Shedding new Light Spring tomAtoeS 12 mythS of hydroponicS

Vol. 20, No.1September/October 2008

Shedding new LightLeds and hydroponics: Are we ready?

Spring tomAtoeSBegin in the fall for red beauties in may

USA $4.95 / Canada $6.95

12 mythS of hydroponicSSorting fact from fiction

http://www.growingedge.com/

http://www.bwgs.com

http://www.tradewindsgarden.com

http://www.hannainst.com

http://www.ecogrow.com

http://www.ncwgs.com

http://www.canna-hydroponics.com

� THE GROWING EDGE September/October 2008 WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM

Vol. 20, No. 1 September/October

DEPARTMENTS

contents

26 CloseEncountersoftheL.E.D.Kind WeexploretheuseofLightEmittingDiodesinhy-

droponics,thesciencebehinditandpossiblebarriersforap-plyingthetechnology.

34 12MythsofHydroponics LynetteMorgansortsfactfromfictionforthesoilless

skeptic.

42 FullofBeans RobSmithreportsonaNewZealandentrepreneur’s

bountifulbeanharvest.

44 HeadStartforTomatoesinMay UKgrower,LesBridgewood,explainshowtogetan

earlystartonyour tomatocropbyplanting in the fall foraspringharvestofvine-ripenedtomatoes.

49 SpicingItUp! Thesecondpartina“HowTo”seriesaboutgrowing

saffronhydroponically.

The View From Here..................................8Ebb & Flow ...............................................10Sustainable Soils.....................................22Test Results .............................................23

Full of Beans ............................................42Beginners Corner ...................................49Hydroponic Q&A .....................................52Ad Index ..................................................64

The three thread-like red stigma of this delicate crocus are what’s harvested for saffron spice. Lynette Morgan tells us how to hydroponi-cally grow and harvest this sought-after spice used in many exotic dishes. See story, page 49.

On the CoverNASA and others have been experimenting

with LED grow lights since the mid-80’s and we

are finally starting to see products reaching the

market that reflect their findings, but are these

products ready for use in hydroponics?

See ‘Close Encounters of the L.E.D. Kind,’ page 26

http://www.hydrohuts.com

� THE GROWING EDGE September/October 200� WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM

Withthisissue,IwelcomeThe Growing Edge’s neweditor,JenieSkoy,tothesepages.Jenieisaformertechnologyandbusinessmagazineeditorandisanexcellentfreelancewriter.Shewillhelpcraftwhatyoureadsothatitisbothunderstandableandinteresting. IalsowanttosaygoodbyeandthankstoJohnBaur,whowasThe Growing Edge’s editorforonlyashorttimebutwhobroughthumorintotheofficeandcontinuingexcellencetotheposi-tion.HeismovingtoaCaribbeanislandwherebothcommercialandeducationalhydroponicsandaquaponicsarepracticedandwillcontinuetowriteforus,sowatchforhisstoriesinTheGrowing Edge. Wearealsowellintoour20thyearofpublishingTheGrowing Edge.Withoutbraggingtoomuch,GEhelpedrelaunchthecurrenthydroponictrendingardeningandhorticulture.Wehavereceivedmanytestimonialsovertheyearsfrompeoplewhohavepickedupthemagazineatastoreornewsstandandhavebeeninspiredtostarttheirownhydroponicoraquaponicsystems. Nowwithever-increasingfoodsafetyincidentslikesalmonellacontaminationofspinach,tomatoesandotherproduce,combinedwithconsumer’sdesireforhigher-qualityvegetablesintheirdiet,hydroponicsisgettingthecloserlookthatitdeserves. Peoplearealsopayingmoreattentionbecausespiralingenergycostsmaketruckingoffreshproduce from coast to coast extremely costly. Year-round cultivation of local produce willbecomethenorm,nottheexceptioninthenearfuture. WhatallthismeansisanincreaseddemandfortheinformationThe Growing Edgeprovides.Asmorepeoplestartgrowinghydroponically, therewillbeevenmorestories totell to thereadersofthismagazine. Finally,I’dliketothankmyloyaladvertiserswhohavesupportedmealltheseyears.Itrulycouldnothavedoneitwithoutthem.PleasetellthemthankyoubymentioningyousawtheirGEadwhenyoubuytheirproducts.Advertisersaretheenginethatkeepsthismagazinerun-ning. Hopefully,IwillstillbealiveandkickingtoseethesecondtwentyyearsofThe Growing Edge.IthasbeenagreatfirsttwentyyearsandIthankeveryonewhohashelpedusgettowherewearetoday!

THE VIEW FROM HERE By TOM AlExANDER

Printed in the United States of America

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Edge cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited materials.

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Going on 20

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10 THE GROWING EDGE September/October 2008 WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM

EBB & FlOWEBB & FlOWNational Garden

Wholesale

NationalGardenWholesale(NGW)istheexclusive distributor of Sun System brandplant-growth lighting fixtures. NGW dis-tributesmanyotherbrandnamenutrientssupplements,organicproductsandgrowingsupplies. NationalGardenWholesaleisawholesale-onlysuppliertothehorticultureindustryanddoesnotselldirectlytothepublic.Readerscan locate an authorized National GardenWholesaleretailerbyvisitingwww.nation-algardenwholesale.com.

