Aerogarden ultra - how will this garden grow?

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Grow Journals' started by JennaNola, Jan 18, 2013.

  1. #1 JennaNola, Jan 18, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 18, 2013
    The AG ultra is the fancy new model with better lights, a taller setup, and about twice the water capacity. I've been growing passionflowers in it, lettuce, and tomatoes. And after a couple of orders that got nabbed by customs, I now have about a kabillion seeds.

    The first ones I'm putting to germinate today are:

    Soma Seeds NYC Sour Diesel: read about this one for so long, and I can't wait to try it.

    Barney's Farm Pineapple Express autofem: this one looks pretty goof-proof. It's going to be my backup in case the sour diesel goes awry.

    One of my freebies is named "Boss Hogg" which just makes me laugh. It'll take me a while to study up on the freebies to see which ones I ought to try.

    For nutes, I use GenHydro flora micro to start. I eyeball it and dilute it in a pitcher until it's a shade I like, but it's probably a quarter of the strength they recommend on the bottle. This mix has worked for me with rose seeds, heirloom veggies, and anything else that I grow indoors. When it warms up a bit, I'll be using my worm bin castings and other good organic compost to do an outdoor grow.

    Oh, and I've only grown the green once before, but I'm a darn good gardener.

    And we're off!
     
  2. Wow, the NYC diesel seeds already needed to come out of the germination bag and into the AG. Thats the fastest I've seen a seed germinate. The PX needs a bit more time, but she's looking good too.
     
  3. Cotyledons and first true leaves already appearing on NYC #1. The second is a bit behind, but it should break the shell soon.
     
  4. What a dork. I got impatient and now I broke the tail on seed #2. Restarted with a fresh seed. Patience, friends.
     
  5. [​IMG]

    Here's the first leaves coming out on the NYC Diesel.
     
  6. You must feel like you're talking to yourself :p

    Anyway nice set up at the moment man, I'm looking to do the same things with my AG.
     
  7. AG's are good for cloning, not much more. once you take into consideration, stretch, you basically have to go 12/12 from seed. leaving you with an 1/8 of bud week after 8-10 weeks.
     
  8. I was wondering if anyone was out there! Hello, hello!

    I've read up a lot on AG grows. I have a little one I'd gotten from a garage sale, I'll switch the shorter plants in the photo (Purple Cherokee tomato, banana passionflower vine) to that one once this girl decides to get big. For now, the newer model I have is kicking out so much light that I don't figure the seedlings are yet bothering each other. I've got eggplant in there too, which takes damn near forever to germinate. I'm lucky on the passiflora, too - from seed, even with nicking, they can take up to a year to germinate. I keep that in kind when I get impatient with buds.

    Plus, it's only for personal use, and for fun. I've even got rose seeds from my master gardener group to try in there. I wonder if I can report that to the Junior League if they end up making good companion plants? :D
     
  9. I hear ya. For now, since it's the new model, and it's a personal grow, I'm not expecting much other than to have fun. I'm going to use similar trellising techniques that I use with my indeterminate tomatoes. This AG model has a lot better lights, a taller "arm", and runs on its own timer. Once things get funky, I can put it in my attic, which is already well-ventilated, just to be sure it gets the dark it needs. Or, I can always build it a cabinet of sorts, but I'm having fun. :D

    So far, my other hard-to-grow, fussy plants have been growing like I've never seen in this thing. For a passiflora to not only germinate but grow as much as the one in the background of the photo has...it's a nifty thing to see.

    My only problem is wanting to poke at them too much, but I always have that problem with wanting to play goddess - I do know better than to do that, but I just can't help it sometimes.

    I may even try one or two of my freebies outside, since I have a good compost bin and plenty of warmth and light. Again, just as a lark, and to see if anyone in my ladies' garden club notices. :D
     
  10. A happy visitor to my outdoor garden to brighten your day. Monarch caterpillar, munching away.

    image-425244041.jpg

    When I change the reservoir on my AG, I pour the old nute-y water onto my flowerbed. Waste not, want not.
     
  11. Dude that is one awesome caterpillar.
     
  12. Not necessarily true.

    I have seen people (on this forum and others) pull anywhere from 1 to 2 ozs of good bud, using the AG and autoflowering seeds.

    True, you're not gonna reap a huge harvest with the AG, but you can most definitely get far more than an 1/8th if you grow autoflowers and add a few cfl's.
     

  13. I agree - and a bit of careful tending could get me just as much as I need. I'm not shooting for the stars here, yet!
     
  14. Can you link me a thread? I've grown a few autos under 2k watts and just fell short of 2oz. I'm really interested to see an AG produce those weights.
     
  15. Here's one: http://forum.grasscity.com/hydropon...tutorial-complete-auto-ak47-grow-journal.html

    Another one - forget where it is - is older, and I forget if it was here or another board I read it on, but I do remember it because it was another lady-grower.
     
  16. Btw, two new leaves on the first girl. (two more on the passiflora, too!) so I dropped in another NYCD seed to grow.

    I can see how a proper aeroponic system would be easier and increase yield, but this does seem fun so far.
     
  17. 8 gram yield, not 2oz. Thanks for the link though! That's a good informative thread for AG for sure. Just to small a scale for me. Hope all works out and you rock em out chick!

    image-341833522.jpg
     
  18. Grazie mille! I've got 4 seeds in various stages now, and if the weather comes through for me down this way, I might put a couple outside. I've been guerilla-growing wildflowers in vacant lots for years, who knows, maybe I could try that, too.

    image-2803169980.jpg
     
  19. If you read that entire thread, you'll see that it was his very first attempt with the AG.

    In that thread he provides this link to his 2nd AG grow:

    http://forum.grasscity.com/hydropon...rden-tutorial-2-white-moscow.html#post9154493

    You'll see that he yielded just about an ounce in that grow by merely adding one cfl & a bit more nutes.

    Other people have added about 4 cfl's and routinely yield at least an ounce, usually more like 1 1/2 ozs...and some people have occasionally gotten 2 ozs from some of the larger auto strains. I don't have those links right now, but i will try to find them.

    Yeah, an oz every 10 weeks is not a lot....but since I'm not a heavy user currently, it just about covers my personal usage. :smoke:
     
  20. I read that thread, and it makes sense. Supplemental lights when a plant gets way tall, a bit of judicious trimming, etc. I'm in it for the fun and because it is difficult as hell to get decent smoke in my town. I like to be self-sufficient, and to know what I'm putting in my body, and I'm a cheapskate with a green thumb. Who wouldn't try it? ;)
     

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