Day 257
UPDATE#36
Grower update
Update #36
Actions taken
HarvestCollected the ripe tomatoes for weekly snack boxes.
Harvested the tomatoes and put them in this week's snack boxes
GrowLog
SuccessfulCavili Zucchini, Superhot Peppers, Greens, and Red Velvet Tomatoes in a Farm 24XL
Grow log by maskedsonnet · Original thread
36 visual updates76 photos128 replies
View recapCrop🍅Zucchini, pepper, lettuce, radish, bok choy, tomato
VarietyCavili zucchini, Yellow 7-Pot pepper, Carolina Reaper, Red Savina Habanero, Bhut Jolokia, Baby Milk bok choy, Red Velvet tomato
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics, succession planting in a shared reservoir
EquipmentAeroGarden Farm 24XL
Plants5
AudienceExperimental
What you can learnUseful mixed-crop case study showing that parthenocarpic Cavili zucchini can fruit indoors, but also showing its space demands, the effects of crop competition, and how a shared Farm can transition through greens, radish, bok choy, and dwarf tomatoes.
Actions:13 Harvest7 Finished5 Pruning4 Planting3 Nutrients2 Equipment1 Watering
Useful practices
- choosing a parthenocarpic zucchini variety
- raising lights as growth accelerates
- pruning large foliage away from neighbouring plants
- ending an oversized crop after sufficient harvest
- using succession planting after termination
- thinning bok choy to one plant per pod
- removing weak pepper plants to improve airflow
- harvesting peppers and tomatoes repeatedly
Problems encountered
- failed Yellow 7-Pot germination
- algae in a failed pod
- zucchini crowding peppers
- mold in lettuce centres
- low bok choy and radish germination
- Ghost pepper and Reaper being shaded by the Habanero
- high maintenance from large zucchini foliage
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Conversation
A
Oh my goodness little snack trays that's so cute! The tomatoes look awesome!
S
They look wonderful!
Day 256
UPDATE#35
Grower update
Update #35
The tomatoes look great, and I have a lot that need picking!! The habanero also still looks great, but I'm starting to eyeball it more and more with thoughts of ending it. I'm ready to start something new there, I think. I can't stop thinking about green chile!!
Conversation
S
All the red tom toms, I bet there are a lot more under the leaves we can not see. Green Chilies sound good.
Day 244
UPDATE#34
Grower update
Update #34
Actions taken
NutrientsFed the gardens immediately after returning from vacation.
WateringRefilled the external water bottles and garden water supplies.
PruningPerformed a substantial pepper-plant trimming.
I fed everyone the day I got home from vacation, but today actually spent some time refilling water bottles, trimming, and taking pictures. I'm about 70 photos away from hitting my limit on Flickr and buying a premium subscription. That's funny to me, since I only joined a little under 2 years ago!! I have to officially admit that I'm obsessed with taking photos of my plants lol. The pepper plant before I did some "tree trimming": After trimming, I cleaned up the deck after taking that photo: Tomatoes!!! Only had 3 ripe ones, but there are lots of green and almost ripe!! Managed to only snip off one green pepper during my trim
Conversation
A
Your pepper looks so nice after you trimmed it! And yay for ripe tomatoes!
L
Lovely photos, maskedsonnet!
S
Nice trim job
Day 231
UPDATE#33
Grower update
Update #33
Actions taken
HarvestCollected several more peppers while the tomato crop developed.
Lots and lots of tomatoes!! Harvested several peppers too
Conversation
S
You do wonderful with your gardens
L
Lovely tomatoes to come!
Day 213
UPDATE#32
Grower update
Update #32
The tomatoes are still amazing!! I've even got a baby tomato already!
Conversation
S
So many flower. YAY
L
All those flowers are wonderful!
Day 206
UPDATE#31
Grower update
Update #31
Feels like there are even more blooms. Very exciting!! And this guy has more peppers to give
Conversation
S
I love the way your plants produce and grow for you! I am jelly jelly LOL...
Day 203
UPDATE#30
Grower update
Update #30
Actions taken
HarvestCollected a substantial batch of ripe peppers.
