What Is Hydroponics
Without water, life on earth would not exist. There would be no hydroponics, much less a culture to practice it. Water is a vital part of every living cell. In plants, it provides turgor pressure on cell walls to keep leaves from wilting. And it transports nutrition and energy stores in the form of dissolved salts and sugars throughout the plant. This book is about water, focusing on how to distribute it, maintain its quality, and enrich it with the nutrition vital to plant life. In nature,...
Lets Get Growing
We're almost ready and now for the moment we've all been waiting for It's time to put your new knowledge to use and get started growing. In this chapter we will explore some of the more popular cultivars, and learn about their preferred growing environments. We'll also learn about starting from seed, and how to take and root cuttings. But before we get started, lets quickly recap a few more important plant requirements. Temperature - The rate at which plants grow is controlled by the...
The DoItYourself Greenhouse
If you are at all handy with a hammer and saw, consider building your own greenhouse. You can find many plans on the web by doing an internet search for greenhouse plans. It's a project that will take two people a weekend or so to complete and it can give you 10 to 20 years of service if you use quality materials. Erecting any kind of structure on your property may require review by the zoning board, especially if you are building on a concrete slab. If a review or variance is required, the...
Approaching Prospective Customers
Now that you have a great product, nice packaging, and an idea of what is important, here are some suggestions on what to do and say. Start off with the smallest store you can find the smaller the better , since the chances that the person you encounter will be an owner or manager. If they express a sincere interest, you can The infamous Habanero pepper - another excellent specialty spice used in Thai and Cajun cooking. The infamous Habanero pepper - another excellent specialty spice used in...
Perlite
Perlite has been around longer than any other soilfree growing medium. Made from air-puffed glass pellets, and nearly as light as air, perlite has excellent oxygen retention. Its ability to retain oxygen is the main reason it is used as a supplement in soil and soilfree mixes. The main drawback of perlite is its lightweight consistency, which makes it easy to get washed away. This drawback makes perlite an inappropriate medium in flood and flush type hydroponic systems or those that would be...
Nutrient Solution Microbiology
All bodies of water possess a dynamic balance of microbiological activity. In hydroponics, we strive to keep the nutrient solution as sterile as possible, but nonetheless, nutrient solution is by its very nature the perfect place for things to grow. Some microbes require dissolved oxygen to live aerobic , and others do not anaerobic . As a general rule of thumb, aerobic bacteria are good, and anaerobic are bad. Put simply, the byproducts of anaerobic respiration are acids that wreak havoc with...
Eight Hydroponic Systems You Can Build
Before we actually get started, there are a few more important considerations. The first is to decide the actual location for your garden. As we just learned, growing hydroponically outdoors is great because the sun is free and there's often plenty of space. But you may not be able to grow outdoors because you are in an apartment building or congested urban area. In this case, you have the option of growing indoors using High Intensity Discharge HID lighting. Whichever way you go, if you pay...
Hydroponic System Plans Quicklist
The simplest and quickest project to complete. Perfect for school, science fairs and windowsill gardening. Ideal for growing lettuces and small herbs, flowers and ornamentals. Not recommended for outdoor use. Another system that can be assembled in an hour or two, however, slightly more difficult to create due to the stryrofoam raft which must be cut from a sheet using a jigsaw. Excellent for indoor use by a sunny window or under a grow lamp. Best suited for growing lettuces and other short...
Making clones of your favorite plants
Another good method of starting and restocking your garden is cloning. While cloning may sound like a term for the five o'clock news, gardeners have been propagation identical plants for hundreds of years using this simple technique. To begin, a small growing tip is taken from a healthy specimen and is planted so it can grow its own roots. This method is independent of the plants reproductive system, and therefore eliminates any possibility that its offspring will continue to evolve. The...
Starting Hydroponic Business
You Are What You Eat 6 Hydroponics To The Rescue 7 It Starts With A Seed 8 A Brief History Of Hydroponics 11 Current Research 13 What All Gardeners Can Learn From NASA 13 It's All About The Roots l4 Coconut Coir. 17 Perlite 17 LECA 17 Perfect Starts 18 Rockwool 19 The Nutrient Film Technique NFT 23 The Organic Composition Of Plants 27 Selecting A Hydroponic Nutrient 31 Maintaining Nutrient Concentration And pH 34 Nutrient Solution Microbiology 37 Supercharge Your Garden With CO2 38 High...
