Issue 14
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Table of Contents:
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1. Hydroponic management
You need to know some details if you are going to advance in this business. Here are the main ones to consider:
Nutrient problems:
Most problems of poor plant growth can be traced to one or more of the above. Avoid extremes and remember in hydroponics you must be on the lookout for anything which can go wrong with the root system of your plants.
Let's look at your water supply:
If you live on a city water main, you can call the proper agency and get a copy of the most recent "readout" of what's in your water. Or you can have your water analyzed in a lab set up for such purposes. A smart thing to do is use a meter which measures dissolved solids (EQ, or PPM - this is a parts per million meter). You should have one at hand at all times.
One thing to watch out for: most city water supplies have carbonates of magnesium and calcium. Plants need these chemicals but not over 75 PPM for magnesium and 200 PPM for calcium.
Water temperature is also important. Root areas of most plants prefer 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (18-27 Centigrade). Winter crops will want this to be a little cooler; tropical plants will want it to be a little warmer. Beware of abrupt temperature changes.
City water supplies are usually too high in pH, so you will have to correct for this. pH is all right for most plants if it fluctuates between 5.5 and 7.0. In fact the feeding of the plant roots will cause this fluctuation. The only time to do anything is when the pH goes below 5.5 or above 7.0.
But check your ph meter first - it could be out of adjustment. As always, when in doubt read the instructions which came with the instrument. Or re-check with another method.
What about your media?
Cheap stuff will give not only cheap but bad results. You can get plenty of high pH readings with some media, such as gravel. So take a sample and place it in a bowl of distilled water. Then check the water's pH daily for a week to ten days. Media problems have forced many growers to grow by using the various water methods and no media at all.
Want to know when to change your nutrient?
Here's a simple way which will do the trick without a lot of guessing and tortured detours. Each plant has its own appetite, so you need something simple to keep up with all crops. You just need to keep your eye on things and to keep records of what you see.
When you start out with a freshly filled tank of nutrient solution, read the pH and EC of the solution. Write it down and the date. Then, as the plants grow and the nutrient level in the tank falls, take a reading again of the pH and EC. Use fresh water to fill to the top. Check again for ph and EC. If the nutrient strength of the solution drops quite a bit, add some nutrient to the solution.
Each time you add water, write down the amount. When the total additions equal tank capacity, drain the tank and start all over with a completely new and fresh supply of nutrient solution.
Simple and effective. And no guessing required.
Pathogens in nutrient solutions can be a seasonal problem:
The best way to avoid them is to keep a clean house. Don't let any dirt get into the system, either by chance or intent. You can do what a lot of growers do: at the work area doorway put a mat which has disinfectant in it and make sure every one who enters the growing area to thoroughly scrape the soles of their shoes into the mat.
Be sure you always use completely healthy plants. One diseased plant can ruin an entire crop. Get rid of those plants which do look suspicious. Drain your entire nutrient solution, clean the tank and refill with fresh nutrient solution.
Also always run with just water between every four or five runs of nutrient. This will get rid of the salt buildup.
Does this all seem like a lot? Not really. If you keep careful records, use the best hydroponic fertilizer available and carefully measure it out, use a "chiller" for nutrient solutions in summers when the root zone becomes too warm, you will become a grower who knows how to deal with his plants and who wants to produce a quality product.
Then you will become a true professional which is what hydroponics needs.
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2. Equipment failures
Don't have enough to fret about. Well here's some more.
The climate inside a greenhouse is not conducive to keeping your equipment in top shape. Suppose a main nutrient supply pump goes out and you are not forewarned? Or an exhaust fan suddenly quits working? And how about those intake fans? Plants have to get rid of old air and have fresh air.
Pumps are especially a problem. You often don't know they have stopped running unless you continually check them. (A computer sensor would come in handy here!) When was the last time you made a scheduled maintenance on your pumps?
If you're using sodium or halide lights, you have to remember that they heat up the air around them and make arrangements to be sure your exhaust fans are working properly.
Maybe you have a leak in your nutrient tank and don't know it. What if it goes dry on you? And suppose someone comes in and steals your Sodium or Halide lights? If you use lights, you need to know that they are prime targets for thieves.
And woe upon woe: what about a power failure? Do you have a backup for that? A power failure can put your timers out of whack. This can mess up your feeding and lighting schedules.