Tomatoes are still teeny and cute, with some blooms on them!! The habanero plant is still thriving. Harvested quite a few peppers off it tonight.
Conversation
S
That habanero is really putting out for you.
M
It really is!! Since habanero is about as hot as I can comfortably just eat and enjoy without making it into a sauce, I've decided to leave him in there for a while longer even though I think that was the last of the peppers that had set so far. He's still blooming quite a lot, so probably has some more peppers to give me!!
S
Will you regrow him once he is done?
M
Probably not - I’ve had a craving for green chile lately, I’ll probably do a Big Jim or 2 in there next!
S
Big Jims are good. I had grown them a few times with great success.
Day 190
UPDATE#29
Grower update
Update #29
Actions taken
HarvestCollected another pepper crop.
PruningCut back the pepper plant after harvesting.
Harvested some more peppers and trimmed the plant up! And the tomato plants are getting bigger!!
Conversation
S
Tomatoes are so cute as seedlings
Day 184
UPDATE#28
Grower update
Update #28
Actions taken
HarvestPicked several ripe peppers.
All 4 pods of tomatoes came up!! This was a delightful surprise, because I used the last 4 seeds that I had for this variety, so got 100% germination here! Also picked several peppers. They look like adorable little cherries!
Conversation
L
"What kind of tomatoes?", asked the avid tomato grower.
A
Those peppers are gorgeous! What amazing color
S
YAY for them coming up and those peppers are so pretty.
M
They're the red velvet tomatoes from Park Seed! I've grown them once before and thought them very tasty. The plant only gets about 8 inches tall, so bit of a waste to put it in a tall garden, but that's where I had space this time around
S
I will add that to the tomato list if not there already
L
I ordered some--I like the sweet tomatoes, and Ray likes them all. I'm still trying to grow indeterminate Green Zebras for him in the patio Earth Box, but it's been awfully cold this summer.
M
Cold?! If shivering didn’t make me so sore and grumpy I’d be jealous, it’s been stuuuupid hot in eastern NM this year!! I honestly prefer triple digits over single, though I have a feeling that’s probably not what you mean by a cold summer
L
Nope, cold summer means lows in the low 50s, with highs in the high 60s and low 70s. No single digits!I haven't lived anywhere that had winters for many years, but when I lived in Chicago and Omaha, I definitely preferred 100s to single-digits!
S
I so hate the cold... why do I live in Jersey, who knows... but we will move eventually somewhere with warmer winters.
Day 176
UPDATE#27
Grower update
Update #27
Actions taken
HarvestCollected ripe peppers from the surviving hot-pepper plants.
FinishedCut the Reaper out to give the Habanero more airflow and space.
HarvestCollected and ate the last of the leafy greens.
PlantingStarted Red Velvet tomato pods in the cleared half.
Time to pick some peppers!! The reaper has been cut out of the machine to give the habanero more air circulation. It's got lots of peppers!! I've also eaten the last of the greens and planted red velvet tomatoes in their place
Conversation
S
The habanero looks like a small tree.
Day 173
UPDATE#26
Grower update
Update #26
The habanero plant is trying to eat the reaper. The reaper hasn't set any more peppers yet, I'm thinking about just cutting it out like I did the ghost pepper since the habanero seems so determined to take up the whole side of that machine. And the peppers are delicious, I'm happy to give it more space if it means more peppers!
Conversation
L
Because the Reaper has set some peppers, maskedsonnet, you might try cutting it back, rather than out. Cutting it back might cause it to direct more energy to peppers. Who knows? It seems a shame to completely jettison a slow grower.🌶🌶🌶
S
Whatever you decide to do those red peppers look good although hot
Day 163
UPDATE#25
Grower update
Update #25
Actions taken
PruningNeatened the pepper canopy to increase air movement.
FinishedTook the underperforming Ghost Pepper out completely.
