Frequently Asked Questions
How does the family farm work?
Plants grown in The Family Farm float directly in the water that they grow in, this results in high water efficiency - reducing the amount of maintenance that the system needs! When its time to refill water, the lights at the bottom of your Family Farm will flash - but don't worry, you'll only need to refill on average once every 2-3 weeks depending on the size of your plants and the temperature and humidity of the room your plants are in! Our Hydroponic nutrients and full spectrum LED grow lights provide your plants with the perfect nutrient balance and light exposure that they need to grow. This means you will experience higher yields and faster growth as your plants do not need to expend energy growing their root system in search of nutrients. You can grow food indoors, reducing the distance food travels to get to you - resulting in a fresher meal on your table, fewer emissions from food miles, and fewer plants subjugated to life in the back of a fridge!
What does it grow in?
Water! The plants are held together in rock wool - which is the product of a rock that has been heated and spun like fairy floss. Rock wool provides uniform oxygenation for a plants roots, as well as a stable medium for the plant to be secured by. Once the roots grow out of the rock wool, they simply float in the water and grow! As a result, you get soil-free growth that makes this product perfect for homes, cafes, restaurants and offices! This Family Farm has 72 of these Rockwool growing pods! So, you can grow a variety of your favorite herbs and veggies.
How long until I have to plant seeds again?
Plant your seeds again once your plants have been completely harvested and the growth cycle is over. Each plant has it's own growth cycle.
- For Leafy Vegetables 25-40 days
- For Flowers 2-4 months
- Fruit Vegetables 2-3 months
How do I refill the family farm?
Its best to let the water level in your basin drop close to the bottom (with perhaps 1cm of water left in the basin) before topping up the water. This is so that your plant roots are forced to extend and grow as much as possible before you soak them again. Refill your family farm by mixing two scoops of hydroponic nutrients per top up. We recommend using a funnel or a narrow nozzle jug to top up water.
How do I harvest my food?
When most plants first sprout, they generally have a set of leaves that look nothing like their fully grown leaves. These are called "Seed leaves" and are just there to power the plant until it is large enough to grow "True leaves" (which look much more like the plant you are expecting to see). The general rule of thumb is that you should wait until your plant has 3 sets of "true leaves" before you cut anything. Once you have these 3 sets of true leaves, you can trim your plant down by cutting off the top section of the plant's main stem with sharp scissors at a 45-degree angle. Try to give the plant 5-10 cm of space between the light and the top set of leaves. Some plants such as basil can be harvested repeatedly, and grow faster with a healthy level of harvesting - whereas other plants such as lettuce are single harvest and are best harvested all in one go.
What happens if something goes wrong?
We don’t expect you’ll have any issues with your Family Farm. However, if you do, we’ll replace anything that misfires in the first year.
