Day 108
UPDATE#20
Grower update
Update #20
Actions taken
TransplantPotted four additional rooted ground-cherry clones.
Potted up four more clones tonight. So far six have rooted and one is already producing fruit!
GrowLog
SuccessfulAunt Molly's Ground Cherry
Grow log by ERR0R1755 · Original thread
20 visual updates26 photos75 replies
View recapCrop🌱Ground cherry
VarietyAunt Molly's Ground Cherry
MethodAeroGarden
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest
Plants1
AudienceAdvanced
What you can learnA detailed propagation-focused diary covering air-stone modification, canopy control, mass cloning, rooting problems, potting, and eventual ripe fruit.
Actions:5 Nutrients2 Pruning1 Planting1 Transplant
Useful practices
- replacing the AeroGarden pump with an air pump and air stone
- pruning sprawling branches
- starting more than fifty cuttings
- potting rooted clones
- using clone performance to continue the grow after the original thread
Problems encountered
- sprawling branches escaping the grow space
- immature fruit removed during pruning
- undersized fruit dropping before ripening
- clones flowering before adequate root development
- slow ripening linked to light or plant size
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Conversation
S
Wonderful!
S
What medium are you using to plant them?
E
Just coco coir - the one on the far front left has perlite on top of the coco coir, but I've been too lazy to create a mix.
E
I'm still waiting on the cherries I harvested to turn yellow (or start going bad) before I consider this a success or failure. Today I took the remaining clone attempts and threw them into a compost bottle, since I don't think any more of them would root (although some were flowering or producing fruit...)
E
I have good news! Although I gave away most of the cuttings and a few died from neglect (oops), they are producing delicious yellowish-orange berries.It's hard to describe the taste, but they're similar to a tomato but without any of the acidity and with a more tropical flavor.It seems like the lighting / plant size was the issue after all, and I'll consider this one as a long-term success
S
That is great news, ERR0R1755!
S
That is Great News!
Day 94
UPDATE#19
Grower update
Update #19
One of the clones rooted!Some of them are killing themselves by focusing on flower development instead of root development:
Conversation
S
That is wonderful that it rooted.
Day 79
UPDATE#18
Grower update
Update #18
Actions taken
PruningPerformed a small additional pruning.
PlantingStarted more than fifty cuttings as clones.
Did a little bit of pruning and started more than 50 clones.
Conversation
S
Just a little LOL.... Can't wait to see how your clones do.
E
No roots on any of the clones yet. I've cut back the main plant further and moved it to a glass of water - at some point I will try converting it to a bonsai-like plant, maybe?I think this might be the first plant I've tried to grow that just isn't suited for an AeroGarden. It might be possible if you constantly pruned it and kept the entire plant within the dimensions of the deck (so that the light always shone on it) but I don't think it would be worth it.
Day 78
UPDATE#17
Grower update
Update #17
I've been debating terminating this, but I'm not sure if I want to.
Conversation
E
Added another 8ml of nutes. I'm going to try pushing the amount of nutes I give it and see if I can actually get cherry-sized fruits from it, otherwise I'll terminate it.
Day 71
UPDATE#16
Grower update
Update #16
Quite a few cherries have fallen off, none at their usual/full size and none of them are ripe yet, but I'm waiting eagerly.
Conversation
E
Added another 8ml of nutes.I was talking to someone else who is also growing the Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry in a Harvest, but they also have a plant outdoors. They've said that the one outdoors produces much more fruit and larger fruit - and we came to the conclusion that the most likely cause is from the Harvest's light only reaching a small portion of the plant.
S
That makes sense. I have experienced the same when I have planted duplicates indoors and outdoors. I think all around light intensity makes a huge difference, too.
Day 64
UPDATE#15
Grower update
Update #15
I have five fruits ripening on top of the Harvest, as well as one (the first one) off to the side.
Conversation
E
The fruits that fell off are much smaller than they should be (around the size of a blueberry instead of a cherry) and I'm worried they won't ripen. Maybe it needs more nutrients?Added 10ml of nutes.
E
This plant seems to really like the increased nutes, and already used around 2.5ml worth in the past two days.Added 8ml of nutes.
J
That is quite an exotic plant to grow. The only one I have ever seen and I had never heard of it before. I hope you get some tasty fruit.
Day 59
UPDATE#14
Grower update
Update #14
The first fruit dropped! I still have to wait for the husk to dry and for the fruit inside to turn a golden yellow, but it's a very good sign.
Conversation
S
anticipation ...
S
This is fascinating!
E
Added 1ml of CALiMAGic. Need to stop adding that.
E
Added 4ml of AG nutes, finishing off another bottle.
Day 57
UPDATE#13
Grower update
Update #13
I keep telling myself that I'll trim it back, and never get around to it.
Conversation
E
Added 2ml of CALiMAGic.