Did some trimming to neaten these up a little and hopefully increase airflow a little. Took the ghost pepper out completely, it never really thrived in here. It was too far behind the other two in growth and never quite got the light he needed. The habanero and reaper are both going strong though, quite a few peppers on both plants!!These are more than ready to harvest, and the 2 I've taken and eaten were great, but these 2 will have to wait until I get back into town in a few days. Hopefully they keep for me a little longer!
Day 153
UPDATE#24
Grower update
Update #24
Going to harvest some leaves today!! And the pepper plants are doing well, but I have a lot of clean-up to do!
Conversation
S
You will be eating well and the peppers do look good.
Day 141
UPDATE#23
Grower update
Update #23
Got one ripening up!
Conversation
S
Ouch! It's a beautiful color, maskedsonnet!
S
Looks like it would be a hot one.
Day 137
UPDATE#22
Grower update
Update #22
Actions taken
PruningReduced every bok choy pod to one plant.
Got some reapers forming up!! Thinned all the bok choy pods down to one plant
Conversation
S
The choy looks great! The Reapers are WAY out of my league (as are the habaneros)! But they are so cool looking!
M
I LOVE habaneros, but I get a bit nervous with Reapers. I always wear gloves and glasses when I deal with them, even just for picking!! Sometimes when I process them I have to get a mask to put on too, to stop sneezing and coughing. They make some FIERY sauces for sure!!!
S
maskedsonnet, Did you happen to see the Reaper I grew? There is a video link on the second page of someone taste testing it.
S
Shawn, thanks for the video and Mark's account of what happened afterwards. I bet the guy's time in the bathroom was hot, too! (Shudder)
L
Shawn, that thread discusses using hot peppers to discourage squirrels. That's an interesting idea! I wonder what they might do to wild turkeys? Ours are protected, so it might not be a good idea to make them available to turkeys.I hate to be mean to squirrels, because it took them more than 10 years to get established after our development was built.
S
lynnee , I don't believe that birds are affected by hot peppers. Double check me on that. And if birds aren't, then maybe turkeys aren't either. I found verification that birds and chickens aren't bothered by hot peppers. link
M
lol I just read through it, very entertaining!! I've never eaten one directly, I always use them for sauces and chili powders so the heat is somewhat diluted by the time it hits my tongue. One of my coworkers DID try it though. I'd given it to him because he was interested in making a hot sauce with it. He didn't eat it at work - he had gone to a party after work and was telling his friends about it. Mixing alcohol, the type of macho men he and his buddies are, and impossibly hot peppers is always a recipe for poor choices. He came in the next day calling it "Satan's left testicle".
S
The squirrels no longer bother us now that we have Piper and a fence. But an old member had a huge problem with them hence the squirrel talk.
Day 134
UPDATE#21
Grower update
Update #21
Actions taken
HarvestPicked and tasted the first fully ripe habanero.
I got a habanero!! Never even saw it until today, when I squatted down in front of the machine to clean up some leaves and saw it on the plant fully ripened!! I like the shape and color a LOT. I only had a small bite of it and am saving the rest to put in a stir-fry later tonight, but it seemed to lack the weird musky after-taste that the orange habaneros have. If I get a lot of these I'm gonna make firebombs!! The shape seems like it's much better for stuffing than regular habaneros.
Conversation
S
What a pretty surprise! Hope you get lots!
S
I second Sher
Day 128
UPDATE#20
Grower update
Update #20
I forgot how cute the leaves on these were, all four pods are up!
Day 123
UPDATE#19
Grower update
Update #19
Actions taken
HarvestSaved the healthy outer lettuce leaves for salads before ending the moldy crop.
FinishedRemoved the lettuce after black mould developed in every centre.
PlantingStarted four bok choy pods in the cleared space.
Originally was going to try to do cut and come again on the lettuce, but the middle of ALL of them had started to grow mold!! The outer leaves were all fine, so still have a some good-sized salads in the fridge to eat over the next couple days. But had to completely end the garden. Planted 4 pods of Bok Choy (Baby Milk variety from Baker's Creek) in their place. Will add nutrients to the garden in a week when all the other gardens are due for feedings.
Conversation
S
I've had that happen to lettuce several times. The leaves get so packed that air can't circulate. What a disappointment! Glad you could save the outer leaves.
