Frequently Asked Questions
&
Recommendations

When will my order ship?

Seedlings ship Mondays and Tuesdays only. Orders placed on Monday or Tuesday by 12:00pm EST will be shipped on that day. Orders placed after 12:00pm on Tuesday will ship the following Monday.

Can I place an order for local pickup?

You can place your order on our website and choose local pickup in the second step of delivery method at check out. You will be notified by email when your order is ready for pickup. Whenever you place your order, we can usually have it ready for you the next day. If you need to schedule a pickup or know when you’ll be driving by, please include a note with your order and we’ll have it ready for you.

Do you accept purchase orders for schools?

Yes, we accept purchase orders.
Send us an email with your seedling selection, billing and shipping address, email and phone number. We can either create a purchase order for you or you can send us yours. We'll ship your order as soon as we have all the information and you'll receive an invoice in your email.

Can I add seedlings to my existing order?

If your order hasn't shipped yet, please contact us by email or phone with a list of seedlings that you'd like to add and we'll get back to you with a confirmation as soon as possible.

Will your seedlings fit into my Lettuce Grow or Gardyn system?

Yes, our seedlings will fit into Lettuce Grow, Gardyn or any other aeroponic/hydroponic system. The rockwool cube measures 1.5x1.5 inches.

Can I plant your seedlings in soil?

Yes! You can plant the seedlings with the rockwool cube and make sure the rockwool is not showing. The seedlings are young, so you'll just have to watch them and make sure they stay well watered.

What happens if I order seedlings and input my address incorrectly?

If your order hasn't shipped yet, we can correct your address.
If your seedlings already shipped and you didn't fill out your address correctly, we are not responsible for undelivered packages and we will not ship replacements.

What do I do if my seedlings arrived damaged?

If seedlings do not arrive in a healthy condition, please notify us by email (info@wncurbanfarms.com) with photos of the seedlings within 5 calendar days of delivery as it is stated in our included instructions. If you notify us within 5 calendar days of delivery, we will refund or replace unhealthy or damaged seedlings.

What can I grow inside?

Any lettuces, greens, herbs, celery, green beans, green onions, snap peas will grow just fine inside. If you’d like to grow larger vegetables inside you have to hand pollinate them, but not all, only the flowering ones. You can also grow cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts (these take around three months to grow and take up a lot of space in the Tower Garden, but no pollination is required.)

Should I thin out my seedlings?

Yes, you should thin out seedlings that are crowded otherwise they will not have enough space for the roots and may not grow as well as they should.
Look for the ones with the thickest stem. Once you have selected which seedling(s) to keep, cut the others at the rockwool level with scissors.

You can also thin out your seedlings as they grow to give them room for the roots, so with lettuce for example you can let them grow for a couple of weeks and then pick the healthiest-looking stem(s) that you'd like to keep and cut (and eat) the rest. Eventually you will have only one remaining stem that will continue to grow and form a head.

With bigger vegetables you need only one seedling per rockwool cube.

How to add minerals to my Tower Garden?

It is important to mix your minerals properly. To be sure you're adding the correct amount mix 100ml of minerals A + 100ml of minerals B in a 5 gallon bucket and add it to your Tower Garden reservoir. If temperatures are over 80F use half strength minerals. You should also empty the whole reservoir every 2-3 months and replace with fresh water with minerals to avoid mineral concentration.

Here is a guide to keep on hand:

1 gallon of water / 20ml of minerals A + 20ml of minerals B

5 gallon of water / 100ml of minerals A + 100ml of minerals B

10 gallon of water / 200ml of minerals A + 200ml of minerals B

20 gallon of water / 400ml of minerals A + 400ml of minerals B

What to do with strawberries?

Strawberries are sold as bare roots that are 2-3 years old and have been dormant over the winter therefore it is normal for the roots to be brown.
If your strawberry plants have larger roots, cut a big enough hole in the bottom of your Net Pots to be able to pull the roots through.
As the strawberries grow keep snipping off all blooms for the first couple of weeks to establish the plant before letting it to bare fruit.
It is very important not to cover the crown of the strawberry plant otherwise the plants will die.
Strawberries need at least 8-10 hours of sun. 10-12 hours is ideal.
Keep the PH in your Tower Garden between 5.5-6.8.

Is there a green mold on my seedlings?

The green stuff on your seedlings is not mold. It is an algae which is considered normal for young seedlings that have not been treated with any chemicals. It is harmless and it happens everywhere where there are perfect conditions for a plant growth. If you’re concerned about it you can gently rinse the rockwool under a running water and then place it back into your Tower Garden.

How can I treat Powdery Mildew on my plants?

Powdery mildew cannot live in an alkaline environment so one way of treating powdery mildew is baking soda. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one teaspoon of insecticidal or liquid organic soap to a gallon of water. Spray on plants every one to two weeks.

Another option is whole milk. Dilute whole milk with water 1:1 and spray it generously on the leaves. Do this in the morning on a sunny day.

You can also try a copper fungicide. This works well too.

Copper fungicide:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=organic+copper+fungicide&hvadid=616863755514&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9010321&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3880554617395780784&hvtargid=kwd-22768807897&hydadcr=28694_14648723&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_76vn05a62q_e

How can I treat aphids and avoid them?

Getting infested with aphids or any other pests is very easy, especially when growing inside and organically! They can crawl in, fly in or you can unknowingly bring them inside on your clothes.
The best way to avoid aphid infestation is to never let it start because it's almost impossible to stop it then!

As your seedlings grow, you have to keep checking the under leaves and the center of the plants every day or as often as possible.
Keep snipping off any diseased, yellow, brown or dead leaves.
Make sure to keep your Tower Garden very clean and keep your plants trimmed. If they are overgrown, the aphids can hide easily and you're creating a perfect home for them, so stay in control of your Tower Garden!
Have an oscillating fan near your Tower Garden.
Quickly check pets (if you have any) and your clothes before coming into your house, greenhouse or near your Tower Garden.
What works also is not to keep the plants in the Tower Garden for too long.

As soon as you see a sign of pests, you can take out the affected plant (if it's still small), rinse it thoroughly under running water and put it back in the Tower Garden.

If the plant is older and you find yourself in the middle of a severe infestation, only drastic measures will need to be taken if you decide to save your plants.

Sometimes we hate to start over so if you'd like to try and save them, you can take all your plants out of the Tower Garden, take the Tower apart and wash it. (You wouldn't be able to do this if you have huge vegetable plants in your Tower Garden.)
Cut most of the leaves off of your leafy greens - leaving only a new growth and rinse the whole plants thoroughly under running water making sure there's not a single aphid left! Shake the plants gently and let the leaves dry out a little but keep the roots wet. Put them back into your clean Tower Garden and spray with Insecticidal Soap for organic gardening or natural Pyrethrin. (Link below)

Also, if you have any houseplants in the house, and already had aphids before, spray all your plants with Insecticidal Soap. This soap kills pests on contact. Once you have aphids in your house you have to be very mindful and thorough with cleaning of the Tower Garden surroundings.
All it takes is one aphid!

If you have trouble with pests outside, you can rinse all your plants and the Tower Garden with a garden hose on shower settings making sure you flush all the pests off.

Remember to wash your produce before eating no matter what you spray your seedlings with even when the sprays are meant for organic gardening.

Links: