Quick summary
We recommend using the large plant pots included in the Chili & Tomato kit
Grow only one plant per pot, and a maximum of two fruiting plants in your Auk at the same time
Start growing in Fruit & Veggies Mode (red light)
Add Bloom Booster when the first flowers appear (after about 5 weeks)
Help your plants with pollination
Prune the plant if it grows into the light
1. We recommend using the large plant pots
The large plant pots were developed together with Auk Mini 2 and are designed for plants that need a little extra space - such as tomatoes and chili peppers 🌶️🍅
With more room for the roots, plants can absorb nutrients more efficiently, resulting in stronger stems, healthier leaves, and better yields.
It is also possible to grow fruits and vegetables in the standard small plant pots that come with your Auk. The large plant pots simply make it easier!
2. Grow only one plant per pot, and a maximum of two fruiting plants at a time
Tomatoes, chili peppers, and other fruiting plants grow large and require a lot of light. If there are too many plants in your Auk, fruit production will be reduced because the plants have to compete for light.
We therefore recommend growing a maximum of one plant per pot and no more than two fruiting plants in your Auk at the same time.
Feel free to sow 2-3 seeds in the same spot within a pot. If more than one seed germinates, remove the extra seedlings so that only one plant remains.
If you don't want to discard the seedlings you remove, you can transplant them into separate pots outside of your Auk.
If you are growing in the standard small plant pots, we recommend leaving two of the pots empty when growing fruiting plants.
3. Switch to the Fruit & Veggies mode
Tap the mode button until it shows a red blink – that confirms you've switched to Fruit & Veggies mode. Learn more about the light.
4. Add Bloom Booster when the first flowers appear (after about 5 weeks)
Until the first flowers appear: Add 6 pumps of Grow and 6 pumps of Flavour each time you refill a full water reservoir.
If you are only topping up the reservoir, add 2 pumps of Grow and 2 pumps of Flavour per litre (0.26 gallons) of water.
Once your plants begin flowering (usually after about 5 weeks): Start adding Bloom Booster in addition to Grow and Flavour nutrients.
Use 2 pumps of Bloom Booster per litre (0.26 gallons) of water, or 6 pumps when refilling to max.
5. Help your plants with pollination
Flowers need to be pollinated in order for fruit to develop. Although tomato and chili plants are self-pollinating, a little help can improve results.
Gently shake the flowers, blow on them, or use a cotton swab to transfer pollen - ideally once a day while the plant is flowering 🐝
6. Pruning
Prune the plant if it starts growing into the light.
If you notice the plant reaching the light, trim the top slightly. Try to keep as many flower clusters as possible, although you may need to remove some to reduce the plant's height.
Here, we prune just above a flower cluster.
Read more about pruning, pollination, and starting tomato plants indoors here 🍅
Don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] if you have any questions 😊🌱