Issue 12
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Table of Contents:
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1. Cuttings and their care
Raising plants from cuttings can be quite rewarding - you can be sure your new crop will be identical to the best of the last. This is an art in itself.
If your plants are going into an hydroponic NFT system, you can just place the cuttings in jars filled with distilled water until their roots begin to grow. This is best for plants like tomatoes, lots of herbs, Begonias, African Violets,and Impatiens.
Bear in mind, however, that some plants like Eucalyptus and Acacia are very difficult to root from cuttings. But, generally speaking, most plants can be propagated from cuttings.
Cuttings are best taken during the last part of spring and the beginning days of summer. Remove the leaves from one half to two thirds up the stalk. Make another cut right under a node (where a leaf or leaves have been). Then dip the lower end of the cutting into rooting hormone.
Put the cutting into the rooting medium - use a dibble stick or something similar and do so gently. Depending upon the plant size, you can place the cuttings 2 cm or more apart.
Media of this sort must hold moisture but still freely drain. The mixture must be sterilized before cutting insertion. This can be done with boiling hot water. Five parts vermiculite with one part peat is just right for the medium you use. But you can also use five parts sand with one part of either bark (composted) or peat.
The cuttings are now planted and watered. You'll need to put a florescent lamp above them until they root. The cutting tray bottom temperature should be around 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not have high (75 degrees F or more) temperatures around the tray or inside the dome (see below). And above all, do not place the tray on a concrete floor! Especially one which is cold.
Cuttings require high humidity - but that humidity can also cause diseases. So if you use a plastic (clear) dome over the cutting tray, take it off once or twice a day for an airing for a few minutes. Be sure to wipe off any moisture inside the plastic dome.
Always keep the florescent light a foot or more above the dome so that you don't increase the heat inside the dome. It's also smart to have a thermometer stuck in the media inside the dome.
Let's face it, cuttings like humans cannot stay inside the dome forever. After a week or more take the dome off for several hours during daylight and watch how the plants react. Look for wilting. If you see something wrong, place the dome back on again. Try again some days later. If the cuttings "don't want to come out of the dome environment", they may have a disease from fungus. Treat this with something like No Damp. Please follow the directions. Also check for too high a temperature within the dome.
The cuttings won't need any more watering for nearly 60 days, if you have used a mix of water and something like "powerthrive" which contains vitamins to reduce stress. Water this mixture in well. Again, follow the directions. If you have used only perlite, you may need to water again and maybe again.
Just remember you cannot over-water (true with all plants but especially with cuttings). Cuttings which are too wet will get root rot; to dry and they die. So you have to let your eye and experience be the judge. Even when the dome is off and the cuttings require more watering, you will still have to keep a careful watch.
DON'T give new cuttings fertilizer - the plants won't grow roots like they should. One-third the usual dose of fertilizer (like 12-24-12 or where the middle number is higher) is what you feed new cuttings which HAVE SHOWN root growth or new leaf growth.
As they begin to mature, lower the florescent lamp slowly towards the plant tops, keeping your eye on any stress which may occur. And don't forget to raise the lamp as the plants gain height. Keep on watering and feeding with the same fertilizer strength until the cuttings are ready for transplanting.
How long do you keep the lights on? About 20-23 hours per day. When the cuttings root and are being fed their fertilizer solution (same as above), start adjusting them to their future environment and let them be on a six hour "night", the same night as in their future environment.
We assume you have taken your cuttings from healthy disease free (also pest free) stock and that your medium has been sterilized. It may take a week or more before you have to fret about using a fungicide. Again, use No Damp as either foliar spray or by watering in. To be on the safe side, this may have to be done every week.
Watch out for those bugs - especially spider mites or fungus gnats. If you are using beneficial insects for greenhouse plant protection, use them also in the cutting room area. Be certain you have the right beneficials. You can also use Bug Kill for spider mites and something like a potting soil insecticide. You can also detect either of these insects by using what are known as yellow sticky cards.
