The 5 Biggest Tower Garden Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them Like a Pro)
🌱 The 5 Biggest Tower Garden Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them Like a Pro!) 🌱
So, you've got yourself a Tower Garden—congrats! You're now officially part of the cool kids' club of hydroponic gardening. But before you start envisioning bushels of basil and a lifetime supply of lettuce, let's talk about some common rookie mistakes that can turn your tower of dreams into a tower of, well… not-so-great stuff. 😬
No worries, though! We've got your back with the five biggest Tower Garden blunders and how to dodge them like a pro. Let's dig in!
- The "Lack of Sun" Slip-Up
- Choosing the wrong crops, (or too many of the right ones)
- Mineral Madness
- Water Woes
- Skipping Daily Pest Checks
1. The "Lack of Sun" Slip-Up 🌤️
The Mistake: Your Tower Garden is looking more like a vampire's hangout than a thriving oasis. Plants need sun— at least 5 for leafy greens and 8 or hour for fruiting crops, to be exact. Without enough sunlight, your plants might grow leggy, pale, and sad. When fruiting crops don't have enough sun they won't produce flowers or the fruit themselves!
How to Avoid It:
- Location, Location, Location: Find a spot that gets ample sunlight if you’re outdoors. Simply put, the more sun the better! Indoors? No problem—use with grow lights.
- Rotate for Radiance: Give your tower a spin every few days if it’s in a spot with uneven lighting, or lighting on the lower end of ideal. It’s like a tanning bed for your veggies! 🌞
2. Choosing the Wrong Crops 🥦
The Mistake: Growing giant tomatoes, watermelon, and squash all at once? Slow down, Farmer Joe! Choosing too many large crops can cause overcrowding which can be overwhelming and promote pests, disease and shade or choke out other plants. Picking the wrong crops for the season will leave you disappointed too.
How to Avoid It:
- Size Matters: When growing outside, pick no more than 4 large crops per Tower Garden. These are crops like watermelon, indeterminate Tomatoes, Squash and cucumbers.
- Seasonal Success: Spinach in summer? Cucumber in the winter? Hard pass. 🥵 Use the filters on our website to pick the right crops for the growing conditions!
3. Mineral Madness 🧂
The Mistake: Adding too many or too few Tower Tonic minerals is like baking without measuring—risky business. Too much can burn roots, and too little leads to nutrient deficiencies.
How to Avoid It:
- Measure: While you don't have to measure to a T, but freely adding minerals all willy nilly will soon catch up with you. Follow the instructions on the bottle—no free-styling! A handy tip: mark your measuring cup for quick reference. 20ml per gallon is the normal dose. Half it when temperatures are consistently over 85. Want to dive into the how and why of adding minerals? Check this Mineral post out for all the details.
- Routine Refresh: Replace the water and nutrients every 2 months weeks to keep things balanced and prevent nutrient lock out. Think of it as a spa day for your plants! 💦
4. Water Woes 🚱
The Mistake: Using city water straight from the tap without filtering it first. Chlorine and chloramine are great for pools, not so much for plants.
How to Avoid It:
- Filter It Out: Invest in a simple carbon filter to attach to your hose or use filtered water if you’re filling up manually.
- Let It Breathe: If you don’t have a filter, let water sit out for 24 hours so chlorine can evaporate. Your plants will thank you! This only works for Chlorine though and many cities are switching to Chloramine. A filter is just easier all around!
5. Skipping Daily Pest Checks 🐛
The Mistake: Ignoring your Tower Garden for a few days only to come back to a caterpillar rave. Even in aeroponics, pests find a way.
How to Avoid It:
- Inspect Like a Detective: Check your plants daily for holes, spots, or the occasional creepy-crawly. Just a minute or two a day will have you keeping pests at bay!
- DIY Defenses: Neem oil and insecticidal soaps are great natural options. We have a selection or Organic Pesticides. Pro tip: ladybugs love a good aphid buffet—consider them your garden bouncers! 🐞
Grow Like a Pro! 🌿
Avoid these mistakes, and you'll be a harvesting hero in no time. Keep it sunny, keep it simple, and keep an eye on those pests! Got questions? Drop them in the comments—we're here to help your tower thrive.
Happy growing! 🌱💚