Can Max Fans NationalGardenWholesaleproudlywel-comeseight-,ten-,twelve-andfourteen-inchmodelstoitsCanFanMaxFansline.

Can-Fan Max-Fans aremade with a light, UV-resistantplasticcasesur-rounded by a durablemetalpowderoutershell

andareCSAandULcertified.Can-FanMax-Fansarepowerful,efficient,easy to installandtakelessenergytorun.Thesefanshaveafive-yearwarrantyandcomepre-wiredwithaneight-inch,120-voltpowercord.Can-FanMax-Fans are suited for both commercialandresidentialapplications.ThesedevicesarebestpairedwithCan-FilterstoprovidegardenerstrueCFMatCan-Filtersload. Can-Fan Inline Fans, Can-Filters, thePre-filter,theflangeandcombokitsarealsoavailable.

For Better Filtration National GardenWholes a le of fersDanner “Mag Drive”Pumps. Danner hasbeenaleaderinmag-

neticdrivetechnologyandfiltrationforover50 years. These UL-listed magnetic drivepumpsareenergyefficientandruncontinu-ouslywithoutsealstowearout.Theycomewithathree-yearwarranty.Theyareidealforalargevarietyofgardeningapplications. NationalGardenWholesale’slineofDan-

nerMagDrivePumpsincludes(ingallonsperhour,GPH)190,250,350,500,700,950,1200,1800and2400. Replacementfilters,replacementimpellersandreplacementfittingsarealsoavailable.

NGW carries Fiskar toolsNationalGardenWholesalenow carries Fiskars brandgardening tools. For morethan350years,Fiskarshasdedicateditselftodesigning

simple,ergonomichandtools.Nowusingthesamequalityanddesign,Fiskarsisexpandingtheirproductlinetomeettheneedsofthegardeningindustry. ThethreenewFiskarsgardeningproductswitha lifetimewarrantyare theSofttouchMicro-TipPruningSnip,theComfortGripFloralSnipandtheHouseplantSnip. The Softtouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snipis excellent for deadheading, shaping andpruningplants.Thistool featuresaneasy-to-openspringaction,stainlesssteelbladeswithsharpmicro-tips,acomfortablesoftgriphandleandabladecoverwhenclosed. TheComfortGripFloralSnipisidealfordeadheading,shapingandpruningindoorplants.Itscompactdesignallowsgardenerstomaneuverindensefoliagewithoutdamagingtheplant.Thistoolfeatureslarge,non-sliphandles, stainless steel blades with sharpmicro-tipsandabladecoverwhenclosed. TheHouseplantSnipisidealforintricatehouseplantcuttingsandbonsaigardening.This tool is made of reinforced fiberglasscomposite materials and features stainlesssteelblades.

Green Eye LED Line Has Grown In addition to theGreen Eye LED TaskLight,NationalGardenWholesale’s now pres-entstheGreenEyeLEDHeadlight, the GreenEyeLEDCapLightandtheGreenEyeLEDFlashlight. EachGreenEyeLEDtoolislightweight,water resistant and provides hands-freegardening. They include ultra bright LEDbulbswithmorethan100,000hoursofburntime.Theseproductsareidealforgardeners

wantingtoviewtheirplantsatnightwithoutdisruptingtheplant’sgrowthcycle. TheHeadlighteasilyadjustswithitselasticbandandtiltinglightmount.Withjustoneclickofthebutton,gardenerscancustomizesettings–fourlamps,eightlamps,alllampsandflashing.ThisitemusesthreeAAAbat-teries. TheCapLighteasilyattachestothebrimofahat.Thisitemismadeforruggedtreatmentandispoweredwithtwolithiumcoinbatter-iesthatcanlastupto96hours.ThecompactFlashlightusesthreeAAAbatteries.

Humboldt Nutrients at NGW National Garden Wholesale now offersHumboldtNutrientsstraightfromHumboldtCounty,CA. Thiseasy-to-use,highlyeffectivefertilizingprogram gives growers maximum flowerproductioninadditiontoheavyfruityields.HumboldtNutrientscanbeutilizedforanytypesofvegetables,flowersandherbs. Theentirelineconsistsof:MasterA4.9-0-3.8,MasterB1.5-5.2-6.3,Grow2-1-6,Micro5-0-1,Bloom0-6-5,NaturalGrow,NaturalBloom,SeaCal,MayanMicrozyme,Prozyme,HoneyEsAndRoots.

The Right CO2 Systems Discover the Opti-mum Growth CO2SystemandtheOpti-mum Growth CO2 System with Timerare now available from National GardenWholesale. ThesequickreleasesystemsaredesignedtomaintainidealCO2levelsforproperplantgrowthwhenevertheexhaustfanisn’trun-ning.TheycanbringthePPMofCO2toitsoptimallevelinlessthan10minutes.

