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| Article Name | Author | Category | Article Date | ||||||||||
| 1 | Hydroponic Gardening Versus Regular Gardening |
Mark Sheppler | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-02-01 |
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Hydroponic gardening has been hyped as a better alternative for years. Inground gardening is basically simpler and more straightforward than hydroponic gardening. The necessary condition for engaging in regular gardening is having garden space and soil for planting. The soil, in its natural state, supplies the nutrients that your plants need. Hydroponics eliminates the soil as a necessary precondition for gardening. In hydroponic gardening, many materials like coconut fiber, sand, gravel, etc, may be used as a medium for growing plant life. You remove the dependence of plants on soil by giving these plants their required nutrients through specially formulated fertilizer that easily mixes with water and is readily absorbed by plants and crops. The hydroponics process is, of course, much more complex in practice. Because your plants do not have a naturally occurring nutrient source, you have to be extra careful about monitoring all aspects of raising your plants. You have to follow strict and regular water cycles. As such, you may even use advanced applications and computing paraphernalia which could automate the processes for you and leave little room for gross errors. Hydroponic and Field Gardening Square-off Inground and hydroponic gardening mainly differ in the method by which the plants receive nutrients. Regular gardening makes use of what s readily abundant in nature, soil. Hydroponic gardening makes use of whatever medium is available and just makes sure that the plant receives sufficient amount of nourishment through the use of specially formulated fertilizers. Both regular gardening and hydroponic gardening, however, still require the right amount of sunlight and the right pH level for the plants to survive. Advantages of Hydroponic Gardening Hydroponics allows for a precise and scientific system through which the amount of water, the nutrients in water, the frequency of hydration, and the amount of sunlight the plants receive can be strictly monitored and controlled. Hydroponics therefore does not leave much room for error and thus endows the gardener control over the outcome of his gardening efforts. If you are interested in a horticultural or agricultural career, you may wish to try hydroponic gardening methods. Or maybe you want to make better use of a hobby greenhouse? Square foot production and overall quality can both be improved with hydropnics. Regular gardening is more of a hit-and-miss thing because you rely on the soil s natural nutrients to support your plants. You can only try to increase the soil s nutrients using fertilizers, but there s no assurance on whether the nutrients you re supplying is too little or too much. Regular gardening therefore, provides little stability in the crop produce. Advantages of Regular Gardening In a nutshell, regular gardening is preferable if you are a hobbyist who likes puttering in your backyard garden. You also do not need much money and expensive gadgetry to experience the benefits of regular gardening. Nature has a way of balancing things out, even given some natural disadvantages and deficiencies. |
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| 2 | Is It Organic? Hydroponic Gardening |
Chris Marshall | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-04-11 |
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Some organic gardeners believe that hydroponic gardening can't be organic because you don't use soil. How can you have an organic garden without rich, loamy soil? Good soil is at the heart of organic gardening. Organic hydroponic gardening does exist, however, and has some advantages over conventional organic gardening. |
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| 3 | What Is Hydroponic Gardening? |
Bercle George | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-01-12 |
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What is Hydroponics Gardening? Well, hydroponic gardening is a kind of gardening that does not need soil to grow plants. In other words, a dirt-less garden and that's perhaps one of the reasons why more and more people are getting into this kind of gardening. |
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| 4 | Growing Orchids in a Hydroponic Garden |
Nigel Howell | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-04-08 |
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How long have you been growing orchids for? If you are anything like me you would have fallen in love with growing orchids. But have you ever considered setting up your own hydroponic garden? Well, you may be surprised to know that it is a lot easy than you think and it can help you with your orchid care.
