WHAT CAN WE HELP YOU WITH?

So you picked up a FarmTower recently, or are just curious to understand more before making the plunge. Don't worry, we've bean there, done that.

We carrot-bout our customers, which is why we have put together this comprehensive list of FAQs.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Does it take up a lot of space?

Our FarmTowers come in 1,2,3 and 4 Tiers, each taking up the same footprint of 2 Square feet (0.25 square meters). Thats about the area of 2 flower pots / 1 chair.

Our FarmTowers ( 1 and 2 Tier) can be put atop of kitchen counters, making a convenient herb counter for cooking.

Is it time consuming?

Just 10 mins a week, growing doesn't get as simple as that.

Yes you heard right, 10 mins a week. This involves measuring the nutrient levels and topping up nutrient solution to the system. Turn on the pump and this will automatically water the entire system.

Our friendly installation crew will teach you on how to upkeep and grow your vegetables the fun and easy way.

 

Is it difficult to assemble and setup?

Not at all. We have videos for instruction assembly and planting under our Resource tab.

Assembly and setting up for the first time takes 45-65 mins. For a small additional fee, our friendly and knowledgeable installation experts will help assemble, wash and set the clay ball medium, measure and fill up the nutrients, and calibrate your timers for a worry-free growing experience.

First time buyers are eligible for discounted seedlings pack, so that you can get started growing and harvesting sooner.

 

Does it consume a lot of electricity?

Not at all. Each tier consumes ~$3 a month (depending on your utility provider).
Using a mechanical / smart timer can further help reduce the operational costs.

 

How soon can i harvest?

Between 2 to 5 weeks.

Growing leafy vegetables from seed takes around 5 weeks for a full harvest. Seeds can be purchased from your supermarkets, horticulture store, Shopee, Lazada store.

Growing from our non-GMO organic seedlings only requires a 2-3 weeks wait time. Purchase our seedlings to get ahead of the gemination time and get more consistent results.

Seedlings are delivered within 3 to 5 working days pre-planted in new net cups. Upon delivery, one to one exchange of old net cups is required.

 

PRODUCT INFORMATION

How do I use Liquid pH Down?

For growers who use harder water, our liquid pH down is likely the better option. This pH down is made primarily with phosphoric acid, which works well to cut through any excess minerals to balance pH. It can also keep pH levels consistent for about a week.

Since this is a liquid product, we recommend using a pipette to draw up 5-10 mL of pH down at a time and adding the liquid directly to your tank while the pump is running. Let the pump circulate for about 5 minutes before retesting and readjusting as needed.

How do I use pH Pen and EC Pen?

The pH Pen is a digital pen used for testing pH and comes with calibration solutions. It is equipped with a sensor on the bottom so that when it’s dipped in water collected from your FarmTower, it will digitally display the pH level.

The pH Pen must be calibrated using the calibration solutions before the first use, every 6 months, if it goes unused for a prolonged period of time, is used very frequently, or if stored improperly.

All purchased pH and EC pens are pre calibrated before shipping, so rest assured. You can buy our calibration solutions on our website.

How much nutrient should i use? What's in the provided nutrients?

Follow the recommended doses for Nutrient A and B. As a guideline, use 5ml of Nutrient A and 5ml of Nutrient B with 1 litre of water.

Part A promotes healthy root growth and flowering in your plants with:

Potassium Nitrate and Phosphorus - minerals mined from the earth

Magnesium Sulfate - You might be more familiar with its common name - Epsom Salt)

Micronutrients -such as iron and boron, that plants (and humans!) need to thrive

Part B contains exclusively calcium and nitrogen in the form of calcium nitrate. This is a natural mineral salt.

Nitrogen - key to producing lots of leafy, vegetative growth.
Calcium - helps to strengthen the cell walls of the plant, allowing them to stand up tall and straight and resist attacks from harmful insects.

How is the water dispersed to all the plants?

When the pump turns on, it pushes water to the top of the FarmTower where the water flows into the reservoir. Once the water reaches a threshold, it overflows into the tier below. This allows a minimum level of water across all tiers of the FarmTower. The system was designed to ensure your plants are receiving the correct amount of water (not too little, or too much) so your plants are healthy and nutritious. Unlike a commercial NFT system, in the event of a power outage to the pump, your plants will still have sufficient water to last for several weeks.

How should I store the nutrients and pH down solution?

Please handle both products with care. Keep out of children’s reach. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing. Store it in a cool, dark place.

 

What type of seeds can i grow?

Crops that grow well in the shade and sun both work in our FarmTower. Our Growlights emulate the 12 noon Sun without the harshness of the heatwaves, speeding the crop growth cycle by 50%.

Is growing with a FarmTower considered organic?

The FarmTower uses organic growing practices to raise your seeds/ seedlings. The non-use of pesticides (commonly used in soil farming) helps ensure that none of the nasty chemicals and toxins get to your vegetables and fruits. Grown produce can be harvested and eaten off the FarmTower.

ORDERS & DELIVERIES

How can I track my order?

Orders placed during June/ July will be notified by Email/ WhatsApp. Our delivery team will reach out and liaise with you on the delivery date/ timings.

 

Can I edit or cancel my order?

Please reach out to our Customer Service Representative with your order number and we will gladly assist you.

  

MAINTENANCE

How do I add nutrients to my FarmTower? 

Safety PSA: Ensure that your power is not connected during the process, as running the water pump without water will damage the pump

Prepare 40 litres of nutrients using the recommended mixing instructions on our Nutrient A and B bottles.

If this is the first time using your FarmTower, be sure to fill up the Tower from the Top Tier to the bottom Tier, to ensure that each tier is filled up till to the overflow valve.

To fill each tier with nutrient water, remove one side of the lid for easier access. Fill nutrients until excess overflows to the next tier below. 

Repeat until nutrient overflows to the base tier. Top up the remaining nutrients to the max recommended level, using the level indicator at the side of the base tier.

Only after you are done, turn on the water pump to test the flow of water. You should notice water being pumped from the base tier to the top tier.

If you are simply refilling the FarmTower, you can refill nutrient solution through the base tier.

Using the EC meter, your EC reading should be 1.5 to 2.5. For Seedlings, you can start with a half concentration of 0.75 to 1.25, and work up to full concentration from week 4 onwards.

 

What should I do if my pH is consistently too low?

Optimum pH should be between 5.5 to 7.5

Don't worry if your pH levels dip below the desired pH range of 5.5 - 6! Your water's pH will naturally rise throughout the week as seedlings absorb nutrients from the water. Your plants can handle a few days of growing where the pH is outside of the ideal range.

If you notice that you rarely or never need to add pH down solution and your pH is consistently lower than 4 - 4.5, your plants may not be receiving the nutrients they need from the water. We recommend that you:

1. Remove some of the water from your FarmTower reservoir and replace it with fresh water. This raises your pH by removing the dissolved minerals that make your water acidic. Test the pH levels once you have added fresh water, and adjust accordingly.
   
   
2. IF the replacing your reservoir water does not help bring your pH levels back up, you may need pH Up (dissolved Baking Soda). Add it a little at time and wait 5 minutes before testing with a pH Pen. Add more if needed to achieve optimum pH range.

How do I test and adjust my pH? What if my pH is too high?

Optimum pH should be between 5.5 to 7.5

Don't worry if your pH levels rises below the desired pH range of 5.5 - 6! Add small amounts of the pH Down solution and wait 5 minutes for the reservoir to cycle before testing with a pH Pen. Add more if needed to achieve optimum pH range.

How do I reset my FarmTower?

A reset should be done every quarter.

It is normal for your FarmTower to get a bit dirty over the course of a growing season. Dirt and dust can settle on the outside, large root systems can develop on the inside, and debris, nutrients, and other sediment can accumulate in the reservoir. These are all common occurrences in hydroponics.

Water flow issues? How to check your timer and clean out your water pump 

It is good practice to clean out the debris at he bottom tier, and also give the water pump a good rinse every month in between harvests. If you're experiencing issues with your pump or timer, here are some steps to help assess the situation and figure out the source of the problem. It could be one of the following:

• Faulty Outlet
• Defective Timer
• Clogged Pump
• Broken Pump

Check Your Outlet
Make sure the GFCI outlet you are using is working properly and has not tripped. You can do this by plugging any working electronic item into the outlet and turning it on.

Check Your Timer
If the outlet is working, check to see if your timer is working properly. Plug it into the outlet and switch it to "On". This will make electricity constantly run through it. Once you have switched the timer to “On”, test it by plugging in any working electronic device. The timer is defective if the device does not turn on.

Check Your Pump
Before you take a look at the pump, make sure that your FarmTower is plugged in and that the tank is at least half full of water. Plug the pump into an outlet that you know works and listen to whether or not it turns on. The pump is defective if it does not turn on.

If the pump turns on but you notice your that your water pressure is reduced or water flows unevenly, your pump may need a quick cleaning. Take the pump out and remove any roots that might be clogging it and blocking the flow of water. It may also help to remove the lid and unscrew the pump cap, then remove any roots inside the pump internals.

If your pump needs to be replaced, not to worry, you can keep your plants happy and hydrated as they are by ensuring the water level in each tier is sufficient and touching at least 1cm of the base of your net cups while your new pump is on its way. The system and plants will still be growing at 95% efficiency! Just remember to disconnect the power to your faulty pump in the meantime.