NGW Has Guano National Garden Wholesalenow carries Sunleaves Guano.These Guano products are allnaturalandsafe forusearoundpeopleandpetsandareveryconducivetoourenvironmentallyconsciousgardeners. The following is the Sunleaves Guanolineup: •IndonesianBatGuano–Thishigh-phos-

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EBB & FlOWGro-Slabs,AO-KStarterPlugs,Macro Plugs, Delta StarterMini-Blocks,Granulate,Agro-Wool, Growcubes and DeltaGro-Blocks. These natural

products lay the foundationforaneasytomanagecrop. For more than thirty years, Grodan hassuppliedhobbygardenersandthecommer-cial greenhouse industry with innovativecultivationsolutionscomprisedofcleanandcontrollablestonewoolsubstrate. Begincultivatingsafe,healthyandhigh-qualityvegetablesandplantswithGrodan. ReaderscanfindauthorizedNGWdealersby6visitingwww.nationalgardenwholesale.com.

PlantLife ProductsSuck It Up – Foliar Spray PlantLifeProductspresentsSuckItUp,afoliarspraydelivers90percentofitsnutri-entstothesmallestrootofaplantwithin60minutesofapplication. SuckItUpcombinesapermeatingagentwith a coloured pH indicator. Suck It Uppassesthroughthewaxycuticleandcontinuesonthroughthespacebetweentheepithelialcells.IthasapHcoloredindicatorbuiltrightintotheproduct. FormoreinfoonFutureHarvestDevel-opmentcall1-866-491-0255orvisitwww.extremegrowing.com.

TerraCycle TerraCycle,aneco-friendlymanufacturerfromTrenton,N.J.,hasannouncedalineofofconsumerproductsmadefromwaste. TerraCycle is one of the fastest growingorganic companies in the country. Startedby a college freshman in 2001, TerraCyclenowmakesarangeofproductsfromotherpeople’sgarbage.Byusingfoodwaste,usedsoda bottles, e-waste plastic, used drinkpouches and other materials, TerraCyclecanofferhighqualityeco-friendlyproductswithout charging a premium. TerraCycleproductsaresoldbyHomeDepot,Walmartandmanyothernationaldistributors. Formoreinfovisitwww.terracycle.net.

Rotary Composter and RainBarrel A rotary composterandarainbarreltohelpyousavewater(andonyour water bill) andmakefreeorganiccom-postoutoffoodwasteand garden clippings.These products are made from discarded,usedredwinebarrelswhichwereonceusedbyNapaValleyvineyards.Theexpensiveoakusedtomakethebarrelsgivethemaveryhighqualitylookandfeel.Forgetthetraditionalunsightlyblackplasticcompostersandrainbarrels–theseitemsaremoreeco-friendly,morestylishandcompetitivelypriced.Plusthey will make your garden healthier andgreener.AmajorityofthebarrelscomefromKendall-Jacksonvineyards.

Urban Art Pot Theseplantingpotsaremadeentirelyfrome-waste plastic, sal-vaged from billionsofpiecesofelectronicequipment thrownaway each year. The plastic is melted andremolded into these light-weight, durablepots.Thepotsarethenhandpaintedbyinnercityartistsgivingthembrightlycoloredstyl-ishdesigns.Botheco-friendlyandsociallyresponsible,thesepotsreducewaste,providejobsandwilllookgreatinyourhome.Theyare widely available at major retailers andareagreateco-friendlyalternativetoheavy,fragileterracottapots.

Slow Release Granular Fertilizer Made from worm poop andchicken litter this organic, eco-friendlyfertilizerfeedsplantsforupto12weeks.WithanNPKformula-tionof5-3-4itisdesignedforanytypeofplant.Notonlyistheproductmadefromwaste(wormpoop,)italso comes packaged in waste intheformofareused1gallonjugs.Seeresultswithonlythreefeedingsayearandnoharshordangerouschemicalsnecessary.Alsointheslowreleasecategory

phorusproductrestoresanaturalbalanceinthegardenwithoutincreasingsaltcontentoracidity.Itencouragesmultiplebloomsandhardyrootgrowth. •JamaicanBatGuano–ThisOMRI-listedhigh-phosphorusproductheightensrootandflowerdevelopment.Gardenerscanimprovetheirsoilwithit,useitasatopdressingorcreatea“tea”andapplyitdirectlytoaplant’srootsinawaterdilutedmixture. •MexicanBatGuano–ThisOMRI-listedhigh-nitrogenproductstimulatesvegetationby enhancing leaf growth and plant vigor.Gardenerscantillthisintotheirsoil,useitasatopdressingorapplyitdirectlyinawaterdilution.Forsuperiorgrowingresults,pairthis with the Jamaican or Indonesian BatGuano. •PeruvianSeabirdGuano–Thisall-pur-pose, OMRI-listed fertilizer has the idealamountofnutrientsneededforproperplantgrowthanddevelopment.Itispalletizedforwatersolubilitywithlessmess. • International House of Guano – Thisproductsuppliespropernutrientstoencour-agehealthyplantgrowthduringeverystageofdevelopment.ThisproductincludesonebagofIndonesianBatGuano,JamaicanBatGuano, Mexican Bat Guano and PeruvianSeabirdGuano.Italsocomeswithahandyfeedingschedule.

