Little Jade Garden

How To Prune Your Aerogarden Plants

2011-07-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

Thai Basil Chicken with Basil from my AeroGarden

2011-06-23T09:31:00.001-06:00

1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
300 g lean chicken mince (I used two chicken breasts)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
60 gaprow (hot basil) leaves
5 small hot chillies, lightly crushed
*recipe from "The Thai Cookbook"

Heat the oil in a pan or wok, fry the garlic for 1 minute then add the chicken mince and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, nam pla and sugar, and mix thoroughly. Add the gaprow leaves (whole), and the chillies. Fry, stirring, until the chicken is cooked (about 5 minutes)

Now for my version:
I am growing Genovese Basil and didn't have quite 60 leaves. So I used two chicken breasts, about 20 basil leaves and one jalapeno, seeded and chopped (instead of the chillies). It was plenty hot for me but could have used more basil.
It turned out really good and my basil plant is ready for me to make this dish again! Now I need to try this dish out on my Dad.

Before Tranplanting Harden Off Your Plants

2011-06-19T16:39:00.000-06:00

When transplanting any plant from indoors to outdoors, you have to harden the plant off gradually -- especially AeroGarden plants that are used to their "spa." usually the big issue is sun and wind (although cold early in the year and heat later).

When I want to transplant I put my whole AeroGarden bowl on the front porch (where it is shaded and protected from wind) for a few hours a day at first, then longer, up to a full couple of days, before transplanting. By then your plant has developed a toughness that will let it survive outdoors. Then, try to transplant on cool cloudy days.

The above is true whether you have started seeds indoors in dirt, or in an AeroGarden.

~ AeroGarden

AeroGardens Are GREAT For The Workplace

2011-06-19T16:26:00.000-06:00

Live Plants in the Workplace
Are Proven to Increase Happiness

Arrange plants for beauty and yields

2011-05-17T10:35:00.001-06:00

I would listen since they are the experts:

facebook photo by andrea levin

Where different plants go in the AeroGarden determine how good your garden looks AND can impact how much you can harvest! Most AeroGarden grow pod labels indicate the height of the plant that will grow. By placing taller plants in the back row, and short and medium plants in the front row, you ensure not only that your garden looks great, but also that individual plants each get enough light to thrive. ~AeroGarden

Spinach in the AeroGarden

2011-05-13T23:10:00.002-06:00

Difficult to impossible to grow spinach in an AeroGarden?

Spinach does not like hydroponic environments in general. It actually grows in an AeroGarden, but more slowly and with smaller yields than we tend to like for our seed kits. I've seen pictures of people that have had fair results using our "grow anything" kits and their own spinach seeds. ~AeroGarden

Growing Tomatoes AND Lettuce At The Same Time

2011-05-08T22:37:00.001-06:00

I saw this question and thought the same thing, which setting and is it possible? Isn't it great that we have such awesome people willing to share their knowledge?

I would like to plant cherry tomatoes and lettuce...which setting do you select...

Tomatoesgo on the Tomato/Pepper setting... Lettuce goes on the salad greens setting You can't really do both at the same time due to different nutrient needs. ~ Steve Jaffe

Guess we all need to have at least two AeroGardens!

Growing, Harvesting, Drying and Freezing Your Basil

2011-05-07T15:28:00.001-06:00

Growing
Waiting until the plant has 2 to 4 sets of full leaves before harvesting will ensure you a beautifully gown plant with tasty results.

Harvesting
Trim just above where the stem produces two leaves, one to each side. Trim no lower than above the second set of leaves from the base. The basil plant will like this, and form TWO stems from this point. Every time you trim above a leaf node, it develops two stems where there used to be one. The more you trim, the more itgrows. If you want to be really carefull, don't trim so low, trim closer to the top, and watch what happens. It's very hard to kill basil growing in an AeroGarden.