The Prefabricated Greenhouse
In this 4x12' lean-to style house, PVC chambers were mounted like giant window boxes to facilitate short stature crops like lettuce and basil without cramping or casting shade on other plants inside. In this 4x12' lean-to style house, PVC chambers were mounted like giant window boxes to facilitate short stature crops like lettuce and basil without cramping or casting shade on other plants inside. More and more companies are catching on to the market demand for affordable, hobby-style...
Procedure
1. Select a healthy growing tip from a plant you wish to clone. The tip should be approximately 3 to 5 long, and include no more than two sets of leaves including the tip . Always select fresh green growing tips for the healthiest cuttings. 2. Using a sterile knife or razor, sever the tip and immediately place into a room temperature bath of dilute nutrient solution or a prepared cloning solution such as Olivia's see label instructions for more information . 3. Make a fresh cut while submerged...
Plants For Food Pharmacy
In addition to being one of the world's favorite foods, the tomato contains Lycopene, a natural carotenoid that is responsible for its red color. Lycopenes and other antioxidants can help prevent cellular damage and abnormal cellular growth. This was my first harvest of the year on May 15th from my new backyard greenhouse that I'll show you how to build later on. Plants are Mother Nature's ultimate factories. Powered by light from the sun, plants combine the earth's most basic chemical elements...
The Stages Of Growth
A plant's life cycle begins with germination, usually recognized by the above-ground appearance of a growing shoot. Mated to this shoot are two small, round leaves known as cotyledons see photo at right . As these leaves begin manufacturing food, the plant enters its seedling stage of growth. During this time, the plant develops its first set of true leaves, resembling those of the mature plant and the primary formation of a root system begins. The root development that takes place at this time...
The Organic Composition Of Plants
For a plant to develop properly, it must have access to all the necessary elements. Because these four elements occur naturally, most people rarely consider them when discussing plant nutrition. It should be stressed that the exclusion or depletion of any one of these elements would cause death of the organism. Just as you are what you eat, so are your plants, so feed them a well balanced diet. Occurs in the cell walls, in sugars manufactured by chlorophyll, as well as chlorophyll itself....
Hydroponics
The complete guide to building and operating your own indoor and outdoor hydroponic gardens. Includes detailed instructions, photos and step-by-step plans. Embedded hyperlinks in this document enable you to quickly find more information and purchase the products featured in this book by simply clicking on them. Save time hunting for hard to find parts by clicking the linked items in the construction guide parts lists. The author of this information and its publishers disclaim any personal...
The Spare Closet Garden
If you live in an area where space outdoors is tough to come by, here are some ideas for creating a closet garden. In the example shown, the six inch PVC system is custom fit inside this available space. You will find that this configuration works well for maintaining a steady supply of salad greens, herbs and flowers by virtue of the two-level arrangement. On the lower level, a fluorescent light of 40 Watts is used to start seedlings and root cuttings that are kept inside the 10x20 humidity...
The Raft System
The raft system is an interesting technique of growing lettuce and other short stature crops. In this method, plants are supported by baskets fit into Styrofoam sheets that float upon a bath of nutrient solution. The nutrient solution is circulated and aerated from below to maintain a high level of dissolved oxygen and avoid stagnation. The raft system is a very economic means of producing large quantities of lettuce and mixed greens in no time. Shown here is the lettuce raft system at Disney...
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Algae grows rampant when there is sufficient light and nutrients available in the water Here a young Water Lilly is being choked by an algae bloom in a man made pond. Imagine what would happen if the pond was filled with nutrient solution - Since we can't take the nutrients out of a hydroponic system, keep stray light from reaching the nutrient solution at all times. Fresh outbreaks of gray mold may be removed from plants with a dry, soft cloth. Be sure to remove all dead and dying plant matter...
Macro Nutrients
Macro nutrients are those absorbed in large quantities from the growing media or in our case, the nutrient solution. They are the best known and recognized constituents of plant food and as such, are used as a handy guide in identifying the potency of a plant food. You may be familiar with these N-P-K ratings as printed on all commercially available plant food containers. Necessary for the formation of amino acids, co enzymes, and chlorophyll. Deficiency A lack of Nitrogen in the form of...
Hydroponics Layout
0 3 7.5 14 20.5 27 33.5 0 3 7.5 14 20.5 27 33.5 This template can be a real time saver The grow site spacing is 6.5 on center all three chambers. Step 1. Using either the template provided or your own design, you must first layout each of the holes to be cut. It is best to mark and measure them center to center. Make sure to pay close attention to avoid any mistakes which can be very costly in both time and materials. Step 2. Using the 2 7 8 hole saw and a cordless drill to cut each of the grow...
