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Outdoor Hydro Herbs and Leafy Greens

starke

Well-known member
Weekly Update

Weekly Update

I wish everything was as easy to grow as basil.

Had a nice sunny week here in FL and the plants made the most of it. I could probably harvest next week but may let them run another week or two just to see what happens. I have not run into any root clogging issues so I may just let them run for a minute.

EC is staying at 1.0 and ph fluctuates between 5.8 and 6.0. Going to leave that alone as it seems to be working.

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Peace,
starke
 

starke

Well-known member
Weekly Update

Weekly Update

The basil has done well this past week and I will probably be harvesting around Wednesday. I figured I'd have run into root clogging issues by now but it looks like my actual issue is going to be the plants being top heavy and wanting to fall over. Had to prop two of them up yesterday.

Started a new outdoor hydro experiment as well. Two tomato clones in hydroton in a makeshift hydro garden. Should be interesting. The pump in their rez is running on the same short cycle timer as the basil garden. Stuff I had laying around.

Some pics:

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Peace,
starke
 

Palindrome

King of Schwag
Dude that stuff is growing like weed :D

Looking awesome there mate!
Basil, tomatoes, fresh mozerella and a dash of olive oil, salt n pepper.
 

DARKSIDER

Official Seed Tester
Moderator
ICMag Donor
Veteran
The basil has done well this past week and I will probably be harvesting around Wednesday. I figured I'd have run into root clogging issues by now but it looks like my actual issue is going to be the plants being top heavy and wanting to fall over. Had to prop two of them up yesterday.

Started a new outdoor hydro experiment as well. Two tomato clones in hydroton in a makeshift hydro garden. Should be interesting. The pump in their rez is running on the same short cycle timer as the basil garden. Stuff I had laying around.

Some pics:

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Peace,
starke

Nice root porn :biggrin:
 

starke

Well-known member
Weekly Update

Weekly Update

I did not think I would be making another weekly update since I had hoped to harvest and make pesto this past Wednesday. That did not happen. Ended up having to turn 40 lbs of very ripe tomatoes from the garden into 12 quarts of home made marinara. I was able to use two of the basil plants in this endeavor though.

So here they are bright and early this morning. By noon the hydro garden is going to look like a clear cut forest.

The tomatoes are growing well so I think I will continue to update their progress after I chop the basil. I don't know what is going in the hydro garden next but I will have something shortly.

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Peace,
starke
 

starke

Well-known member
A little over half the hydro garden got harvested today. Twenty two half pints of pesto in the freezer so far. And fresh pesto stuffed chicken breast for dinner.
 

starke

Well-known member
I got up early this morning and made up two more batches of pesto, enough to fill another 10 half pint jars. Called the kids and told them to come get the rest of the plants. There were still eight remaining.

So the hydro garden is now a collection of stumps and looks very sad :cry:
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The freezer, however, is very happy and full of 32 of these half pint wonders: :biggrin:

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Time to clean out the cups and plant anew.

Peace,
starke
 

starke

Well-known member
Ended up with blight on the tomato clones so they have been ditched. Next update when I've got something new in the hydro garden.
 

woolybear

Well-known member
Veteran
very cool! wow, thats's crap load of basil. can only imagine how many 'maters the system will be albe to pump out
 

DARKSIDER

Official Seed Tester
Moderator
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Ended up with blight on the tomato clones so they have been ditched. Next update when I've got something new in the hydro garden.

Cool guess im sticking around then :biggrin: Not so cool on the blight:moon:
 

Ganoderma

Hydronaut
Mentor
Veteran
I got up early this morning and made up two more batches of pesto, enough to fill another 10 half pint jars. Called the kids and told them to come get the rest of the plants. There were still eight remaining.

So the hydro garden is now a collection of stumps and looks very sad :cry:
View Image

The freezer, however, is very happy and full of 32 of these half pint wonders: :biggrin:

View Image

Time to clean out the cups and plant anew.

Peace,
starke

do you think you could describe the process of making pesto for us.
 

starke

Well-known member
6 cups basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
3 oz Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup grated)
1/2 cup Pine nuts toasted (I use walnuts)
3/4 cup olive oil.
1 tsp non iodized/Kosher/sea salt

Toast Pin/Walnuts in oven 350 for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, nuts, salt and Parmesan to food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add basil leaves and pulse several times until roughly chopped. Turn machine on and slowly pour in olive oil. Process until a smooth paste full of green flecks. Scrape down sides as needed to fully incorporate.

Makes about two pints.

I store in half pint canning jars in the freezer. Put into jar, top with about a 1/4 inch of olive oil and freeze. Can also be put in ice cube trays and frozen then into freezer bags.

Use quality block Parmesan cheeze and grate it yourself. That pre-grated stuff is shit and full of cellulose to prevent caking. Same goes for the olive oil too, better the quality the better the pesto.
 
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