Let me start by explaining a little about hydroponic gardens. To put it simply, hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil. Instead of soil or compost, the roots of the orchids are placed in a mineral nutrient solution. Hydroponic systems have become very popular in recent years, not just for orchids but all plants in general. There are many advantages associated with growing plants/crops in a hydroponic system. These advantages are beneficial especially to commercial farmers where their livelihood depends on the success of a crop yield. The soilless nature of hydroponics means that soil borne diseases are no longer an issue. How many times have one of your orchids developed a disease which originated in the soil and infected many orchids before you realised? This will not happen in your hydroponic garden which means there is less need for pesticides. Not only do you not have to purchase any soil, you will no longer need to perform possibly the worst part of orchid care – weeding. Due to its nature, hydroponics removes this mundane task from your schedule. As you will be aware, over watering an orchid is a very common mistake. Your hydroponic system will allow you to set up the correct watering schedule. You will also prevent waste by not watering weeds. You can set up a hydroponic system almost anywhere. This means that if you have very little space you will still be able to set up your own garden. It also means that your climate will have less of an influence so you could try orchids which would never grow in ‘your’ type of soil. Do you ever have problems getting your enough light to your orchids? Well, with a hydroponic system more of your orchid is exposed to light. As more of the orchid is visible, especially the roots, it becomes easier to make a quick diagnosis of any problems which will prevent disease from spreading. Due to advances in science we now know the nutrients which ideally suit the orchid. This means that our orchids get everything they need to grow in the right quantities. So if you set your hydroponic garden up correctly, all your care will result in you growing beautiful orchids. Nigel owns OrchidCareExpert.com a website which contains lots of useful information if you wish to know more about orchid care. |
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| 5 | Hydroponic Supplies You Need for a Productive Garden |
Tony Buel | Home Family/Home Family | 2007-03-01 |
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Those who are new to hydroponic gardening often overbuy on supplies that they possibly may not need when first starting out. After all, the very basic hydroponic supplies that you need when starting out can readily be found in and around your home! Use these first before expanding to the more expensive hydroponic supplies. Beginning tables for your plants can include items as simple as plastic tubs and a child's swimming pool! You may wish to purchase a kit called a 'plug and go' hydroponic gardening kit. These kits will include everything you need - nutrient solution, plant cubes, heating pad, and seeds. The only additional items that you need to add are sun and water. As a hydroponic gardener you will need a dedicated space for your gardening. An easy to install 'grow room' is preferred for the beginner. This can usually be completely installed in less than an hour and the price can range from $250 to over $500 depending on the features. A small greenhouse can be considerably be more expensive. Depending on the features, the cost of a greenhouse will range from $500 to a few thousand dollars. A greenhouse will typically need a cement floor and drainage system, or some other kind of flooring such as gravel. A temperature control unit will be necessary depending on how many plants you will be growing in your grow room or greenhouse. Usually the more plants you have the hotter your greenhouse will be. The temperature control unit will turn the fans or blowers on. It can also be set up to open and close the air ducts. Hydroponic gardeners also use a special type of lighting - blue and green spectrum lights. These are instrumental in increasing plant growth. As you become more skilled at hydroponic gardening you can will upgrade to a more advanced irrigation and drainage system. The plant types and quantities that you are growing will determine what other equipment you will need. The typical hydroponic supplies that you will be purchasing over time are a temperature control unit, light fixtures for your blue and red spectrum lights, heating mats, exhaust fan, an aeration system and other incidentals. Beginners will find all of their hydroponic supplies at a hydro shop. They specialize in selling hydroponic gardening supplies and are very helpful in giving useful and practical advice. You will also find the fellow gardeners to be more than willing to help. |
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| 6 | Hydroponic Gardening - Getting Results With Your Hydroponic Vegetables! |
AnthonyB | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-03-12 |
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Did you ever wish to have the type of garden which would produce delicious vegetables, fruits, and flowers throughout the whole year? Did you even know that was possible? Well it is - if you do hydroponic gardening! And you can create a hydroponic garden in your own home. The secret to successful and productive hydroponic vegetable gardening year round is in finding the right well-balanced nutrient solution. The nutrient solution that you use to circulate around the roots of your plants will create for you a happy and healthy vegetable plant or it will kill it. The proper nutrient levels must be found and maintained. Here is a quick checklist of items that should be checked and maintained to create an environment conducive to a healthy thriving plant. The pH level of the plant determines the type of nutrient solution they need. The plants that thrive on acid need a pH level below 7 while other plants will need a pH level above that. Also, to maintain optimal absorption of the nutrient solution, it is necessary to make sure proper air circulation is occurring at the roots of the plant. A waterlogged plant will certainly not thrive! Pre-mixed nutrient