GrowLog
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Fairway Mix Coleus Rescued after Pump Failure and Pythium

Grow log by Sher · Original thread

4 visual updates4 photos11 replies
View recap
CropColeus
VarietyFairway Mix Coleus
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest
Plants-
AudienceAdvanced

What you can learnA valuable emergency-rescue diary showing how to respond to pump failure and pythium in very young ornamental seedlings.

Actions:2 Transplant1 Planting1 Equipment1 Pests1 Nutrients
Useful practices
  • cleaning contaminated baskets
  • rinsing sponges
  • separating duplicate seedlings into empty pods
  • moving seedlings to a clean machine
  • using peroxide during recovery
Problems encountered
  • dense sponges restricting roots
  • burned-out pump
  • pythium contamination

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 14
UPDATE#4
Grower update

Update #4

Actions taken

EquipmentCleaned contaminated baskets after the pump burned out.
PestsRinsed pythium contamination from the seedling sponges.
TransplantMoved duplicate seedlings into vacant pods.
TransplantTransferred all rescued seedlings into another AeroGarden.
NutrientsRefilled the replacement machine with fresh nutrients and one tablespoon of peroxide.

S By Sher

I got a scare last night. My pump had burned out, and all the baskets and sponges were covered with pythium. I cleaned the baskets, rinsed the sponges, took doubles out of pods and transplanted them to empty pods, put them in a different machine with fresh nutes and 1 T. of peroxide, and they are looking good now.
Conversation
L
lynnee

Have you had a burned-out pump before? Was it a power surge? Old age?

S
Sher

It was my second burned out pump, lynnee. The first one was on a Bounty, but it made a weird noise from the beginning. It failed after 2 years, I think.The Harvest was old. I had thought I faintly smelled a burned out motor several days earlier, but couldn't pinpoint where the smell was coming from.Fortunately, the pumps are a quick, easy fix to replace.

Day 10
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

S By Sher

I'm using oddball sponges from Amazon. They are much more dense than AG sponges. I think the little coleus roots are having a hard time penetrating them.
Day 3
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

S By Sher

A new miracle is born!
Conversation
S
Shawn

YAY!

C
campingcorgis

I almost ordered some Coleus seeds a few weeks back. I'll be happy to see yours grow and mature!

D
darais211

I've grown up around pothos they are fun plants, i thought of getting some Coleus since they remind me so much of the pothos but with a little bit more color. can't wait to see how well your turn out!

Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

Actions taken

PlantingStarted the coleus in a Harvest the previous day.

S By Sher

I started these yesterday in a Harvest. I plan to transplant them to window sill pots when they are big enough.
Conversation
L
lynnee

Colorful coleus is one of my favorites!

S
Sher

lynnee, I chose coleus because I have only two north and two heavily shaded eastern windows, and I don't want to add more lights to the rooms. I have a peace lily, pothos, and a gorgeous pink leaved South American plant whose name I can't remember growing and thriving in them now. I figured since I don't have enough natural light for flowers, the coleus would still give me plenty of color. The hard part will be selecting leaf patterns and colors for the windows that don't look busy enough to be distracting together. I'm looking forward to that dilemma!

L
lynnee

It'll be fun watching this project!

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