S
That is horrible. I hate when things like that happen. However yo are able to start a new garden and you did
Day 123
UPDATE#18
Grower update
Update #18
Actions taken
HarvestCollected the only radish that successfully established.
Harvested the radish last week just before going to visit Mom and Dad, so didn't have a chance to put these up until now. It was hot!! But very tasty. Now that I'm back, the lettuce has gotten big!! Will be harvesting it soon And today I gotta clean up after the peppers!! The plants are still doing great
Conversation
S
Everything looks great! I am glad the radish was tasty and your gardens are so neat compared to mine when they get growing.
Day 113
UPDATE#17
Grower update
Update #17
The one radish that came up is still getting bigger!! I'm getting impatient though, I'll probably harvest it in the next couple days. The lettuce it trying to shade it out anyways The peppers on the other side are still doing great too!!
Conversation
S
That is a huge radish and love the Bonsai Looking Peppers.
S
Your gardens are something to be very proud of, maskedsonnet.
L
That is one giant radish! I'll bet it is really, really hot.
Day 104
UPDATE#16
Grower update
Update #16
The peppers are still doing good, with tons of blooms!! All the lettuce pods are up, but only 1 radish came up But it's doing well!
Conversation
S
Looking great, maskedsonnet!
Day 88
UPDATE#15
Grower update
Update #15
Actions taken
HarvestCollected the rest of the zucchini crop.
FinishedRemoved the zucchini because it had become difficult to manage beside the peppers.
PlantingStarted greens and radishes in the vacated half.
Harvested the rest of the zucchini and ended the plant - I'm glad I did it but it was getting hard to take care of and keep out of the peppers. Planted some greens and radishes in its place!
Conversation
L
Awww. It's always hard to let a productive plant go. The greens and radishes won't bother the peppers, of course. I'll bet you get round radishes!
Day 77
UPDATE#14
Grower update
Update #14
Actions taken
NutrientsFed the garden during continued zucchini and pepper production.
Added nutrients. Got 3 zucchinis growing! Pepper plants still looking good.When these zucchini come off I may go ahead and end this project as the bucket project has started to put on zucchini and I really don't need 2 plants producing at the same time.
Conversation
L
It's going to be hard to terminate a plant that's producing such beautiful zucchini, maskedsonnet !Love the photos.
M
It will be!! Might keep it on and starting freezing the excess instead, to see how long it'll live without having to worry about winter killing it. I've got a zucchini fritter recipe that freezes well and makes a great snack to pull out when I'm hungry but don't wanna cook!
S
I love seeing the plants with their fruit on them. Those zuchs are looking good
Day 70
UPDATE#13
Grower update
Update #13
Actions taken
PruningCut back the overgrown plants after several weeks of minimal maintenance.
HarvestReported two zucchini harvested to date, including one beyond the first documented harvest.
FINALLY got these trimmed. Between flipping to nights and working on an electrical project that did Not Go Well - I've not done more than the bare minimum for my plants for a couple weeks now. Before: After: I have harvested 2 zucchinis so far, and they are keeping extremely well in the fridge. No softening at all yet, and it's been a little over 2 weeks since harvesting the first one. Tonight I will FINALLY make time to cook and taste them. Thinking a very basic roasted zucchini for some of it so I can really get the flavor, and for the rest probably fried, because that's what I'm REALLY craving right now!
Conversation
L
Your "before" and "after" photos always inspire me to go ahead and cut back any plants that are getting too large for their AGs. That's because your plants always seem to benefit from your pruning!
M
I always figure, so long as I keep some leaves, they'll be alright! They always seem to appreciate the room to breath when I chop things off, that room gets HOT with all the lights and machines in it, because I like to keep my house pretty warm. It was also rather humid when I went in there today, turned the overhead fan on to see if that helps a bit
S
maskedsonnet, I would love to have a real garden indoors, like yours. It is inspiring!
M
The zucchini was great! I ended up tossing it in olive oil and some seasonings and air frying it. I can't say it tastes any different from any other zucchini I've had, but it grows indoors with very little help from me, so I'm a fan!!