Day 51
UPDATE#12
Grower update
Update #12
Conversation
S
WOW!
S
It's taking over the house!
E
I noticed some browning on the edges of the leaves, so I added 4ml of CALiMAGic.
E
Added 4ml of nutes.I'll have to trim this back again, since it is currently 2.5ft wide, 2.5ft long, and around 3ft tall (mostly branches hanging below the shelf I have the Harvest on).
Day 43
UPDATE#11
Grower update
Update #11
Actions taken
PruningTrimmed branches that were climbing the walls and escaping the closet.
I trimmed some of the branches today, cutting off a few immature fruit with them. It was starting to climb up/down the walls and escape the closet.
Conversation
S
It IS a wild thing!
E
Added 4ml of nutrients today. I think I forgot to water it yesterday, since the Add Water light came on, so hopefully that won't cause any issues...
E
Added another 4ml of nutrients, and trimmed off some of the center branches that were growing into the light.
S
ERR0R1755, you need a Farm or three.
E
Believe me, I've had them in my shopping cart multiple times, and each time I have to resist the call of the checkout button
E
Added 6ml of nutrients! I'm really looking forward to the first fruit off this.
Day 40
UPDATE#10
Grower update
Update #10
Actions taken
NutrientsAdded four millilitres of CALiMAGic.
Added 4ml of CALiMAGic.Growing this plant has been a very pleasant experience. It is growing outwards more than it grows tall, and it already has more than a dozen fruit on it.There are seven in this picture, can you spot them all?
Conversation
S
No, I can't spot them all, but it is such a cool plant!
Day 36
UPDATE#9
Grower update
Update #9
Actions taken
NutrientsAdded another four millilitres of nutrients.
Added another 4ml of nutes.
Conversation
S
There are lots of flowers on it.
S
It's getting big!
E
Added 6ml of nutes!
Day 33
UPDATE#8
Grower update
Update #8
As promised, here are some better pictures of a flower and the fruit:
Conversation
S
Thank you! I love being able to see the details.
E
Added 4ml of nutrients. There are two more fruits on the way now!
W
That is a beautiful flower. Reminds me of a pansy. I'm looking forward to see how these fruits develop.. have never eaten or seen a ground cherry before.
Day 30
UPDATE#7
Grower update
Update #7
Actions taken
NutrientsAdded another four millilitres of nutrients.
Another 4ml of nutes! Here's what the immature fruit looks like at the moment:
Conversation
S
I like the way it is starting. I can't wait to see it mature.
S
Very interesting shape.
Day 29
UPDATE#6
Grower update
Update #6
Actions taken
NutrientsAdded four millilitres of nutrients.
Added 4ml of nutrients. The first flower is starting to form a fruit, but I'll wait for it to get a bit bigger before I take a picture.
Conversation
U
Yes I agree on the pretty flower! Almost reminds me of a pansy design w/o the shape!
Day 25
UPDATE#5
Grower update
Update #5
Actions taken
NutrientsAdded four millilitres of nutrients.
The first flower is open! Added 4ml of nutrients.
Conversation
S
What a pretty flower. I didn't expect the dark center.
E
This one is under the leaves, near the base of the plant. If another one opens up in the light, I'll try to get a better picture.
S
THat is a pretty flower.
Day 23
UPDATE#4
Grower update
Update #4
This one seems like it is already flowering! Definitely faster than I expected.
Conversation
S
It looks very healthy. I am very curious about how it will develop the paper-enclosed fruit!
S
Me too.
Day 17
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
I thought these leaves would look more like the leaves of tomatoes.
Conversation
S
You would think
Day 8
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Slow but good progress.
Conversation
U
This is interesting and I like different projects. How are these eaten.Error? as a fruit or as a vegetable? Are they tomato-ey or cherry-like? I have never tasted this or seen it before now.
E
They're related to tomatoes, but they're normally eaten as-is. The taste differs from person to person and from cultivar to cultivar - the most common description I've seen is normally some combination of pineapple, strawberry, mango and green grape.Harvesting them is really easy - they form as round, green fruit inside of a paper husk. Once they're ripe, the husk and fruit falls to the ground, and you leave it out for another week or two for it to turn yellow.I've never tasted or seen them before either, but I've seen some people get hundreds of them from their outdoor plant.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
Two of the seeds have sprouted!
Conversation
E
Trimmed it down to one seedling and added 2ml of CALiMAGic.
J
Curious, why replace the pump with an air pump and stone? The AG pump runs 24/7 during the grow phase when set for tomatoes, so, apparently they need a lot of water.
E
I hadn't tried growing anything with an air pump before, so I wanted to try it out when I grew my pepper.(but the secret reason is that I'm too lazy to take the deck apart and clean it every time)
E
Added 2ml of nutes. I'm not sure how fast this plant will grow, but I think it will have a slower start?I'll keep topping it off with water, but I'll log every nute addition here for future reference.