Greetings, guys, gals, and non-binary pals!
Interesting times we’re in, no? I’ve been home from work for a few weeks now and I find myself with time to write and work with the plants. Even so, this post is a few days behind the actual video posting over on Youtube. That being said, let’s get into it, shall we?
For this, I used one of Modern Sprout’s self-watering gardening jar kits (not sponsored, but there are affiliate links in this post for that and other components if you’d like to get your own). However, you could use a regular hydroponics basket, some nylon belting (think bag straps or seat belt material) and a jar you have at home.
For this process, it’s a matter of washing out the jar with something that won’t leave residue on the glass. If it’s clear glass, I would suggest putting the jar in a container/paper bag/wrapping it in construction paper/etc when you’re done. Roots don’t grow as well when exposed to light.
Ok, so you have a jar, a basket, and some belting. the belting is going to be the wick for this contraption, essentially meaning that it’s the route the water will take to get from the bottom of the jar to the plants. Consequently, you want the belting piece to be long enough to reach the bottom of the jar while still being IN the basket. The one I used had pre-made holes in the bottom, but most accessible hydroponics/aquaponics baskets have sizable slits in the sides, so you should be able to fit the belting in there. Your “wick” (belting) needs to be in the lower part of the basket, so that it can draw the water through the root system.
You then need to add growing medium. This is not regular soil. Adding regular soil to this would just result in a muddy mess. Most hydro-/auqaponic growing mediums I’ve seen are either clay-based or porous (likely volcanic rock) stones like what was in the kit. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find this material. Full disclosure: I’ve not tried the clay-based medium linked above, but it is highly rated and from what I’ve read seems to work well. This medium is to go under and around the wick in your “pot”/basket.
Now, in the kit, it said to add two cups of water to the jar. That ended up being about half-full, so depending on the size of your jar, edit that accordingly.
At this point, you’re going to want to run the medium under warm water for about 30 seconds, to both rinse off any loose debris and infuse water into the material.
You’re almost done! Now place a coco pellet on the top of the growing medium and add water to expand it. In the instructions, it said to “sprinkle water until it expands”... Honestly, I think I added about a good half cup of water in order for it to fully activate. If you don’t have coco pellets/pith/etc for hydroponics and whatnot, but have some seed-starter disks, you could use those too. You might need to break them into smaller pieces though. Once the pellet is fully expanded, spread it across the top of the growing medium. It helps the plants retain surface moisture and nutrients in the absence of soil.
You can then fit the basket into your jar. If it’s a canning jar with a separate securing ring, put that on before adding the basket. It provides an extra foundation for the basket to sit on.
So, the basket has your growing medium in it, nicely tucked around the wick, and it’s in your jar. You want to make sure the wick ends are long enough to touch the bottom of your jar, so they can best absorb all possible water, as needed.
Next, add some activated carbon to the top to help reduce prevalence of mold and fungal development, getting rid of excess moisture. You’ll want to add some more water (I ended up filling the jar to about a quarter of the jar’s height from the top.
Now it’s time to add the seeds (I used cress). Pretty much any herb plant that’s ok with a constantly hydrated environment should be able to grow in these conditions, but especially the more delicate, leafy species. Certain flowers are compatible too, but if the plant has a significant root system, they will most likely not work well.
If you want to keep growing your new plant for a long period, you’ll want to either move it to a larger hydro/aquaponic environment or just plant it in a regular pot.
When half to a third of the seeds have sprouted (it was about 3 days for mine), it’s time to add the plant food. You’ll also want to temporarily take the plant basket out, empty, rinse, and refill the water reserve in the jar. Unfortunately, the Mod Sprout kit just said “plant food” on that packet, but there are liquid and dry (to be mixed with water) options on the market. However, while there was no data on the packaging, prior to application, the seedlings were wilting, yellowed, and all around not doing well. After application of the “plant food,” the leaves were vibrant and the stems have remained sturdy. From that, I am thinking that there is a strong concentration of Nitrogen in the provided mix, so bear that in mind when you’re making your own. At present, one of the best fertilizers I’ve used has been Fox Farm, but I’ve not tried it in a water-based environment, though it does exceptionally well in soil.
After all of this, you’ll just need to top up the water as needed, like you normally would by watering the plants form the top. When doing so, add some more of the fertilizer. It’ll depend on the variety and associated instructions how much you need.
Mod Sprout Garden Jar Kits (they're low reviewed, but mine's worked well so far): Cilantro, Parsley, Basil. It was easy to have everything contained in the kit and just go for it, but I’ve got most of the materials already. Honestly, I got mine from TJ Maxx for $10, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought it. They’re linked so you can see them, but the cilantro and others are $24+ per jar. Some of the flower kits are about $30. It’s up to you, but I’d suggest the DIY option, especially if you already have things.
If there’s anything particular you’d like to see here, on the Youtube channel, or podcast, leave a comment down below and/or pop on over to Patreon.
Stay safe and happy planting, everyone.
Kate