I had my first casualty this week. I took the plants out of the container and began cleaning the tank out because I was worried about the worms swimming around the roots when two of the plants started drooping, and they went down quick. I hastily put them back in the tank and hoped for the best next morning. One of them stood right back up while the other didn’t show the same encouraging signs. It fell flat, with its leaves looking lifeless. I haven’t cut it out completely yet but it looks like I will have to do it eventually.
One thing I’ve noticed in some of the leaves is “leaf margin curl” which from what I’ve read is down to problems in the root. The new leaves don’t have the same problem so I’m hoping it solved itself.
I also have this one plant that isn’t doing too well. Its the only plant by itself in its net cup but for some reason isn’t growing as fast as the rest. Its root system is scarce and looks weak. It doesn’t look great but I’m hoping it’s able to recover in the coming week.
Apart from that (which sounds like a substantial amount of problems to gloss over), the system looks lush with a sudden burst of tiny leaves sprouting from the base of the plants. I had to replace the nutrient solution today for the first time and added a stronger concentration of nutrients this time because the spinach looks big enough to handle the larger doses. If all goes well, I hope to have my very own “farm to table” dining experience in the coming weeks.
Fledgling Urban Farmer 