The First Line Of Defense
The first rule in keeping your garden healthy and happy is to keep it pest free. The simplest way to achieve this is to keep it clean and free from debris, especially when gardening indoors. Outdoor gardens are subject to the forces of nature like rain and wind that help to keep pests off your plants. Outdoors problem pests are also kept under control by natural insect predators, as well as birds and small animals. Since environmental conditions are not within the outdoor gardener's control,...
Aeroponics
The most recent technology to be developed in agriculture is Aeroponics, a method in which a plant's roots are fed and watered midair. The plants are generally suspended from baskets similar to those in which strawberries are packaged at the top of a closed trough or cylinder. With the plants suspended in this manner, all essential nourishment can be provided to the roots by spraying them with a nutrient solution. Since the roots are suspended in midair, they receive the maximum amount of...
Perfect Starts
The latest breakthrough in growing mediums is the molded starter sponge made from organic compost and a flexible, biodegradable polymer binder. Available in several shapes and sizes, these innovative growing sponges solve the main problem growers face when wanting to use an organic medium in a hydroponic system. Namely, they do not fall apart or crumble during transplanting which serves to prevent damage to delicate roots. This is a significant advantage, because root damage that occurs during...
Parts List Xjt
1 31 gallon Roughtote reservoir or similar 4 6 ft. PVC pipes use either 4 or 6 round or 5 square type used here 8 Endcaps use rubber Gem caps on round pipe, PVC fence caps on square 2 Saw horse kits and whatever materials are required to assemble them. 1 RIO 2500 700GPH submersible pump or similar Approx 5' of 3 4 PVC pipe for manifold construction Approx 2' of 1 2 PVC pipe for cutting into spray line support clips 25 feet of .375 ID poly spray line tubing 4 3 4 female garden hose swivel to...
Color Photosynthetic spectrum
Photosynthesis is most pronounced in the red 600-680nm and blue 380-480nm wavelengths of light. Horticultural lighting, also know as High Intensity Discharge HID lighting is designed to cover these specific wavelengths, known as the PAR spectrum photosynthetically active radiation . There are two types of HID lamps which emit different color spectrums. Metal Halide lamps emit a white blue spectrum. MH lamps are best used as a primary light source if no or little natural sunlight is available ....
A Brief History Of Hydroponics
Truly a wonder of modern science, hydroponic gardens now produce bountiful harvests of fruit, vegetables, grains, herbs and flowers in places never before able to sustain growth. Hydroponic gardens grow the healthiest crops with the highest yields and vitamin content, thanks to their perfectly balanced nutrient solutions and growing environments. Modern hydroponic methods provide food for millions of people worldwide, supplying us with superior quality produce, even out of season. Even with all...
Making Your Own Nutrients
It has come to my attention over the years that there are many interested in making their own nutrients so I have provided a few recipes. If you are reading the Acrobat version, you will find a nutrient calculator spreadsheet included with your download. Otherwise, please consult the table on the next page which details the salts required to make three hydroponic nutrient solutions for use with vegetative, fruiting and flowering crops. The weights shown in the following tables are based on...
Duration Photoperiod
Most plants grow best when exposed to 16-18 hrs of light per day. Additional hours of light during the day have not been found to increase growth by any significant amount. Plants that exhibit photoperiodism, the trait that causes day length to trigger flowering, should be exposed to 12-14 hours of light once flowering is desired. Total darkness is required during the darkness This indoor aeroponic garden flourishes under the light emitted from a 400W Metal Halide lamp. Shown growing Sweet...
Tools Youll Need Mpx
Electric or battery powered drill - 3 8 or 1 2 chuck 2 amp 4 hole saws for cutting drain rail plugs and access port in reservoir lid 7 8 speed bore bit flat, inexpensive drill bits Hacksaw for cutting PVC pipe and a razor knife for cutting poly tubing Step 1. Cut pieces for the 'toes'- a and 'feet'- b from your 1 1 2 PVC pipe according to the measurements given on parts list. Line up pieces as shown and test fit for accuracy before gluing. Step 2. Glue these pieces together making sure the 'T'...
