Day 10
UPDATE#4
Grower update
Update #4
I think I may have lost a couple- I'll have to wait and see, but the rest are starting to push out leaves and I can see roots burying into the sponges.Also, 3 of the 4 kale plants have their first true leaves.
GrowLog
FailedGarlic Clove AeroGarden Sprouting Experiment
Grow log by serri588 · Original thread
4 visual updates5 photos20 replies
View recapCrop🥬Garlic, kale
Variety-
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics
EquipmentAeroGarden Farm
Plants12
AudienceExperimental
What you can learnA detailed engineering-style garlic trial covering pre-sprouting, support modifications, moisture contact, root development, and likely limitations of grocery-store cloves.
Actions:2 Planting2 Equipment
Useful practices
- trimming garlic basal ends
- using rooting powder during pre-sprouting
- modifying baskets and domes to support cloves above wet sponges
- using nursery garlic for future trials
Problems encountered
- garlic bases drying above the sponges
- poor root production
- possible sprout-inhibiting treatment on grocery-store garlic
- some cloves lost
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Conversation
S
I hope they all flourish from this point forward
D
What can be better than home grown garlic?Oh yeah. Home grown cilantro.But it is inspiring, just the same.
M
The ones with leaves look good. I hope they continue
S
I don't have the required gene- cilantro tastes terrible to me. I'll have to take your word for it.
R
My husband is in the same boat as you serri588 so I don’t bother. I won’t use enough or like it enough to justify growing it just for me.in other news, that Garlic does look neat.
S
I had to pull this one- the garlic looked healthy enough, it just wouldn't put out more than a couple roots or grow more than a few leaves. I have heard that grocery store garlic is treated to keep it from sprouting in your fridge. If that's true, it would explain why otherwise healthy garlic wouldn't grow more than one root. I'd like to try this again with garlic from a nursery.
S
It is a shame that you could not get more.
M
That’s very interesting about the sprout inhibitor. I work with someone who has (outdoor) Master Gardener status and he recently told me he uses garlic grown in Gilroy to plant in his outdoor garden. It may have to do with what you describe. I’ll have to ask him if that’s why. I just know he was down on supermarket garlic for whatever reason.
Day 4
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
Actions taken
EquipmentCut openings in germination domes so the sprouts could stay in contact with moist sponges.
PlantingAdded four kale seedlings as companion plants.
So the little stand/cage setup didn't work so well. The sponges were all drying out fairly quickly. Plan B is to cut the tops out of some of the domes. The sprouts are tall enough to lean against that and keep the base of the garlic in contact with the sponge. I also added the kale seedlings I hope will be able to share the farm.
Conversation
M
That looks promising.
S
I agree
Day 2
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Actions taken
EquipmentCut basket tips and used vials to suspend garlic cloves above the sponges.
I keep forgetting to get toothpicks, but I needed a way to get them suspended above the pods so the roots can grow in. A little ingenuity to the rescue!The vials are something I picked up last year to hold seeds, and a few weeks ago I realized they were just the right diameter to hold an AG sponge for a bit. I cut the tips of the baskets out so the could expand around the clove of garlic.
Conversation
S
This is a FUN project to watch.
M
I agree!
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
Actions taken
PlantingTrimmed the clove bases, applied rooting powder, and enclosed them in damp paper towel.
In another thread, it was mentioned that it is possible to grow bulbs in an AG. aerogardenaddicts.com/thread/1032/planting-bulbs-agWhile it may not be the best method for flowering bulbs, I thought it might be a worthwhile technique for garlic, and if that works I may tackle some shallots.I previously sprouted some garlic and added it to a grow bowl alongside the blueberry bush experiment, but the bulbs struggled. That was a little too damp for them.So here's my sprouting setup. Damp paper towel and the white powder is rooting powder. I got it for a couple bucks at Home Depot. It contains the hormone that plants use to encourage root growth. I also trim just a bit off the end.All tucked away, ready for a lid. I'm hoping to get 8 viable bulbs, which along with 4 kale plants will fill one side of a Farm.
Conversation
S
Following
M
Another adventure! I love it
D
I tried a garlic experiment in my third Extra, which at the time had the nickname "Frankenstein." I'd printed a special pod that could better accommodate a clove of garlic, and over the course of a couple months, determined that there's far too much water in one of those pods, and I ended up with mush.Since then, I decided that I'd try it again as soon as I had a grow bowl, but since I've never gotten a grow bowl, I've never moved forward with the idea.Shame, really, because I was looking forward to (at the very least) some garlic scapes for my salads.I'm very interested in your experiment, and will be an avid watcher.
S
The method proposed by AG when Shawn talked to them was to put the bulb on top of the pod instead of down inside it. Only time will tell if this is sufficient protection. I will probably use the plastic tops as an extra layer of protection- I rarely use those these days.
D
I guess that could approximate the clove suspended over a glass of water by toothpicks method.