solutions can be found from a variety of sources and can even be made by the home gardener. But if you are a beginner at hydroponic gardening you may want to opt for the pre-mixed nutrient solutions. The basic ingredients for any hydroponic solution contains a proper mix of potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. These must be fully dissolved in the mixture before being circulated through the vegetable plants' root systems. Micro-nutrients such as boric acid, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate and iron sulfate are often used in the nutrient solution as well. The nutrient solution can be used for a maximum of two weeks when plants are small. Once plants have matured the nutrient solution should be replaced every week. Many hydroponic plants are grown in a greenhouse. The correct mixture of carbon dioxide in the air is necessary in order for these plants to thrive. This can be done a number of ways that includes: - burning hydrocarbon fuels - dry ice - decomposition of organic matter - compressed bottled carbon dioxide Maintaining a proper temperature is also very important for their survival. The ideal temperature for your plants is normally between 40 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature for a particular plant growing will vary however. In addition, if it is too humid it may not be healthy for your plant. A very dry climate is not good for most plants either. The amount of light your plants receive can cause your plant to thrive or it can doom your plant. Too much light will dry out your plants while too little light will be ineffective. Different plants will respond differently to light and many hydroponic gardeners will have to experiment with different light to attain the ideal environment for the plants' growth. Some plants may be affected by air pollution while others are not. If this is an issue, you may want to grow plant species that are not bothered by air pollution, In summary, plants are affected by the following elements: pH balance, light, air, water, temperature, and pollution. If you take all of these things into consideration in your particular hydroponic vegetable garden your plants will be sure to thrive. |
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| 7 | Hydroponic Gardening - Getting Great Results with Your Hydroponic Vegetables! |
Tony Buel | Food Beverage/Food Beverage | 2007-02-26 |
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Did you ever wish to have the type of garden which would produce delicious vegetables, fruits, and flowers throughout the whole year? Did you even know that was possible? Well it is - if you do hydroponic gardening! And you can create a hydroponic garden in your own home. The secret to successful and productive hydroponic vegetable gardening year round is in finding the right well-balanced nutrient solution. The nutrient solution that you use to circulate around the roots of your plants will create for you a happy and healthy vegetable plant or it will kill it. The proper nutrient levels must be found and maintained. Here is a quick checklist of items that should be checked and maintained to create an environment conducive to a healthy thriving plant. The pH level of the plant determines the type of nutrient solution they need. The plants that thrive on acid need a pH level below 7 while other plants will need a pH level above that. Also, to maintain optimal absorption of the nutrient solution, it is necessary to make sure proper air circulation is occurring at the roots of the plant. A waterlogged plant will certainly not thrive! Pre-mixed nutrient solutions can be found from a variety of sources and can even be made by the home gardener. But if you are a beginner at hydroponic gardening you may want to opt for the pre-mixed nutrient solutions. The basic ingredients for any hydroponic solution contains a proper mix of potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. These must be fully dissolved in the mixture before being circulated through the vegetable plants' root systems. Micro-nutrients such as boric acid, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate and iron sulfate are often used in the nutrient solution as well. The nutrient solution can be used for a maximum of two weeks when plants are small. Once plants have matured the nutrient solution should be replaced every week. Many hydroponic plants are grown in a greenhouse. The correct mixture of carbon dioxide in the air is necessary in order for these plants to thrive. This can be done a number of ways that includes: - burning hydrocarbon fuels - dry ice - decomposition of organic matter - compressed bottled carbon dioxide Maintaining a proper temperature is also very important for their survival. The ideal temperature for your plants is normally between 40 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature for a particular plant growing will vary however. In addition, if it is too humid it may not be healthy for your plant. A very dry climate is not good for most plants either. The amount of light your plants receive can cause your plant to thrive or it can doom your plant. Too much light will dry out your plants while too little light will be ineffective. Different plants will respond differently to light and many hydroponic gardeners will have to experiment with different light to attain the ideal environment for the plants' growth. Some plants may be affected by air pollution while others are not. If this is an issue, you may want to grow plant species that are not bothered by air pollution, In summary, plants are affected by the following elements: pH balance, light, air, water, temperature, and pollution. If you take all of these things into consideration in your particular hydroponic vegetable garden your plants will be sure to thrive. |
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| 8 | Getting more produce from your hydroponic garden. |
Susan Slobac | Food Beverage/Cuisine | 2007-07-13 |
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Hydroponic gardening is a great way to garden indoors if you do not have arable land suitable for gardening. If you are going to be gardening indoors, you will want to garden efficiently, in order to get more produce from your hydroponic garden.
