks by rendering innocent lettuce into salad.   Mmmmm.  Salad.

I've got the larger tomato plant (#10) climbing the lightstand, and it seems to like it.  I hate to start up the aero for just a single plant.   Just as a reference for everyone, the 125W flouroescent bulb costs me about $8 per month.  The 400W High Pressure Sodium bulb costs me about $30 per month.  It's a good deal, provided you have enough plants to make it worth it.

Truthfully, I thought I'd be further along at this point.  I didn't realize how terribly slowly strawberries grow.  At this rate, I expect fresh ripe strawberries in about a million years.  I don't know how long it's supposed to take, because it seems that everybody else is getting them at the nursery, rather than growing from seed.

Here's an overview of the plants.  The eggplant is in the foreground, strawberries on the left, lettuce on the right. 

Lettuce jungle.

Keeping with my promise of solid record keeping, here's this week's chart: