Archive for August, 2010
Hydroponic Media Guide
63
Tired of messy soil-based growing? Are you spending most of your time pulling out weeds from the unwilling land? Then hydroponics is the way to go! Hydroponics does not just refer to growing plants in water, as the name suggests, but covers a gamut of techniques that produce plants without using soil as a medium. That includes growing plants in water-based nutrient solution, in artificial hydroponic growing media and through aeroponics, where plant roots hanging freely in air are kept moist and nourished (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Floating Raft and Hydroponic Lettuce
167
A hydroponic floating raft uses large beds containing a volume of nutrient solutions. Styrofoam boards or rafts floating on the hydroponic solution support the plants. Floating raft systems are often used to grow plants of short stature like lettuce and basil. The floating raft system in itself is inexpensive and can be built easily. Hydroponics lettuce are one of the most popular salad vegetables grown using the floating raft system. Besides being easy to implement, lettuce also (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Heavy Harvest – What to Look for In a Fertilizer
94
Traditional outdoor growing in a three season cycle has never been an easy task, and it also represents a massive investment in time and energy. Even under the best circumstances, there is a lot that can go wrong, so it’s generally a good idea to do everything in your power to make this growing method as stress free as possible. One of the best ways to do this, and to set yourself up for an extremely heavy harvest in the fall, is to be very selective about your fertilizer.
Your fertilizer is important because it really determines how much work you will put into your plants and what the eventual result will be. If you are not certain which fertilizer to use for a really heavy harvest, here are some helpful tips.
Multiple Season Formulas - Don’t make the mistake of using the same formula fertilizer throughout every single season. While this is certainly possible, it just won’t give you the heavy harvest that you (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Information on Plant Cloning
220
In hydroponics, plant cloning is the act of reproducing a plant asexually so that it is a genetic copy of the original. Many people choose to clone because it can actually create a new plant faster than seed propagation. Others choose to clone in order to make copies of genetically superior plants. It is not uncommon for an experienced hydroponic gardener to have his grow room be mostly filled with clones of (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
PK 13/14 – The Disturbing Truth Behind This Popular Hydroponics Nutrient Solution
267
Though very popular, PK 13/14 is not everything that it is cracked up to be. There is certainly no denying that phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are necessary to enjoy full blooming flowers and large, tasty fruit. However, contrary to commonly held assumptions, this ratio to phosphorus and potassium is far from ideal.
In fact, PK 13/14 might actually be doing more harm than good. Don’t include this, or for that matter, any, nutrient combination to your reservoir without first getting all of the fact. Here are just a few of the problems that PK 13/14 has been shown to bring to hydroponics systems.
Creates Phosphorus Build Up – One of the main problems of PK 13/14 is that the proportion of phosphorus is simply too high. This causes the phosphorus to build up and actually harm your plants. Excess phosphorus can start a chain reaction that wreck havoc on how your plants (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Nutrient Feeding – General Guideline for Hydroponics
102
One cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good nutrient feeding schedule to your plants. If your nutrient feeding schedule is sloppy, or otherwise not done well at all, you will only enjoy a small fraction of the yields, aroma, and flavor that you can get with hydroponics.
The exact, precise nature of your hydroponics nutrient feeding schedule will actually depend upon a variety of factors, including what you are growing. However, there (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Organic Hydroponic Nutrients – The Truth
109
Many people, every many growers, are under the impression that organic growing and hydroponic growing are worlds apart. While one part takes full advantage of lab created nutrients, the other is a philosophy of using only natural elements in growing. But you might be surprised to learn that there are a lot areas where hydroponic and organic growing overlap, most notably through organic hydroponic nutrients.
A lot of high quality organic hydroponic nutrients are available for growers who want to give their plants every advantage of organics. They are sometimes even combined into teas that help you get a well balanced blend of organic nutrients.
Here are the main reasons why you should consider (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
Applications of Trichoderma in Hydroponics
89
All fertile soil contains a complicated miniature ecosystem. It is teeming with various kinds of life, some of which have a parasitic relationship with plants with roots. But the vast majority of the life in soil actually helps plants, giving them the nutrients and other favorable environmental factors that it needs even while they consume resources for their own survival. One of the most potent soil based organisms is the fungus Trichoderma. This fungus, and products that contain this fungus, are regularly added to hydroponic systems in order to get the real benefits of soil, without having to deal with the downsides. Here are the major advantages of including a Trichoderma-containing hydroponic products into your nutrient solution.
Protection from Disease – Disease is one of the most damaging and (more…)
About Jean Smith
Hydroponics Grower experiencing and enjoying gardening using new technology and methods. Connect me on Google+ at Google+