Hydroponics means that the plant is grown without dirt and with a nutrient solution that provides for all of its needs. It can mean that you grow your plants in sand, gravel or rockwool, or it can also mean that you grow them in water. The advantages to growing plants hydroponically is that they can produce more food than in traditional soil growing methods, and the food can be grown in parts of the world that has soil that will not support the growing of crops. Because many plant pests live in the soil, hydroponic gardening also takes away the need for pesticides. One huge key to making your garden work well and produce more food for you and your family is to make sure you are using a sufficient nutrient solution for the types of plants you are trying to grow. Once you have your light and hydroponic digital ballast, your next concern is the nutrient solution. Providing the plant with all of the nutrition it would be getting if it was grown in soil, nutrient comes in a liquid or a powdered form. How much you will use also depends on the medium in which you are growing the plants. For instance, plants growing in potting soil take less nutrient solution than plants growing in rockwool. You will want to mix your nutrient solution carefully following the instructions on the package. If not diluted enough, the too-strong nutrient solution will not allow water to be effectively absorbed by the plant, and can kill it. However, the produce you grow will be better tasting the more nutrients the particular produce can absorb. You can use a TDS meter to determine the nutrient strength. The unit shows the strength of the nutrient solution based on the salts that are dissolved in the water, because the electrical current will flow through the salt solution. The electrical conductivity factor is what is used to measure the nutrient solution strength. Watercress and lettuce require a two to four conductivity factor, whereas fruits, berries and ornamental trees require a factor of 35. Higher levels are used for tomatoes and certain types of peppers, but most plants will grow well at a 13 to 25 conductivity factor. Gardening is a great hobby, and now it is one that you can enjoy in an apartment with no soil at all. Be sure to choose high quality lights and a grow light digital ballast. Also, another added benefit of this form of gardening is that there are no weeds to pull. That means more time for the fun of gardening, and more produce, too. |
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| 9 | The Benefits of Hydroponic Gardening |
Allison Agnock | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-04-20 |
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Would you like to try growing your own fresh fruits year round, but live in an area where, due to cold temperatures, snow or poor soil, you are unable to do so outdoors? Instead, why not try hydroponics, a form of gardening in which you can grow plants without any soil at all. There are several different types of fruits you could consider growing in a hydroponic manner.
One aspect of plant culture that is wise to keep in mind is to pay attention to the growing conditions a particular plant needs to survive and thrive. Poor choices for hydroponic-style gardening are succulents, because they will only thrive in dry conditions, and you are attempting to grow plants in the medium of water. Water-loving plants make a good choice for Hydroponic gardening, because the plants will be growing in water. Melons are a good example of a fruit that grows well in this circumstance. Watermelons and cantaloupe can both be grown successfully hydroponically because both are water loving plants and can thrive in this sort of growing medium. Although not considered a fruit by some, nevertheless tomatoes meet the scientific criteria for classification as a fruit. Tomatoes grow wonderfully in a hydroponic environment as long as they have excellent lighting. Other fruits that grow well hydroponically are berries. You can grow strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries very well in a hydroponics system. Grapes are another favorite fruit that you can grow using this method as well. Both table grapes and wine grapes have been successfully grown using hydroponic methods. Surprisingly, there are some trees that can be grown in a hydroponic manner. Banana trees are one, and dwarf citrus trees, such as lemons, are another. Imagine growing fruits that would normally require a tropical or very warm climate to produce fruit during an Alaskan or Scandinavian winter, through the appropriate use of a hydroponic plant system and the correct lighting and proper nutrition. All plants will receive absolutely no nutrients from soil, since this system uses none, so the gardener must supply the plants with nutrients in the form of a nutrient solution. You water the plant with the nutrient, and the plant takes the food up through its roots. Typically the nutrients are dissolved in distilled water, because the water needs to be very pure. If you use your own water, you will likely want to have the water tested for elements that may already be present, so that you do not provide too much of any one nutrient. Hydroponic-system gardening is an excellent way to increase fruit yields over conventional soil gardening, and it allows gardeners to grow fruits that would otherwise not be possible in their climate or soil. |
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| 10 | Getting More Produce From your Hydroponic Garden |
Susan Slobac | Health Fitness/Nutrition | 2007-07-13 |
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Hydroponic gardening is a great way to garden indoors if you do not have arable land suitable for gardening. If you are going to be gardening indoors, you will want to garden efficiently, in order to get more produce from your hydroponic garden. |
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| 11 | Lighting Options for Hydroponic Gardening |
Susan Slobac | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-05-26 |