Drying
Dried basil is less full-bodied when it is dried, but it doesn't lose the initial delicious taste. It is also a way of preserving basil for the entire year, as opposed to just being able to use it during the summertime when it usually grows.

image from GraceNotesNYC

Method 1:
hang it in bundles. This does tend to discolor the basil so you should place a thin layer of stripped leaves in between two folded sheets of newspaper. You can then hang it on a wire rack and turn it twice a day until completely dry. The paper will reduce the discoloration and oxidation that it would go through without the paper. Some basil lovers like to dry their herb on a special basil-drying screen and then finish the process by baking it in the oven.

Method 2:
When you are drying basil in the oven you should first remove all the stems from the plant leaves. Then, after tearing the basil leaves into tiny pieces, you can lay the pieces on a baking sheet. The oven should be no higher than 350 degrees to reduce the risk of browning. It should take approximately 7 - 10 for the leaves the thoroughly dry, but it may take less time in electric ovens. You should bake them until they are crumbly, but take them out before they turn brown. If this happens you won't be able to use the basil because of the burnt taste it may have. Once your basil has cooled you want to crumble it up more in order to refine it to how you like it. Another way is to use a sieve to help to thin out the basil leaves.

Freezing Basil
If you enjoy using basil on a regular basis, but you grow your basil in an outdoor garden, you may want to find a way to keep the basil fresh for longer than just the summertime. Freezing the basil is an excellent way to do this. Not only will it keep it fresher than dried basil, you are able to keep it for longer periods of time. There are many recipes that call for fresh leafy basil as opposed to dried basil, so you may want to consider freezing some to have on hand when your dish calls for it. Before freezing the basil make sure that you wash the leaves thoroughly.

Method 1:
Just like drying basil, there are many ways to freeze basil too. Basil is a delicate leaf that can be ruined easily so you want to take caution in finding a way that works best for you. The first method that many herb aficionados recommend is to place your basil in an ice cube. You should take about 1 teaspoon of basil and add it to unfrozen water in your ice cube trays.

Method 2:

You can then freeze as many as you'd like and when you're ready to use it, just take out an ice cube and add it to whatever dish you are making. The water will evaporate, leaving just the fresh taste of basil to spice up your recipe. This works especially well with homemade spaghetti sauce. Another popular method is to throw the leaves into a food processor with enough oil to make a thick or thin paste depending on your taste preference. You then put the paste in a zip-lock freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer.

When you are ready to use the paste you can break off a piece and put it into the recipe. You would want to use this for dishes that have some form of liquid in it, such as a sauce, soup, or salad dressings. This is also a wonderful way to make pesto in a hurry. You can also just let it thaw and remove the basil from the oil to add to your meals. Another basic method for freezing basil is simply placing it on a cookie sheet and putting it in the freezer. After they are completely frozen you can take the leaves and put them in a zip-lock freezer bag. Freezing basil can be a great way to preserve your leaf basil for the cold winter months.

~ Info by AeroGarden and basilguide.com

Maintaining Your AeroGarden

2011-05-06T11:19:00.000-06:00

~ by AreoGarden Customer Service

Just as your automobile needs regular attention and service to keep it running and to prolong its life, your AeroGarden needs a little attention every now and then to help catch problems before they lead to disappointing plant growth or mechanical failure. Spending a few minutes each week and twenty to thirty minutes between seed kits is all it takes to keep your AeroGarden performing well!

ONCE A WEEK

All Aerogardens:

Make sure your grow lights are working
Inspect your plants for insects. If you find any, click here
Cut off dead or dying leaves.
Remove any plant debris from the grow deck
Prune and shape your plants for best growth and appearance.

AeroGarden 7s:

Check to make sure the water pump is working – lift up a grow basket and look for water flowing from the water spout at the top of the hole. If it isn’t, click here for pump troubleshooting.

AeroGarden 6, 3, and SpaceSaver 6

Check for bubbles inside the water bowl: lift off the grow deck and look inside the bowl to find the green cylindrical air stone at the end of a plastic air tube, or shine a flashlight into the bowl and look for the air stone (it’s in the middle of the bowl). Do you see tiny bubbles coming from it? If not, click here.