Keeps your heat under cover Nat i on a l G ard e nWholesale introducestheSunShieldreflectorcoverandtheSunShield

ductingcover,whichallowgardenerstocre-ateacoolerenvironment,leadingtohealthyplantsandenergysavings. The Sun Shield reflector cover doubleinsulatesthegrowingenvironmentfromtheheatthelightsgenerate.Thiscoverallowslessheattoescapeintothegardenarea.TheSunShieldreflectorcoverisasturdy,custom-fitfortheCoolSun6Inch,theCoolSunXL8Inch,theSuperSun2andtheYieldMasterII–6Inch.TheSunShieldductingcoveriscurrentlyavailablein6-and8-inchsizes.

New Grodan Products National Garden Wholesale welcomesaboardthefollowingproductsfromGrodan:

WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM September/October 2008 THE GROWING EDGE 13

http://www.humboltnutrients.com/


EBB & FlOWEBB & FlOWis the Tree and Shrub Fertilizer Spikes,whichhaveahighernitrogencontentandaresolidifiedsotheycanbehammeredintotheground.Perfectforfeedinganytreeorevenyourprizerhododendron.

All-Natural Deer RepellentKeepthedeerawayfromyourplantsandtreeswithoutharshchemicals or awfulodors.Thisall-natu-ral deer repellentusesorganicessen-tialoilstorepeldeerwithbothsmelland

taste cues, while smelling like toothpaste.It has been shown to be effective for upto4weeksandevenafterlightrains.Plustherepellentispackagedinareusedone-literbottleandcomewithafreefinemistsprayer.

Plant Foods TerraCyclealsomakesready-to-use plant foods for indoorusethatarecertifiedorganicandnon-toxic,makingthemsafeforusearoundkidsandpets. These foodscome invarieties forall-purpose,orchid,herb, tomatoandcactus. Readerscan learnmoreabout thecompanyandfindaretailercarryingTerraCycleproductsbyvisitingwww.terracycle.net.

Organic weed killer from Cutting Edge CuttingEdgeFormulations,aGeorgia-basedcompany,haslaunchedanewproduct,Nature’sAvengerOrganicherbicide. Madefromcitrusoils,Nature’sAvengeriscertifiedbyOMRI(OrganicMaterialsReviewInstitute)andissafetousearoundchildrenandpets.Nature’sAvengerisdesignedtomeetthedemandsandneedsofhomeownersandbusinesseslookingforanalternativetosyn-theticherbicidesorlesseffectivenaturalproducts.Nature’sAvengerOrganicHerbicideishighlybiodegradableandnon-toxic,fastactingandisamoreeffectivethanother“natural”productsonthemarkettoday. CuttingEdgeFormulationswasfoundedin2003todevelop,manufactureandmarketenvironmentallyfriendlyherbicidesandrelatedproducts.CompanyfounderJoeJankauskaswasCEOofamulti-milliondollarlawn-careservicecompanyintheAtlanta,GA,area.Concernedaboutthepotentiallypoisonouseffectsofsyntheticherbicidesonchildren,petsandtheenvironment,Jankauskasbeganformulatinganherbicidefromnaturalingredients.HisresearchculminatedinthedevelopmentofNature’sAvengerOrganicHerbicide. Nature’sAvengerOrganichasbeenfield-testedinuniversityandthird-partysettingsandwasfoundtobeahighlyeffectiveweedkillerwhentestedagainsttheleadingsyn-theticherbicide,glysophate,andother“natural”herbicides,suchasBurnoutII,onthemarket.Nature’sAvengerhasbeenintheConsumerandProfessionalMarketssinceMarch2006. Findmoreinfovisitwww.NaturesAvenger.com.

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1� THE GROWING EDGE September/October 2008 WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM

EBB & FlOWTradewinds

Tradewinds Wholesale Garden Supply isproud to announce these additions to itsproductline. Tradewinds, a division of Monsees andCompany, is a wholesale distributor ofindoorgardeningproducts.Asawholesaledistributor, Tradewinds sells to qualifiedhydroponicstoresandgardencentersacrossNorthAmerica. Readerscanfindalocaldealerbyvisitingwww.tradewindsgarden.com, or calling 1-888-557-8896.

SunBlaster T5 High Output Lighting SunBlaster T5 High Output LightingFixturesaredesignedtobethemostenergyefficient fluorescent lamp for the lightingindustrytoday. TheSunBlasterT5HighOutputcomesin

threesizes:two-foot–24watt;three-foot–39watt;andfour-foot–54watt. Theselampsareidealforgardeningenthusiasts,asthefull-spectrumlightingand6400kelvinsoflightingtemperatureare perfect to start seedlings, initiatefaster rooting time on cuttings, andultimatelyaddvaluablesupplementarylightingtofloweringplants Packagingincludesbulb,ballast,linkcable,six-footcordandtwomountingclipsforeasyinstallation. TheT5ShadeKitisalsoavailableandcomesintwo-footandfour-footsizes.Eachcomewithfour6,400kT5lamps.

