7 quick tips to get the most out of your Auk

Summary:

Keep the light about 4 inches (10 cm) above the plants.
If a pot goes dry, pour some water into the base plate (1.5 cups/300-400 ml).
If the light is too bright in the evening, you can dim it.
Harvest regularly and make sure all your plants get plenty of light.
Remove dead plant debris.
The warmer it is, the faster it grows (and it grows very slowly below 66°F/19°C).
Start new plants by sowing seeds, using cuttings, or replanting store-bought herbs (experimenting is fun!).

Tip 1: Keep the light about 4 inches (10 cm) above the plants

The plants are looking for light, so if the light is too far away, you will get tall, thin, and weak plants. If the light is too close, the plants can get burned. About 4 inches (10 cm) above the plants is perfect!

Just push the plant light up and down as needed.

Tip 2: If the soil goes dry, pour some water into the base plate.

Sometimes, your Auk can get dry, especially if you have large, thirsty plants or the weather suddenly gets warm.

If this happens, lift one of the pots up and pour 1.5 cups (300-400 ml) of water into the base plate. Your Auk will recover and start watering normally.

If some of the pots go dry, pour some water into the baseplate.

Tip 3: If the light is too bright in the evening, you can dim it

The plants need a lot of light to grow fast, but this can sometimes feel too bright, especially in the evening. If you want to have a smoother and more comfortable light, tap the light button once. It will dim to a warm, comfortable light - perfect for dinner parties.

The light will stay dimmed until the next light cycle starts, then automatically turn on at full strength again.

You can also decide when the light should turn on by setting the light cycle. Read more about that in this article.

Tap the light button once to dim it to a warm, comfortable light

Tip 4: Harvest regularly and make sure all plants get enough light

You’ll get the best result by harvesting regularly to keep the plants growing.

If some plants steal a lot of light, trim them to make sure the smaller ones get more light. Every plant needs light to grow, but some grow faster than others. If some plants overshadow the others, you should trim them to make sure all plants get light. Typically, arugula and parsley grow quickly and tend to overshadow the others. Here is an example:

This basil is in the shade, so it's growing slowly, and might completely stop growing. To solve this, either move the basil straight beneath the plant light or trim the other plants.

Interested in learning more? See more about harvesting and caring for herbs here.

Tip 5: Remove dead plant debris

By removing plant debris, you avoid mold. Mold is completely natural and not harmful to you or the plants, but it's not that nice to look at. You can easily scrape it away with a spatula. See how to remove mold.

Tip 6: The warmer they are, the faster your plants will grow.

The most important factor affecting plant growth is temperature. The optimal temperature is 71-77°F (22-25°C), and anything above 69°F (20-21°C) is great! If it's below 66°F (19°C), the plants will grow very slowly.

Tip for the eager: High humidity provides better growing conditions. During winter the air is often dry, and you could use a humidifier to counter this.

Tip 7: Don't be afraid to experiment - you can start new plants by sowing seeds, using cuttings, or repotting store-bought plants

There are many ways to grow plants with Auk, and that's part of the fun! Auk is an open system that lets you grow whatever you want.

You can grow in different ways:

Sow new seeds.
Use cuttings from other plants
Repot store-bought plants to avoid waiting for new ones to grow