Welcome to the world of urban farming! As a new Grobrix user, you’re about to embark on a journey of plant growth and harvesting like never before. In this blog, we’ll guide you through your first 30 days with Grobrix, including plant care and harvesting tips to help you maximise your experience.
Day 1-5: Getting to know your Grobrix farm wall
Now that you have your farm wall installed and the plants in place, sit back and enjoy watching the plants grow. Take this time to read the resources available on our website, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us on your direct Whatsapp line.
Day 6-10: Check the reservoir
One of the most important aspects of growing plants with Grobrix farm wall is water and nutrients. Now that you are a week into your growing journey, you need to start checking the water reservoir weekly, making sure that the water pump is fully submerged and refilling it as needed.
Different plants have “thirst levels” – if you have a wall full of kale and basil, it’s likely that the reservoir will run low more quickly as they are “thirsty” plants. If you have a wall with mostly lettuce, your reservoir should last longer without refilling. Younger plants also drink and feed less than more mature plants. Just like people 🙂
If your farm wall is placed outdoors or your area is prone to mosquitos, throw the BTi bag into the reservoir to prevent mosquito breeding. BTi is effective for a week. Replace with a new bag every seven days.
Grobrix also offers nutrient solutions that you should add to the water tank to ensure the plant’s optimal growth. Follow the instructions carefully, and avoid over-fertilising.
Rule of thumb 👍:
Add nutrients A (10ml) + B (10ml) for every 1 litre of water added to the tank.
Day 11-21: Ready to harvest!
We know the most exciting part about growing your own food is eating them. You can start picking from your lettuces and “salad secondaries” such as rocket, sorrel, and mustard frills at the two weeks mark. Do note that every plant has a different growth cycle. Plants such as herbs and kale are slower growing and take much longer to reach maturity; Do not prune or harvest them before week four.
Unsure of when and how to harvest the plants? Check out each plant’s ‘Care & Harvest Tips’ on the individual seedling pages.
For basil, you would find this information here. You can also reference this blog which touches on some of the more popular crops.
Day 21-25: Time to reorder your seedlings!
By this time, plants like lettuces and Asian greens are ready to come off the farm wall, and onto your plate!
As you do that, you can start ordering new seedlings to replace the empty pods.
Herbs such as basil, mint, and lemon balm should also be ready for pruning. However, they can stay on the farm wall for months if you prune them regularly to ensure healthy growth. Read up on the pruning requirements for your specific plants and follow the instructions carefully.
Grobrix does home drops every Thursday, so please put in your order via the Seedling Store by Tuesday night, leaving us sufficient time to pack your orders.
⚠️ Nothing goes to waste with Grobrix! Do not throw the empty net pots and emptied nutrient bottles.
♻️Please return them to us during the delivery, and we will clean, refill and reuse them.
Day 26-30: Reservoir dump
Refresh the reservoir every 30 days. This involves removing the reservoir, dumping the contents, refilling it with fresh water from the tap to 1 inch from the top, and re-dosing 150ml of both A and B nutrient solutions.
The Grobix farms wall is designed to be a piece of furniture in your home and should be treated like one. Give it a frequent wipe down but do not use any cleaning sprays. Feel free to rearrange the plants in a visually pleasing way with the position guidelines in mind.
In conclusion, growing plants with Grobrix can be a rewarding experience. By following the tips and guidelines from our blogs, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful urban farmer:
- Monitor the water tank and refill it regularly.
- Follow the instructions for nutrient solution carefully.
- Prune your plants regularly to ensure healthy growth.
- Harvest at the correct time and be gentle with the plants.
- Reorder your seedlings.
- Clean and maintain your Grobrix regularly.
Remember to be patient, take good care of your plants, and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour!