experimenting further with sprouts etc.

i received an interesting pack of mixed sprouts and couldn't wait to try it...i planted them on wednesday last week and within a very short time they were flying out of the power plant mini.

sprouts are so good for you, healthy and tasty..how cool.
i scattered the seeds on top of a moistened sponge. i then covered the seeds...and really they were just sitting on top of the sponge, all shapes and sizes. i left them in the dark for 2 days and then lifted up the cover. my next step was to pour some more water over them, just enough to keep the sponge moist, i did it delicately because i didn't want to wash the 'loose' seeds away.

then they went for it!...as you can see very healthy, i should have cropped them by now, but wanted to see how tall they'd get...i tasted a few and although they look essentially the same..long and lanky, they all tasted exceptionally different.
i'll post the mix, but i'm sure one was a very strong spiciness...it took me a while to get over it!

on another note the power plant pro on test- is growing crazily well...the mixed salad took over in a fight with the chili plant..nice

btw...check out the first retailer to carry the power plant pro and the power grow lamp...it's Brookstone..the lamp is an absolute steal at the moment..it's awesome for all types of plants and great for propagating, it fits snugly with both the pro and the mini...the price of the lamp will never be that low again! take my word, it's a great combo, lamp and pro...you just need the seed and the imagination!

working hard on new product

hello, it's been a while!
the test mint has been growing slowly but surely...however i took receipt of the new power plant pro and lamp combination...wow!
i planted a whole host of different seeds from Burpee and they took off!...i soon realised that my enthusiasm for growing new and interesting plants was tempered by the differing growth rates of the plants. therefore i have huge mesculin salad and chili peppers next to tiny oregano..the others all exhibited a darwinian need to occupy the light...something to be mindful of when growing my next batch.
the mesculin grew crazily fast, i'll post the pics soon.

keep an eye on my blog and i'll posting some of the wonderful images.

ooops and the end of pistou

it's been a while since i last wrote.
some exciting things have happened in the meantime.
firstly though, you'll see i cut the pistou basil down. i'm going to make pesto, this time with the pine nuts and romano cheese. yum
you can see from the photos how well rooted the basil was. the Pistou basil although pungent in aroma, never really provided the same taste quotient as the previously grown basils, so it wasn't with any regret that it got axed.
i hope it'll be ok in the pesto, but then with good cheese and olive oil, i'm sure it'll work out just fine?
from the photo you'll see that cropping the basil gave me a huge amount of plant for such a small growing device.

in the meantime, i replanted the mint...having discovered i had accidently started another basil power planting!
the mint seeds are minute...so small it was impossible to put them in the sponge slit...so they got sprinkled all over the sponge surface too. the sponge holes welcomed the seeds and you can see the mint has started to grow...it's always so exciting to see new plantings appear...it's very fulfilling.
at first i was clucking when i hadn't seen instant results...i guess i'm used to everything happening immediately around my time zone...but plants...they have there own clock!
so the seeds were planted friday and the photo was taken today..7 days for germination.

since last writing, i'm now pleased to announce that prepara will now be working alongside burpee seeds to sell their seeds and hopefully the arrangement will grow into something special with new products and services being offered to power plant indoor gardeners.

btw
here are some questions from a power planter about cleaning her power plant mini;

Q. can the reservoir base be taken apart for cleaning? it would be easier for cleaning if this were possible. after my last wonderful crop of basil, some of the roots were difficult to get off the bottom.

A. pull hard on the sprayer pipe to disconnect it from the pump. (it’s very robust you won't break it)
once apart, you can take the basket out and if you want you will be able to reach to the bottom for cleaning. also you can unscrew the two screws holding the pump bracket in place and give that a clean too


Q. it also said in the instructions to clean the sprayer with a cotton swab and i am confused how this is done. it seems to be attached except for the 2 end caps and it would be hard to get a cotton swab in it that way.

A. once disassembled you can lever the caps off and also clean the middle pipe too

Q. is clorox bleach ok as the 10% bleach solution to clean it with?

A. yes, very dilute, even less than that is ok too.
if you were being a neat freak you could run it thro the pump too!!!
just remember to flush/rinse away any bleachy mix...don’t leave any residue in there!

reaching for the sky

here's a picture of the mint reaching out from the sponge. they look happy...!

you can see the basil behind, i used some in a cocktail mix yesterday, the weather is perfect at the moment, 80 degrees. i muddled (mashed) the basil with some ice, vodka and a cranberry mix i bought from William Sonoma, based on some legendary cocktail made at the gramercy tavern in NYC...it was refreshing, the perfect end of summer drink.

at last...i planted the mint

here are a few images of the basil pistou growing happily and healthily in my kitchen. she has continually sprouted new leaves and unlike the other basil i've grown, she doesn't seem to need paring back....she just grows up a little and sprouts loads of new leaves...she really is a bushy plant.

you'll also see alongside the power plant- my mint. i planted this morning, only took a few minutes, so keep checking back, as i'll be updating the site regularly.

for those of you 'in the know' prepara just upgraded the nutrient for the power plant series..this new stuff is awesome...they sell it at their site...enough for a couple of years growing.
(if your power plant came with the very early yellow nutrient you'll now find the new green stuff to be like steroids for your plants!!...they love it....and its natural and the stuff has won awards from the hydroponic gardening industry - FYI all the recent shipments of powerplant had already been upgraded to the new stuff...it's just the yellow nutrient that is the old stuff)

time to start harvesting

i took a weeks vacation, and as you'll see from the photos my basil didn't miss me one bit!
i changed out her nutrient for a fresh batch and filled her up before i left.

the small leaves are very aromatic, i sprinkled some on my salmon yesterday, not only pretty but flavorful too.

next up for growing in my other power plant is mint. I love mint, great for cocktails!

i'll start a catalog of images as i grow them.

how does your garden grow?

recently i've heard a few people mention the need for a timer with the power plant, however, this was based upon old instructions included with the packaging.
the laboratory technicians at prepara discovered the power plant mini actually runs better when left on full time...no need for the timer!


and btw, running it full time should be a quiet and tranquil experience-sounding very much like a faraway trickling stream.

a New plant to try!
i thought i'd include a video here of a very interesting plant we grew....it's incredible and so much fun!!!!
it's called a 'sensitive' plant (mimosa pudica) and you can see why...it didn't take long to grow, possibly 5 weeks to this point.
we just planted the seeds and plugged the power plant mini in and left her to grow
you can see a more formal description here on Wikipedia