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Havig fun with hydro

W

wordwiz

Just for the fun of it, I set up two hydro units in my office window. It faces south so it gets as much light per day as possible, but in Cincinnati in winter, that isn't a bunch.

The containers are 4-gallon kitty litter buckets. One unit has five 2-inch pots in it, the other one 5-inch pot. The latter is for a tomato, the former I'm growing two heads of loose leaf lettuce and a green bean. I hope to add a red and white Alpine strawberry plant once they get big enough.

The lettuce is loving it but I'm wondering about the bean. It's only been in the water since Friday and has grown about three inches since then. The internodal length is about 1.75" - way more than normal.

I'm not terribly concerned since this is for show and tell and I have about 5 feet of window, but I would like to slow down the vertical growth.

Is topping the plant an option, once it gets a few more shoots? A special nuit? Something like supercropping? Other ideas?

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
The lettuce is loving it but I'm wondering about the bean. It's only been in the water since Friday and has grown about three inches since then. The internodal length is about 1.75" - way more than normal.

Is topping the plant an option, once it gets a few more shoots? A special nuit? Something like supercropping? Other ideas?

Mike
Click to expand...


No special nutes that i'm aware of to make short plants...

And can you top a vine? Wouldn't it just stop growing at the cut end?

Have no idea mike, but I do know that lettuce does love growing in hydro and doesn't require as much light as the other two, so those should do great for you at least.
 
There is a nuit for stunting the vert growth which you'll be able to get at hydro stores Bonsia something can't remember the exact name. Normally used on ahh hmmm other plants when there young. People other than anyone I know hehehe use it so they can tip a plant heeps while there very small before letting them grow out.
 
Willard,

I'll check but unless they grow as tall as the plant, there wouldn't be much to prune. They were barely through the rock wool we I put it in the net pot last week.

At least today it should get some bright sun - that's one of the problems at this time of the year - too many cloudy days.

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Is topping the plant an option, once it gets a few more shoots? A special nuit? Something like supercropping? Other ideas?
Click to expand...

Do you know what kind of "green bean" it is? Different beans has different growth habits, i.e. Bush, Pole, semi-vining, vining, etc. If you know which one you planted, it might give you some idea what to expect.:)
 
DownRiver,

It's Improved Commodore Bush Bean. Though at the rate it is growing, it's going to be a pole bean! It's a 60-day bean so it only has another 53 or so until beans form. Hey, if it keeps going I'll train it to grow horizontally once it reaches close to the ceiling!

As I said originally, this is for fun more than anything. Something people walking by the window can see. If I can remember to take the camera with me Friday, I'll get a picture of it. But if it works, I have some Red Noodle Beans that are suppose to produce 18" beans I will try.

Mike
 
Hey, I think it's a neat idea. I'd love to see pictures of the setup.

By the way, that Chinese Red Noodle is one of the favorite yardlongs and is supposed to be delicious in a stir-fry!

I wish you much success:).
 
DR,

I almost didn't get the Red Noodle. I get 99 percent of my seeds from rareseeds.com and it was not listed on Randell's web site. Thankfully he sent me a catalog and I saw it in there. Every review I have read rates it extremely high, both in taste and productivity. I've never grown a bean that produces pods for more than a couple of weeks but this one is suppose to keep on keeping on!

The only thing I am not sure of is how to preserve it, but I presume blanching will work. Most people say it should be fried or sauteed and not boiled for the best flavor.

Mike
 
DR,

I just stuck one of those Red Noodle seeds in a rock wool cube. I'm a sucker for those plants that look great in a storefront hydro unit!

Mike
 
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