Help Please!! Stretching plants in aerogarden.

[JaysBud]

I have an aerogarden 7 and so far it is working great. The only problem I can see so far is that the lowest height level of the lights the Aerogarden allows causes the fresh started plants to stretch from the start as it is about 7 inches from the plants (can NOT adjust it any lower to the plants). I have 2 6500k CFL's in ballasts and tried to clip one on each side of the Aerogarden, but then the plants just bent to one side or the other (Big time), and not straight up. You can not hang the lights above the Aerogarden (where they should be) because of Aeogardens Ballast is in the way. Does anyone have any ideas?...My plants are only 5 days old, but doing very well (besides the stretching). Wouldnt a light on each side even out amount the plants get and cause them to stand straight up?...or is this even a big deal (Noob here). Thanks for any help/suggestions. Below is a pic at 4 days old.

 

[brimck325]

merry christmas

 

[delvite]

I have an aerogarden 7 and so far it is working great. The only problem I can see so far is that the lowest height level of the lights the Aerogarden allows causes the fresh started plants to stretch from the start as it is about 7 inches from the plants (can NOT adjust it any lower to the plants). I have 2 6500k CFL's in ballasts and tried to clip one on each side of the Aerogarden, but then the plants just bent to one side or the other (Big time), and not straight up. You can not hang the lights above the Aerogarden (where they should be) because of Aeogardens Ballast is in the way. Does anyone have any ideas?...My plants are only 5 days old, but doing very well (besides the stretching). Wouldnt a light on each side even out amount the plants get and cause them to stand straight up?...or is this even a big deal (Noob here). Thanks for any help/suggestions. Below is a pic at 4 days old.
View attachment 2454138View attachment 2454139

found this info but nothing on lighting................


How to grow weed with Aerogarden. Aerogarden marijuana growing

Although this machine can function fully well on its own. It still needs to be taken good care. If the manual that comes along it will be studied and the machine closely monitored, the Aerogarden will surely go a long way.
Check the water level once in awhile. Sometimes the water level indicator malfunctions, so it’s safe to be extra vigilant about it. Be sure that there is enough water inside the Aerogarden so as not to jeopardize the growth and health of your plants.
Dirt can still be accumulated even if the Areogarden is inside your house. Dusts are everywhere and the nutrient tablet that you use may produce some of it. As your Aerogarden grows, some plant particles, mineral deposits or even bugs may gather around and it can be hazardous to your pump. So to avoid from any of these circumstance, it should be cleaned every other week.
In the Gourmet Herb kit, the Basil tends to grow faster than the other plants. When this happens, the plant has to be trimmed. Distribution of light is important to all the plants in the Aerogarden, so any plant that grows way ahead than the others had to be cut once in awhile.
Trimming the plant would eventually make them healthier and more productive. So if you want your Aerogarden plant to continually produce good quality food, make it a habit to trim them. These plants can also be trained to grow outwards than upwards. With the use of plant soft-ties and homemade trellis system, things will turn out just the way you want them to.
Aside from the leaves, the roots had to be trimmed too. But be very careful on not to get too much. Do not trim of more than 1/3 of your time at a time. Also, the best time to trim it is during its 4th week.

.....................hope this helps
​

 

[Dobby]

I think if it was me, I'd get a couple of those adjustable desk lamps and put cfls in there and get the light right down as close as you can. Sure it would have to be from the side but you need light and closer to the plants. Probably about half what you have. AND hope for the best for a week or two.

There are some pretty talented people on here and I'm sure you'll get a more satisfactory answer. Good luck.

 

[robert030188]

Get cfls as close as possible and the lamps work well for side lighting...and it really doesnt matterif the plant is leaning just train your plant

 

[Sunbiz1]

Those plants are not stretching, simply leaning towards your light source.

As previously mentioned, a couple CFL's at this stage will straighten them out.

But I wouldn't worry.

 

[RedWhiteBlueGreen]

Yeah, my best answer would be just to bodge some extra domestic CFL's in there (anything from 12W to 30W) - i would do it like Dobby says by just bending down 1 or 2 flexi-desk lamps so they right over top of seedlings.

Or if there's not the space for that, try finding something to use as a thin vertical pole that can sit next to side of garden & is secured maybe by having its base wedged under bottom of aerogarden box. One pole solution is wire coathangers; straighten about 4 or 5 of them out & then braid/twist all the lengths around each other so they make a slightly thicker version of 1 straight wire. Then bend this bulk straight wire into a rough L shape & wedge one end under the aerogarden. The other sticking up end should be a vertical pole at the side that u can now clip the clip-on socket holder onto, with that bonus that the braided wires should be flexible enough to bend inwards so light can get abit closer to plants.

Otherwise, the only other thing is the get a T5 strip light & just mount it up on support blocks whilst laid horizontal over the plants. (i.e. rest the horizontal T5 unit onto 2 blocks sitting on aerogarden surface) Just make sure u use something heat proof as the blocks (like ceramic coffee mugs, hardened glass ashtrays, small oven dishes, etc) Thoo if u did T5 option, is probably best to turn off main aerogarden light for the moment & just use T5 until seedlings reach high enough to turn off T5 & turn main light on again.

Hope thats sparks a few ideas anyway!

 

[Sunbiz1]

http://www.aerogarden.com/aerogardens/aerogarden-extra-1/aerogarden-extra-1.html

Well that would have helped answer the question, please discount my previous posting.

 

[toronjadeoro]

There's also a great sticky in this Newbie forum called Replant Those Long Stretchy Stems ( Its Easy ) by Goten. If they are, indeed, "stretchy," check out his post. Good luck with your new set up.