So I was kind of disappointed last week when I saw that only one of the two types of peppers had sprouted, but luckily that’s changed. 3 of the other peppers have sprouted in the Powerplant mini and look like they’re coming along nicely, two have pushed out a pair of leaves, while the third hasn’t stood upright just yet.

The Basil is going along at a steady rate, as well as the pepper that sprouted last week. I think the tall one is green pepper, and the three that just started are chili peppers. I think that I only put in 2 green pepper seeds, while I put in a bunch of chili pepper seeds, but you never know, I could be made to look stupid by the time this is over.

My little window piece has gotten me quite a few questions and is generating a fair bit of curiosity among my girlfriend and I’s friends and family. My father mentioned growing tomatoes in a system for his winters in Newfoundland and explained that the Powerplant mini would be better suited for a cherry tomato plant, a variety like beefsteak will likely topple the poor mini (Great system, but C’mon….its MINI!) I have a full 5 Pot drip system and some nutrients that I’m going to send up with him that’s better suited for full size tomatoes. I’m not sure but the powerplant pro could probably handle some substantial tomates.

Happy Holidays

Matt
Hydroponics dictionary

So it has been about a week since I first planted my seeds in the Power Plant and the other day I noticed some seeds had sprouted. Most of the basil has sprouted, and one plant that I’m not sure if it’s basil, chili peppers, or green peppers. It’s quite a bit taller than the others and has already popped out two leaves and almost touches the humidity domes. I’m hoping it’s chili peppers.

I was quite pleased to see the seeds had sprouted. We tend to keep our relatively cool during the day (between 12-17 degrees C) so I was wondering how much this would affect the sprouting process and it seems not a whole lot, for the basil anyway. I pulled the humidity domes off briefly to snap a few pictures for you all, but rest assured they are back in place now.

I must say it’s really interesting to see fresh new life in the warmth inside, and the cold, Canadian, maritime winter outside, just 2 inches away separated by a couple panes of glass. Check back next week when I will update you all with the progress of my plants, and maybe even pictures of budding chilies… well hopefully. I really want to make chili with something that I grew in the living room and then see the horror on my friends and families faces when I tell them the chili they’re eating was made with something “growing in the living room.”

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Dictionary
Matt

Recently I wrote about a new countertop hydroponic system called the ” power plant ” They were nice enough to send an evaluation unit so I could let you all know how it all works.
After getting home from FedEx, I tore into the package and opened up the box. Here is what waited for me inside;
• The Powerplant Mini
• AC adapter
• 2 x Nutrient Vials
• 2x grow sponges
• 3x Humidity Domes
• Seed Cover
• sweet basil seeds
I must say it was smaller than I had assumed. That’s a good thing though because it fits nicely in my windowsill. It looks similar to an XBOX360 in its looks and actually looks quite a bit like the HD-DVD add on for it.
For the first grow I decided to just run it with what came in the box. I do have several types of nutrients and additives, as well as some CFL grow lights and an LED grow panel, but I’ll leave those out of the equation for now. So I mixed up the nutrients, moistened the grow sponge, and went to work placing several seeds in the sponge.
I used mainly the sweet Basil it came with, but some of the seeds slipped out and there may be too many in one spot. I also grabbed a couple of hot chili pepper seeds, and green pepper seeds from the chili I made for supper.
I have absolutely no expectation for the green peppers as the system wasn’t really designed for something like green peppers. I have hopes for the chili peppers, but the seed I used weren’t of the best quality so I’m quite interested to see how both types turn out.
So its all seeded, in the windowsill, plugged in (the pump is fairly quiet too, about 1/3 as loud as a typical aquarium would sound like) and it has the seed cover placed on it. Now hope fully we’ll see some growth by Monday.

Overall I was fairly impressed with my first experience with the Powerplant, and the only real issue I had was the seed cover. Its made of cardboard, and my first instinct was to throw it away. Over time I can see this getting lost and/or beaten up. Not a big deal though, In the event it goes missing I can just cover it with something else to germinate. Maybe I’ll grab an HD DVD or 360 game and toss it on top just to confuse people.
I will post some pictures as soon as there is something to take pictures of.

Hydroponics News November 21st, 2008

Hydroponics growing

Urban growers go high-tech

Terry Fujimoto sees the future of agriculture in the exposed roots of the leafy greens he and his students grow in thin streams of water at a campus greenhouse.

