Author Topic: Aggressively Organic  (Read 6634 times)

draculawyer

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Aggressively Organic
« on: July 27, 2018, 09:12:25 PM »
https://aggressivelyorganic.com

This company is calling back to the "Victory Gardens" people grew in WWI and WW2.  They sell organic plants that are able to grow in their growth medium using water and a nutrient solution. Each pod is pretty tiny and you can fit 9 of them in a one-foot area. They require an included grow light and minimal fussing/interaction. I have a hard time seeing a downside to this concept, especially when I look at the price of organic lettuce varieties in the supermarket.

tralfamadorian

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2018, 01:42:00 PM »
They require an included grow light and minimal fussing/interaction. I have a hard time seeing a downside to this concept, especially when I look at the price of organic lettuce varieties in the supermarket.

I don't really see what they are bringing to the table that's worth the cost?

From their "victory garden" listing it appears (though the opacity and copy mistakes make it difficult to tell) that you receive 9 cardboard boxes, 9 plastic inserts, 1 light, 27 seed packs, 45 seed refill packs and a mini dropper of hydroponic nutrients. Cost of $139 on sale down from $250. Seed choice is unknown but appears to be lettuces, mini container tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

To hydroponic like a mustachian:
Cardboard & plastic --> reuse glass containers from the grocery store; cost $0
light --> utility clamp light & light bulb; cost $6
mini dropper hydroponic nutrients --> 2lb nutrients to make 128 galloons; cost $13
72 seed refills of unknown variety, species or quantity --> 9 different heirloom variety seed packets; cost $18

Total cost: $37

draculawyer

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2018, 07:26:54 PM »
They require an included grow light and minimal fussing/interaction. I have a hard time seeing a downside to this concept, especially when I look at the price of organic lettuce varieties in the supermarket.

I don't really see what they are bringing to the table that's worth the cost?

From their "victory garden" listing it appears (though the opacity and copy mistakes make it difficult to tell) that you receive 9 cardboard boxes, 9 plastic inserts, 1 light, 27 seed packs, 45 seed refill packs and a mini dropper of hydroponic nutrients. Cost of $139 on sale down from $250. Seed choice is unknown but appears to be lettuces, mini container tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

To hydroponic like a mustachian:
Cardboard & plastic --> reuse glass containers from the grocery store; cost $0
light --> utility clamp light & light bulb; cost $6
mini dropper hydroponic nutrients --> 2lb nutrients to make 128 galloons; cost $13
72 seed refills of unknown variety, species or quantity --> 9 different heirloom variety seed packets; cost $18

Total cost: $37

That's a very good point. I think that part of the allure is that they have a 100% guarantee that all of your plants will actually grow. To be honest I personally doubt my own ability to just set up a garden like that and have it grow with 100% efficiency (or even close to it), and I like that it takes the gambling out of the equation. Another part of it is taking out the labor component of researching and gathering all of this stuff yourself. 

Cranky

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2018, 07:54:44 AM »
Buy a grow light and some lettuce seed.

sokoloff

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2018, 08:04:51 AM »
Plants are incredibly easy to grow. It's why the land is damn near covered with them... ;)

Will you get 100% perfect yield of every seed you plant? Of course not.
Will you get way over 75% and probably have more produce than you know what to do with? Probably.

The 100% guarantee is marketing trickery, every bit as much as an extended warranty on a television.

draculawyer

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2018, 12:22:43 PM »
I still like the company's stated mission of ending food insecurity, but I did some research and I'm just going to go out and pick up a grow light, a few tomato and basil plants, and some organic plant food.

Aelias

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2018, 08:09:56 AM »
I mean, I think we'd all be a lot better off if we moved back toward the "Victory Garden" mindset and started growing more of our own food.  And I can't be that mad about this as a gateway to more of that.

But, yeah--it's a rip off. Just buy a pack of seeds and get a container of dirt and start trying to grow something.  And save your money.

GuitarStv

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2018, 08:30:41 AM »
I’m looking at growing herbs indoors and everything I read seems to suggest that it’s really difficult. That’s why I was looking at this system, but if there’s really nothing special to it, then can anyone point me towards a resource for growing herbs indoors.

BTW, I know nothing about gardening. Nothing. That’s also why this idiot-proof system appealed to me.

Herbs are generally pretty easy to grow.  They're difficult to grow indoors because most of them like bright, full sunlight . . . this can be difficult to replicate indoors unless you've got some large south facing windows that are always uncovered.

Figure out what herbs you like to use, then look up instructions for the best type of soil, watering, and light that they want to be happy.

Easy herbs to grow indoors (in my experience) include Green onions/chives, mint, parsley, oregano, parsley, basil*, thyme, and rosemary.


