How We Grow

We grow on the iDOO 12-Pod Hydroponics Growing System — a countertop unit with a built-in LED grow light, a water pump, and twelve growing pods arranged in a 4-column by 3-row grid. It’s compact, quiet, and surprisingly capable.

The unit holds approximately 4 liters of water in its reservoir. That’s your growing medium, your nutrient delivery system, and your lifeline — all in one basin. Treat it accordingly.

Each pod is a small sponge-like growing medium — a little cup of potential. Before you do anything else, the pod needs to be wet. Dry pods don’t germinate. It’s that simple.

1. Wet the pod thoroughly. Submerge it in clean water or run it under the tap until it’s saturated. Squeeze gently. It should feel heavy with moisture, not dripping.
2. Place the pod into the growing cup. The cup sits in the pod slot on the unit. Make sure it’s seated firmly.
3. Add your seeds. Two seeds per pod. No more. You might be tempted to add three — don’t. Two is the number. If both germinate, you thin to one later.
4. Place the seed gently. Press each seed lightly into the top of the pod — just enough to make contact. Don’t bury it.
5. Place the dome. The small plastic dome goes over the pod. It creates a humid microclimate that encourages germination. Don’t skip this step.

Once your seeds are in and domed, your job is patience. In our experience, germination happens in 3 to 5 days. Some pods will show a sprout by Day 3. Others take the full five. Don’t panic either way.

Keep the domes on for approximately one week — or until your sprouts are clearly visible and beginning to push against the dome. The humidity matters during this stage. Removing the domes too early exposes tender seedlings to dry air before they’re ready.

We use General Hydroponics Flora Series — specifically FloraMicro and FloraGrow. These are two parts of a classic three-part liquid nutrient system trusted by hydroponic growers for decades. For lettuce, you don’t need the third part (FloraBloom) until much later, if at all.

We start conservatively — roughly half the recommended dose on the General Hydroponics feed chart. Young seedlings don’t need a full meal. Think of it as introducing them to solid food. Start gentle, observe, adjust.

After the first feeding, we wait approximately 5 days before the second. Watch how the plants respond before you increase dosing. Healthy, deep green color is a good sign. Yellowing or pale leaves suggest they may need more. Dark, waxy leaves can mean too much.

pH measures the acidity of your water. In hydroponics, it controls whether your plants can actually absorb the nutrients you’re giving them. You can add all the nutrients in the world — and if your pH is off, the plant can’t use them. It’s a locked door.

For lettuce, target a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. That’s your window. We aim for the middle — around 6.0.

We use pH testing drops — a few drops in a water sample, compare the color to the chart. It’s analog and reliable. A digital pH meter is more precise and worth the investment if you’re serious about consistency.

We start the sunflowers indoors — 15 pods in a standard seed-starting flat, under a grow light, approximately three weeks before they go in the ground. That gives us time to control the early conditions before handing them over to the weather.

Two varieties are in play: High Mowing Mammoth (pods 1–6) and High Mowing Autumn Beauty Blend (pods 7–12). A third variety — ASL Sunspot Dwarf — occupies the remaining pods. They’re not part of the competition. They’re there to watch.

The 15-pod flat is the controlled phase. Grove Park is everything after.

Sunflowers are not fussy at the planting stage. They want to germinate. Your job is to give them the conditions to do it without interference.

1. Fill each cell with moist seed-starting mix. Don’t pack it — firm it gently. You want contact without compression.
2. Press one seed per pod, approximately 1 inch deep. No deeper. The seed needs warmth from the soil surface, not burial.
3. Cover and firm gently. No air pockets. The seed should be surrounded by mix, not suspended in a cavity.
4. Label each pod by number. Position matters. The draft assigns ownership by pod. Mislabeling early creates problems later.
5. Place the humidity dome. Keep it on until the first sprout breaks through the surface.
6. Set the grow light. 16 hours on, 8 hours off. Keep the light 6–8 inches above the flat.

During the indoor phase, the goal is consistency. Temperature, light duration, and moisture level should remain as stable as you can keep them. Variation is fine. Swings are not.

Water from below when possible. Bottom watering encourages deeper root development — the roots extend toward the moisture source. It also reduces the risk of damping off, which tends to travel through wet soil surfaces.

Sunflowers are reliable germinators. Expect the first sprout in 7 to 10 days, sometimes sooner. Once a seedling breaks through the soil surface, remove the humidity dome. Leave it on too long and you risk damping off — a fungal condition that collapses seedlings at the soil line, usually overnight.

Any pod that hasn’t shown growth by Day 14 is noted in the log. The reserve pods exist for situations like this.

Approximately 7 to 10 days before transplant, we begin the hardening process. Seedlings go outside for increasing periods of time each day — starting in shade, working toward full sun exposure. The goal is to condition the plant without shocking it.

1. Days 1–2: One hour in partial shade. Back inside. Don’t rush the first exposure.
2. Days 3–4: Two to three hours in partial shade. Light breeze is fine. Wind is not.
3. Days 5–6: Morning hours in full sun. Shade in the afternoon. Watch for wilting.
4. Days 7–8: Full morning and afternoon sun. Monitor for stress. Water if needed.
5. Days 9–10: Full-day outdoor exposure. If the plants are handling it without distress, they’re ready to transplant.

Transplant happens around Mothers Day weekend — approximately May 12. This timing aligns the outdoor phase with the Cape Alder growing season. Soil temperature should be consistently above 50°F before you commit.

Full sun is not negotiable. Sunflowers need a minimum of 8 hours of direct sun per day. A shaded or partially shaded location will produce a weaker plant regardless of how well the indoor phase went.

Each active pod is scored weekly using the Root Card system. Five metrics, each scored 1 to 5. Maximum 25 points per pod per week. Photo and scoring day: Tuesdays.