Day 244
UPDATE#9
Grower update
Update #9
Actions taken
PruningThe update documents the result before and after trimming.
Before and after trimmingBig image:https://animationresources.org/stuff/060623beforeandaftertrim.jpg
GrowLog
SuccessfulSeparate Basil, Rosemary, and Thyme AeroGarden Monocultures
Grow log by bigshot · Original thread
9 visual updates12 photos22 replies
View recapCrop🌿Basil, rosemary, thyme
VarietyThai basil, lemon basil, lime basil, globe basil
MethodAeroGarden countertop hydroponics, three single-species herb gardens
EquipmentAeroGarden Bounty Elite, AeroGarden Harvest Elite, AeroGarden Harvest 360, AeroVoir reservoirs, ladder bookcase
Plants-
AudienceAdvanced
What you can learnHigh-value comparison showing that separating basil, rosemary, and thyme by unit simplifies canopy management and supports repeated harvests despite different growth rates.
Actions:6 Harvest4 Pruning2 Solution1 Equipment1 Planting
Useful practices
- dedicate one unit to each herb species
- use AeroVoir reservoirs to extend refill intervals
- trim basil roots away from the filter
- cut older plants back to expose younger ones
- combine water changes with pruning and harvesting
- keep basil low and bushy
Problems encountered
- rosemary established slowly
- basil overgrew and shaded lower leaves
- basil roots approached the filter
- yellow leaves developed under a dense canopy
- maintenance became overdue
- shelf height limited maximum lamp extension
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Day 242
UPDATE#8
Grower update
Update #8
Not archivedOpen original URL
Actions taken
PruningCleaned up the overgrown gardens and gave the herbs substantial haircuts.
HarvestCollected the herbs removed during the cleanup.
June 4th, 2023My gardens were running amok! There was a huge growth spurt. Big Image: animationresources.org/stuff/060423overgrown.jpgTonight I cleaned them all up and gave them haircuts. Here is the harvest of herbs...Big Image: animationresources.org/stuff/060623herbyield.jpg
Day 202
UPDATE#7
Grower update
Update #7
Actions taken
HarvestHarvested strongly producing rosemary.
April 25, 2023It was harvest time. Rosemary produced like a champ!
Conversation
L
Your photo is a wonderful "ad" for AGs! All of your herbs look scrumptious!
Day 159
UPDATE#6
Grower update
Update #6
Actions taken
SolutionCompleted an overdue water change.
PruningPruned the overgrown herb gardens.
HarvestCollected the largest herb harvest yet.
March 13, 2023My gardens were overdue for a water change and pruning. This was the biggest herb harvest yet. I really like the way the basil flowers taste.animationresources.org/stuff/031323_harvest.jpg
Conversation
L
Your basil plants are so productive!
B
I let them go a little too far. The light was almost all the way up and it looked like a bush. I cut it way back, and it doesn't look real happy right now, but the light is getting further down now, so it isn't dropping leaves like it was. I'll post a photo later.
Day 109
UPDATE#5
Grower update
Update #5
Actions taken
SolutionPerformed a water change.
PruningTrimmed the herbs during maintenance.
HarvestCollected the biggest harvest so far.
January 22, 2023Today was time for a water change and trim. I got the biggest harvest so far.
Day 86
UPDATE#4
Grower update
Update #4
Not archivedOpen original URL
Actions taken
HarvestHarvested basil, rosemary, and thyme from the three units.
December 30, 2022I harvested the three herb gardens today.
Day 48
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
Actions taken
HarvestCompleted the first harvest, with the largest amount coming from basil.
November 22, 2012Today I did my first harvest. Not a lot of rosemary or thyme yet, but lots of basil.animationresources.org/stuff/11222basilharvest.jpg
Conversation
L
Thyme is always slow-growing for me, too. That's a nice crop from a Harvest (20w light) after this amount of time. I just now saw your post about originally setting up the Harvest Aerovoir with the extender. There's something about the optimal heights in the Aerovoir instructions, but the diagrams are kind of confusing. You do have to get the AG and Aerovoir heights just right!
B
Both the basil and the thyme are starting to grow back after only a couple of days. This weekend is my feeding time, so I bet they will be needing a trim again very soon.
B
December 11th, 2022Today I did a water change and took the opportunity to trim the basil roots away from the filter and to cut the plants way back. The stems have gotten very thick and I want to make sure they don't grow tall and leggy.The little baby thyme is growing in now. In a few weeks, they will be competing with the older ones. The baby Rosemarys are going slower. I trimmed the older plants back around the new ones to let the babies get light.It should be set for a couple of weeks now.
B
It's the next day and the thyme and rosemary are already growing back. I did a more drastic trim on the basil and I see yellow leaves underneath that weren't getting enough light before. I'm sure it will bounce back with lower growth to keep the plants bushy. It's too easy for basil to grow out of control.
Day 6
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Actions taken
PlantingStarted all three dedicated herb gardens.
October 11, 2012All three gardens launched.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
Actions taken
EquipmentCleaned and set up the three garden units before the seed pods arrived.
October 6th, 2022I set up the gardens ready for the seeds to arrive in the mail. Here they are shiny clean and ready to go.Hopefully the seeds will be here this weekend so I can get them started.
Conversation
U
Looks Great! bigshot ! Good luck!
L
Wow! I love your AG bookcase, bigshot! And I like your new herbs strategy a lot! Basil always seems to crowd everything else out, because it grows so fast. Let them duke it out with each other!
B
Rosemary grows real slow. I had trouble keeping it in the light long enough while it was germinating. Thyme kept blocking it.I looked at Aerogarden's ladder shelf, but it looked too lightweight and rickety. This sits right next to my front door. I don't want someone to brush by it as they come in and bring it crashing down. The height of the shelves is just a hair too low, but I can get the aerovoir tanks in if I bend them to the side a little bit, and I won't be letting the plants to get tall enough to need to raise the lights higher than they can under the shelf above.
L
I never noticed that the Aerovoirs were leaning slightly, and the whole display looks really good, bigshot . Are you sure that you need the Aerovoir stands for the Harvests? Be careful if you decide to experiment, though. An AG bowl can be overfilling very slowly, as I discovered the hard way when I was trying a different height for my Farm Plus Aerovoir!
B
The aerovoires sit flat on the shelf. I just have to tilt them to get them in and out. I'm lazy about refilling. The one on the bounty lasts about a week, and on the harvests, they last two.The harvest water level is the same as the bounty.
B
You're right! Thanks for telling me.I searched and searched for a picture of the AeroVoire being used with a Harvest. Most photos show Bountys. Finally found one and it didn't have the pedestal. They don't say anything about that on their website.I had three of the pedestal extenders and I thought they just went with it. I wonder if I used the extender last time? Knowing myself I did, because if I didn't I would have lost it.