* it grow easily, just be careful about bugs.  I always manage to pick up bugs on my basil for some reason.

maizefolk

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2018, 09:22:28 AM »
I've had very good luck growing basil in the basement in winter using an LED grow light (the kind specifically designed for plants, the light will look purple to you as most of the energy is coming in the red and blue parts of the spectrum which chlorophyll can absorb and utilize most effectively, not the yellow and green bits which just reflected back). I use the same system to get tomatillos and peppers started early so that they're a good size by the time I'm ready to transplant them outdoors in the spring.

My main concern with my current setup is that someone will see purple light coming from a basement window and think I'm growing pot.

sokoloff

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2018, 09:32:52 AM »
You can use coconut husks and liquid nutrients if you want no dirt. You can block the cat from the planters with something it finds less pleasant than digging (smell, touch, taste modifiers). We grow basil, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and various flowers in dirt in a small outside garden and it's largely on autopilot (with timed irrigation). We can go on a two week trip and come back to bountiful garden.

DW also coordinates/volunteers over at the school garden, where there is no automatic irrigation possible, and that is also frequently ignored for week-plus at a time and still grows bountiful leafy vegetables and herbs. (Tomatoes don't do well over there with such inconsistent water.)

Peachtea

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2019, 07:59:26 PM »
I’m reviving this old thread because I was very inspired by it even though I didn’t post at the time. I ended up trying to DIY this and consider it a success, so I wanted to share. Photos of current plants (except catnip) attached.

I don’t have a green thumb. I somehow have killed all the spider plants but one that my boss has rooted for me from her office ones...Not to mention the dozens of plants that perished before them. (She took pity on me after I managed to kill a succulent because “you can’t kill a spider plant.” Apparently you can’t unless you’re me.)

I started slowly by buying seeds, hydroponic maxigro (nutrients), and rockwool to see if I could even get them to sprout. They did! Then I bought net cups and clay pebbles to insert in yogurt containers I had been saving. Once they seemed to be doing well, I bought some window shelves. These were the most expensive part, but I was trying to contain everything to one window with a cardboard barrier to block the cat. Eventually we took that down and the cat actually leaves everything but the lettuce alone. She nibbles on that but doesn’t destroy it. Soon I’ll probably buy another window shelf because I’m running out of ledge space and want to grow more lettuce and maybe buy some peppermint seeds.

I bought broccoli, catnip, basil, parsley, cilantro, romaine lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce, and arugula seeds. Only thing that didn’t work well was broccoli...I had no idea how big it gets and I couldn’t keep it watered fast enough. I do have south facing windows and was surprised at how well they did in winter even thought we have very drafty windows. Only the cilantro and some seedlings died in the polar vortex. I’m also surprised at how much abuse these plants can take. I remember to fill up the water again when they look wilty and sometimes I forget until they are very wilty. They come back quickly! One of the basil plants is an original from August 2018, despite many harvestings. Only thing is they don’t seem to do well two deep, need to be directly next to window.

Below are my costs (not including tax) from August 2018 to now. I still have some nets and rockwool left, plus a crap ton of maxigrow and seeds. Will likely need more clay pebbles soon as I expand. I’m not sure if I’ve broken even yet, prob not with shelves (I also like them as decoration tho soo...), but I’m having a lot of fun, it’s awesome having fresh stuff, and we’re now making a ton of homemade pesto (yum!!!).

Seeds: $14.51
Maxi Gro: $13.15
Rock wool (100): $9.44
Net cups (25): $8.88
Clay pebbles: $9.99
Mo’ clay pebbles: $9.99
Subtotal: $65.96

Shelves (2): $50
Total with shelves: $116 (and maybe $125 w/ tax)


deborah

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2019, 01:37:48 AM »
How can hydroponic be organic?

Peachtea

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Re: Aggressively Organic
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2019, 06:10:08 AM »
Interesting question. Apparently, in the US if the nutrients used are organic then hydroponics and aquaponics can be certified USDA Organic. There’s probably other criteria and there’s also on ongoing debate over whether they should be certified organic, but right now they can/are certified as organic.

My plants are not organic in that I’m pretty sure maxigro (my nutrients) isn’t organic and my seeds are from a place that “mostly” grows them organically. But you can get organic versions of both. I was more excited by the idea of a simple hydroponic system (just stir nutrients in water and pour) rather than the ones with pumps and ph measures and whatnot. I don’t really buy organic stuff at the stores although I like the idea of less pesticides and the environmental benefits of sustainable farming. My set up still achieves both objects, at least in my mind.

As for the Agressively Organic product in the OP, no clue of whether the nurtients and seeds they sell are organic or not.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!