By anonymous
2nd Strawberry in AG Attempt
Submitted on Mon, 2009/04/06 - 7:32pm
Last updated on Sun, 2009/05/17 - 3:36pm
Posted in
Assorted Alpines was from seeds, freezer treated for 1 month, in seed starting set-ups, tissue or sponge, on the 22nd Mar. Sprouts starts in about the 8th day, these are transplanted into egg-carton pots. The picture here are the seedlings on the 5th Apr, about 14 days after seeding, some are starting their first real leaf.
The Tri-star and Eversweet bareroots are from Starkbros. Arrived on the 2nd Apr. Planted in AG3s are the Tri-stars, and the AG6, the Eversweet. All on the same day. GH mixture, mild growth, 5ml Micro, 5ml Bloom, 10ml Grow and 10ml Blend per gallon, ph 6-6.5, ppm 1010. Also in the AG3 picture is a home made DWC system with a cherry tomato, see how that go.
The rest of the roots are planted in soil, planting bags and home-made hydroponic DWC systems on the 3rd Apr. All pictures are taken on the 5th Apr.
08 Apr 2009 update: http://aerogardenmastery.com/drupal/content/2nd-strawberry-ag-attempt#co...
4-6 days, no nutrient change, still at mild growth stage.
12 Apr 2009 update: http://aerogardenmastery.com/drupal/content/2nd-strawberry-ag-attempt#co...
8-10 days, nutrient change for the AGs, GH mixture, growth, 7.5ml Micro, 2.5ml Bloom, 12.5ml Grow and 10ml Blend per gallon, ph 6-6.5, ppm 1080. Home-made DWC, maybe nutrient change next week.
04 May 2009 update: http://aerogardenmastery.com/drupal/content/2nd-strawberry-ag-attempt#co...
Nutrient changes to Transition stage for 1 AG3 and AG6. 10ml Micro, 10ml Bloom, 10ml Grow and 10ml Blend per gallon, ph 6-6.5, ppm 1390.
17 May 2009 small update: http://aerogardenmastery.com/drupal/content/2nd-strawberry-ag-attempt#co...
Nutrient change to Bloom stage for 1 AG3 and AG6: 10ml Micro, 15ml Bloom, 5ml Grow and 10ml Blend per gallon, ph 6-6.5, ppm 1460.
(2 votes)
Mon, 2009/04/06 - 9:02pm
#2
Wow Stone -- ditto! Can't wait to see how they do!
Tue, 2009/04/07 - 3:03am
#3
Most are still being planted as outrider with just the light from the AGs. Have 2 clamp-on shop lights with 6400K CFL bulbs for the planting bags. Maybe need to get a T5 system or 2 soon for that.
Wed, 2009/04/08 - 5:12pm
#4
Apr 08 2009 update.
Everything looks like they will survive except the lone Quinault from the first attempt.
Entire setup.
Alpine Strawberries, first leaves on some of them.
Tri-stars and Eversweet in AGs, pots and planting bag. And the lone cherry tomato in the home-made DWC.
Sun, 2009/04/12 - 8:05pm
#5
Sun, 2009/04/12 - 8:26pm
#6
Wow, Stonecold, these are really growing well now! I like the grow bags!
Sun, 2009/04/12 - 8:33pm
#7
Me 2! How old are your plants in the grow bags?
Sun, 2009/04/12 - 9:18pm
#8
Stonecold,
that are some nice looking strawberry plants...
Mon, 2009/04/13 - 2:58am
#9
Thanks. :)
Jessi, the plants in the bags are about 8 days planted.
Now I have a question. Do I change the nutrients for the AGs after 2-3 weeks into the transition stage and then a week after that the bloom stage just as GH instruction?
Mon, 2009/04/13 - 4:17am
#10
These are looking good stonecold.
I've been having a good dig around the internet as I'm just a curious as you about feeding schedules. What seems to be the message is that you should grow some decent foliage first, cut of all forming flowers & runners (to establish the leaf system), before moving through the stages.
So, stick to the grow formula for now to establish the plant.
I found this site which is one of the better ones I came across.
Mon, 2009/04/13 - 6:49am
#11
Thanks Peat. Am doing that now, cutting lots of flower bulbs, painful process... no runners yet though.
Mon, 2009/04/13 - 11:42am
#12
One minor note, in case someone else wants to try this. The cherry tomato has a slow growth until recently when the roots manage to emerge from the sponge into the solution so might not be that good an alternative.
Mon, 2009/05/04 - 6:54pm
#13
Sorry for the lack of update, several mishaps happen over the last week, lost some strawberry plants, mainly Tri-stars, some might still die but most look great.
This is the set-up now. Added several bottle grown herbs, in the close up, you will see culantro on the left side bottle and curly parsley on the right. In the plant box, you can also see some chives that jumped out from the herb pod.
AG3-Tristar
I let them start to fruit as they are growing too well I think. Almost a week since then. I just change to nutes to Transition stage. I might need to move the cherry tom to a lower level, getting to be too big for the AG3's spill light now. the other AG3-Tristar is still on Grow stage nutes as one of the Tristar is a recent pod as that pod died from rot and the other had it's roots almost destroyed as I try and clean the fungus with H2O2. Will change to Transition stage for that AG3 next week.
