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My 55-Day AeroGarden Bounty Basil Case Study (Sponges vs. Rockwool, Cost Breakdown, and Saving It From Root Rot)
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a detailed write-up of my recent basil run in the AeroGarden Bounty. I tracked everything from my exact nutrient dosing to electricity costs.
The Setup:
- Nutrients: GH FloraSeries (Target EC: 1.2 to 1.8 mS/cm)
- Water parameters: pH 5.9, Temp 66-71°F (19-22°C)
- Hardware: 16/8 light cycle, added an auxiliary air stone for extra O2.
- The Experiment: 2 pods with standard peat sponges, 2 pods with rockwool. (Spoiler: Germination was 100% on both!)
Lessons Learned & Mistakes:
- Overcrowding: I didn't thin aggressively enough, and late sprouts meant 6 plants grew in a 4-pod footprint. It became a complete jungle and ran out of physical space.
- The Trellis Mistake: I didn't install support early enough, and the massive stalks started falling over under their own weight.
- Root Rot Fix: Around month 2, growth stalled and roots turned brown. I added 5mL of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to the tank, and within a week, the roots turned vibrant white and growth exploded again.
Cost Breakdown:
- Electricity: 35.2 kWh ($5.90)
- Nutrients/Media/Water: $1.60
- Total Cost: $7.50 for 6 huge plants ($1.25 each).
I wrote up the full, detailed step-by-step guide with my complete maintenance routine here: https://rootingdc.org/growing-massive-basil-in-the-aerogarden-bounty/
Happy to answer any questions about the parameters or the root rot recovery in the comments!
u/Igor_Viznyy — 10 days ago
