This is a very basic checklist of hints and tips geared specifically for people starting up an AeroGarden for the first time. Many of the same things apply to all hydroponic units, of course, only a few are AG-specific. And of course, even those of us who are more experienced can benefit from a reminder of the basics!
Another extremely common question when it comes to small in-home hydroponic gardening, is "Can I use organic fertilizers?"
Unfortunately, the answer, while not an outright no, is a very stringent 'it's not a good idea'. This tends to upset people if you leave it at that. But just because organic fertilizers aren't a good idea, doesn't mean your plants will be any less nutritious and healthy for you!
The problem here, and the apparent contradiction, is that "organic" has specific meanings in specific applications. It has unfortunately, however, become a 'buzz word' used by people to just generally mean 'natural' as opposed to covered in synthetic chemicals, like pesticides. In this situation, though, "organic" is really no more nutritious, and is not a particularly safer, better, or more sustainable system.
This will be a post-in-progress for a little bit. I am currently sprouting two basil plants for a pruning comparison, just to show what a difference proper pruning can make. However, in the meantime, I can show the basil trimming basics.
Before we begin, an important Don't. Don't pick individual leaves from a basil plant! Your plant requires leaves to produce the sugars and energy it needs from photosynthesis, and since you will be taking the tips, it needs the older leaves left in place. The exception to this, is if the older leaves are sufficiently large that they are overshading the rest of the foliage; you can remove them in that case, but make sure there is other foliage. You should never take it down to nothing but stem or only stems and immature buds. If you are wanting periodic small harvests, just let the tips grow larger than buds before removing them; you can take up to ⅓ of the plant at any one time without trouble, but that doesn't mean it has to be for each branch; so, once you have two branches, you can let them get to 5 or 6 nodes long and then cut down to 2 on one branch if you leave the other intact for a while longer, and so on.
The question of "optimal" pruning of tomatoes is rife with contradictory opinions. Sometimes even contradictory facts! What is provably true for one variety, may be totally opposite for another variety. I am sharing what I have learned from a decade of growing in my AeroGardens, and extensive reading from Universities and agricultural services. But by all means, do your own research too! Try different methods on your own plants. There are lots and lots of variables that can affect your personal results.
Before we get to specifics, a bit on the overall pruning theory.
One of the important things to remember, is that most tomato pruning advice out there is for indeterminate varieties, as that is the vast majority of "regular garden" tomatoes. However, nearly all varieties that are suitable for growing in hydroponics in general, and AeroGardens specifically, are determinate simply by virtue of being microdwarfs. To my knowledge, all microdwarfs are determinate - otherwise they would just keep growing and no longer be able to be considered a microdwarf. This requires a different approach to pruning than your typical garden tomato.
(As with all pruning, be sure to use clean, preferably sterilized, sharp cutting implements. I use embroidery scissors, as they get into tight spaces better than anything else I've found. I keep a set specifically for plant pruning, as using them for general purposes can leave the blades with nicks and dull spots.)
My answer is always the same: "Get a fan." Which is, of course, inevitably followed by: "Why?"
Every type of plant commonly grown in hydroponics can benefit from a fan. Some, of course, receive more benefit than others; I consider it necessary if you're growing lettuce. It's helpful for flowering/fruiting vegetables. It's even helpful for herbs, though less so than the other categories.
Lettuce is one of the most efficient and rewarding things to grow in hydroponics. Under good conditions, they usually sprout within about three days; it's actually not unheard of for them to literally sprout overnight. (Don't be alarmed, though, if it takes a week or two. There are so many things that can affect how quickly a seed germinates!) They are ready to begin harvesting just as rapidly, usually starting about a mere 21-24 days after the seeds are started. It feels like you can literally watch the little plants growing in real time!
But once your baby lettuce is reaching a harvestable size, then what?
When it comes to lettuce, there are two primary methods of harvesting: the "haircut" method, where you cut across all, or at least the majority, of leaves at a certain point; and the "leaf at a time" method, where you pick the outside leaves around the plant in a spiral. Which of the two you use is entirely a personal choice; some swear by one, some the other. Like most things, both have pros and cons, and so which you choose to employ comes down to your specific garden and goals. In my personal experience, and reading the experiences of others, this is what I have picked up:
Remember in general never to take more than one-third of a plant at any single time. Herbs in particular tend to be very hardy and will recover from amazingly harsh cutting, but not always. Plus if you take more than one-third, it will slow growth until the plant recovers. That said, sometimes it is necessary in order to correct mistakes made earlier in the growth process. Usually these cases are along the lines of, 'either it will recover and I can correct it, or it will die and I'll start over'.
Always use clean, sharp shears or scissors to prune. For herbs, I prefer embroidery scissors, as they get into tight spaces better than anything else I've found. However, I have a set that is only ever used for trimming plants. If you use them for other things as well, they can develop nicks and dulled areas on the blade and keep it from making a clean cut.
Never let herbs go to flower if it is the leaves you harvest. All their energy and nutrients will shift to the flowers, and the leaves will either lose flavor or turn bitter. Remove flower buds as soon as you can identify them as such.