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All plants need appropriate light to grow. If you are doing hydroponic-grow-light-kits-c-25.html>hydroponic gardening, you will also need excellent light for your plants. Here is what you need to know about the different types of lights that work well for growing plants indoors. HID lights most closely mimic sunlight, and they make excellent lights for using when growing plants hydroponically. HID stands for High Intensity Discharge, and it puts out a very bright full spectrum light. The light spectrum is important depending on what growth stage your plants are in. Young plants need blue light, whereas when you need your plants to flower and fruit they perform best under red and orange light. Providing both of these types of lights in one light bulb will provide your plants with everything they need in terms of light appropriate for any stage of plant growth. These grow lights come in two different types. Metal halide HID lamps come in some varieties featuring blue light and some that offer more in the red/orange light spectrum. Metal halides are sometimes less expensive than other HID lights. High Pressure Sodium bulbs put out a great light in the red, orange and yellow spectrum. They last twice as long as metal halide light bulbs, and emits a brighter light. Reflectors are also used in conjunction with grow lamps. Some plants prefer a concentrated light, while others prefer a more diffused light, and you can find reflectors that will produce either of these effects. If you choose HID lights you will also need to use them along with electronic ballasts or digital ballasts. A ballast controls the flow of current that goes into an electrical circuit. This ballast is used to start and operate the HID light bulb. Because HID lights run at such a high intensity, it needs the ballast to control the electrical current flow. Another type of lamp that always requires a ballast is the fluorescent light. It uses mercury vapor in a gas that is activated by the addition of electricity, causing it to give off visible light. These bulbs contain warm and cool spectrums of light, and they are also a great option for lighting your plants that you are growing hydroponically. They are typically less expensive than HID lights, but they also do not put out as much light as an HID lamp. Plants do well when they are under light for the appropriate amount of time, usually 14 to 15 hours per day. You can put them on a timer so they come on and go off without you having to think about it. The light available to your plants is crucial to their ability to thrive and flourish, so don't skimp on light. Susan Slobac is an expert in indoor gardening topics such as hydroponic gardening, digital ballasts and full spectrum grow lights. |
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| 12 | The Benefits of Gardening the Hydroponic Way |
peters jones | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-04-23 |
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The Benefits of Gardening the Hydroponic Way Gardening has been considered to be one of the most therapeutic rewards for North Americans. Gardening stimulates all of the senses, giving great satisfaction and pleasure. Hydroponics is the growing of plants without the use of soil. A variety of hydroponic gardening techniques exist and just about any plant can be grown with hydroponics. Hydroponic gardening is considered to be quite easy and many teachers use this method of gardening with their students when working on science projects. There are a variety of benefits associated with hydroponic gardening. When plants are grown using hydroponics, the roots do not need to search for required nutrients. The nutrient solution is provided directly to them, which results in plant growth, which is more abundant. Incorporating hydroponics into an outdoor garden can help add interest and intrigue. The natural conditions available outdoors in the summer make it a perfect time to experiment with the various types of hydroponic cultivation. Annual flowers, fruit, herbs, and vegetables do exceptionally well with hydroponics. With hydroponics, important growing factors such as light, temperature, and humidity can be controlled. Since there is no soil, there is less maintenance involved with hydroponics. There is no need for weeding and the worry of pests or soil borne diseases is drastically reduced. Hydroponics is always a soil less culture, but not all soil less cultures are considered to be hydroponics. Many of these cultures do not use the nutrient solutions, which are required for hydroponics. There are two main types of hydroponics, which are solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture uses a nutrient solution but does not use a solid growing medium for the roots. The medium culture has a solid growing medium for the roots such as gravel, sand or a perlite culture. Hydroponic plants are grown in a number of ways, each supplying nutrient solution to the plants one way or another. Hydroponics can be used to grow plants anywhere, even in your own backyard. Using hydroponics can grow anything from garden crops to flowers. Hydroponic gardening is considered to be a clean and highly effective method for growing plants. There is less mess and less maintenance. Hydroponic gardening helps to eliminate the need for weeding and helps to cut down on diseases and pests. This form of gardening is also easily adapted to indoor environments, which means it can be used throughout the year to grow a gardener’s favorite plants. The greatest advantage to hydroponics is the overall outcome of the plants, which will be of better quality and are much healthier. Gardeners can give nature a helping hand while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of their garden. Gardeners will be able to watch the spectacular improvements that growing hydroponically can bring to their garden. Hydroponics has always been an ecologically sound gardening choice. It uses much less water than conventional gardening and does not erode the soil or add toxins to the environment. Soluble nutrient formulas are re-circulated and used by the plants’ roots, which helps eliminate environmental waste. Plants tend to be healthier in a hydroponic system than those grown in soil, which makes them more pest resistant. Biological control agents are used as preventative measures. Harmful herbicides are simply not required because there are no weeds in a hydroponic garden. As many gardeners today are choosing to grow organically, organic crop cultivation in hydroponics has become very popular. Organic gardening is the cultivation of plants without the use of synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Gardeners are willing to invest in the extras required by organic gardening because it ensures that no harmful pesticides or fungicides will be used. There are many organic nutrients and additives designed specifically for use in hydroponic gardens. http://www.peterjonesweb/hydroponics |
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| 13 | Things To Know About Hydroponic Gardening |
Joyce Boulan | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-02-29 |