In all cases, when you use a bug spray do so by spraying under the leaves as well as on top of them.
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2. Incidental Happenings
a. Fuel cells:
One of our readers, Vince Loeckle, recently told us about Plug Power, Latham, New York. It seems they have designed and manufactured a fuel cell which can save 20% off your present electricity bill. This could be a worthwhile addition to a greenhouse setup.
b. Aquaponics with Crayfish:
A grower in Hatchville, MA has an extensive testing site and operation which also includes raising crayfish and hydroponic greens. This grower uses foam-boards which float on top of the nutrient. (The Japanese are quite fond of this method.)
The boards support various lettuces; the crayfish live and feed below in the nutrient. The farm raises white river crayfish which are sold to local restaurants. Though the crayfish may nibble now and then at plant roots, this is not a nuisance factor.
The real problem is cannibalism among the crayfish until they reach a size of 50 mm. Even with lots of place to hide within the 32 square ft by 10 inches deep tanks, there is still a loss of 10%.
One interesting fact is that this grower only sells retail - he doesn't depend upon the wholesale market at all! BUT crayfish are not the only thing this grower grows and sells. The owners believe a farm should diversify among several cash crops, not just one or two.
Crayfish are considered a delicacy (I love them!), in Louisiana and Europe. But the rest of the world is still in the dark. Some marketing skills will be needed if you live in one of the dark areas.
c. Some ideas on growing techniques for tomatoes, etc:
The same grower mentioned above uses an Australian hydroponic pad that is 20 ft x 2 ft. It's a flat pad but is filled with lots of inside layers which soak up nutrient and acts like a giant wick. You place your planted pots on the pad and the roots come in contact with the nutrient. This way you can have the pots indoors on the pad or take them outside.
This grower also grows tomatoes in bags made of Metromix. The fertilizer is Peters HydroSol plus calcium nitrate. A Dosatron two-tank is used to hold the nutrient.
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3. Raising Australian Redclaw Crayfish:
This crayfish reproduces voluminously, grows fast and is not aggressive. Though it feeds on dead plant matter mostly, most auquaponic growers feed it a diet of worms, chicken pellets, water weeds and hay.
These crayfish mature sexually at about 40 grams of weight. When they mate, the females will start laying eggs between 1-3 weeks. The eggs are held under the female's tail and hatch 45 days later. Staying beneath their mother, the young will have two moltings before going out on their own.
Depending upon the grower's paying attention to maintaining water quality, proper aeration and the right feed, you can expect a yield of up to 10,000 Kg for every hectare.
The water temperature should be around 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit, the minimum being 59 degrees.
Crayfish have to be purged before shipping. You do this by transferring them to a clean tank with water which has good aeration. After up to 24 hours, they can then be harvested and shipped.
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4. Some Bug Stuff
The Rogas indiscretus is a wasp which folks in Northern India call a friend because it feeds on the gypsy moth. Without this wasp to come to their aid, the trees in that area would be utterly destroyed.
In North America, however, it proliferates abundantly over nearly 12 million acres in urban and rural areas. This despite immense attempts at spraying by hand and from the air.
But science to the rescue. A small amount of Rogas cocoons was found in Maryland. These were what was left of an importation of 30,000 Rogas which didn't seem to have any offspring.
Recently 4,000 of these beneficial wasps were released around the Great Lakes. They are harmless to animals and humans. But mete out rapid justice to those gypsy moths which get out of control.
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5. Making sure of air movement
This is often forgotten about, but good air movement inside a greenhouse is mandatory. All kinds of benefits can accrue, including the bringing in from outside extra carbon dioxide.
Well managed air movement can literally blow the bugs away from your plants. Oscillating fans do a good job at this. Air moving all day and all night will do a lot to cut down on disease both in the upper plant growth and in the root system.
However you don't want to chill your plants, so strike a happy medium. Just remember that good air movement gives your plants help in pulling up food from their roots and give you the best of crops.
Remember now: no hurricanes!
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