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Hydroponics...It hasn't all gone to pot! |
 Think
outside the Pot! |
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I work a lot of trade shows demonstrating hydroponic equipment and growing methods for the general public. Though I have a wonderful array of fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables flourishing in hydroponic gardens, inevitably people will approach me with a nudge and a wink and whisper "that's what they use to grow marijuana...isnt it?" Well yes, I've heard rumors! I'm sure when Health Minister Allan Rock issued a call to all pot growers to send in their resumes for trials that could lead to the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes all the applicants will be growing hydroponically. Those pot growers must know something! Hydroponics from the Latin 'water working', is simply growing plants without soil. As far back as the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon herbs have been grown hydroponically. In fact, Canada is second only to Holland for commercial glasshouse hydroponic food production. A large percentage of the vegetables and herbs available at your supermarket have been grown hydroponically. Farmers have opted for this horticulture technique because they are able to obtain a much higher yield per square foot and plants are healthier and therefore resistant to diseases and pests. All minerals that a plant requires for growth are absorbed by the plant's root system directly from the nutrient solution in a hydroponic garden. All the elements in the solution are used, eliminating waste. In soil, bacteria have to break down the dirt into basic elements of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium as well as trace elements. Soil loses it's nutritional value very quickly. In hydroponics natural preventative pest control is encouraged. Introducing predator insects into the healthy garden before the possibility of infestation ensurese a pest free crop, making insecticides unnecessary. Companion planting is also promoted, especially when growing outdoors. One hydroponic garden is able to support many different varieties of plants at a time. Some plants protect each other from insect infestations while others provide shad for their friends. Still others just like each other and grow better if they are neighbours. For example, coriander Coriandrum sativum and anise Pimpinella anisum are good friends but they don't get along well with fennel Foeniculum vulgare. A study conducted by Plant Research Technologies Inc., an independent analytical laboratory in California, recently reported a dramatic increase in both the vitamin and mineral content of hydroponic versus soil-grown produce. Through years of research determining which elements and their combinations affect plant growth, scientists have perfected hydroponic formulas. This has allowed for greater control over plant nutrition and therefore increased production. Soilless cultivation of medicinal and culinary herbs has proven very successful commercially. It offers the capacity to provide optimal conditions for plant growth and development, and thus to obtain high-quality, ecologically clean medicinal matter. . The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of America determined in a recent study that the biologically active compounds and yeilds were significantly higher in most plants grown hydroponically. The study was conducted in open-air hydroponics, under climatic conditions of Ararat Valley, Armenia.
A similar study was conducted on the quality and productivity of essential oils. The rose geranium Pelagronium roseum was among the valuable aromatic plants that were cultivated in Armenia. Yields of 117-138 tonnes of geranium green material and 137-149 kg. of essential oil can be obtained from a single hectare of hydroponic surface with balanced hydroponic plant food. By contrast the soil crop gave figures of 21 tonnes per hectare and 23kg/ha respectively. Many schools are teaching and growing hydroponically. Children enjoy setting up and maintaining their gardens. They find it very rewarding bringing a plant to life and nurturing it to maturity. Unfortunately, children are out of school during most of our outdoor growing season. Hydroponics indoors, provides the perfect opportunity for kids to learn about plant growth and eevelopment. Hydroponic gardening indoors has become very popular with home hobbyists for both culinary and medicinal herb cultivation. The gardener virtually controls the environment simulating ideal growing conditions. Each plant receives exactly what it requires for optimal growth. Lighting, nutrition, temperature, air quality, pH can all be controlled by you, the grower. Not long ago it was very difficult to achieve satisfactory results growing indoors. Flourescent tubes were the only supplemental light source available and did not supply an adequate amount of light for plant growth. Technological breakthrought and scientific research have shed bright light on indoor horticulture by producing the metal halide lamp. Reasonably priced, the metal halide lamp simulates sunlight for strong, healthy vegetative growth. The delicate fragrance and soft textures of an attractive hydroponic herb garden will bring charm and grace to any location. A sunny window with a southern or western exposure should make it possible to grow a satisfactory crop. However, using supplemental metal halide lights will speed growth, enhance flavour, colour and fragrance. Easily grown and maintained, hydroponics is the perfect environment for herbs to flourish indoors. You will be delighted with the results and simplicity of hydroponic gardening. To start your seedlings use a basic nursery tray and dome with inexpensive rockwool starter cubes, available at any hydroponic retail outlet. Cover and keep in a dark, warm place until seedlings appear. Place in a sunny window or under flourescent lights until the secondary leaves form. They are now ready to transplant into your hydroponic garden. The most common method used for windowsills and small areas is deepwater culture. Seedlings are inserted into a mesh basket filled with a growing medium such as clay pellets. The plant roots are suspended over a container filled with nutrient solution and a small aquarium air pump provides oxygen to the root system. For larger scale herb production ebb and flow trats are ideal. Mesh pots or rockwool cubes are used to anchor plants on a ribbed plastic tray. The tray is then flooded with nutrient solution from a reservoir and immediately drained back into the reservoir. This is done 2 or 34 times a day. This system makes it easy to dultivate many plants in minimal space. Premixed nutrient concentrate provides the exact balance of required minerals, just add the recommended amount to the container of water. Solutions are topped up for about 30 days then replaced because the plants use nutrition in different proportions. In hydroponics it is necessary to determine the pH or acidity of your solution. This is easily accomplished by adding a drop of tester to 2 ml of solution and checking the colour against a chart. Desirable readings range from 5.5 to 6.5. pH may be easily adjusted up or down to achieve the desired reading. These products are inexpensive and available at retail hydroponic stores. A hydroponic garden can produce an impressive number of herbs in a very small area. Salad greens can be added to your garden for a fresh harvest all year long. There is no backbreaking weeding or tilling and no pesticides. A wonderful book which is an easy stem-by stem guide to hydroponics is: Hydroponics for the Home Gardener by stewart Kenyon. Mr. Kenyon has an entire chaper dedicated to recipes using herbs, contributed by chefs who use hydroponic systems in their kitchens.
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be-wired