Micro Nutrients
Micro nutrients are those absorbed in small to minute quantities. They are generally less well known than the previsouly listed Macro nutrients since most plant foods don't contain them. Here's the list of what they are and the effects they have on plants. Deficiency Calcium deficiency causes stunting and crinkling leaves. Young shoots die and blooms fall from the plant. Calcium deficient tomatoes will develop brown spots on the bottom of the fruit which will cause decay especially with the...
360 Degree Pin Nozzle
1 31 gallon Rubbermaid Roughtote reservoir 1 RIO 1100 350GPH submersible pump or similar 5 360 degree pin nozzle or 360 degree micro-sprayers 2 14 x 1 2 PVC spray bars 1 1 2 PVC 'T' FPT fitting 1 1 2 PVC endcap 1 1 2 MPT barbed adapter 1 3 4 Male Garden Hose adapter 1 3 4 Garden Hose cap 1 1 2 I.D. rubber grommet for sealing level tube exit 1 1 2 barbed elbow fitting for level tube assembly 1 1 2 rachet clamp for securing level tube on elbow fitting 32 of 1 2 blue or green poly tubing for pump...
Tools Youll Need Hum
Electric or battery powered drill - 3 8 or 1 2 chuck 2 7 8 amp 4 hole saws for cutting plant sites and service port holes 5 8, 3 4 amp 7 8 speed bore bits flat, inexpensive drill bits 1 8 drill bit if micro sprayers are used or 7 16 bit if pin sprayers are used. Step 1. Measure and mark off the locations where you will drill two opposing 3 4 holes that will hold the 1 2 PVC spray bar in place. With the 31 gallon Roughtote reservoir, mark the center of each hole 5 from the top if using pin...
The Autopot
Relatively new to the market here in the US is the Autopot. A unique, self-feeding planter that has proven very reliable in commercial installations around the world. Within each Autopot double tray module resides a SmartValve that automatically sub-irrigates plants with nutrient solution on demand. Since the SmartValve can be gravity fed, there is no need for pumps and timers for small installations 20 trays or less . This makes the Autopot ideal for use in unsupervised locations or where...
Rockwool
Rockwool is made from molten rock that is spun into long, glass-like fibers. These fibers are then compressed into bricks and cubes, or sold loose as flock. Rockwool has long been used to insulate buildings as an alternative to fiberglass, and has been a mainstay in commercial hydroponics for the last twenty years. It readily absorbs water and has decent drainage properties, which is why it is used widely as a starting medium for seeds and a rooting medium for cuttings. In my opinion, the...
Hydroponic Technology
Experience has proven simple solutions are the most reliable, so Keep It Simple Silly KISS - US military dictum A hydroponic system should be designed to fulfill the specific requirements of plants with the most reliable and efficient method s of nutrient delivery. The three major plant-requirements that a hydroponic system must satisfy are 1 Provide roots with a fresh, well balanced supply of water and nutrients. 2 Maintain a high level of gas exchange between nutrient solution and roots. 3...
Seed Terms
Open Pollinated means seeds produced by plants unsegregated according to favorable or unfavorable genetics. Most common vegetables and flowers are open pollinated since the varieties have generally become indigenous to the locale where they are grown and prosper well. F1 Hybrid seeds are carefully produced by cross breeding two pure bred parents. Increased vigor equal height, shape color and yield can be expected from hybrid plants. For the commercial producer, hybrids have the additional...
Fungi Algae And Disease
Excessive moisture in the air humidity , on the leaf, and within growing media are the leading causes of fungi and mold outbreaks. Fungi are spread by spores that are carried aloft in the air. Spores are present all around us, and can be avoided only by using the strictest air quality standards. Unfortunately, maintaining this level of air quality standards is practical only in the laboratory with the use of expansive filters and air scrubbers. For gardeners, your first line of defense against...
Tools Youll Need 1
Electric or battery powered drill - 3 8 or 1 2 chuck 1 7 8 hole saws for cutting plant sites 3 8drill bit for drilling grommet hole Jigsaw or coping saw for cutting foam Razor knife for cutting tubing A pen or marker Author's first prototype raft system made from a plastic garbage pail. Plants shown were grown under a 95W 6500K fluorescent bulb which is said to provide similar output to HID systems yet without as much heat. Not bad for three week old lettuce. Author's first prototype raft...
Tools Youll Need Htv
Electric or battery powered drill - 3 8 or 1 2 chuck 1 7 8, 2 7 8 amp 4 hole saws for cutting drain holes, plant sites and service ports 5 8, 3 4 amp 7 8 speed bore bits flat, inexpensive drill bits 1 8 drill bit to make spray holes in spray lines. The versatility of PVC pipes when used as growing chambers leave the possibilities endless. Here is a 3 foot model that provided me with fresh salad greens all winter long and kept the air in my home office comfortably humidified and fresh too...
