Tag: AeroGarden

Thursday (20-January-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard on a snowy then rainy day: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal. As soon as it snows, the Northern Cardinals show up. They are a lot more tolerant feeding with other birds around. Unlike the Blue Jays and Red-bellied Woodpecker.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Hydroponic Updates. Classic-6 #1: Some of the Basil is starting to germinate. Bounty #1: 8/9 of the Bok Choi have sprouted. Bounty #2: Only a couple of lettuce varieties have sprouted. Classic-6 #2. Not much activity. Farm 9R Seed Starting Tray: Not much activity.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Classic-6 #1. Day 4. Genovese Basil (3/4). Thai Basil (0/2). Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Bounty #1. Day 4. Bok Choi (8/9). Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Bounty #2. Day 4. Red Sails (0/2); Rouge d’Hiver (1/2), Paris Island (0/1), Deer Tongue (0/1), Marvel of 4 Seasons (0/1), Black Seeded Simpson (1/2). Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Classic-6 #2. Day 4. Dill (0/1), Italian Parsley (0/1), Chives (0/1), Orange Gazania (0/1), Phlox Mix (0/1), Celosia (0/1). Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Farm 9R Seed Sprouting Tray. Day 3. Row A: California Poppy (American Meadows, 2018) 0/8; Row B: Oriental Poppy (American Meadows, 2019) 0/10; Row C: Lauren Grape Poppy Seeds (Marde Ross & Company, 2020) 0/11; Row D: Hungarian Breadseed Poppy Seeds (Plant Good Seed, 2020) 0/10; Row E: Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 0/8; Row F: Turkish Tulip Poppy Seeds (Waterfall Seeds, 2020) 0/10; Row G: Somniferum Blend Poppy Seeds (Seed Needs, 2020) 0/11; Row H: Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 0/9; Row I: Mixed Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 0/8. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (87.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (6.5 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The sun returned after a day of rain then snow. Deficit of 80.7 kWh.

Wednesday (19-January-2020) — New Jersey

Wintertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Time-lapse videos: Day 3 of the Bok Choi seeds sprouting. Both videos are of images taken every 1 minute for 5 hours 45 minutes then displayed at 12 frames/second. I cut some of the paper retaining ring to get better visibility of the seedlings growing. During the second video, an invasive Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) and an invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) were caught crawling by the Bok Choi seedling.

Ladybeetle. (David J Mathre)
Invasive Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) investigating the Bok Choi seedlings. Image taken with a Leica SL2s camera and Laowa 24 mm f/14 macro probe lens. (David J Mathre)
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. (David J Mathre)
Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) investigating the Bok Choi seedlings. Image taken with a Leica SL2s camera and Laowa 24 mm f/14 macro probe lens. (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (92.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (34.5 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The sun returned after a day of rain then snow. Deficit of 57.5 kWh.

Sunday (26-April-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Hydroponic Farm.

Although many of the plants started in January (or last fall) in the AeroGarden Farms are nearing the end of their lifecycle, I am still harvesting tomatoes and strawberries. The strawberry plants will be transplanted outside into a Grow Tower system. This will be an experiment since some of these plants came from the outdoor Grow Towers last fall. I’m still waiting to see if the Hot Peppers and Ground Cherries will ripen indoors. They are being slow. I am not sure if this is a temperature or amount of light issue.

Strawberries grown in my indoor hydroponic farm. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 500, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Strawberries grown in my indoor hydroponic farm. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 500, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow and Red Cherry Tomatoes grown in my indoor hydroponic farm. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 500, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow and Red Cherry Tomatoes grown in my indoor hydroponic farm. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 500, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (51.6 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (8.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of rain and clouds. A deficit of 43.5 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (403 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and meter readings. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (310 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A deficit of 93 kWh. I hoped to go net positive this week, but too many cloudy and rainy days. Numbers corrected by meter readings for the time that the Sense monitor was offline.


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Monday (23-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

I harvested about two quarts of Strawberries from my indoor AeroGarden hydroponic farm. I then made Strawberry jam using just the strawberries and Wild Girls Honey from my sister using an Instant Pot recipe I found on the internet. Later in the day I found a Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. I know they say that the Stink Bugs are vegetarian, I still consider them a pest.

Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (67.9 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (6.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of rain and colder outside. A deficit of 61.5 kWh.

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Saturday (21-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Large pink Zinnia flowers blooming in the indoor AeroGarden hydroponic farm.

Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/170 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/170 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/180 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/180 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/170 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/170 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/70 sec). (David J Mathre)
Indoor Hydroponic Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/70 sec). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.6 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (67.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Bright and sunny day with a surplus of 13.9 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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