Day 59
UPDATE#12
Grower update
Update #12
Actions taken
HarvestCollected the first Cavili zucchini.
It's time to trim everything in this machine! Peppers looking good:Got some dead leaves around the bottom of the zucchini to trim off, plus some off the right side to get them off the peppers:AND I harvested my first Zucchini!!!! It's weirdly pale lolThere are some more getting bigger, too!
Conversation
S
I am surprised and thrilled at your incredible success!
L
Do tell us how that pale zucchini tastes! Any idea why it is so bleached out?
S
I just did an image search and found this. It looks like they can be green or yellow.
M
A Google image search of Cavili also revealed that they’re supposed to look like that - another shock for me! First shock was how pretty and decorative the leaves look! I thought these were the weird speckled-looking zucchini I occasionally see for sale at Walmart, but was totally wrong there. I look forward to trying this and will report on it when I do! Although tbh most types of summer squash taste the same to me, so not sure how reliable that report will be lol.
S
What a beautiful and large zuch!
Day 51
UPDATE#11
Grower update
Update #11
These will be ready for a trimming soon Got some zucchinis getting bigger!
Conversation
S
Those squash are mind boggling! Who would have thought you could really grow thriving, producing squash indoors!
L
Love the photos of the peppers and zucchini!
S
You are going to have a wonderful harvest with these plants.
Day 41
UPDATE#10
Grower update
Update #10
Zucchini plant is still getting bigger!! There are quite a few zucchinis growing in there too And the pepper plants are all healthy as well, it'll be time for their first trimming soon!
Conversation
S
Those leaves
S
Those zucchini leaves are so beautifully patterned. It looks like a decorative plant.
M
The leaves amaze me every time I walk in there!! I’ve never seen zucchini leaves that look like that, but this is my first time doing Cavili. My parents and I always do Black Beauty or some other dark green variety outdoors, so this plant has been very interesting to watch grow!
Day 35
UPDATE#9
Grower update
Update #9
Actions taken
FinishedGave up on the non-germinating pod and took it out.
The first zucchini I noticed is getting bigger, and there are a few more hiding out in the leaves!! Finally gave up on the 7-pot and took that pod out. The other peppers are looking good so far!
Conversation
S
That squash!!! The peppers look nice, too.
L
The zucchini is such fun to watch as it develops!
Day 30
UPDATE#8
Grower update
Update #8
The zucchini showed me a surprise today when I got bored and started poking through all the plants! This is at 28 days, according to my app.
Conversation
S
Wow! Congratulations, maskedsonnet!
S
It is so exciting to make these finds in our plants.
L
A little zuke at 28 days! Are zucchini blossoms edible? That one looks just like the ones we used to see at the farmer's market.
M
They are, though I personally have never eaten one so couldn’t say what they taste like. Maybe if I get sick of zucchini down the line I’ll try one off here!
Day 28
UPDATE#7
Grower update
Update #7
Actions taken
NutrientsFed the mixed zucchini-and-pepper garden.
EquipmentSwabbed algae from the Yellow 7-Pot pod while waiting for germination.
Added nutrients. Starting to think I may have to keep the right side of the zucchini plant trimmed in order to keep him out of the peppers, it's already starting to creep over to that side: As for the peppers, I may have to give up on the 7-pot, but the other three are up and healthy. I thought I saw some life in the 7-pot last week but this week looking again I don't see any sprout, just some algae. Swabbed that off and will give it another week before I pull it.
Conversation
S
that is a beautiful plant
S
The zucchini is definitely rambunctious!
Day 24
UPDATE#6
Grower update
Update #6
Actions taken
EquipmentRaised the light hood twice to accommodate rapid zucchini growth.
I've had to raise the lights on the zucchini twice now, he's coming along nicely!! The leaves are huge
Conversation
S
It is so exciting to watch that big boy grow!!!
S
Bigger each day. I can not wait to see all the babies you get.
Day 21
UPDATE#5
Grower update
Update #5
He's getting big!! The reaper is up: Ghost pepper and habanero: I see some green down in the 7-pot pod, but the plant's not all the way up yet!!
