In late autumn
a few years ago I purchased a small, beautifully landscaped home
in a lovely bedroom community north of Toronto. The new property
came complete with a 20' x 30' patch of ground that had obviously
been used by the previous owners to grow vegetables. As spring
rolled around I decided to try my hand at Canada's number one
pastime. I carefully planned out my garden after researching
a variety of gardening books and magazines and soliciting advice
from my father. I wanted to ensure that this would be a family
experience and my three kids would enjoy a sense of nurturing
while they helped me plant and cultivate the garden.
Unfortunately,
things didn't go quite as I had planned. I now understand why
parents say they enjoy the solitude and tranquility of gardening.
When my children found that the process of nurturing and cultivation
involved some degree of work they disappeared quickly leaving
me alone to tend my garden.
I became aware
very early on that I didn't possess a green thumb. My tomatoes
and peppers provided a feast for a number of nasty little pests
including slugs and spider mites. I suspect a visiting rabbit
enjoyed all my carrots and my attempt to conquer the weeds left
me out of commission for three days with a sore back. Upon my
return from a week's vacation I found the remnants of my garden
parched and wilting from the intense summer heat and lack of water.
However, all was not lost! I managed to harvest about a thousand
zucchinis! I took revenge on my kids for their unwillingness
to help, with zucchini! They ate zucchini in every imaginable
way for weeks.
I did not give
up! As spring approached every year I continued to plan my garden.
Through trial and error and a bit of sweat I've managed to harvest
a variety of delicious vegetables. In fact, my family has come
to enjoy the fresh picked flavour so much that I have decided
to keep a hydroponic garden indoors.
At first I was
a bit intimidated by all the equipment and gadgets available not
to mention the plumbing and electricity involved in hydroponics.
Much to my surprise however, I found that hydroponics was actually
easier and cleaner than my outdoor garden. The only electrical
work was simply plugging in a pump, timer and light and plumbing
consisted of draining or adding water to the garden. Even I could
handle this!
I decided to
dedicate a corner in a small breakfast nook for the garden. The
kitchen is nearby providing easy access to water. I purchased
a stand that was designed specifically for growing hydroponically
with shelves that can be easily adjusted to a comfortable working
height. The compact unit neatly houses a 3' x 4' garden tray,
a 50 gallon reservoir and a grow light, taking up minimal space.
With the garden so conveniently located I can take a few minutes,
while I'm puttering in the kitchen, to check that everything is
running smoothly.
Though there
are several different methods of hydroponic gardening, I chose
ebb and flow. Ebb and flow (flood and drain) systems are ideal
for multiple plant per square foot growing and can accommodate
a mixture of vegetables, herbs and/or salad greens. It is an
effortless system to set up and requires very little maintenance.
Once the seedlings have been transplanted to their larger rockwool
cubes they are placed on the ebb and flow tray. The tray is flooded
automatically several times a day by a fountain pump submersed
in a reservoir of nutrient solution and connected to a digital
timer. Submersible pumps and digital timers are inexpensive,
easy to use and available at any hydroponic shop.
An ebb and flow
tray is ribbed to keep the rockwool cubes from soaking in the
nutrient solution and the roots from becoming waterlogged or getting
'wet feet'. Ribbing also ensures the availability of oxygen to
the root system.
I start my seeds
in rockwool starter cubes, bearing in mind that various plants
have different nutrient requirements. In an ebb and flow system
all the plants are fed from a common nutrient reservoir so they
must be compatible. A fast growing, fruit producing plant, like
tomato, will need more nourishment and therefore a stronger solution
than a spinach making them poor growing companions.
Once true leaves
appear and roots are showing through the bottom of the starter
cubes, usually around 10 - 14 days, seedlings are ready to be
transplanted. Generally seedlings do not go into shock or suffer
any setback when transplanted as they are merely placed in a 3"
or 4" pre-soaked, pH balanced rockwool cube with a pre-made
hole designed to receive the starter cube.
On a 3' X 4'
ebb and flow tray I can grow anywhere from 10 to 50 plants depending
on their size. A large pepper plant should be allowed approximately
a 1 square foot growing area whereas a small herb or lettuce plant
will require a much smaller space. Here again trial and error
came into play. I found that some plants grew harmoniously together
like lettuce and strawberries while others were mortal enemies
like tomatoes and dill.
Most plants need
about sixteen hours of light a day. My plants receive ample light
with a 400 watt balanced spectrum metal halide grow lamp which
is attached to an automatic timer. I simply hang the lamp, which
comes complete with a reflector, at the desired height, plug in
and grow! The remote ballast required to run the metal halide
lamp is discreetly hidden off the floor, away from any water.
The CSA approved unit is as easy to operate as my living room
lamp. The days of unsafe lighting systems with 'some assembly
required' are over! I must stress; if any equipment doesn't
have CSA approval DO NOT USE IT! They may pose a potential
fire hazard and you could be at risk of electrocution.
The nutrient
reservoir is the life force of my garden. I chose a high quality
nutrient formula recommended for hydroponic use. The concentrate
formula eliminates guess work and delivers the proper proportion
of each mineral element to the plants. Once the reservoir is
filled with the desired level of water the nutrient is added according
to the package directions.
Keeping the pH
and nutrient levels balanced ensures my plants will get the nourishment
they need to flourish. This is where I considered abandoning
the whole project. I can't even balance my cheque book, let alone
pH! I was delighted to find that maintaining the nutrient reservoir
was much less complicated than I had anticipated. A few drops
of pH indicator solution was all that was needed to determine
the pH level. Adjusting and maintaining a healthy pH balance
of 5.8 - 6.3 (for most plants) simply meant that once nutrients
were added, pH be monitored and adjusted as necessary. pH adjusting
products are available for raising or lowering the pH as required.
I have found
that keeping a journal has been a helpful resource and allowed
me to reproduce successful crops and avoid duplicating mistakes.
For the most part my garden is self sufficient. I try to completely
change my nutrient reservoir every week to ten days. When this
isn=t
possible I top up the solution with water and adjust nutrients
and pH accordingly.
My kids have
apparently taken an interest in my hydroponic garden. As fast
as my strawberries and cherry tomatoes ripen they disappear!
I am contemplating zucchini for my next crop, I=m
sure I could double my yield in a hydroponic garden. I cherish
the time I spend working in my gardens, indoors and out. Hydroponics
needn't be complicated and the opportunity to continue gardening
year round is a bonus.