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If you are considering starting a hydroponic garden, there are some basic facts you should know. Hydroponic gardening presents many challenges, but also has many benefits. The name, hydroponics, suggests plants grown in water, and that is the basic method. However, it really refers to any method of horticulture that doesn't use soil. It is sometimes called S/CEA or soil-less controlled environment agriculture. Light control is the most important aspect, although water and nutrient control can be the most difficult. Of critical importance is the pH adjustment. When you have a soil based garden, these factors are mostly self-regulating. However, in a hydroponic garden, you must take a little extra care. Hydroponics can actually yield larger fruits and a larger output, since more and larger plants can be produced in a smaller space. A larger yield often comes with less effort than a soil based garden. For example, weeding is much less of an issue as the medium makes it harder for the weeds to get started, and they can easily be pulled out if they happen to show up. One way to begin a hydroponic garden is by purchasing a complete hydroponic kit. These kits usually come with all the trays, tubing, lights, air pumps, and nutrients that you will need to get started. These are especially good for the beginner, since they have everything you need to assemble your first hyroponic garden, including complete instructions. Of course, even a garden started from a kit needs some care. You must make sure the right nutrients are being fed to the plants. An automatic feeding system should be set up, filled and checked regularly. An automatic watering system, such as drip irrigation or under-the-tray tubing, will need to be built. Everything should be monitored for fungi and cleaned or sterilized frequently. Just as in a regular garden, pest and disease control is required in hydroponic gardens. The constant moisture provides a fertile environment for bacteria and mildew. Common garden pests such as aphids, spider mites, caterpillars and others, must still be dealt with. There are many easy-to-use methods to take care of this problem. There are insecticide soaps, botanicals, fungicides and other compounds which run the gamut from century old methods which are still in use today to chemicals fresh from the latest laboratory inventions. Some hydroponic gardeners prefer the all-water systems. These have trays that hold the roots and solutions, then are fitted with supports from which strings can hold the plant upright. Others prefer working with rockwool, perlite and other highly useful media for the hydroponic garden. A more experienced gardener might incorporate all of the above in a convenient greenhouse. This allows them to control the air, water and light much easier than other settings. There are greenhouses available that can be expanded as the garden "grows". Of course, it is helpful, no matter what method you use, to have some knowledge of elementary botany. Plants have unique needs, and knowing what factors they require to grow and flourish will get the hydroponic gardener off to the right start. I hope you will get started on your own hydroponic garden today and join the fun! |
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| 14 | Gardening Without Getting Dirty Welcome to Hydroponic Gardening |
Benjamin Brook | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-02-27 |
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To many people the idea of growing plants is a crazy concetpt. Hydroponic gardening has been around for thousands of years and many small farms have begun to embrace this method of gardening. |
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| 15 | How Do Hydroponic Gardening Systems Work? |
Tony Buel | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-01-12 |
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The idea of hydroponic gardening (gardening without soil), has been around since the time of King Solomon. There are a few advantages with hydroponic gardening over traditional gardening -for example the rate of growth of a hydroponic plant can be up to 50% faster than a soil plant grown under the same conditions. And the yield of the plant is also greater! The reason for this is that the plants get their nutrition fed directly into their roots from nutrient rich water. Since this water is so high in nutrient content, the plant does not need large roots to search for nutrition. And since the plant expends less energy in growing roots it has more energy available to be productive above the rootline! Hydroponically grown vegetables are healthy, vigorous, and consistently reliable. This form of gardening is clean and extremely easy, and it requires very little effort. Hydroponic gardening is also beneficial to the environment. For example hydroponic gardening uses considerably less water than soil gardening because of the constant reuse of the nutrient solutions. And also, fewer pesticides are necessary in hydroponic crops -they are not as necessary. And topsoil erosion is not even an issue since hydroponic gardening systems use no topsoil. How exactly does a hydroponically grown plant get its nutrition -nutrition it normally gets from the soil? Well, these nutrients come in liquid or powdered mixes and can be purchased at a hydroponic supply store. And like soil, hydroponic systems can be fertilized with organic or chemical nutrients. But you should know that an organic hydroponic system can be considerably more work to maintain since the organic compounds have a tendency clump. Hydroponic systems are normally categorized as passive or active. An active hydroponic system moves the nutrient solution with a pump. A passive hydroponic system relies on the capillary action of the growing medium or a wick. In a passive system the nutrient rich solution is absorbed by the medium or the wick and passed along to the plant's roots. But a downside with this method is that they are usually too wet and do not supply enough oxygen to the root system for the best growth rates. Hydroponic systems are also characterized as recovery or non-recovery. In recovery systems, the nutrient solution is re-circulated for reuse. In a non-recovery system however, the nutrient solution is not recovered. You may be unsure of whether to buy or build a hydroponic system. If you have an 'engineering mind' and want to build one, consider buying one first just to get familiar with the inner workings. Buy a system which does not cost a lot of money. It will give you a better understanding of how hydroponics works and the hands-on experience can be worth the cost of the system as you will be able to reuse the parts when you decide to build one. Hydroponics gardening is a popular and growing hobby and many are finding this to be fun, exciting, and easy to get started. |
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| 16 | Hydroponic Gardens Are Great For Apartments |
Allison Agnock | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-04-20 |
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Perhaps you love to garden but are frustrated because you live in one of the upper floors of a high-rise apartment building. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the fact that you have no soil in which to grow plants, and lugging bagged soil up to your apartment would be no easy task. There is, however, an easy way to garden in an apartment successfully, and that is through the use of hydroponic gardening. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. You can start with a small homemade automated hydroponic growing system that can fit on a windowsill, and move up to a larger system if space permits.