AFTER THE FINAL HARVEST: PREPARING FOR YOUR NEXT SEED KIT

All AeroGardens:

Replace your grow lights if they have been in use for six months (you can’t judge their growing power by brightness!) Tip: if your AeroGarden doesn’t have a “Replace Grow Bulbs” reminder, use a magic marker to write the date of new bulb installation on the bulb’s base. If you need to replace your grow lights, click here to purchase.

AeroGarden 7s:

Remove and clean your water pump [Click here for instructions], then reinstall it.
Clean and sanitize your AeroGarden. [Click here for instructions.] For best growth from your next seed kit, you want your AeroGarden pathogen free!
Check for water flow from the spout at the top of each of your grow pods. When the pump is on, you should see a stream of water coming from each one. If you do not, click here for instructions on cleaning the water channels inside your grow deck to restore flow. Or click here (and scroll down) to order a replacement grow deck/bowl/pump unit to give you a fresh start.

AeroGarden 3, 6, and SpaceSaver 6

Clean and sanitize your AeroGarden. [Click here for instructions.] For best growth from your next seed kit, you want your AeroGarden pathogen free!
Replace the air stone; after a few months it may have become clogged [click here to order replacements]

Ongoing Pruning of Mature Tomatoes

2011-05-05T12:15:00.001-06:00

Found this great article on the AeroGarden community forums.

As your Cherry Tomatoes continue to grow, you will need to continue pruning them periodically to keep them growing within the confines of the AeroGarden. They need to stay compact and full within range of light from the Lamp Hood, so that they will receive maximum light for blooming and tomato production.

When tomatoes are grown outdoors, there is usually no need to prune them, and so it may be an unfamiliar process to many gardeners. Tomatoes grown in the AeroGarden, however, must be pruned to keep them small and compact. It may be helpful to think of “bonsai”, the Japanese art of pruning to shape plants into healthy miniatures.

If your tomatoes are large, it is best to unplug your AeroGarden and either lift the Bowl (with the plants in it) off the Base, or remove the Lamp Hood so that you can easily reach all parts of the plants.

To remove the Lamp Hood, unplug the lamp cord from the Lamp Hood and press in the locking lever on the back side of the hood, while lifting the hood up and off. See video tutorials here

You’ll need to prune off any branch ends that extend more than about three inches outside the edge of the AeroGarden. A good technique is to move different sides of the AeroGarden around to face you so that you can easily see which branches are starting to grow out-of-bounds, or competing for light with adjacent plants.

In each of the three separate slideshows below, only one plant at a time is shown being pruned. This has been done to make it easier to demonstrate the types of cuts you should make when pruning your own tomatoes, though of course you will have 3 plants in your AeroGarden.

It’s best to prune branches by cutting through stems rather than cutting through the middle of a leaf. This will minimize trauma to the plant and will help it recover quickly.

As your tomatoes continue to grow it can sometimes be challenging to decide whether the next step is to raise the lights or to prune the plants. A good general rule of thumb is to alternate between the two in a stair-step approach, pruning one time, and raising the lights the next time. However, if you can’t decide which to do, favor pruning!

At the same time you do your regular pruning, check for any dead leaves that have fallen on the Grow Surface or that may be hanging from stems, and carefully remove them. Lower leaves will sometimes turn brown and crispy because they are not receiving light from above. These should be removed as soon as you notice them, which will allow for maximum light distribution and help the rest of the garden stay healthy. It can be helpful to inspect your plants from underneath, which will often reveal dying leaves (and sometimes even a ripe tomato or two!) that were hidden from view above.

If your Cherry Tomatoes are older and have grown up into the lights with very little growth lower down on the stems, they can usually be recovered with some special pruning. When pruned correctly, they can bloom again throughout their height and go on to produce more tomatoes. To read an article that shows how to do this, click here.

