Issue 30
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Table of Contents:
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1. At last, hydroponic raspberries
Many moons ago when I had a farm in Ohio (yes, I've been there too), I grew raspberries outdoors with great success. I always wondered if it could be done indoors, and so it can. But don't ask me for the details.
If your interested in learning more about raising raspberries in your greenhouse hydroponically, check it out in the latest issue of Growing Edge. There you will find a long and specific article which will tell you all you need to know.
You can get a subscription to this bi-monthly magazine by contacting the publisher at: Growing Edge, P O Box 1027, Corvallis, OR 97339. Phone: 1-541-745-7773. There is also a comprehensive web site at:
http://www.growingedge.com
But now to some main particulars about growing raspberries. And that's not all that's possible. Many growers are getting into plants not normally grown hydroponically. But raspberries make a good greenhouse crop because the height of the plants can be trimmed to fit greenhouse and harvesting requirements.
And you can chill the canes to get winter production when the outdoor varieties are still "asleep". You can get more crops per year and at better prices. Raspberries just need a dormant period before they will fruit.
Raspberry cultivars should be selected according to what varieties the customers in your area will prefer. Most popular varieties include: Canby, Encore, Tulameen, Chilliwack. Some secondary varieties would be: Malahat, Lauren, Qualicum, Titan and Jewel.
To facilitate out-of-season production, the following factors must be considered: cane selection, dormancy, various hydroponic systems, environmental conditions, alternative technique, nutrition, and pruning as well as training.
Also you must consider flowering, fruit set and pollination, fruit quality and yields.
Other topics covered by the article mentioned above include propagation, pests, diseases such as rust and botrytis and cane/spur blights as well as downy and white powdery mildew.
Environmental stresses are also discussed. All in all, a fullsome compendium of what you need to know to become successful at growing raspberries.
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2. Some good news on organic hydroponics
Martins and Karam, Ltd, a Sao Paulo, Brazil company, will no doubt soon have an organic fertilizer suited to hydroponic greenhouses. The product is called Biofertilizer. So you organic buffs keep in touch with your suppliers and find out when it will be available to you. You may also find it under the label Geo-Hydroponics, a general term to label the process or movement.
How good is it and what does it do? A nutrient solution suitable to hydroponics is made from livestock manure which has been completely decomposed. It doesn't have the odor that many organic fertilizers do nor does it clog the irrigation lines as easily as the above do.
The product will have two main uses. The first has been discussed above. The second will help livestock producers eliminate a lot of their present manure disposal problems. This could also do away with a lot of methane and greenhouse gases and stop groundwater pollution, something we sorely need.
How does Biofertilizer work? Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria or organisms go through a six part staging which completely decomposes manures, much faster than the regular natural process. The result is dry matter (10 %) which contains humus which is soluble and some mineral salts. As a buffering agent, the humus also is a chelating agent. This last prevents toxicity and deficiency in the nutrients.
Nevertheless, the program is still in the research stage. In order to get their message across to American growers, demonstration sites are being set up. One is now being planned at Halfway High School in Halfway, MO. This should be ready in late 2001.
If all goes well, you could see the day when 25 chickens could give enough nutrient to supply a greenhouse as large as 2500 square feet
.Some additional information, though quite technical, can be found at:
http://www.hydor.eng.br
This is a very slow loading site - the webmaster evidently loves lots of pictures. But once you get to the second page and click on the index button at the bottom of the page you can run into a large quantity of information.
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3. Do all new hydroponic ideas come from the Netherlands?
Maybe not all, but an awful lot of the newest innovations do come from the growers in the Netherlands (Holland). This impetus comes from a greenhouse industry which covers 28,000 acres, 40% of which is devoted to vegetables and the rest to ornamentals. Cut flowers are the main ornamental crop. Growers intend to erect more greenhouses not only in Holland but even worldwide in countries like the United States and Canada as well as those in Asia and Europe.
There are problems however. One of these are the many government restrictions on growing practices as well as a scarcity of labor. The strong economy in the Netherlands has shifted workers to other job areas. Lack of space and high-cost energy are tow other factors. Also there is heavy competition from other countries such as Spain with over 150,000 acres in greenhouses.
Greenhouses in Netherlands are mostly glasshouses, not like in the United States where plastic is the primary covering material. Water management is at a high level. This is because the government restricts dumping of waste and used nutrient. All water is stored in lined containers or ponds to prevent contact with the soil. Because of shortages in rainfall rain is collected assiduously. Water treatment for pathogens and salts is a necessity. This is also true with bore water when the rain water runs out.
