Deep Water Ebb-Flow System

Pleased with the harvest from the first batch of high EC greens (Bok Choi) based on crop rotation concept. This is 5 weeks after germination. The previous crop cycle were lettuces. Did not flush the system. Simply added water and more A and B. Kept EC to about 1600. Harvested only the leaves, yielding a modest 230g from 2 tiers. Leaving the bok chois to grow for next yield. And the next and... Will see how many times of yield before they bolt. 😁 And recycling plastic packaging to store the leaves for stir fry tmrw! Found these Envy apple bags that comes with zip lock super handy! #hydroponics #sustainableliving #greenhobby #recycle

Trying out Green Curly Kale (GCK) from Singcrop. Interesting to observe that the seeds come in different colours. Mixed species? Placed at most 2 seeds into the grow sponges. The 5 on the right has only 1 seed.

The rest of the RA and BC are growing well. EC maintained at around 1600. Planning to leaf-harvest the BC, similar to the RA to see how long the supply can last before they bolt.

Germinated after 4 days. Not totally but there are very good signs that the rest of the sponges will soon have tiny sprouts poking their heads above the rim. Switched on the grow light to encourage the rest to germinate faster!

The progress after 1 month. EC is 1500. Had raised it gently over the past 2 weeks from 800, to 1200 and this current level. The RA has grown pretty well. In fact had harvested some leafs for brekkie salads. Careful not to cut of the crowns. Bok chois from SingCrop are growing well. Although it's interesting to note that there seem to be two species here. Could there be a mix of 2 bok choi variants in the Batch?

Experimenting with Bok Choi using small grow sponge. Seeding date 18 Oct. Placed the sponges into a trough of water. Squeezed the sponges to make sure that they absorb water. Once the sponge sinks into the trough of water, you know it has absorbed enough water to stay heavier than water. Placed about 2 to 3 seeds into the pre-cut slits at about 2mm deep. And top a little bit of water and cover the trough. Placed it on the top shelf, vacated by the failed kangkong experiment.

Looks like the hobbyist hydroponics set up for Kang Kong, the supposedly easy to grow green, is a fail, due to excessive edema (or oedema) From a single leave, it looks like edema can happen to any leaves at any stage of growth. Irregular air movement, introduced when I remembered to turn on the portable fan, does not seem to help.  So looks like I will abandon the KK experiment and switch to some easier growing green. For reference EC=1100. Could this be a reason? Further to that, the irregardless rate of growth is of another concern. Whether in leca or sponge. Oedema: What is oedema? Oedema is a  disorder of plants caused by the roots taking up more water than the leaves can transpire . This excess water ruptures the cells, particularly on the undersides, and leads to water-soaked patches that turn corky and unsightly.