I love the idea of growing my lettuce, but instead of using my AeroGarden, I thought I would give Mr Fothergill’s Hydroponic Kit a try to see if it’s as good as AeroGarden.
We purchased the kit from Bunnings, Australia. It’s an All-In-one Grow Kit where you can grow fresh herbs and vegetables all year round.
Ideal for the kitchen benchtop, desk or table.
What does the Kit contain:
Table of Contents
Tools provided in the Kit contains all you need to get you started:
- HydroGarden growing system with two growing containers
- Growing medium (vermiculture)
- 7.5 Watt LED Grow Light
- Mains Power adaptor
- Basil Seeds
- Coriander Seeds
- 50ml bottle of Seasol Powerfeed, Pro Series
- All in one Hydroponics
Warranty details: 12 months
Cost: $69.98 at Bunnings in Australia
Specifications:
- Measurements: 27 long x 11 wide and 38 CM High.
- Modern clean design
- Growing height 50cm
Ideal location for your Hydrogarden
- Sturdy, level and water-tolerant table or kitchen bench
- Near power outlet
- Keep away from children and pets
- Keep away from cold drafts and heat
- Keep it away from the kitchen sink to avoid mishaps
- Keep away from direct sunlight and not in complete darkness. Allow for some natural light in addition to providing grow light
- The ideal temperature for house plants to grow is 16-26 degrees Celcius. During sweltering summers, move the plants to the coolest part of the house, and during winter, place them in a warm location.
- The light is LED; it provides light but not heat.
Assembling instructions
- Assemble Kit: unpack the box and all the components.
- Two growing pots
- Remove checkered plastic covers
- Remove the white foam inserts
- You can remove the cover by inserting your fingers into the holes to pull it off.
- Take care with the vermiculite; try not to spill any
- Sow seeds
- Turn plug on and switch on grow light twice for the red light
- Insert your new grow light at the end of the HydroGarden
- Place the power plug cord into the HydroGarden unit
- Put the power plug into your main PowerPoint AC 240V
- To turn on the grow light, press the button at the end of the light once
- Press again to turn on the red light.
All you have to do is sow the seeds
- Return the plastic covers onto the pots
- Open the packets of seed sachets
- Sow a few seeds onto the vermiculite.
- Smaller seeds will slip into the vermiculite, but the larger seeds will need to be pushed down further and cover with a fine layer of vermiculite about 2-5mm
Seeds have a growing guarantee and can be replaced if they don’t grow.
- Add water to the receptacle
- Fill the receptacle with water to the recommended level indicated and put the pots back into the unit
The Redlight assists with seed germination, root growth and plant growth. Also, it promotes fruit growth and flowering.
Don’t forget to turn your light off at night if you are doing it manually.
Growing Information
Your HydroGarden will provide excellent growing conditions and balanced nutrient water will provide a wonderful harvest.
Growing Lettuce in Mr FotherGill’s HydroGarden
Growing Light
The light has the Timer option; it allows you to turn set the timer to turn off at the end of the day. LED light has a one year warranty.,
Grow light is adjustable by tilting it upwards.
To Set the Timer
Press the light button until a small blue light appears underneath. The light will stay on the 16 hours and turn off by itself and then turn back on after 8 hours.
Vermiculite
There is no nutritional value in vermiculite. No mess no soil minimises harmful bacterial.
Water
When the water is low the unit will alert you.
Feeding your plants
Add fertiliser to the water; one week after germination has occurred, you will need to add 0.5 ml (1-2 drops) of Seasol PowerFeed Pro Series that came with the Kit. Add the drops to your All-In-One Hyrdoponics reservoir.
Repeat this process every time your refill with water until harvest.
The instructions recommend that you empty your reservoir every time you need to refill it with water. This process will ensure you have fresh water and correct fertiliser balance in your receptacle.
Plants
Once you have planted the seeds, let the plants grow to a lovely height of 7-8cm tall
Pruning
Prune the plants once they reach the desired height, snip off or lightly prune your herbs to create a bushy habit.
Woody Plants
When your plants start to become woody, it is time to remove them from the grow pots and begin again.
They recommend removing the plant and discarding them, but I have replanted them in pots, hardened them, and replanted them in my vegetable garden.
Cleaning
Clean the receptacle and grow pots in vinegar or bleach. Rinse thoroughly. And refill with fresh vermiculite and sow new seeds.
Growing other plants
You can grow almost anything in the Hydrogarden. Flowers, vegetables, herbs. However, if you are growing them indoors, you will need to ensure your growth is below 50cm and fit under grow light.
Add www.mrfothergills.com.au link
Health and Safety
Power
Connect your HydroGarden to a 240V socket indoors that has an appropriate safety switch. Also, ensure your cord your power cord is entirely unwinded as overheating may occur. Do not stack plugs. It can cause an overload and possibly fire.
Warning: User Maintenance
Do not do any electrical work yourself. It can be dangerous. People are killed doing their own electrical work unsafely. By law, any electrical installation of power points must be done by a licensed electrician. An electrician must test the job; they will give you a Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work to show it has been tested and complies with regulations.
Reduce the Risk of Electric Shock
- If your hands are wet or damp never touch the mains plug.
- Remove the plug by taking hold of the mains plug. Never pull the mains plug out of the socket by the mains cord.
- Switch off the unit before removing the mains cord out of the socket when not in use
- Turn off the power when cleaning the HydroGarden and remove the light.
- Switch off the power when servicing the LED Lights or replacing lights.
- Children must be supervised when using the HydroGarden at all times.
- Never touch the appliance is you feel a tingle or shock. Get it repaired by an approved repairer.
Recommended for Household Use Only
The HydroGarden is not recommended for
- Commercial use
Warranty
12 Months Warranty.
If there is a problem under the 12 months of purchase, you will need to provide
- Proof of purchase
- Normal wear and tear
What the Warranty does not cover is
- Accidental, misuse, abuse, improper installation, improper operation, lack of reasonable care, unauthorised modifications, attempting own repairs by another person and not through authorised by the distributor
- The product that has not been installed, operated or maintained following the manufacturer’s operating instructions provided with the HydroGarden
Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Pty Ltd takes no liability for damage caused by improper or incorrect use
To make a claim
Contact Mr Fothergill’s seeds via phone, letter or website contact form.
Internet link www.mrfothergills.com.au
My reviews are based on my personal own experience and research. I never recommend poor quality products or create false reviews to make sales. I intend to explain products to make an informed decision on which ones suit your needs best. If you have any questions about this post’s content, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think about the article.