AeroGarden Guide

lurkmaster

Well-Known Member
If you are looking for general growing information, read the rollitup.org FAQ, this guide is for people who already know the basics.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Suggested Supplemental Materials:
24 hour light timer
Figure 8 power cord (sold at RadioShack)
Aquarium Pump & Airstone(s)
Spring water (gallon jugs are like $1 at your grocery store)
pH tester / adjustment kit
Thermometer

Lighting periods (in hours):
1. Seedlings: 24 on / 0 off (first 2 weeks)
2. Vegging: 18 on / 6 off
3. Flowering: 12 on / 12 off

Grow Time:
3-4 weeks for vegging
6-12 weeks for flowering
Do not strictly go by this guide, as your plant may grow at a slower or faster rate, these are just generalized numbers, only YOU will know when your plant is ready!

Lighting:
Just using stock AG lights is suitable for vegging, BUT if you want a larger yeild, you will probably want additional CFL bulbs and fixtures. Color temperature wise, you want 6400K(daylight) for vegging, and 2700K(soft white) for flowering, mixing these two kinds is A-OK! If you are planning on keeping your pump and lights on separate cycles you will need a figure 8 power cord to connect the AG light to your timer.

Nutrients:
Using the stock AG nutrient tablets is also, perfectly fine. It’s not a good idea to give your plants nutes at the very beginning, just water will be good enough. Nute burn is bad. You should wait 2 weeks before you add any nutrients. You should use 1 small nutrient tab every week. Also it’s a good idea to flush out your reservoir before putting your weekly nutes in. You want nice fresh, clean water for your plants to live in. The last thing you want is root rot.

Preparation:
First things first, decide how many plants you want to grow in your AG, cover up ANY holes you are not going to be using. Plunk some golf balls over those holes, or stick opaque cups over them, do whatever you need to do to keep light from getting inside the res. Light + heat = bacteria = root rot.
You will also want to glue your plant labels onto the plastic rim of the of the pod, or you might end up with a problem like this. (photo courtesy of drdankyphd)

You want to fill your AG reservoir a little bit past the “fill to here” marker. You should let the water sit out with the lid off for a day or two to help neutralize the pH.


Planting your seeds:

Now that you have your AG set up, you are ready to plant your seeds in the grow sponges.
You should cut a small hole in the bottom of the sponge for your taproot to sink into.
Obviously, take whatever seeds are in the kit out of the grow sponge. (unless you have master gardener kit, which have no seeds)
Now, plant ONE seed per pod with the taproot facing DOWN (yes towards that hole you just cut!)

Now all you have to do is sit back and wait a few days.

Other useful info/links:
- Your plant is going to triple in size when you are flowering.
http://www.aerogrow.com/ - general troubleshooting with AG
http://www.aerogrow.com/community/index.php?view=article&catid=51%3Aorders-returns-a-warranty-info-category&id=142%3Altiming-of-light-and-pump-cycles&option=com_content&Itemid=61 – Pump/Lighting cycles for ALL AG versions.
https://www.rollitup.org/view.php?pg=faq - you can find almost everything you could possibly need in there if it pertains to something NON-AG specific about growing.


If you have any questions that haven’t been answered in this thread, feel free to ask them here. If you need a quick response now… Search function is your friend! This forum is loaded with information.


:leaf:Happy Growing:leaf:


special thanks to SICC for the guide base.

FAQ
Nothing here yet!


If anyone else has anything else they think I should add, feel free to let me know and I'll get it in here! Ditto for typos and shit.
 

"SICC"

Well-Known Member
Yes, very good thread, only thing i would add is

1. DONT START USING NUTRIENTS UNTILL THERE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS OLD

2. IF YOU CAN, BREAK THE AG HOOD OFF THE EXTENSION BAR, SO YOU CAN HANG IT FREELY OVER YOUR PLANTS, IT HELPS ALOT WHEN THEY FIRST SPROUT, SO YOU DONT LET THEM STRETCH OUT

3. IF YOU CANT FIND AN ANSWER, FEEL FREE TO POST ANY QUESTIONs YOU MAY HAVE IN MY THREAD, ITS GETS CHECKED DAILY, SO IF YOU NEED A FAST ANSWER, THATS THE PLACE TO GO

https://www.rollitup.org/aerogardeners/137341-wc-aerogarden-kush-grow.html

4. MAKE SURE YOU GLUE THE PLANTS LABELS ON THE RIM OF THE PLASTIC GROW NET, WHICH HOLD THE SPONGE, THIS IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN, PHOTO COURTESY OF DRDANKYPHD




 

ndosmoke

Active Member
Sicc i need a lil more of an explaination of this... Sorry for the short bus syndrome...what exactly should i glue
 

lurkmaster

Well-Known Member
Sicc i need a lil more of an explaination of this... Sorry for the short bus syndrome...what exactly should i glue
You want to get a glue stick and put glue on the outer rim of the plastic net (on the top) where the paper label meets the net.

Stick the label on top of the next, give it a nice press and seal around it and you're done.
 

lurkmaster

Well-Known Member
Well apparently there is a 1440 minute window you can edit posts.. soo.. I guess I'll have to make new versions when I need to make changes. Was going to add 2 things to FAQ, but I figured it wasn't worth another post.

Any other info you guys can add on here would be appreciated.
 

lurkmaster

Well-Known Member
Well apparently there is a 1440 minute window you can edit posts.. soo.. I guess I'll have to make new versions when I need to make changes. Was going to add 2 things to FAQ, but I figured it wasn't worth another post.

Any other info you guys can add on here would be appreciated.
 

"SICC"

Well-Known Member
this is a good guide, but you dont need to edit it, there was a AeroGarden club thread, which people would ask questions, but its pretty old, hopefully all the new people will post there questions in here first, then go out and look for it, any pics too are welcome,
 

lurkmaster

Well-Known Member
[quote="SICC";2042953]this is a good guide, but you dont need to edit it, there was a AeroGarden club thread, which people would ask questions, but its pretty old, hopefully all the new people will post there questions in here first, then go out and look for it, any pics too are welcome,[/quote]

I was going to start adding FAQ, but realized I couldn't edit it.

I'll try to take some pics next week for each of the sections.
 

brainis99

Active Member
first time trying in aerogarden. 4 weeks in, looking good.
Questions:

1) When we transition to flowering stage, and we go to 12/12 light/dark time, do I just use an external timer, and not have the pump run for the 12 hours of darkness?

2) Do I prune, or just let them grow as tall as possible? If so, when do I prune.

I'm sure I have more questions, but those are it for now.

Thanks.
 

"SICC"

Well-Known Member
first time trying in aerogarden. 4 weeks in, looking good.
Questions:

1) When we transition to flowering stage, and we go to 12/12 light/dark time, do I just use an external timer, and not have the pump run for the 12 hours of darkness?

2) Do I prune, or just let them grow as tall as possible? If so, when do I prune.

I'm sure I have more questions, but those are it for now.

Thanks.

1. yes, you need to get a figure 8 cord, and use that to connect the lights and the timer, the AG it self has two cords, one for the lights, which you switch out, and one to power the AG it self and the pump, they wont be on the same line, so the pump should always go, put it on salad greens, which the pump is on 24/0



2. Well, if you think you might have space problems, you can topp your plant. which promotes the shoots from the sides to grow up and out, try this link for info

https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html


if not, you can always tie the plant down a lil if she gets too tall
 

brainis99

Active Member
Top