FHD Bucket Baskets

The Bucket Basket from Tradewinds is asturdygrowingbasketdesignedtoholdplants

securelyoveragrowbucketrangingfrom2.5gallons(10L)upto5gallons(20L). Thesix-inchFHDBucketBasketfitsashortortallgrowbucketandisidealforgrowingplantsthatare36-inchesorsmallerinsize.Timeandlaborissavedbynolongerneedingtodrillholesinbucketlids. The10-inchFHDBucketBasketprovideslarger mesh for increased drainage and isperfectforlargeaquaticplantsandorchids.Theyareidealforsecurelygrowingheavyfruitbearingplantsandplantsthatare36-inchesandtallerinheight.The10-inchBucketBas-ketisafavoriteamonggrowersfortomatoesorcucumbers.

FHD 4 Plant Grow Bucket System with Stand The search forparts to build abucket systemis over. The newFHD 4 PlantGrowBucketSystemcomescomplete,andasanextrabonus,itcomesinonebox. Thecompletesystemincludes:TallGrow

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EBB & FlOWF(4C)inashortperiodoftime.Additionally,theyareFreon-free,environmentallyfriendly,andsurgeprotectedsotheywillturnoffifthereisapowersurge.

Organicare Organicare’sPlantNutrientSystemisanorganic,sustainablegar-deningsystemfortheavidhomegardener,hydro-organicgardensandcertifiedorganiccommercialfoodproducers.TheOrganicaresystemisasophisticatedyeteasytousecombinationofformulasthatincorporatesselect,all-natural,eco-friendlyingredients.

Sweet Berry and Sweet Citrus HydrofarmoffersallnaturalmineralsupplementsfromBotanicare. Sweetisscientificallyformulatedwithcarbohydratesfor flavor and aroma enhancement. The chemicalcompositionofSweetmakesitbeneficialduringallphasesofplantgrowth. Duringthevegetativephase,applicationofSweetpreventsplantsfrombecomingleggyandsoft-stemmedinthepresenceofhighnitrogenconcentrations. At the onset of flowering, application of Sweetensures a seamless and stress-free transition fromthevegetativetothefloweringstageeventhoughnitrogenlevelsareartificiallykeptlow.ThekeyingredientspresentinSweetarerapidlytakenupbyplantsandutilizedforthebiosynthesisofcrucialcom-poundstomaintainoptimalmetabolism.

EBB & FlOWBuckets,6-inchBucketBaskets,allconnectorsandhoses,reservoirandlid,anXstream250pump,aflushsystem,growrockandplantandreservoirstands. Growerscanalsoexpandtoaneight-plantsystemwiththeFHD4 Plant Grow Bucket Add-On Kit. Simple to assemble and longlasting.

Nutradip Tri-Meter The Nutradip Tri-MeterfromTradewindsgivesgar-denerstheabilitytomonitorpH level, nutrient levels inPPM or EC, and nutrienttemperatureinFahrenheit. This continuous moni-toring system requires nobatteries. Just plug it in an

ACwallreceptacleandthemeterwillremaininacalibratedmodeformonths.TheNutradipTri-Meter,withautomatictemperaturecompensation,isthebestwayofmeasuringthestrengthofnutrientsinyourwater,pH,andmonitoringtemperatureatthesametime.ApHreplacementprobeisalsoavailable. FormoreinformationabouttheseandotherTradewindsprod-uctsortofindtheirclosestTradewindsdealer,readerscancontactTradewindsWholesaleGardenSuppliesbycalling1-888-557-8896visitingwww.tradewindsgarden.com.

Hydrofarm

Hydrofarm, the nation’s oldest and largest manufacturer ofequipmentandgrowlightsforthehydroponicsmarket,announcesseveraladditionstoitsproductline. Onthemarketsince1977,Hydrofarmbrandproductsare thechoiceofmoreindoorgardenersandgardeningretailersthanallotherbrandscombined. ReaderscanfindaHydrofarmauthorizedretailerbyvisitingthecompany’sWebsite,www.hydrofarm.com.

Active Aqua Water Chiller Series HydrofarmhasaddedtheActiveAquaWaterChillerseriestoitsproductline.Thesechillersareavailablein250-,400-and530-wattmodels.Theyareidealtokeephydroponicssolutioninyourreservoirattheperfecttemperature. TheyfeatureamicrocomputercontrolsystemandLCDdisplayandatemperaturememorysystem.Withtheirlargerefrigerationcapacity,watercanberefrigeratedtoanydegreeabove39degrees

http://www.oliviassolutions.com


http://www.hydroponics101.com


EBB & FlOW ThecontinuedapplicationofSweetdur-ingthefloweringandfruitingstageshelpsmaintainaproperbalancebetweenphoto-synthesisandrespiration.Thisissignificantbecause, during flowering, many growersuse high carbon dioxide concentrations,high temperatures and light with longerwavelengths.Undersuchconditions,respi-rationcanoutstripphotosynthesiscausingexcessiveethyleneproductionwhichresultsinsenescence,yellowingofleavesandleggygrowth. Sweetprotectsplantsfromthismetabolicimbalanceandhelpsproducesturdystemswithshortinternodesandanabundanceofbuds,flowersandfruits.

