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a week of rain
Posted by admin on July 19, 2010
Recently a week of rain was forecast. I decided not to keep topping up the nutrient in order to maintain the EC until the weather had passed. The reason is that such weather is generally overcast and cold, and so plant growth is very slow anyway. I save some money and I don't lose much growth at all.
snails & slugs
Posted by admin on November 11, 2009
These are the gardener's curse, but here are some control methods. (1) add a small amount of neem oil or neem based insecticidal potassium soap to the reservoir. This is a natural product derived from the neem tree. It deters insects, it is available in certified organic form, and it has no withholding period. The plants will take this up in their foliage. (2) run a line of vasaline around the tray - the little critters won't be able to get across it. (3) plant some bok choi or tuscan cabbage as sacrificial plants. You need only check the tanks after dark occasionally and and slugs or snails will almost certainly be found on these plants.
tomatoes
Posted by admin on November 11, 2009
One of the tricks to heavy cropping tomatoes is to attract bees at the right time. I do this by companion planting beans and mint in the acme tank and allowing these to run to full flower just as the tomatoes are coming in to flower. The bees come from everywhere and the fruit set rate is very high. Tomatoes will need some support, such as bobbins, stakes or mesh, so it's important to think ahead and arrange this before the plants are huge.
watercress
Posted by admin on November 11, 2009
Watercress grows almost too well in an acme. I suggest that you grow it barerooted in the return sump (the end part where the water drains into). If you grow it in the tray itself, you will need to hack the roots back with a breadknife every few weeks. The new growth is the tastiest part, so it's best to trim it regularly. Wasabi and mint can be grown in the same way.
beetroot
Posted by admin on November 5, 2009
In an acme tank, beetroot will grow beautifully on the top of the clay. The trick is to grow six or ten of them close together so that they shade each other. This prevents the beet from suffering sunburn in its exposed position, and so prevents stress to the plant.
transplanting tips
Posted by admin on November 4, 2009
I often use the acme tank as a propagator for plants which I intend to transplant into the soil. Here is how: 1) place your hand beneath the clay and gently lift. Don't just pull the plants out, take the weight of the clay to avoid stressing the roots. Gently massage out most of the clay. Place the plant into a pre-prepared hole which is deep enough for all the roots to go as deep as possible. Water in well, then snip or pinch off about 1/3 of the leaves of the plant. This slows down the transpiration rate and helps to prevent shock and stress to the plant. After an hour, water again. Done !
acme garden competition
Posted by admin on November 4, 2009
Send us a picture of your acme tank garden (via the contact page) prior to Christmas to have a chance to win a new complete acme tank. The winner will be the garden we judge to be best.
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