Heat treatment as well as biofiltration and ultraviolet are the current means for treating water. UV-C radiation or ultraviolet is the most popular method of sterilization. Drain or rain water must also be filtered before use.
Suspended growing gullies are the newest fad. Here the growing trays or gullies are suspended about three feet from the floor. This offers some distinct advantages. For example for strawberries, you can harvest by scooting in and around the gullies while seated on a small vehicle and pick the strawberries with greater ease and comfort. The gullies are sometimes over 300 feet long and are made of metal such as steel or aluminum.
Because of their strict sterilization and treatment of rain water as well as bore water and nutrient, the growers rarely change the rockwool slabs on which they grow their plants. Usually the growers wait a few years before making any changes.
Unique methods for heat storage are important to Netherlands growers because natural gas (the number one fuel) prices are on the rise. Dutch growers use natural gas for heat as well as CO2 applications. Also the Dutch growers are very sensitive to heat savings and insulate everything, the greenhouse, the pipes which carry the heat, the boilers and the buffers. They have not neglected using thermal screens along with conservative venting and heating methods.
As you might well expect, the Netherlands growers are very keen on computer control and were in fact among the first to make use of computers in greenhouses. One computer controls the climate inside the greenhouse, another controls water and fertilization while another controls special growing areas which are in reality mini-climates unto themselves for growing special crops. All are generally connected to a PC which when something goes wrong sends an alarm message to a telephone.
Infrared sensors are being used to detect crop temperature. Plant weight is used to see how plants take up the water and how it determines growth. Temperature integration is another tool which is used to save on energy costs. Since plants depend upon average temperature, Dutch growers will set the temperature high on sunny days and low when there's no sun or its windy or cold.
Process control is a means by which the grower "tells" the computer what he wants done. This includes timing, production and energy use. The computer then takes over and more or less "grows" the plant in question. (Editor's note: Hey, I like that!)
Path registration is another innovative idea whereby crop data is collected through a series of computers throughout the greenhouse. Harvest weights can be measured this way for different areas of a greenhouse
All in all, you can see why the Dutch growers are so competitive and why they are just about everywhere. It's because they know where the future lies and they are well on the way.
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4. This and that
A. Governmental regulators are now concerned with microbial contamination and many commercial growers have had to find ways and means to control this problem. Just like in England where hoof and mouth disease is prevalent, vegetables too can be contaminated by animal or human waste and by anything carrying contaminants which touches the vegetables. Care certainly must be taken.
And the FDA is now getting ready to demand it. Many large chain stores are also demanding it.
Some concerns in this matter for growers is the water supply. Even though your supply may be clean, your neighbor's may not be so clean. And the history of your own plot of land needs to be taken into consideration.
All domestic animals must be kept out of the growing and packing areas. Harvesting, cleaning and packing areas must be sanitized. Refrigerator systems should be set at 32 degrees F for lettuce and salad greens. The cooling water and its operations should be set at temperatures which allow top quality produce and still keeps pathogens from growing.
One must also keep ones eyes on the transportation aspects of the harvested crop. Again sanitization and temperature control are the prime considerations.
Workers must be trained to practice sanitary procedures. Greenhouses open to the public should encourage customers to also practice these sanitary measures, such as washing your hands before touching a crop and not smoking inside the growing or greenhouse area.
If you read my book which is featured at http://www.mayhillpress.com you're sure to discover how much importance is attached to keeping a clean greenhouse. That means getting rid of all debris, floors clean, tools clean, holes and crevasses in the walls plugged to keep out birds and varmints. There are few places as demanding for cleanliness as a greenhouse, particularly one devoted to the growing of vegetables.
B. For those dealing with aeroponics, it's important to note that the nozzle which delivers the droplets be set at 30 to 100 microns, that is if you want proper aeration and feeding.
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5. Beneficial bug of the month - Nematodes
Nematodes are very small, microscopic in fact. They live in soil throughout the world. Their natural prey includes the grub and larval stages of beetles, armyworms, weevils, termites, ants, ticks, fleas, sciarid flies, chafers, cutworms, maggots, borers, webworms and much more. They get into openings of the body of their prey and give out endo-toxin. Soon the host is dead. Then the nematodes deposit eggs which when hatched will devour the host.
They are easy to use and are generally sprayed upon an area or sent through irrigation am misting systems. You buy them from an insectary. When the formulation arrives, you mix it with water and apply. They should be released into a given area in the morning or evening while temperatures are cool.
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6. Think about it...
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.
- Buckminster Fuller
When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer;
you may want to visit the bee's house some day.
- Proverb from the Congo
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