Airgarden Summer Growing Guide

Summer is here, which means we're prepping our Airgardens for summer veggies, abundant fresh herbs and salads, and of course - the hot, hot sun! Here's everything you need to know and do to get your Airgarden ready for summer.

What's in season

Herbs and leafy greens grow beautifully all year round in an aeroponic garden, but summer is the prime time to be growing fruiting plants like cucumber, zucchini and tomatoes – so make you you give them a crack! Here are our favourite plants to be growing during summer:

• Leafy greens (e.g. kale, silverbeet, spinach)
• Asian greens (e.g. bok choy)
• Lettuce (especially cos and butter!)
• Leeks
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes (all types!)
• Zucchini
• Basil
• Chives
• Chillies
• Coriander
• Lavender
• Mint
• Parsley
• Capsicum
• Eggplant
• Snow peas

If you want a full and personalised breakdown of everything that's in season during summer for your location, check out our growing quiz. Or if you're in need of new seedlings and want us to grow them for you, check out our ready-to-plant seasonal seedling bundles.

Timer setup

When growing with aeroponics, the timed delivery of water and nutrients is super important, and in the summer heat your plants will drink more. So at the change of every season, make sure you adjust your timer setup to suit the change in temperature as per the below table, or check out this video.

Shade your plants

When the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, you should put your Airgarden in shade during the hottest part of the day to protect your plants – keep an eye out for if your plants' leaves start to wilt or burn. If you don't have a shaded area, you can use a beach umbrella or something similar.

Give your Airgarden a clean

Give your Airgarden a quick seasonal reset! Even a brief clean will keep your Airgarden running smoothy and make way for new seasonal seedlings. To clean your Airgarden simply:

1. Empty your base reservoir
2. Take out any plants and disassemble your Airgarden
3. Wash and clean your Airgarden with vinegar and dishwashing liquid (you can even put the grow levels in the dishwasher)

Check out these full instructions on how to clean your Airgarden.

What to do if you're going away

If you’re heading away on a holiday, firstly - good for you! Secondly, here’s what to do with your Airgarden while you are away.

Watch out for bolting

Bolting, also known as 'going to seed', refers to the production of a flowering stem/stems on a plant before it can be harvested – in a nutshell, it's when your plants' lifecycle is coming to an end (sad face!).

Bolting is a natural process, however it can speed up and happen prematurely during summer due to intense heat. Check out this article for what to look out for, and how to stop your plants from bolting early.

Defending against leaf diseases

The summer humidity can bring airborne funguses like downy and powdery mildew. If any of your leaves are displaying any signs mildew (check out this article here), the best solution is Eco Fungicide from Bunnings.

Just spray the plant and then remove any of the already affected leaves. It's also 100% natural and safe to use on edibles with no withholding period. We'd recommend you get some and have it on hand!

Combating pesky pests

Pests can also be more common in summer, so keep an eye out for these three:

Grasshoppers
They will present in the form of chewed leaves and flowers, plants stripped of their foliage and gauged fruit. Use homemade garlic & chilli spray to fix - instructions are available in our full post on pests.

Aphids
Aphids present as large colonies of tiny insects clustered on young stems, leaves and buds. Use Eco-Organic oil to fix (available at Bunnings).

Caterpillars
If you notice yellow butterflies flying around your plants - don't be fooled by their pretty wings! They're a sign of caterpillars. You can also spot the eggs they lay. Once hatched, they'll cause nasty leaf holes, starting at the leaf's edge and working inward. Use Yates Organic Caterpillar Killer to fix (available at Bunnings).

Happy growing Tribe! And don't forget to join our Facebook Group for inspo, tips and tricks, or contact us at any time if you have any questions.