One of the best reasons to consider growing plants in your apartment hydroponically is that this type of system is much easier to get set up than hauling heavy containers and soil up several flights, and the end result is fresh food for your family. To get started with a hydroponic garden in an apartment, you will need to know that there are two basic systems you can choose from: water based and media based. Medium is not soil, but instead could include composted bark, gravel, peat moss, perlite or vermiculite. Also, if you select an active system it will need electronic timers and pumps to make it function well, whereas a passive system doesn't rely on pumps and instead uses a wicking agent for the roots of the plants to access the nutrients. Because the plants are grown in water, they receive no nutrients from the soil as they ordinarily would. Instead, in hydroponic plant gardening the gardener supplies the plants with nutrients by applying a nutrient solution to the roots via distilled water. The big three nutrients that plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. There are other nutrients, called macronutrients and micronutrients, that the plants will need as well and will need to be added to the nutrient solution. Macronutrients are needed in greater amounts, and micronutrients in smaller amounts, but all are needed for plants to thrive. One of the benefits to growing plants in a hydroponic manner is that they are less bothered from pests and diseases. Many plant pests live in the soil, so when you eliminate the soil you often get rid of the pest's habitat. Hydroponic plant propagation can also be accomplished without using a great deal of pesticides Another reason why this style of gardening is popular is it will produce more food than you could grow in the same amount of soil. You can grow the food in a spot where there is no soil at all, namely, your apartment. So have fun gardening and produce some great-tasting food with hydroponic plant gardening. |
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| 17 | A Greenhouse Provides Many Advantages for Hydroponic Gardening |
Tony Buel | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-02-09 |
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Hydroponic gardening is the science of growing plants in a controlled environment without soil - free from soil borne pests and diseases. Hydroponically grown plants are raised in greenhouses under carefully monitored and controlled conditions. Gravel is normally used as the medium to support the plant's roots within the hydroponics greenhouse. Carefully mixed nutrients are then periodically fed to the crops in liquid form - a method called sub-irrigation culture. Once seedlings are planted almost all of this work is done by automation. In these hydroponic greenhouses sensors within the gravel are used to determine when the plants need more nutrition and turn on the pumps, giving the plants the just the right amount of solution. These hydroponically grown plants are fed the exact nutrients needed for rapid growth and volume production. Some hydroponic gardeners use special tanks that are made from big drums which are cut in half. The bottom of each half is brazed with brass tubing. A hose hose is clamped to one end of the tube. The other end is attached to a similar tube which is brazed into a small can. Inside the tanks the can is painted with an asphalt based paint in order to prevent metal surfaces from rusting. The tanks are filled with small sized gravel pellets. The hydroponic gardening process starts with 'planting the tanks' by first starting seedlings in carefully prepared paper cups full of vermiculate to allow the hydroponic solution to enter. After the plants are started, the entire cup should be placed in the gravel. The plant's roots are irrigated from below as the fluid flows down the hose and into the gravel. The system is set up to ensure that the crops are moist but are never flooded with solution for more than a few seconds. The advantages of hydroponic gardening in a greenhouse are numerous. When crops are grown hydroponically, crop yields are increased dramatically over conventional agriculture. For example acre of land will yield five to the tons of tomatoes. The same amount of space will yield 60 to 300 tons when grown hydroponically. A lettuce crop grown in a hydroponic greenhouse will yield an increase of 12,000 pounds over conventionally grown lettuce. Hydroponic gardening provides other advantages besides increased crop yield. The hydroponic greenhouse environment extends the growing season and doesn't require heavy labor. And of course the obvious -there's no need for greenhouse soil! |
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| 18 | Hydroponic Gardening - Basic Requirements That You Need To Know |
JQ Zen | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-04-30 |
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When you plan to build your own hydroponic system or purchase a starter's kit, you are not only just getting a container or a tray, putting your plants in it and supplying the plants with water and nutrients. It is important to bear in mind that there are basically two primary objectives that you need to achieve in hydroponic gardening.
