Advice on planting, lighting, air conditioning, & harvesting to give your plant the best care for the best yields

Step 1 - Plant your seedling.

Your seedling arrives growing in a plug of sponge-like organic material. Your seedling needs to be placed into a pot of soil, a Hydropod, or a DIY hydroponic system you’ve made.

• If planting into soil - place the seedling into a pot with a drainage hole, partially filled with soil. Place enough soil around the seedling’s plug to cover it and bring the soil line even with the top of the plug. If you’re looking for a good potting soil, we suggest FoxFarm Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil.
• If planting into a Hydropod - fill the Hydropod with water, add nutrient solution, and place the lid on top of the Hydropod. Place the seedling’s plug into the net cup built into the Hydropod’s lid.
• If planting into a DIY hydroponic system - add nutrients to your system’s water and place the seedling into a net cup that will allow the plug to be submerged completely in water. Please note: hydroponic systems work best with a bubbler to add dissolved oxygen to the water. If you DIY a system, we highly suggest adding a bubbler as part of the design.
  

Step 2 - Choose a properly lit spot for your seedling.

If it’s on a sunny windowsill, no extra light is required. If it’s in a place without natural light, we recommend Gooseneck Clip On LED Grow Lamps - ideally with a timer & dimmer options. If you go with LED grow lights, make sure the light is positioned roughly four inches above the highest point on the plant.

If your plant is in a hydroponic system, add fresh nutrients according to the product’s label instructions. If your plant is in soil, there’s no need to add nutrients to the pot. We recommend FoxFarm Big Bloom Liquid Nutrient Concentrate for both hydroponic and soil based systems.

Step 3 - Check for proper air circulation and humidity levels.

These are key to your plant’s health. Depending on where your plant is located, air circulation and humidity may or may not be an issue. These factors are important because:

• Humidity: Stagnant air will encourage humidity to settle on leaves.  Wet leaf surfaces are ideal for the development of fungi.  Air circulation will keep moisture off the leaves. Elevated levels of humidity pose a threat to plant health. Some signs of high humidity are leaf surface moisture and fungus or mold growing on or under leaves.
• Growth: There is a super thin layer of moisture on the leaf surface (boundary layer).  As this layer dries out, a plant will transpire (through open leaf pores called stomata) and release moisture.  As it does this, it pulls water and nutrients in through the roots and up through the plant.  
• Air exchange: Plants use CO2 and release O2.  If they are in a confined space, the CO2 levels will gradually lower, and growth will be reduced.  Air exchange is important to bring in air rich in CO2 and remove the CO2-poor air.  It will also remove warmer, more humid air
  and replace it with drier, cooler air.
  

If you need to lower humidity or increase air circulation for your plants, you can purchase clip-on fans. Clip your fan to a surface about 1 foot away and angle it towards your plants. We recommend the Comfort Zone 6-inch Desk Fan with Clip.

Step 4 - Harvest from your plant.

After several weeks, your plant will be ready for harvest. Some plants, like basil, can be continually harvested using the “cut and come again” method. To do this, cut plants above the node to encourage regrowth after harvest. When you have completely harvested your plant, it’s a good time to clean your system.

If your plant is in a hydroponic system, cleaning your system is important for preventing diseases; empty and replace the water every two weeks. Algae growth, in particular, can take some nutrients away from your plants, smell bad, and act as a breeding area for fungus gnats. After each harvest or water change, clean all components of your container including net pots, using soap and warm water. If extra cleaning is needed, hydrogen Peroxide is a useful solution to clean your system. You can mix 1 gallon of water with 3 oz. of 3% hydrogen peroxide (available at drugstores) to clean your unit.

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