Tips & Tricks

Pest Control

Pests can be annoying but are not a death sentence to an aeroponic garden!

Organic Pest Control Spray

Cold pressed Neem oil & Dr. Bronner's Sals Suds works really well to keep bugs and powdery mildew and diseases under control in the garden.

I have my best results when I use it weekly. It's a peaceful nighttime garden activity that clears my mind after a long day!

This organic spray works on aphids, thrips, mites, whiteflies, and small insects. It also acts as a mild fungicide, especially if used as a preventative in the spring, when fungus tends to thrive.

This recipe works by suffocating insects and also disrupting their hormones. Insects breathe through pores in their skin, and the soap and Neem oil will suffocate them.

RECIPE:

STEP 1: In a glass jar or shaker bottle, mix:

1/2 Tablespoon Cold Pressed Neem https://amzn.to/2Xg8sQM

1/2 Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds https://amzn.to/2KxlRwl

About 1 cup warm water. SHAKE WELL.

STEP 2: Add the mixture to a 1L sprayer http://amzn.to/1oYhgo0, and fill up the sprayer the rest of the way with water.

STEP 3: Spray the plants well in the evening, thoroughly coating the plants.

STEP 4: Rinse the plants off in the morning with a hose.

*****Everything I read about neem says to be careful in high humidity (>65%) high temps (<90F), so spray at night and carefully wash it off this morning if you have those conditions!

Neem works by suffocating soft bodied insects, on fungus, and on insects that eat your plants by disrupting their hormones. It works best on soft bodied insects, but will work on all insects if you spray regularly. In the south, I recommend spraying once a week starting in late March.

Spray in the evening, after beneficial bugs have gone to bed. Neem will not hurt beneficial bugs who eat other bugs, but will hurt bad bugs that eat your plants.

Neem and soap will BURN your plants if you're not careful - if you have high temps and especially high humidity, make sure you wash it off thoroughly in the morning.

Worms and Caterpillars

For worms and caterpillars, add Spinosad or Bt to your Neem & soap spray!

Spinosad is a naturally occurring bacteria discovered in the ferment of an abandoned rum distillery.

Follow all label directions. For complete control of the worms and caterpillars, always spray twice, 5-7 days apart.

Ladybugs

Nature's most effective aphid killer is ladybugs!

I release them once or twice a year in my garden to keep aphids under control. You can buy ladybugs at many hydroponic stores.

Release them in the early evening. Spray your plants first with a stick substance, such as Sprite or sugar water, to provide food and water and to keep the ladybugs happy for a day or so. They will lay eggs, fly away, and in a few days, you'll have another generation mopping up any leftover aphids the first generation missed.

Maintaining pH Balance

Maintaining proper pH balance is very important to grow happy healthy plants in your aeroponic garden

Why is it important to keep your pH in the range of 5.5-6.2?

When the color of a leaf is lighter than the color of the leaf veins, your plant isn't getting enough nutrition.

First, check and adjust the pH.

99.9% of the time, it's a pH issue.

The pH has to be in the right range for the nutrients to be bioavailable to the plant.

Kale is the best indicator plant for pH. Peppers can also show this sign.

If you find you need to add a lot of pH down or pH up, you can buy it in gallon sizes on Amazon

If you have city water, make sure you filter out the chlorines and chloramines. This filter will do the trick

Having trouble adjusting your pH? Try this trick!

Get a 5 gallon bucket (if indoors, use a 2.5 gallon mop bucket and halve the nutrients).
Fill the bucket up with water. Non-softened, chlorine and chloramine free water.
Add 100 ml of A. Stir. Add 100ml of B. Stir.
Test your pH. Add a small amount of pH down or pH up. I use the cap to 'measure' but you can also use a tsp or tablespoon.
Stir well and wait 2 hours. Stir again and test again. If needed, repeat #4 until your pH is 5.5.
Make a note of how much pH down or pH up you needed to add to reach a pH of 5.5.
Now, every time you add 5 gallons of water, add that much pH down.
Observe the color of your plant leaves. The leaves should be the same color as the veins. As long as the veins in the leaves and the leaf is the same color, you're doing fine. If your veins and leaf is the same color, you don't even need to test your pH. JUST ASSUME IT'S GOOD.

Seedlings

Healthy seedlings grow healthy plants so here's some tricks to give them the best start!

Getting started

I made this video to help get your seeds started. So simple, but the manual makes it seem more complicated than it is. Don’t bother with the vermiculite (maybe use it on the spinach to keep them shaded).

You can do this!

NOTES:

Window light is NOT strong enough to start seeds. Instead, you want full sun or grow lights. I like these from Amazon.

Seedlings should be short and stout, not long and lanky. Long and lanky plants don't get enough of the proper UV light and won't be strong, healthy plants.

To learn how to start Baby Greens, watch this video.

How to start seedlings with grow lights

It's easy to grow from seed. You will have the best success indoors with grow lights.

Trust me - it makes a huge difference!

GROW LIGHTS on Amazon

Position the lights 6" or closer above your seeds/seedlings

Run the grow lights 12-16 hours per day (don’t dim the light)

You don't need to use vermiculite or add nutrients (see this video).

Spinach may germinate better in the cold and dark, so start the spinach in a cool area (try the fridge!). When it pops up, move it to the grow lights.

In very cold climates, add a heating mat under the seedlings.

It's important to use fresh seeds!