Clip-On Fan & Lights NowavailablefromHydrofarmarehandylightkitsandfanswhichgivegrowersflex-ibilityinsettinguptheirgrowarea.

• The Air King six-inchClip-OnFan,featuresfeaturesa spring-loaded clip whichallowsittobeplacedinmanypositions. • Agrosun Dayspot Grow

Light Kits and Bulbs come with a clip-onlightanda150-wattfull-daylightspectrumincandescent grow bulb. The easy swivelclamparmdirects lightwhereyouneed itmost,and isgreat fororchids,bonsai, ter-rariumsandhouseplants.

BWGS

Garden-supplywholesalerBWGSisoneofthelargestsuppliersofyear-roundgarden-ingsuppliesinthenation,asourceforfast,friendlywholesaleserviceandshipping.For

moreinformationaboutthecompanyoranyoftheseproducts,contacttheirBWGSsalesreporvisitwww.bwgs.com.

Oasis Self-Watering System C ap abl e ofw a t e r i n g 2 0plantsforaslongas forty days,the automatedOasisSelf-Water-ing System is adreamcometruefor vacationers or anyone not wanting toworryaboutregularlywateringtheirindoorplants. The26-quartinternaltankallowsoperationwithoutconnectiontoawatersource,andasingle9-voltbatterypowersitforayear.TheOasisSelf-WateringSystemissimpletoset-up.

Carson MicroMax LED Manygardenpestsaretoosmalltoeasilyviewwiththenakedeye,especiallyinlow-lightsituations.Nowgarden-ers can take a closer lookanytimetheywantwiththeCarsonMicroMaxPortableMicroscope.It’slightweight,pocket-sized,andmagnifiesbetween60-100X.Abuilt-inLEDlightallowsformagnificationatanytimeofday,anditsrubberizedeyepieceensurescomfortableviewing.Formoreinformation,contactyourBWGSsalesreporvisitwww.bwgs.com.

The Giant Square Pot Withacapacityof18literismadeofheavy-duty plastic andfeatures drainageholesonitsbottomandsides. Can be reusedrepeatedly, then

neatlystacked.Formoreinformation,contactaBWGSsalesreporvisitwww.bwgs.com.Great White When added to soil and hydroponicgardens,thebeneficialbacteriaandmicro-organismsinGreatWhite’sgranularformu-lationcolonizeaplant’srootzonetocreateasymbioticrelationship.Themycorrhizae,trichodermaandaddedvitaminshelpplantsgrow strong and take better advantage ofavailablenutrientsandwater.

AquaFX

Reverseosmosiswaterfiltrationisthebestoption for indoor gardeners who want toremoveimpuritiesfromtheirplants’watersupply,andBWGSoffersthreequalityROoptionsfromAquaFX. Theseinexpensivewaterfiltrationsystemsincludethetwo-stageStingray,thethree-stageAquaFXDolphin,andtheAquaFXDolphinSPwithFlushKit,PressureGauge,andInlineTDSMeter. All of these systems are capable of pro-ducing100gallonsperdayoffilteredwaterand are backed by a three-year limitedmanufacturer’s warranty. Replacement ROmembranesandfiltersarealsoavailable. Formore informationonBWGSoranyoftheseproducts,readerscancontacttheirBWGSsalesreporvisitwww.bwgs.com.