When you’re done pruning, reassemble your AeroGarden and plug it back in.

DIY Transplant Planters For Your AeroGarden Plants

2011-05-03T09:29:00.007-06:00

Here are some planter ideas for transplanting your herbs, flowers or anything from your AeroGarden.
Keep checking back - I will add more when I find them or send me your ideas and I will add them.

Cinder Block Planter
I really like this cinder block planter. I wonder how well transplanted herbs would do? Here is the website.

Pallet Garden
What a great idea for a balcony! Here is the website for instructions and more info.

Boot Planters
"A perfect flower filled welcome to our vegetable garden and the kids just love seeing them every time we go to water or plant. Plus this way the slugs will never be able to eat the blooms either!" by Rosy ~ Posy

Vertical Herb Garden with a Shoe Organizer
"Instructables member pippa5 came up with this cool DIY vertical garden solution. In case you don't recognize it, she used an old closet shoe organizer. Meant to keep your shoes off the floor and save you some space, this new use saves some space by getting your veggies or herbs off the ground.

While this would go great on the side of a shed, I think this solution is perfect for people that have no yard at all. Apartment dwellers could hang this on a balcony or in a patio, or even out the window! You probably won't be growing corn and squash in these repurposed planters, but from the looks of it, you should be able to get a pretty impressive herb garden growing. " ~ greenupgrader.com

Repurposed raingutters as growing containers
Who would have thought?! Lots more pictures using rain gutters as planters at www.homegrown.com

How do I grow Strawberries in my AeroGarden?

2011-05-01T00:51:00.003-06:00

Great "article" I read from AeroGarden today

Strawberries love growing in the AeroGarden! The most practical way to grow them is by starting with small live plants that are already mature enough to have flowers.

Here's what you will need to... begin:
• An AeroGrow "Grow Anything Kit" (also known as the Master Gardener kit)
• Strawberry "starts" - available online or at your local nursery (seasonally)

Here's what to do:

Rinse off all the dirt from the strawberry roots with room temperature water.
If the roots are small, use scissors to cut a wet grow sponge down half of its length (more if the roots are long) and gently insert the roots into the grow sponge. (If the root mass is too big to insert into the grow sponge, then just insert the roots directly into the plastic grow basket).
The "crown of the plant - the growing tip - should be above the top of the grow sponge.
Insert the grow sponge through the grow basket label, if you are using one, and then insert the grow basket into the grow deck of the Aerogarden.
After you have planted all of your strawberry starts, add the contents of one 8ml nutrient packet (use half in a 3 pod AeroGarden) into the AeroGarden bowl and reset the nutrient timer. You should see new growth on your strawberry plants in 7-10 days! When your nutrient timer comes on in two weeks, add nutrients as instructed and reset the timer. For subsequent feedings, use two 5.5 ml packets per feeding.
What's next? Tending and harvesting your strawberry garden! A little bit of care for your strawberries will ensure rapid growth and bountiful harvests. As your plants grow, you will start to see flowers, and before long you'll be harvesting your first crop of ripe, luscious strawberries.

Rinse and refill the AeroGarden bowl at least monthly. The easiest way to do this is as follows:

Unplug the AeroGarden.
Remove the Bowl from the Base.
Pour or siphon all the water/nutrient solution out of the Bowl as follows:

If your plants are still small and without much root mass, you can generally just lift the Bowl off the Base, open the view door at the front, and carefully pour all the water out into a sink.

If your plants have grown larger and have a lot of root mass, lifting the Grow Surface with all the mature plants in it may be impractical, and it is easier to siphon the water out of the Bowl into a sink or a bucket.

Click here to purchase a siphon.

Note: Do not use the water from the Bowl on houseplants - the solution may be too concentrated for them.