The Lettuce Raft System
Each day I respond to more and more emails from people looking for the simplest, most inexpensive means of growing hydroponically. I often recommend the Hydroponic Planter from the previous chapter, however, this simple and inexpensive method just isn't complicated enough. So after giving it some careful thought, a worthwhile solution presented itself. The raft system is simple, inexpensive 20- 30 complete and complex enough to satisfy any first timer's appetite for a fun project that actually...
Selecting A Hydroponic Nutrient
Most nutrients list the amounts of N-P-K represented in percentages. For instance, a 10-10-10 solution would contain 10 Nitrogen, 10 phosphorus, and 10 potassium by weight. If you do the math, you will see this concentration adds up to only 30 . That's because the remaining percentage of ingredients in the nutrient usually consists of other nutrients, filler or chelates used to assist the nutritional process. While you can use hydroponic nutrients for other methods of gardening, you can't use...
Parts List 1
1 Single outlet air pump Elite 801 1 2' x 2' x 1.5 rigid foam sheet 9 Perfect Starts or equivalent seed starting rooting plugs 1 1 4 compression grommet Hydroponic nutrients
Maintaining Nutrient Concentration And pH
For optimal growth to take place, the nutrient concentration and pH must be consistently balanced over time to insure plants have what they need, when they need it. In any circulating hydroponic system, with every pass the nutrient makes past the root system, an exchange is taking place. As a result, as time goes by, your nutrient solution changes in concentration. Therefore, so does each plant's ability to uptake essential elements. The easiest way to keep on top of your nutrient solution is...
Plant Nutrition
Liquid nutrients have the advantage of being readily and evenly diluted when mixed into your reservoir. The high concentration of Iron chelates makes this graduated cylinder of Above amp Beyond Vigor take on a yellow-orange appearance. Liquid nutrients have the advantage of being readily and evenly diluted when mixed into your reservoir. The high concentration of Iron chelates makes this graduated cylinder of Above amp Beyond Vigor take on a yellow-orange appearance. To develop a solid...
It Starts With A Seed
If you think of a plant as being like a movie script, or perhaps even a computer program, you can better see how its life unfolds according to a predetermined chain of events. We call this chain of events the stages of growth, and each of these stages can be triggered by internal or external stimuli. For plants, it all starts with a seed, which after sprouting becomes a seedling, and eventually becomes a mature plant capable of reproducing itself by creating All plants start from seeds. While...
The Autopot 1
If Tomatoes could talk, what do you think they'd have to say about Jim Fah's incredible Autopot Picture taken Elmac Hydroponics in Queensland, Australia - courtesy Jim Fah. If Tomatoes could talk, what do you think they'd have to say about Jim Fah's incredible Autopot Picture taken Elmac Hydroponics in Queensland, Australia - courtesy Jim Fah. The secret to the Autopot system is the patented Smart Valve MkII which automatically subirrigates the tray containing the pots ONLY when needed without...
The PVC Pipe Gardens
My first encounter with a commercially available hydroponic system was a garden made by General Hydroponics from 6 inch PVC pipe. Since then, I've experimented with several variations on that design, in search of less expensive ways to get started in hydroponics. PVC pipe's inherent ease of use during construction, versatility, and availability as a plumbing product make it an ideal material for building your own hydroponic system. Standard round PVC pipe is available from any plumbing supply,...
The Dutch Bucket Garden Growers Guide
As a simple rule of thumb, a medium that holds a lot of water offers more protection against pump failure than one that holds little. The drawback is a wet medium has little room for fresh air and is a good breading ground for fungus and disease. If you have the luxury of an adjustable cycle timer and can check up on your plants frequently, I prefer to use a 60 perlite 40 coco-coir mix and adjust my timer so that the medium never gets soaking wet but never dries out completely. This setting is...
PVC Pipe Gardens Growers Guide
Since this system is a pure water system, the only growing medium you will require is that to start your seeds or cuttings. Once you have viable plants, they will be placed into 3 plastic net cups with a handful of LECA stones to give the roots something to hold on to and keep them from falling over inside the cups. Start your seeds or cuttings in your preference of starter cubes or sponges. Transplant to net cups once roots are clearly visible from the bottom of the cubes. Set plants in cups...