http://www.hydrofarm.com


SuSTAINABlE SOIlS By JEFF lOWENFElS

populationsbecomethickenoughtodisplaycolors.Hereisyourchancetofinallyseecya-nobacteria,nottomentiongreen,purpleandotherstrainsofbacteriayouhavereadaboutbutneverexperiencedinalltheirglory.Thisisfunstuffforgardenersofallages.Inthenextissue,Iwilldiscussinmoredetailwhatyoushouldbeseeinginyours. Tostart,haveonhandaclearplasticmail-ingtube,abouttwelveincheslongandtwotothreeinchesindiameter.Youcangettheseatthepostoffice,UPSormailingstores.Youmay need to duct tape the bottom cap tosealitofftoholdwater.YoucanalsomakeaWinogradskyColumnusingsomesimilar,leak-proof,clearcylindricalcontainerwithdiametersallthewayup–say,acleartennisballcanifthatiseasier. Next,getgardensoilorsoilfromapottedplantandstrainouttheroots,pebblesandotherjunkinit.Youshouldendupwithafine,evenmixtureofsoil.Thenmakeathick,gravy-likeslurrywithitbyaddingwater.Ifyouhaveaccesstoapond,stream,orpoolofstandingwater,usethisasitwilladdtothemicrobesinthesystemandensuresuccess.Putenoughofthismudintothebottominchorsoofthetube.Itismud,soyourmeasure-ment isn’t going to be exact. Relax, this issupposedtobefun! Next,takesomefinely-shreddedleavesornewspaperandmixitintothebottominchofmudwithadowel(ormorelikelyawoodenspoon).Cramasmuchofthiscellulosemate-rialinandsquishouttheair.Whateveryouuseforthiscelluloseshouldbefinelyshred-ded.Akitchenshredder(usedforthingslikenuts)orthecoffeebeangrinderbothworkwell,butbecarefulanddon’tgetcaughtbysomeonewholikestheircoffeefreeofnewspaperink. Next, take the remaining soilslurry and mix it with enoughcarbonate (in the form of bak-ing soda,) ground egg shells oragriculturallime,toequalabout2percentofthesoilvolume.Again,itdoesn’thavetobeexact.Thenmixinahard-boiledeggyokeand

Ifyouhadanexceptionallygoodbiologyteacher,youmayhaveconstructedaWino-gradsky column at one point in school. IfyouhavenoideawhatI’mtalkingabout,youprobablymissedoutonagreatvisualaidetounderstandinghowthesoilfoodwebworks,specificallyitsverybase,theprokaryotes. Prokaryotes(sometimes‘procaryotes’)aretheorganismsthatcomprisethesimplestofKingdomsontheTreeofLife.Formally,theyareknownas“Monera,”a.k.a.bacteria,and“Archaea”whichdon’thaveanicknamebutlook exactly like bacteria except their cellwallsaremadeofdifferentmaterials. Prokaryotesaretheguysthat‘eatanything’oratleasthavethediversitytohaveatleastamemberortwothatwilleatwhateverisinquestion.Thismetabolicdiversityresultsinmicrobesthateatoilorsulphur intheoil,for instance, and those that recycle mostof the things that plants and —by exten-sion—humansneedtosurvive. Okay, so take bacteria and Archea: wereadaboutthemandweseethemasspecksunder the microscope when we look at adropofcomposttea.UsingaWinogradskycolumn,ontheotherhand,issimplyawaytoletusseetheminpopulationsthatmakeunderstandingwhattheydomucheasiertograsp. SowheredoesthisWinogradskyColumnfitinallofthis?Itisacleartubefilledwithwetsoil,withcarbon,carbonateandsulfateadded to feed different microbes. In easyterms, a Winogradsky Column is a clear,plastic mailing tube, filled with mud thatcontainsshreddednewspaperorleaves,afewpinchesofbakingsodaandahardboiledeggyokeorsomeEpsomsalt. Properly set up, the bottom of the tubebecomesanaerobicovertimewhileasmalllayeredsectionatthetopremainsaerobic.Inbetween,tiersofdifferentkindsofprokary-otesform,layeringthemselvesbasedonwhattheyeat.These includesomethatproduceenergyfromlight,somethatutilizesulphurandothersthataremineralizing(eatingandretaining)justaboutanythinginthesoil.Inarelativelyshorttime,weeksatmost,microbial

atablespoonortwoofEpsomsalt.Youcanaddmoreshreddedleavesornewspaperifyouhavesomeleft. Nowfillthecolumnaninchorsoatatimewiththemixture,tampingdownthemudeachloadsotherearenoairbubbles.Theideaistogetridofasmuchairyoucan.Itisworthitifyouwantyousystemtoworkquicker. Fill thecolumnuptosixinches.Ifyourslurryiswetenoughthenexttwoincheswillbewater(albeitmuddywater)andtherewillbe11/2inchesofairinthecolumnatitstop.Coverthiswithsaranwrapandsealitoff.Allofthisshouldtakeabout10minutes. Next,placethecolumnnearawindowsoitgetslightbutmakesureyourlittleecosystemdoesn’tgetoverheated.ThensitbackandwaitforthenexteditionofGrowingEdgewhenIcontinuethiscolumn. Whileyouwait,observeastheorgan-ismsinyoursoilfindtheirnichedepend-ingontheirmodeofmetabolism.Youwillexperiencephotosynthesisandchemosyn-thesis, anaerobic and aerobic life alongwith the joys of fermentation, cellulosedegradation and sulphur reduction. Mynextcolumnwillexplainwhatisgoingoninsideit.Thisisagreatdemonstrationforyoungermindsaswell,togetthemexcitedaboutmicrobiology.

Jeff Lowenfels is an avid gardener with a special interest in soil biology and sustainable garden-ing. Readers can buy his book, “Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web” from The Growing Edge online bookstore –www.growingedge.com/store/books_multi-media.php.

