Grow log by bigshot · Original thread
What you can learnHigh-value long-duration example of repeated basil harvests, canopy control, varietal differences, water demand, and deciding when an ageing hydroponic herb garden should be replaced.
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Beautiful photo, bigshot ! I can practically smell those good fragrances.
February 6th, 2022Today I chopped the top off the basil garden and unplugged it. 260 days. I'll get it all cleaned up, and then I'll do the same for the herb garden.The basil got so thick at the top, it shadowed below and the plants became like trees with long stalks and bushy tops. Didn't look great and it wasn't bouncing back from trimming as fast, so I decided to pull the plug.I have determined that AeroGardens work best when it's all the same kind of herb in it. That way the heights are the same and nothing will shadow anything else. So I am going to replant the basil garden in the bounty and fill the harvest with rosemary. When I get a spot for it, I'll fill my round harvest with thyme. Those three herbs will do everything I need.It will take a few weeks and I'll be back with a new post and new photos.
Thanks for the update. I am surprised that they did not play well together. I have always had an assortment of herbs growing at a time and they played well. I do know that there are a couple that do not but not many at all. Keep us posted.
I am just seeing this thread now and I have to say, that salad sounds delicious! Reminds me of some of the savory herb salads from Cambodia and Thailand.
Agree that basil taking over can be a problem. One thing I'm trying in my recent garden is basil plants with grocery scallion bulbs in between. They should grow vertically and not take up too much of the basil's space. Also since they're taller and mature already, they have a chance of keeping up with the basil.Which was your favorite tasting basil variety?
waterphoenix, that sounds like a great idea. It should be visually intriguing, too.I love growing scallions better than chives.
I agree, I just find I reach for scallions more often and enjoy the flavor and texture more than chives. Here’s a photo of my setup redirect.viglink.com/?key=9a9db96a521b8a7fb68c57fa007462bb&subId=6818329&u=https%3A//ibb.co/Xyk7X1Q
I love it, waterphoenix!
Lemon Basil and Thai Basil were the best to cook with. There was one with small leaves I liked too. Globe? Marsaille? I forget. I didn't care for Purple or Genovese. Purple was kind of tasteless and looked ugly in food. And Genovese insisted on growing long stems and getting leggy. I think Napolitano was almost like Genovese. Wasn't fond of that either.
How do you start the scallions, waterphoenix ? Are you growing them just for the green tops?
Just grocery store scallions, rinsed. I ate the tops, and left the bulb and a few inches to put in the Aerogarden. I put in 2 per pod.Yes should be able to trim, eat, and regrow like chives.
Some time ago I posted about this. Someone had successfully regrown scallions using the bulb.
I like your set up. I've started a basil garden too, and appreciate seeing how you kept yours under control!
Part of it is the kinds of basil I chose to grow. if I had it to do over, I wouldn't grow Genovese. It wants to be bigger than the AeroGarden. It grows tall with a long stalk that becomes a tree trunk. The others stay bushy which works much better.
LOVE your basil garden! And your lamp - I cracked up when I saw that
Nice long run. Are they bolting at all? Meaning flowering?
Your basil is incredibly successful.
I think it helps to plant all the same kind of plant together. They grow at the same basic rate and don't crowd each other out.
Nice harvest you got from your plant
More than double what I got last time.This morning when the lights came on, I noticed that the top of the garden was glistening and every leaf looked happy. There were drops of water on all the cut stems. The plants are shlurping up all the nice new water. It's amazing how quickly they react to trimming and fresh water.
Lush!
Simply beautiful How many plants are in the AG?
Six different kinds of basil.
The basil mass got above the trellis, so I started harvesting with a haircut. It's been two days, and it is already starting to grow back. I noticed that underneath some leaves aren't growing from lack of light, so I'm not going to let it grow any higher.
Wow! Amazing setup.
Are you feeding them steroids? They look amazing.
Sometimes, hubby remarks that he can see the growth in just an afternoon. I don't notice it quite so much, since I'm watching them more, I guess? Good job!
Just amazing looking basil plants. Can you describe how you cut back the plant to promote growth of the plant? I am always hesitant to cut back my plants and don't really know when and where to cut them back. Thanks!
For basil I always leave at least three to four sets of true leaves. I would normally cut above the 3rd or 4th one. The plant would then bush out. I then allow at least two sets off of each branch to grown and then cut the top centers of those. There are also videos on how to prune herbs here. I do have some of my own basil plants from early on marked up if you need a refereance.
Thanks for the links! They are going to be very helpful when my newly sprouted basil plants need pruning!
Keep an eye on them, with basil, pruning needs come up quicker than one might think!
I certainly will. They are barely popping out of the sponges, so I will keep a close eye on them as they grow.
It looks very neat and well cared for.
Very nice and looks great! Keep up the good work!
It looks good!
July 11, 2021Seedlings spotted down inside all of the pods. Genovese is doing well outside its cup. I thinned it down to just three seedlings.
Everything is peeping out. Took the cups off of three more today. When everything is out and I get my Holy Basil pod, I'll shoot another photo.
July 20, 2021All of the basils are doing well. I'm pinching off a couple to keep them from growing too fast and getting leggy. The Aerovoir I ordered arrived and it's all set up. I received a pod for Holy Basil, which I'll add soon. I'll shoot a photo when the Harvest gets a little further along.