The program run by the California State Polytechnic University agriculture professor is part of a growing effort to use hydroponics _ a method of cultivating plants in water instead of soil _ to bring farming into cities, where consumers are concentrated.

Because hydroponic farming requires less water and less land than traditional field farming, Fujimoto and researchers-turned-growers in other U.S. cities see it as ideal to bring agriculture to apartment buildings, rooftops and vacant lots.

“The goal here is to look at growing food crops in small spaces,” he said.

Long a niche technology existing in the shadow of conventional growing methods, hydroponics is getting a second look from university researchers and public health advocates.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

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Hydrofarm

Perfecting the Use of Aroma Enhancers in Your Garden

Whenever you grow flowers in hydroponics, you probably are only interested in growing the largest and best smelling flowers possible. These two things, however, do not go hand in hand. It is entirely possible to have a flower that is heavy, large, and even rich in color, but severely lacking in the scent that makes flowers so appealing. This can be extremely frustrating, but fortunately, it is very avoidable if you use a good aroma enhancer.

Aroma Enhancers are special hydroponic supplements that contain a lot of ingredients designed specifically to improve the smell of flowers. When used correctly, they can turn flowers that smell dull into something that has a lot of complex and perfumey scents.

Here are some of the most common ingredients that aroma enhancers contain to beautify your flowers and plants.

Select Bio molecules- There are lots of bio molecules that have a very special effect on the health and development of your plant, like polyphenolics, terpenoids and anthocyanins. These kinds of ingredients, when introduced into your plant, help produce the kind of oil and other elements that help create the flower’s signature scent. This is why the best aroma enhancers load up your flowers with exactly these kinds of ingredients.

Sugars - One of the oldest and most effective ways to increase the aroma of flowers is to provide them with special sugars. Things like molasses, cane sugar, corn syrup and other sweet stuff gets absorbed into the plant and has a positive effect on the scent. Molasses in particular is notable for its high level of both sugar and scent boosting biomolecules.

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high pressure sodium

Grow Great Tasting Herbs Through Aeroponics Gardening Systems

An indoor herb garden grown by an aeroponic system is a rewarding experience for those looking to not only begin a wonderful new hobby but also craving fresh herbs to serve friends and family. You may not realize it but growing plants and herbs through aeroponic hydroponics offer a great deal of benefits. Aeroponic kits produce great tasting herbs that bring out mouth watering flavors of your cooking and also produce herbs with medicinal value, as well.

Aeroponic gardening is still relatively new and not many people are aware of it and its many benefits. One thing people do agree on is that once they learn more about it, they all agree it is an interesting process for growing plants without soil. An aeroponic system uses the environment to grow its plants.

Aeroponic kits used to grow herb gardens implement air and mist to grow its plants. It is a natural system for growing herbs from the comfort of your very own home which is great for people who don’t have the luxury of an outside garden. All you would need is the proper room, an aeroponic fogger, aeroponic pump, some seeds, and a little patience.

I’ve had a personal fascination with the Aerogarden for quite some time now, but its price, and lack of options had me hesitant about buying one. The computer in it that controls nutrient distribution seems to me a bit too easy. I like to play with settings and see what the effects are (with all my toys).

Couple that with the “seed pods” they sell which are nice, but couldn’t they sell blanks and let me put in my own seeds? the lighting always bothered me too. A high output CFL will get the job done, but I would prefer something more robust and energy efficient such as an LED light. To me the aerogarden just seemed too limited and expensive.

hydroponic box

Then today I came across the “Power Plant mini” from Prepara
Compared to the Aerogarden, its a much more versatile hydroponics system and I’ll tell you why;

1. NO SEED PODS! It has grow sponges that you put your own seeds in.
2. CHOOSE YOUR LIGHTING! there isn’t an attached arm on the power plant mini so you can use any light source you choose.
3. INEXPENSIVE! for the price of the aerogarden, you could get 4 Minis, or 2 minis and a $100 LED grow light
4. STYLISH! In my eyes these are far more attractive in the kitchen than the black and green oval that is the aerogarden

The flexibility and simplicity of this system have my head spinning and I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these and try it out. Or I may have to wait for the soon to be released Pro Model and try my hand at that.

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