If you receive a defective timer or pump, let us know and we will do everything we can to get you up and running as soon as possible. Reach out to us at +65 92236225 or agrihomesg@gmail.com so we can be of assistance!

 

 

GROWING & HARVESTING 

How do i get started with growing?

You can either start with the pre-packed seeds or store bought seeds from the supermarket. Different seeds will have different germinating periods of 1-2 weeks, and not all seeds are guaranteed to germinate. So germination is a game of patience and luck.

To germinate your seeds, you may use paper towel method here.

We are experimenting with the idea of supplying pre-grown seedlings to your doorstep, for our users who prefer to skip the waiting game, and get a 3 week jump start into their FarmTower's journey. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates!

How and when do I harvest my plants?

You can’t go wrong - most plants can be harvested at multiple stages of life - micro, baby, and fully grown! You can also partially harvest most plants  (Cut and come again method) if you’re not ready to pull them from your FarmTower completely. You’ll learn throughout your growing process what you like best.

 

What if I see nutrient residue or algae on the grow medium?

It is common for a thin layer of white nutrient residue or green algae to form on the top of seedling's grow medium. Hydroponic grow medium is designed to absorb the water and nutrients that flow through the FarmTower. The majority of those nutrients are absorbed by the seedling's roots or flow back into the FarmTower's reservoir. However, some nutrients will settle on top of your seedling's grow medium.

This can result in one of two things: a white nutrient residue or a thin layer of green algae. Both are common and nothing to worry about! Nutrient residue is just a solid form of the nutrients and algae forms when the sun reacts with wet nutrient residue.

Algae cells are found everywhere and all they need to grow is water, light and nutrients -- just like plants. This is why you might see algae on your growing medium. Algae will not harm plants but they can slow gas exchanges in the grow medium which can lead to slow root growth. You can change your timer settings for your water pump to run less frequently to help prevent algae from developing.

It is also recommended to wash your clay pellets throughly after each full harvest before reusing them. Yes our clay pellets are reusable and environmentally and wallet friendly.

 

How do I recognise and remedy plant nutrient deficiency? 

Please refer to our plant health guide for more detailed explanation on plant health.

 

What is bolting lettuce?

Bolting in lettuce happens when the plant has matured and reached the end of its life cycle. This growth pattern also happens to many other cool-season plants, including cilantro, spinach, and broccoli. When a plant bolts, it's just doing what comes naturally.

Bolting also typically happens when a plant is stressed by poor conditions. The plant enters survival mode and tries to get to the seeding stage as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for gardeners, veggies don’t maintain their flavourful taste once they flower.

 

Why do fruits and vegetables take so long to harvest?

Fruits and vegetables are some of our favorite foods to eat but they take longer than lettuces, herbs, and other leafy greens to harvest. That's because they are dense packs of nutrition and the plant needs more time and energy to produce them. The seedlings need to develop a large amount of plant mass to support the growth and development of their fruits and vegetables.

The great news is that for many vegetables, like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and eggplant, you will have multiple harvests! We encourage you to get on a seedling refill cycle in order to have consistent harvests throughout a season.

For example, once you’ve been harvesting from your tomato or cucumber plant for 1-2 weeks, you should order another of each seedling. This will give the new seedlings enough time to grow so that they will start producing new fruits and vegetables when your older plant either stops producing or outgrows the grow cup. As the seasons change, order new vegetables when you’re still harvesting so you always have a bountiful harvest.

Fruits and veggies remind us to appreciate the work our local farmers do to provide us with a steady stream of fresh and nutritious produce on a large scale. If you and your family want even more fruits and veggies on your plates, you can purchase an additional Farmstand.  For best results, it is recommended to use the Fruits and Flowering fertiliser and also a separate FarmTower for growing flowering and fruiting crops.

Explore: Leafy Greens hydroponics fertiliser, Flower and Fruits hydroponics fertiliser

 

Can I grow in extremely hot weather?

With indoor farming and LED Grow lights, weather is not a problem. During higher temperatures in the day, wilting is totally normal and the plants will recover in the cooler nighttime temperatures. Also be sure to check in on your water level more frequently, and pay more attention to your seedling so that they don't dry out. Quick trip, use a spray bottle to occasionally mist seedlings.

 

How do I hand pollinate? 

So your tomato/ cucumber plant has finally shown its first flowers. Whats next? Pollination! We recommend a small paintbrush or electric toothbrush. If you are using a paintbrush, gently brush on the insides of the flowers. For the electric toothbrush method, gently vibrate the outside of the flowers for 1-2 seconds. Personally, the electric toothbrush will prove more effective and useful for larger numbers of flowers. Pro tip: Don't throw out the old electric toothbrush heads.