Replace the Grow Surface into the Bowl (if you removed it).
Fill the Bowl with fresh water up to the "Fill to Here" mark.
Feed with two new nutrient packets.
Replace the Bowl back into the Base. (Whenever you do this, make sure to lower the Bowl down onto the Base so that you do not damage the Pump contacts on the front of the Lamp Arm.
Plug the AeroGarden back in.
Briefly press the Reset button. (This will reset the nutrient timer to be in synch with your new feeding date).

AeroGarden Strawberries

2011-04-30T23:59:00.002-06:00

This is an older blog site that is not updated anymore but there is some great information on growing strawberries in your AeroGarden. I can't wait to try strawberries although I know it will take a lot more work than growing basil.

www.aerogardenstrawberries.com

Why...What...How

2011-04-30T23:28:00.001-06:00

AeroGardens are foolproof, dirt-free, indoor gardens–so easy to use that anyone can grow lush, beautiful gardens, all year round. With an AeroGarden, you can grow almost anything, anywhere, anytime, with no dirt, no weeds, and no gardening experience needed. Your success is 100% guaranteed.

Why AeroGarden?
There are hundreds of great reasons to have a garden in your home, including:

The freshest produce imaginable, at your fingertips!
Healthier, tastier food
No pesticides, no herbicides, no GMO’s (genetically modified organisms)
Fresher, healthier air
The magic and wonder of watching plants grow from seed
Fresh flowers and herbs to freshen and beautify the home or office
Start seedlings indoors for transplant to the outdoor garden
Grow almost $500 in fresh herbs, per year, in a compact garden that fits on a counter (see it in action by clicking here)

What can I grow?
Almost anything! AeroGardens grow fresh herbs, salad greens, cherry tomatoes, peppers, flowers, air-freshening house plants – even trees! Choose from more than 25 pre-seeded “plug and grow” kits or plant and grow your own favorite seeds. Grow to maturity in the AeroGarden, or transplant into an outdoor garden or container. What to grow is up to you!

The Technology
AeroGrow was founded in Boulder, CO, in 2002 to revolutionize the gardening world -- developing technologies that allow anyone to successfully garden all year round regardless of weather, temperature, rain, soil, or gardening experience. Eight years and millions of dollars of Research and Development created today’s AeroGardens, backed by 4 U.S. patents with 10 patents pending.

Now anyone can garden all year ‘round,
21st Century Gardening is Here:
AeroGardens make high-tech gardening simple and easy enough for everyone, delivering:

Perfect “sun” from automated, energy efficient, full spectrum grow lights. No sunny window needed!
Perfect “soil” from pre-measured, liquid nutrients that come with every seed kit. Nutrients are like an energy drink for plants, containing the micro and macro nutrients needed for fast, healthy growth.
Perfect water from NASA proven Aeroponic technology – an advanced form of hydroponics and widely considered the fastest plant growing technology on the planet. Click here to watch Aeroponics grow more than twice as fast as plants grown in dirt! You can literally watch your plants grow from day to day.
Perfect Seeds – Selected especially for growth in AeroGardens and picked for best germination, growth, flavor, appearance and nutritional value
Perfect pH – liquid nutrients contain a patented organic buffer that automatically adjusts tap water to the perfect pH for plant growth
Perfectly easy, with a simple computer interface that reminds you when to add water, when to add nutrients, and automatically turns the grow lights on and off to maximize growth
Perfectly safe, with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or GMO’s
Perfectly healthy – Fresh food delivers higher nutritional value than the same food grown hundreds of miles away, picked weeks ago, trucked cross country, artificially ripened, preserved and stored. There really isn’t a fair comparison!
Perfectly natural – The AeroGarden takes the best of mother nature and provides it in just the right amounts, at just the right times, to maximize the growth, flavor and nutritional value of the food you grow
Perfectly wonderful – AeroGardens deliver an experience like no other, with guaranteed success and extremely high reorder and engagement rates from our satisfied customers.

Grow Your Garden Quickly and Indoors

2011-04-30T10:20:00.000-06:00