AG6-Eversweet
Transition stage now. So far only one plant started to flower, the rest as you can see are growing like crazy. I am letting one runner grow as I read that Eversweet seems to flower on un-rooted runners too.
Alpine Strawberry
Growing strongly I think. About 4 weeks old now. Yellow Wonder on the left and Red Wonder on the right.
Others.
Home made DWC, with Grow stage nutes, with the herb pods, thyme, mint, chives and basil. In the bottle planters are borage. Trying to do some kind of companion planting here. Planting bags is looking good, although one Eversweet plant on the lower right corner died, no idea why. The soil does not feel too wet or dry and planting alpines in the spot kills it too, leaving it empty for now. On the bottom left or the planting bags are some marigolds on spill lights.
That's it for this update.
Mon, 2009/05/04 - 8:48pm
#14
Wow, Stonecold, these look awesome! And little berries! 
Those bottles - is that a bottle of potting mix with hydroton rocks at the bottom for drainage? Or...? And the DWC - that's just a plastic container with a plastic top with holes? Using aeration on that, or just letting the roots collect nutes/water/air as they will?
You're growing a stunning amount in that little space!
Tue, 2009/05/05 - 2:06am
#15
Yes, you got it right, the bottles are potting mix with hydroton rocks.
The DWC are just 2 Qt milk bottle with holes cut out and a air-stone inserted. So far no need to block out the lights in the milk bottle as algae have yet to grow.
Sorry, should have explain more. Too much going on... :P
Tue, 2009/05/05 - 10:54am
#16
Oh, don't apologize - I was just curious. 
I have radishes growing in a similar setup - plastic tub with hydroton rocks at the bottom, potting mix on top.
Tue, 2009/05/05 - 12:59pm
#17
Stonecold,
Your strawberries look good. You packed a lot into the space you had.
Tue, 2009/05/05 - 7:25pm
#18
Thanks. :) Trying to pack in more... :P
Wed, 2009/05/06 - 11:12pm
#19
Stonecold,
If you had to do it again, would you recommend roots or seeds? Also which type do you feel grow the best?
Thu, 2009/05/07 - 4:50am
#20
I am still growing them, so only initial impressions.
In terms of resistance to rot or fungus growth on the root, I have yet to have any trouble with the Eversweet but Tristar already has several casualties. Not sure is it because of the larger capacity of the AG6 that is better for strawberries or just because of the varieties. Also, Tristar seems to have a messier root system, especially when they come in as bare-roots, compared to the Eversweet. I would also probably buy an antimicrobial solution to dip the bare-roots in first before getting them into the AGs, didn't do it this time, always wondering what I may have introduced into the nutrient solutions that is killing the Tristar. AG3 might also not be suitable for strawberries, the root system has already grown to cover the entire floor of the bowl by now and the transpiration rate is high for strawberries, in 5 days, last week I forgot to check until Friday when the AG sounds quieter without the bubbling sound, the entire bowl is almost empty! But the plants are doing well surprisingly, ppm of the solution went pass 3k though. :P Maybe that is why is driving the Tristar plants to go flowering? In the Eversweet, only one plant went into flowering mode, the rest are happily growing leaves and runners after I cut off the initial flowers. Now am in Transition stage of the nutrients, let's see how that goes.
So far, for NC climate, my 600 sq feet apartment without air-conditioning has already reach 80+ F by late afternoon, I am inclined to go full Eversweet next time round if the flavor and fragrance of Tristar is only comparable to Eversweet as Eversweet supposedly grows well even in temperature of high 90s. That temperature is reached even with the dark period of the AGs set in to start in the late morning so now have the room thermostat set at 82F.
I have yet to grow normal strawberries plants from seed yet, maybe with the first fruits of these plants I will give it a go and report back, also to see if the characteristic breeds true. :P
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 3:33pm
#21
Brief update, the Tri-star and Eversweet are in Bloom stage nutrient mix. And they ripen? Not sure if that is the standard time, but all of them seems to ripen on the same time, noticed some color change since when the nutes are changed to transition stage. Also, it looks like Eversweet is a everbearing variety instead of day nuetral as advertised, so far no new blooms on the AG6 Eversweet yet since the nutes change.
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 3:49pm
#22
Nice, stonecold! I wonder if the nute change forced the pace?
How do they taste?
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 4:22pm
#23
Ya, I was wondering if that is the case too...
Haven't tried them yet, you think they are red enough? Smells nice though. :)
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 4:54pm
#24
Were they for a girlfriend? Maybe she should decide. But the bigger Eversweet looked red in the picture. (Then again, my camera always exaggerates red, for some reason.)
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 7:42pm
#25
The strawberries look great stonecold.
Sun, 2009/05/17 - 8:34pm
#26
Thanks. :) Sour though. Maybe the nutes change cause it to ripen before time?
Mon, 2009/05/18 - 6:25pm
#27
Then it is probably not ripe enough.
Mon, 2009/05/18 - 7:01pm
#28
Ya, the nutes change probably too much of a shock to the system. Will be in bloom stage for the rest of the entire period, see how that goes. :)
Wow, Stonecold, that's quite an array! Do you have extra lights, or is all this growing as AG outriders?