1. The hydroponic system structure must be able to support the root system without soil. 2. You need to have an efficient method of supplying air, light, and nutrient to your plants. When these two requirements are fully satisfied, you can then begin experimenting a more complicated and automatic system. To meet the first requirement which can be quite easy with the help from good beginner’s guides. All you need is a simple hydroponic unit that consists of a waterproof container filled with a growing medium or aggregate for root support. You place seeds or young plants into the aggregate. Then you pour a nutrient solution over the aggregate to feed the plants, and that’s it, you have your own hydroponic garden! Unfortunately, most of the times, when the hydroponic system is in operation, beginners encountered several problems. This is mainly because the second requirement is not well planned. No matters what kind of system you select, air, light and more importantly, nutrients are vital to your success. Therefore, while you are planning for a hydroponic system, it is always a good idea to get a few good hydroponic gardening guides and put a bit of extra efforts in studying about nutrients. You won't regret. One of the important considerations for the second requirement is the type of nutrient you want to use. When selecting a nutrient to use, keep in mind that the nutrient must be designed specifically for hydroponic application. Using common fertilizer is not advisable as these products are designed for use as a supplement to soil gardens and may not contain sufficient essential elements to suit the hydroponic condition. Of course, there are also many commercially available hydroponic nutrients that make it easy to get started in hydroponic gardening for those prefer not to make their own nutrients. However, again, these commercially ready hydroponic nutrients are usually designed to satisfy the widest range of plants, lighting conditions and stages of growth. Hydroponic nutrients come in all flavors, powers and liquids, single part, two part, three part or even more. Selecting the best one for the plants may not be easy for beginners. Majority of the experienced growers prefer a system that is simple to use, inexpensive to own and effective at growing a wide variety of crops to their fullest potential without additional supplements. In general, two part and three part nutrient formulas are always better than the single part or general purpose formulas because they allow you to custom blend your nutrient solution for each crop and stage of growth for better performance. So, while you are working on your hydroponic nutrients, it is always good to learn to mix your own nutrients in different concentration and combinations to tailor for the specific growth requirements of your crops. Good hydroponic gardening guides usually recommend their own recipes of self-made nutrients that have been proven successfully numerous times by the experienced authors/growers. So beginners can always start with these recipes and slowly experiment them to get the best growth from your plants by adjusting the amount of ingredients.
Zen has reviewed a good beginner's guide as well as some basic information on Hydroponic Gardening, you can visit the website at Hydroponic-Gardening-Guides-Review target=_top>Hydroponic Gardening Guides Review to find more about this guide. |
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| 19 | Hydroponic Gardening - Growing Without Soil |
KAYE DENNAN | Home Family/Gardening | 2008-01-09 |
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Have you ever considered this style of gardening? Do you realise how easy it is? |
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| 20 | What are Xeriscape and Hydroponic Gardening? |
Tom Straub | Home Family/Gardening | 2007-02-18 |
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Xeriscape (pronounced "zera-scape") gardening is a water efficient method of gardening. While the term Xeriscape gardening can sound intimidating to some, it is actually a simple method of gardening that can be used for many different types of gardening. Rather than replacing the way you currently do your gardening, think of Xeriscape gardening as an additional technique that will make your water usage more "green" by using less to grow more.
Using the principles of Xeriscape gardening will allow you to plant and maintain your annuals, perennials, vegetables and trees in the most water-wise manner possible. Now, you will not have to use as much water for the same numbers of plants that you would like to grow in you garden or lawn area. With as much as 25% of our water supply being used to maintain lawns and gardens, it is becoming increasingly important to learn to plant wisely, taking into account the type of soil you have, the sun exposure needs of your plants and the water needs of your plants. There is no need to simply go without a plant that uses water heavily however, planting heavy water users all together will help save water and will also make the low water users in your garden happier. This method is one of the key elements to Xeriscape gardening. You should also become familiar with the hydroponic method of gardening, which uses no soil. With hydroponic gardening, nutrients are introduced directly to the root systems of the plants without having to be fed through the soil. This allows the plants to put less growth energy into the root system and more energy into producing foliage and fruit. Foliage plants will be bigger and fuller, and vegetable plants will produce more and larger vegetables. Hydroponic gardens do not require large amounts of land or yard space. A balcony, deck or even an inside room can be used to grow large amounts of foliage and vegetable plants. While the cost of setting up a hydroponic garden may be higher than planting a traditional garden, the results will more than make up for the initial investment. Tom Straub is a successful author and webmaster of the Best Gardening Tips website featuring online guides on over a dozen gardening topics. |
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