A computerized sensor system could help you avoid most of these problems. And even help correct them.
HYDROPONICS IS DETAIL! So pay attention and prosper.
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3. Here and there
a. Raspberries can be grown hydroponically - if the container is large enough and properly designed to slow down the plant's tendency to produce a lot of suckers.
b. A former member of the Hydroponic Society of America (of which we also are a member) has for some time now been conducting hydroponic workshops for teachers. Like a covered wagon, the hydroponic workshop is brought in white van to each school site where hydroponic information is dispensed. It's done mostly in California, though.
c. Perhaps I've talked about this before, but it still bears repeating. If your house or other structure has been invaded by ladybugs, they may now be hidden behind the walls. But as the days grow longer, they'll soon come crawling back into your living space. Ugh!
Well courage, take heart! There should now be on the market a device for controlling these little darlings. A USDA entomologist by the name of W. Louis Tedders has come up with a device which might ease your problem. The device utilizes blacklight to capture the ladybugs and then you can hold them over in a secure place until spring when once again you can free them in your garden (or greenhouse) so they can do the job they're supposed to do.
Please note: I don't know the name of the product, so you will have to do some question asking when you go to your dealer.
Just remember when you see one ladybug in the fall, you know that at least 300 aphids or other crop-destroying pests have been consumed. Especially if it's an Asian variety which seems to have invaded most of the United States.
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4. A few ideas on aquaponics
We all know that water quality is very important in hydroponics, but it's as equally important in aquaculture. Fish, like humans, do best in clean surroundings, including the water they swim in. Fishermen know this well and so do good aquaponists.
For those who don't already know, aquaculture is a growing technique which combines the raising of fish with crops grown hydroponically. The waste from the fish as they grow becomes the nutrient for the crops either above or in a separate facility. It is a technique which the Chinese have been using in a rudimentary form for a long time.
What are the advantages of aquaculture. Obviously, one gets a continual harvest of fish. With the affluent from the fish tanks, crops can also be grown which doubles the growing capacity of a given area. Another desirable feature is that you can do this in almost any climate.
You don't need large supplies of hydroponic fertilizer to grow the crops, thus reducing your costs significantly. Properly done, the plants of your crop purify the water which is then returned to the fish tanks. This helps to protect ground water supplies.
In addition, you are not restricted to just one crop. You can diversify.
What can be grown? Lettuces such as Red Oak, Mignonette, Butter, and a number more are some of the crops which can be grown. Herbs also are a possibility, such as basil, chives, coriander, and parsley.
If you want to know more details about aquaculture, contact Mr Andrew de Dezsery, Aquaculture Advantage, P O Box 582, Two Wells, South Australia 5001, Australia. The email address is: aquaculture@technologist.com.
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5. For a good mesclun mix...
You just knew I would sooner or later return to this topic, didn't you? It's no secret I love a good salad, and for me a judicial mesclun mix just can't be beat. I good mesclun mix should combine many elements to give taste and contrast.
For example, if you know how each item tastes and its texture, then you will have a better idea of what the final salad will be. Radicchio has the color and some bite to it. French sorrel is sour and lemony. Good King Henry is a substitute for spinach. Florence fennel gives flavor as well as an appetizing fragrance. Flowers such as carnation, nasturtium, rose and daylily do the same.
The list goes on. Including crookneck and zucchini squashes which are picked when they are 3-4 inches long. Just use your imagination.
But do not forget the sauce! It too can be dressed to fit your tastes and expectations. For example, you can take several flowers from tuberous begonia, bruise them a bit and then place them into one of your best vinegars and thus add more flavor and taste.
You can use top-grade olive oil or one of the following oils: apricot, walnut, hazelnut, grapeseed, almond and others. These oils mixed with a berry vinegar will just carry your taste buds away!
I tell you there's no end to that whole world of taste and flavor waiting for you to explore. What's most important, you can grow it all yourself where your expense will be next to nil, nada! For information on how to do this just go to my site on "Grow Gourmet Salad Greens" at (http://www.mayhillpress.com/salad.html).
And, of course, bon appetit!
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WE HAVE THREE BOOKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU.
They are as follows:
"How to Start on a Shoestring and Make a Profit with Hydroponics"
"Big Dollars Growing Gourmet Salad Greens"
"Beneficial Insects - How to Mass Rear and Make a Profit"
If you would like a copy or copies of your own,
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