Aero Lights
Active Member
I've had an Aerogarden for about a year and have been experimenting with growing some different strains. I realized very early that the light cycle programed in the Aerogarden is set strictly for growth cycles. I fixed this problem by disconnecting the lights from the system board, which can be found easily by removing the screws at the bottom of the unit and unplugging two wires. It was easy to figure out which wires to disconnect because they were wrapped together and one side was leading to the illumination unit. It was so easy I think it was engineered to be that way.
I then took a new extension cord and cut off the female end, then carefully and neatly exposed about 1 inch of wiring. Next I connected the extension cord with the wire from the lights carefully with electrical tape. I had to take great care as to not touch the wires as that could cause an electrical fire. Please do not try to do this yourself if you are not confident in your abilities with electricity. PELIGRO!
OK, the last step is to connect the plug of the extension cord to an inexpensive timer. I found the best one to use is the one with the little snappy clips that don't come off. That way I can easily adjust the timing to simulate summer sun/fall sun.
I found that 17 hours per day is great for growth cycle. When I want to take the plants to harvest cycle I decrease the time by 30 minutes every 2 days until the light remain on for 14 hours per day. Using this method, it is possible to go from seed to bud in 6 weeks. Now, if I would like a bigger plant/greater yield, I like to continue the growth cycle for another 3 to 5 weeks, or until I am satisfied with the size. When I had problems with slow growth, I added a small 40 watt lamp to the space to provide "summer like" warmth. I used the old fashioned style bulb as it creates greater warmth than the new twirly noodle bulbs. Also, I had fantastic growth using the nutrient for garden greens (basil, parsley, oregano). I am also only using 3 of my 7 pods to provide for growing room. For flowering I found the tomato nutrients to be quite good. For additional light I used a small aquarium ballast and florescent light bulbs designed to keep lizards happy. They contain lights in the green and blue spectrum. My biggest challenge yet is finding good quality seeds.
PS - I recently heard that it is possible to take a young female plant and carefully bend it over with fishing weights and line. Once a new set of leaves develop, bend it over again. Keep doing this until it reaches a size you like. Then take it to harvest lights. It is a way to get the most of your Aerogarden with just one plant.
I then took a new extension cord and cut off the female end, then carefully and neatly exposed about 1 inch of wiring. Next I connected the extension cord with the wire from the lights carefully with electrical tape. I had to take great care as to not touch the wires as that could cause an electrical fire. Please do not try to do this yourself if you are not confident in your abilities with electricity. PELIGRO!
OK, the last step is to connect the plug of the extension cord to an inexpensive timer. I found the best one to use is the one with the little snappy clips that don't come off. That way I can easily adjust the timing to simulate summer sun/fall sun.
I found that 17 hours per day is great for growth cycle. When I want to take the plants to harvest cycle I decrease the time by 30 minutes every 2 days until the light remain on for 14 hours per day. Using this method, it is possible to go from seed to bud in 6 weeks. Now, if I would like a bigger plant/greater yield, I like to continue the growth cycle for another 3 to 5 weeks, or until I am satisfied with the size. When I had problems with slow growth, I added a small 40 watt lamp to the space to provide "summer like" warmth. I used the old fashioned style bulb as it creates greater warmth than the new twirly noodle bulbs. Also, I had fantastic growth using the nutrient for garden greens (basil, parsley, oregano). I am also only using 3 of my 7 pods to provide for growing room. For flowering I found the tomato nutrients to be quite good. For additional light I used a small aquarium ballast and florescent light bulbs designed to keep lizards happy. They contain lights in the green and blue spectrum. My biggest challenge yet is finding good quality seeds.
PS - I recently heard that it is possible to take a young female plant and carefully bend it over with fishing weights and line. Once a new set of leaves develop, bend it over again. Keep doing this until it reaches a size you like. Then take it to harvest lights. It is a way to get the most of your Aerogarden with just one plant.