- Crops are grown in beds which are really shallow tanks or troughs
that serve as a container for gravel or coarse sand. If there
are several of these beds, they should be set up in a series at
the same level and of a similar size.
- These beds should be about 3 feet wide and any convenient length,
although 100 feet is common. The sides are about 8 inches high
and with a V bottom so the center is 11 or 12 inches deep at the
center.
- Beds intended to survive massive earthquake damage should be wooden
frames lined with heavy vinyl sheeting. Pipes or other fittings
should be plastic for increased flexibility and ease of repair
after earthquake damage.
- This permits an arrangement whereby a half-tile or similar device
through the center of the bed will feed or drain the solution
rapidly from one end of the bed to the other. It is very important
that the slope be precise, with no low areas from which solution
will not drain.
- Drainage in the beds is not only pointed toward the V bottom of
the bed, but also toward one end of the bed, so that the V at
the drain end is 2" lower than at the high end of the bed. This
is a slight slope in the bottom of the trough.
- There must be a pipe connection to the lowest point in the V at
the drain end of the trough. The nutrient solution can then be
pumped into the trough through that pipe and will drain out again
when the pump has been shut off. The quantity of solution in the
tank should be just sufficient to bring the water level up to
within 1/2 to 1 inch of the top of the gravel or sand in the beds.
- The entire hydroponics system is relatively simple to operate
and may be made at least semi-automatic. In cool weather, pumping
solution should be done once a day, but in warm, dry, or windy
weather, it may be necessary 2 or 3 times a day. Installation
of a time clock allows the start and stop of the pump to be automatically.
- A centrifugal pump of sufficient capacity to fill beds in one-half
hour is generally best for forcing the solution into the beds.
With a centrifugal pump, the solution will flow by gravity through
the pump back into the tank.
- For those without a pump, a simple pail and flexible hose system
to give the hydroponics beds their daily nutrient bath works well.
- Gravel for the bed should be fairly uniform in texture, about
1/2 to 1/4 in diameter, and washed. If you use sand, it should
be coarse and it also should be washed. Beds should be filled
to within 1 inch of the top. The mix should be sterilized with
heat or steam to prevent mildew and fungus problems.
- Use the best seed for seedlings, planted in disease-free soil
or sand and six inches or more high before transplanting. Loosen
the planting media around the roots so that there will be as little
injury as possible to the roots during transplanting. Rinse the
planting media off the roots with water before planting in the
hydroponics beds.
- Supporting structures may be necessary to hold up the plants,
as plants loaded with fruit, for example, are heavy. Do not attach
supports to the ends of beds because the weight of the plants
may warp the structure and cause leaks or draining problems. All
supporting wires are suspended from overhead supports that are
spaced at intervals alongside the troughs.
- Cooling of the hydroponics area can be achieved by ventilation,
as transpiration of moisture off the leave cools the plants just
as perspiration cools the human body. Slats or windows that allow
the air to circulate should be included in the arrangement.
- Plants produce oxygen during the day, under lighted conditions,
and carbon dioxide during the night. Hydroponics areas attached
to living areas thus can oxygenate and cleanse the air of carbon
dioxide, but should be closed off during the night so that oxygen
is not depleted from the sleeping areas.
- Pollination can be done either by bees or by hand, by manually
shaking or tapping the flowers once a day, going flower to flower
so as to spread the pollen. Pollination helps increase fruit yield,
and for some produce makes the difference between a high yield
or no yield at all.
FAQ About Hydroponics Gardening
Q. What is hydroponics?
A. Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil. The
plants thrive on the nutrient solution alone. The medium merely
acts as support for the plants and their root systems, and perhaps
to hold moisture around the roots. The growing medium, if any,
is totally inert.
Q. What are the advantages of hydroponics versus soil grown plants?
A. No soil means no weeds or soil borne pests and disease. Plants
will maintain optimum nutrient and moisture levels in hydroponics
systems, which has several benefits: healthier plants, faster
growing plants and plants that will be more disease resistant
as they are not stressed by drought. The root systems stay smaller
on hydroponically grown plants, so the plant can concentrate it's
growth energy on producing plant mass, rather that roots. This
can result in up to 30% faster growth. This also allow the grower
to have more plants per square foot of garden space. Hydroponically
grown plants never get root bound, so they do not need repotting.
Hydroponics produce has a longer shelf life than soil-grown produce.
