Mon, 2010/08/09 - 11:40am
Well...
We have now moved house and I'm enjoying the newly found space - I've discovered that hydroponics needs space, sadly lacking in the old place.
Not too much happening at the moment, no hydro work as decorating (not my choice but the long suffering girlfriend) has taken priority; that and hunting things down in the maze of cardboard boxes. It took ages to find the camera and take these pictures!
So what have we got, some old plants which I started in the other dwelling (under a 125 watt 6500K CFL) - bell peppers and a cucumber. These are enjoying the Summer sunshine streaming through the conservatory windows and have taken to the better light source. Cukes are producing and I have the first throes of baby peppers forming, hand pollinating with a paintbrush every day to get them to set - all going fine at the moment with little flower drop thankfully.
Nothing planned at the moment for the hydro side, I need to get a grow tent again and can then start doing something in the garage perhaps in the cooler months. I'm still interested in the LED side and would need to find a more reliable unit this time, the last one went wrong very quickly - cheap Chinese rubbish!
So, I'm afraid it's dirt gardening for the time being... 
Mon, 2010/08/09 - 12:54pm
#2
It's growing much better leaf wise, but, the hydro one could support more cukes...
But then again... The hydro one had problems with decaying leaves which may have something to do with the small capacity of the AG. Only way to tell would be to get the cuke in the aero/hydro unit with it's better reservoir capacity.
I know, growing with dirt! 
Mon, 2010/08/09 - 1:07pm
#3
How big a pot is it? Might just need more toe room to bear more. Not that they appreciate transplanting much...
Mon, 2010/08/09 - 3:16pm
#4
It's our standard 9" pot, I'm keeping it in there for the remaining grow as it's a bit cumbersome to transplant now. It's pretty happy, enough cukes to keep us both going.
Mon, 2010/08/09 - 3:34pm
#5
That's a great windowsill you've got there, then. 
Tue, 2010/08/10 - 12:25pm
#6
There are also 3 tomato plants, very small and not growing well on that side also. I started them in the other place but they have not responded as they should, I'll be lucky to get much out of these bonsai tomatoes before the season ends.
A little annoying as they've had everything the other plants have as regards light and feed, the seeds are old so perhaps that's it...
Tue, 2010/08/10 - 12:31pm
#7
That's strange. Tomato plants normally run way ahead of their pepperly peers. And I should think once germination happens, old or not, the seeds have done their thing and the plant should grow right.
Though peppers tolerate much higher nutes than tomatoes. They both drink like fishes when they're small.
Tue, 2010/08/10 - 12:36pm
#8
I may re-pot them with fresh compost to give them a boost, they were started in Canna coco coir which is what I usually use.
Tue, 2010/08/10 - 12:57pm
#9
Ah. I use plain old Miracle Gro potting mix, since everything else I've tried works less well.
Tue, 2010/08/31 - 2:04pm
#10
Hi Peat,
Congrats on the new place! Plants look great! Is that a regular size bell pepper? I'm thinking of growing peppers this fall/winter. Ditto Gisette with the MG potting mix...
Beth
Tue, 2010/08/31 - 2:33pm
#11
Thanks Beth, it's good to have the space at last.
The bell peppers are the regular size, two plants dedicated to orange only and the others are a mixture of green, red and purple on the same plant.
Tue, 2010/09/14 - 12:39pm
#12
Are the peppers and cukes done now?
Tue, 2010/09/14 - 2:05pm
#13
Bit of a sore point...
The whole lot were severely infected by aphids/black fly, I washed them all off and applied a mix of detergent and water by spray, but, the leaves carried on curling under and went brown. 
I had to throw all the plants away as, one by one, all the leaves died and dropped. My own fault really, I've been so busy with this place that they were neglected apart from watering, the little critters took hold and multiplied beyond belief!
The tomatoes have taken their position in the window now, they are checked every day... Lesson learnt.
Tue, 2010/09/14 - 7:22pm
#14
Sorry, Peat. 
I can relate. I had horrible battles with aphids when I grew my mini peppers in the AG Deluxe. One nice thing about growing hydroponically - much as it's a royal pain, at least it's possible to just wash the dratted plants. They didn't like being showered with detergent. Indeed they got very whiny about it - and I did, too! But at least I got the dratted aphids off, eventually.
The fungus gnats are a different problem. Haven't tried it yet, but eventually I applied a good coupon to getting the KnockOut Gnats granules Beth recommended. I hope for good things from that.
P.S. I'm unclear on whether what you're calling blackflies, are what Beth taught me to call fungus gnats. I'd always called them fruitflies, or black flies, or just generically gnats... Not necessarily a US/UK language convergence problem. 
Wed, 2010/09/15 - 11:04am
#15
Aphids, in our case, are generally know as greenfly or blackfly as well.
They don't usually develop wings but will (I guess that's where the term blackfly came from?), sprout wings and fly off to colonize other plants, they do this when the host plant becomes too crowded - which I can vouch for...
I've had fungus gnats before, they are different and fly round in an erratic manner as though drunk.
Peat! Welcome back! Glad to hear you're all moved. A conservatory with sun... ooh. I'm jealous.
And look at you - growing with dirt.
What do you think of the cuke growing in dirt vs hydroponically? It looks great.