Aerogarden Autoflowers

[sweeeto]

The way I change my resevoir is by creating a small syphon using airline tubing, like the kind you would already have for the air stone. Just start a syphon my sucking on the tube for a sec (obviously don't drink the water). It is much easier to remove the water that way. Just cut a small piece of tubing and put one end in the reservoir and the other in an empty gallon jug or whatever. Then just refill w/ fresh distilled ph adjusted, nutrient added water. This way does not disturb the roots and you basically never have to move the unit anywhere. Makes it much more convenient.

During the week, the water will drop daily and I did NOT add nutrients to the water that I add. Just ph adjusted distilled water. Then when you change out the reservoir weekly, you can add back the nutrients. I know doing it that way slowly lowers the amount of nutrients in the water, but they seem to like it.

And, I pay NO attention to the lights on the AG





iwas wondering if you could elaborate better on this emptieng the res.i dont quite under stand the syphon method.

[sweeeto]

kbl.......

[mentok]

its very similar to siphoning gas from a car, if you have ever seen in it in a movie or something.

Boat marine Product Review/Test; Vented loops and anti-siphon valves ; how they work

Basically its like the second diagram on that link but in order to start water flow you have to suck on the hose... . Kind of as if you were sipping on a straw.
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Dustin/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]

[sweeeto]

thanks i figured it out already

[purpflowerpower]

Got an AG for my bday yesterday and soon found this thread, it took a few hrs but got through every word and I know its going to help me and my newbie grower status immensly. Much props to Kbl for helping probably hundreds of people with their Ag grows. Will post pics as soon as i get 'em growin

[guitarmarc]

Originally Posted by kbfl0912

Here are some updated pics. They are about 6 weeks from seed. They have the claw leaf thing going on. What causes that?

I wish that somebody had answered this question for you. Nute burn, maybe?

GM

[killarblade007]

Nice thread.

Wish mine were as good as yours. Posted two pics, 5 days between pics. Both plants look like they are fems, not real sure as this is my first try growing. I only have the aerogarden and didn't add the extra lights until about 4 weeks after planting.

Thanks for all your posts and responses...

[weedisgood4433]

hey anybody that uses an aerogarden.... How loud is it?

I think I might have done something wrong because when the thing is running it sounds like an aquarium pump on steroids, its a bit too loud for my liking, anybody else expierence this?

[JustnBlaze]

No there quiet as can be, at least mine is, haven't heard of anyone else experiencing anything like that maybe you got a defective one?

[weedisgood4433]

Originally Posted by JustnBlaze

No there quiet as can be, at least mine is, haven't heard of anyone else experiencing anything like that maybe you got a defective one?

I think I did, I mean when I have my fan on a low setting I cant hear it, but if the fan is off, you can hear it as soon as you walk in the room.

[kbfl0912]

Originally Posted by sweeeto

The way I change my resevoir is by creating a small syphon using airline tubing, like the kind you would already have for the air stone. Just start a syphon my sucking on the tube for a sec (obviously don't drink the water). It is much easier to remove the water that way. Just cut a small piece of tubing and put one end in the reservoir and the other in an empty gallon jug or whatever. Then just refill w/ fresh distilled ph adjusted, nutrient added water. This way does not disturb the roots and you basically never have to move the unit anywhere. Makes it much more convenient.

During the week, the water will drop daily and I did NOT add nutrients to the water that I add. Just ph adjusted distilled water. Then when you change out the reservoir weekly, you can add back the nutrients. I know doing it that way slowly lowers the amount of nutrients in the water, but they seem to like it.

And, I pay NO attention to the lights on the AG






iwas wondering if you could elaborate better on this emptieng the res.i dont quite under stand the syphon method.

Sorry, I haven't chimed in lately.

What I meant by the quote above is to literally take the tubing and stick it in the AG and put the other end in an empty container. Suck on the end slightly like a straw and the water will start to pour out of the AG through the tubing and into the empty container. That way you don't have to take of the top at all and the AG can remain in place. And, what I mean by paying no attention to the lights is that I literally paid no attention to the lights other than lowering and raising them. Everything else was on a timer.

[kbfl0912]

Originally Posted by killarblade007

Nice thread.

Wish mine were as good as yours. Posted two pics, 5 days between pics. Both plants look like they are fems, not real sure as this is my first try growing. I only have the aerogarden and didn't add the extra lights until about 4 weeks after planting.

Thanks for all your posts and responses...

These look nice! Can't tell if they are male or female by the pics. But, they look nice and healthy! Not as hard as you thought it woulld be, huh?

[kbfl0912]

Originally Posted by weedisgood4433

hey anybody that uses an aerogarden.... How loud is it?

I think I might have done something wrong because when the thing is running it sounds like an aquarium pump on steroids, its a bit too loud for my liking, anybody else expierence this?

Sounds like you might have a problem with your motor. They should be quiet. I can't say silent, but quiet. And, I am into aquariums and yes, it does sound about like that. But, shouldn't be LOUD. Call Aerogrow and they will send you a replacement motor. This is quite common.

[Zombo]

Originally Posted by sweeeto

iwas wondering if you could elaborate better on this emptieng the res.i dont quite under stand the syphon method.

Originally Posted by kbfl0912

What I meant by the quote above is to literally take the tubing and stick it in the AG and put the other end in an empty container. Suck on the end slightly like a straw and the water will start to pour out of the AG through the tubing and into the empty container. That way you don't have to take of the top at all and the AG can remain in place.

I actually just take the end of the air line tubing off the pump itself (leave the pump running), and hold the end above the level of the reservoir -- since my run of tubing is fairly short, I have an additional piece of tubing and a tubing connector that I connect to the AG's line. I then lower the end of the line into a waiting container.

No line sucking -- the only thing I suck on is

When I have it drained where I want it, just pick up the end of the line, pop my thumb over the end until the end is above the reservoir on the AG, then release it. Any liquid in the line runs back into the reservoir. Disconnect the extension and connector, put back on the airpump, and fill the reservoir back up.

[some_math_guy]

Hi, I have been following this wonderful thread and want to first say, what a great community and thanks for all of this great info everybody, especially KBFL!!

I have a couple of questions. Here in Canada, it is difficult to purchase AeroGarden units and supplies; Canadian Tire is one of the only retail chains that carries them locally in most parts of the country (canadiantire.ca). The older 7-pod units are no longer available in Canada, for example the Pro200 that KBFL had such wonderful success with have now been replaced with 3 and 6-pod units.

As far as I can tell, the differences between the older 7-pod units and the newer 6-pod units are:

1) Newer units have 6 long rockwool pods, compared with 7 shorter sponge pods as the growing substrate. The pods are incompatible with each other as the shorter pod designed for use in the 7-pod units will not even reach the reservoir in the newer 6-pod systems.
2) new units have a combined aeration/pump compared with just passive pump/drip action like the old units.

Folks might also want to know that the new AG Veggie Pro retails for 179.99 and seems to be almost identical to the Pro200....24" grow height, 3 Deluxe 26W CFL's, etc. If the older units are unavailable, I think that this is the closest current unit to use.

My questions are
1) Has anybody had success growing autoflowers using the newer 6-pod units? Any problems with the rockwool?
2) Is there still a need for an airstone given that the new 6-pod units have an integrated bubbler? Is the integrated bubbling unit large enough to provide the same amount of aeration as say a 4"x1"x1/2" airstone like KBFL's?

Thanks!
some_math_guy