Hydroponics is clean, so it adapts easily to indoor culture, but
may also be used outdoors and in greenhouses.
Q. Isn't hydroponics gardening complicated?
A. No! If you can follow directions, you can garden hydroponically.
A few simple steps must be followed on a regular basis to insure
that your plants thrive. Once you get used to the routine, it
is a snap!
Q. Is it expensive?
A. Just as with soil gardening, you decide how elaborate or simple
you would like your hydroponics garden to be. You can build a
system from items you may have already in your garage or home,
and complete hydroponics growing kits start at only $50.00. The
yearly costs of fertilizers and pH control products for a mid-size
system that can produce about 200 pounds of tomatoes annually
averages to be around $60.00 to $80.00. That is about three cents
a pound!
Q. Can plants be grown organically, hydroponically?
A. Organic and hydroponics growers have typically regarded each
other somewhat suspiciously and the two growing methods were at
one time thought to be incompatible. There is some common ground,
however, and more people are finding that with a little experimentation,
they can grow a successful organic, hydroponics garden. Hydroponics
gardening is based on immediate and 100% nutrient availability.
Organic fertilizers typically break down over a period of time
via bacterial action in the soil. Enzyme activators such as NITRON
FORMULA A-35 which hasten the breakdown of organic fertilizers
may make your hydroponics, organic garden more successful.
Q. What types of plants can be grown hydroponically?
A. Anything can be easily grown, but some plants prove to be more
space efficient. Some plants we suggest are tomatoes, sweet peppers,
hot chiles, lettuce, spinach, chard, squash, cucumbers, broccoli,
beans, snow peas, herbs, flowers of all types and house plants.
Q. Do you really get better yields in less time?
A. Absolutely. The plants, receiving everything they need, tend
to be healthier, faster growing and generally more productive.
Q. What about taste? Will the flavor compare to produce from my
outdoor, organic garden?
A. You bet--perhaps even better! This is simply due to the fact
that the hydroponically grown plants are getting everything they
need, when they need it. Don't be fooled by "hot house" produce
grown commercially. The growers' primary concern is shippability
and storage, not flavor. When you grow you own vegetables at home,
you can expect nothing less than excellent results.
Q. Will I be using any pesticides? If so, what kind?
A. Generally, indoor environments demand less pesticides for obvious
reasons. Hydroponics growing eliminates soil borne pests, as well.
However, if pests do become a problem, on can choose to use insecticidal
soaps, natural pyrethums and, in some cases, beneficial insects.
These controls will be completely safe to use on edible crops
and are also environmentally safe. Outdoors, your soil borne pests
will be eliminated and simply hosing off you plants with water
may prove to be an effective control of aphids and mites. Otherwise,
we suggest trying the insecticides listed above.
Q. What is the best growing medium?
A. There is no clear cut answer to this questions. Different mediums
work better for different situations and different crops.
Rockwool will allow the grower an easy set-up, since it is pre-formed
and modular. It holds a tremendous amount of water and offers
a buffer against drying in the case of electrical outages or pump
failures. Rockwool slabs may be used successfully in a "hand-water"
system since they stay moist so long. Rockwool will will maintain
a 60/40 water to air ratio even when completely saturated, which
makes for extremely healthy root growth. For starting seedlings
and cuttings, rockwool is without equal. Rockwool is not degradable
or reusable and must be repurchased for every use.
Geolite is a ceramic, kiln-fired pebble developed specifically for plant
growth. It is completely inert and sterile and each piece is completely
rounded so it will not cut roots. It is light weight and holds
a small amount of moisture between irrigation cycles. It may be
cleaned and reused again and again, so it is an economical choice.
Geolite is not a good choice for most hand-water systems, as it
does not provide enough of a moisture buffer. It may be difficult
for anyone who is physically challenged to clean and rinse without
assistance.
DFT Irrigation, or "media-less" culture, will be the most economical method
of growing as it only requires 1" rockwool starter cubes. This
can be an excellent choice for some growers, but beginners sometimes
find that they are less successful with a media-less system as
it does not buffer the roots against temperature changes, nutrient
strength changes and uneven watering the way that rockwool and
geolite will. This is a consideration for growers who experience
frequent power outages and for beginners who will be more prone
to initial mistakes, such as leaving a pump unplugged! Actual
growth in these systems is excellent and DFT irrigation is a good
choice for many conscientious growers. |