Conversation
L
What do you do with those extra-extra-extra-extra hot peppers? A habanero is way too hot for me. A Carolina Reaper would probably put me in the hospital! Your plants look great.
M
I cook with habaneros, I love those. They make great poppers! But the other hots I either dry and grind into Chili Powder or make into hot sauce. I also keep some and hand them out to coworkers, who also like to make them into hot sauce.
L
Okay, hot sauce makes sense.
Day 15
UPDATE#4
Grower update
Update #4
These are still doing good!! Habanero The Ghost Pepper is up! The other two peppers are too, but too deep in the pod to photograph And the zucchini plant!!
Conversation
S
I am crossing my fingers that the zucchini thrives and is very productive!
S
Look at that zuke plant
Day 11
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
The zucchini seems to get bigger every day! I love how fast zucchinis grow On the other side, the only pepper up so far is the habanero:
Conversation
S
I do, too! Good luck, maskedsonnet!
W
Look at those big leaves! Once zucchini gets going, it really gets going..
S
Id say, large leaves
Day 6
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Actions taken
FinishedPulled the stuck seed hull from the emerging zucchini leaves.
The Zucchini is up! Had to pull his little seed cap off the leaves, and I think I waited too long - there's a bit of browning. But hopefully having some air will let it rebound nicely!
Conversation
L
Like you, maskedsonnet, I'd like to get enough production from my AG veggies to eliminate the need to buy them at retail. In particular I want a steady supply of cherry tomatoes, but they take a long time to set fruit and the fruit takes a long time to ripen. So far the harvested quantities are limited.My Mini Munch cuke drinks quite a bit of water. I have high hopes for the production, as I want to eat the cukes from the vine. My retail cukes tend to get lost in the bottom of the fridge. I love your little zucchini. They're supposed to be very prolific, so it'll be fun to watch its progress.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
Actions taken
FinishedCleared the old Farm 24XL planting before restarting.
PlantingStarted Cavili zucchini plus Yellow 7-Pot, Carolina Reaper, Red Savina Habanero, and Ghost Pepper.
Ended the old 24 XL garden and started over! One side is Cavili Zucchini, to replace the cucumber experiment. The other side is 4 different types of peppers, finally getting back into my favorite hobby!! Super hots!!! Yellow 7-pot, Carolina Reaper, Red Savina Habanero, and Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper).
Conversation
W
Can't wait to see how it turns out! Has anyone successfully grown squash/zukes in an AG? I recall a few older threads but don't believe I ended up seeing fruit.
M
Not that I recall - I’ll have to run a search when I’m back on my computer instead of phone. The problem with things like zucchini, squash, and cucumber is that most types have gendered flowers that tend to bloom at different times. For this and the previous cucumber experiment I chose varieties that are parthenocarpic so I don’t have to worry about saving pollen from the males and pollinating the females. It worked great with the cukes, here’s hoping it also works great with zucchini!
W
Smart! I didn't realize there were zucchini varieties that did not require pollination..
M
I've been poking around Google a lot, looking for parthenocarpic varieties of several different vegetables, because I'd love to slowly expand my hydroponic projects to grow all my own veggies without having to rely on grocery stores and cooperation from the weather. Cucumbers were the ones I was most excited about, because I could probably eat them every day and never get tired of them. Zucchini is very close behind that, I love cooking with it!! There weren't a ton of varieties to choose from - I've got the Cavili here, plus an Easy Pick Gold to try out when I finish with the Cavili. I haven't been able to find an actual yellow squash variety, just the golden zucchini, but that's what I want to experiment with when I finish with the zucchini runs! I've also been thinking, since cucumber and squash plants in general get so LARGE and it seems such a shame to use a 12-pod machine for just one plant, that next I'll probably experiment with 5-gallon Kratky buckets for them. The cucumber drank surprisingly little for such a long vine and the number of fruit it set for me, so I think a 5-gallon bucket wouldn't require much more effort than an AG. I like to run "can I grow it at all" experiments with the AG first though, because it's more or less "set it and forget it".