ECOSySTEM IN A TuBELearning about Microbiology Via a Winogradsky Column

Suppliesthatyou’llneedtomakeaWinogradskyColumn


F INDING THE RIGHT BAlANCEBy DR.ElAINE INGHAM

acompostextractortea,andafteraquickcheckofthebiologyinthetea,applyittoestablishthesetsoforganismsthataretoolowtorecoverontheirownanytimesoon. Ifthevalueinthecategoryisonthelowsideoftheminimumrange,addingfoodtoencour-ageanincreaseisindicated.Possiblyaddsomeoftheorganismsaswelltomakesureyouhavethediversityofthatgroupthatisneeded. If the value in the category is high, thenexcellent!Moveontothenextthingyouneedtolookat,whichisbalance. Balance between fungi and bacteria (F:B),protozoaandnematodesisthenextimportantaspecttoexamine.Findthetableofusualfun-gal tobacterialbiomass ratios (see issue#oftheGrowingEdge).Onthesecondpageofthereportisthecalculatedvalueoffungalbiomasscomparedtobacterialbiomass.Isthatratiointherightgeneralareaforthedesiredplant? Whenbacteriaarepredominantinthesoil,theF:Bratioislessthanone.Annualsneedamorebacterialsoil.Youshouldbeabletoadjustthebalancewithalittlefungalorbacterialfood,oraminimalamountofgoodcompost. Whenfungiarepredominant,theF:Bratiowillbehigherthanone.Ifthedesiredplantisaperennial,thentherationeedstobeone,orhigher.Iftheratioistoolow,ortoohigh,thenyouneedtoencouragetherightbalancewithcompostorfoods. But in most cases in soils that have beentreatedwithpesticidesorhigh levelsof inor-ganicfertilizer,beneficialfungihavebeenlostfromthesoil.Replacementofbeneficialfungiisdesperatelyneededinordertobeabletogetoffthetoxicchemicalsthatarebeingused. When fungi have been lost, then you willgenerally seeveryhighbacterialbiomass.Asfungiareinoculatedbackintothesoil,andbegintoperformtheirjobsinthesoil,thenbacterialbiomasswilldropintobalancewiththefungi

Aftertakingasoilsample,sendingitinforanalysis,andgettingthereportback,whatdoyoudo? Lookatthereporttoseeifwhichvaluesforthedifferentorganismcategoriesaremarkedlydifferent from the recommended or desiredranges.Thebottomrowofdatagivestheappro-priaterangeofvaluesforthekindofsoil,basedon literally thousandsofsoilsamples, for thekindofsoil, thedesiredplantsyouindicated,theseasonoftheyear,andthebroaderclimateofthearea. Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutwhateachcolumninthereportmeans,youcanlookattheSoilFoodwebWebsite,whereeachcolumnandwhatitmeansisdiscussed(www.soilfoodweb.com,clickonthetab“AboutUS”,andthenonthe tab “SFI APPROACH” and click on theexplanationofthereport). Thedesiredrangereallymeanstheminimumrangefortheorganismsthathavebeenobservedin soilswhere theplants couldgrowwithoutpesticidesorinorganicfertilizers.Highervaluesarefine,indicatinghigherthanthatminimumrange. Theonlyexceptionstothisrulearethecili-atesandtheroot-feedingnematodecategories.Obviously,thedesiredrangeis“noroot-feedingnematodes,” whilea fewciliatespergramofsoilaredesiredbutyoudon’twantmorethan100pergramormilliliterofsample.Agramoramilliliterareacubiccentimeterofsolidorliquid,relativelyspeaking,andbothareabout1teaspoonofvolume,althoughthatvariesabitdependingondensityofthematerial. Lookatwhetherthevaluesforeachcolumninyourreportaretoolow,intheminimumrange,orabovethatminimumrange.Ifthevaluesarebelow, an addition of that organism group isneeded.Obtainsomecompostwithhighlevelsofthatorganismgroupandapplyittothesoil.Ifyouhavejustalittlegoodcompost,thenmake

onceagain. Iftheplantsarealreadyintheground,additionofahighamountofcompostwithhighfungalbiomassmightbeneededtoalterthesoilrapidly.Additionalfungalfoodsmightbeneededaswelltoreallymodifythatratioquickly. Similarly,ifannualplantsareputintoveryfungalsoil,additionofcompostwithhighbac-terialbiomasswouldbeagoodideatorapidlyaltertheratio,alongwithsomebacterialfoodstoencouragebacteriarapidly. Justbecarefulwithbacteria,becausetheycanbegintogrowsorapidlythattheyuseupoxygenandforcethehabitatintoanaerobicconditions.Ifoxygendropstoolow,therootsofplantsinthatareawilldie.Ifoxygenstayslowformorethanafewdays,anaerobicprocesseswillbeginto turn N, P and S into gas, with a resultingdropinsoilfertility.Becarefulnottoover-feedbacteria. Protozoaneedtobehighinthespringandearlysummer,butthenwilltypicallydroptotheminimumrangewhenthesoilisdryandhot.Ifyousampleinthefall,waituntilsoilmoisturehas recovered to normal levels before takingthesampleandsendingitintothelab.Thatwaytheprotozoahaveachancetorecoverfromtheannualseasonaldroptheyalwaysexperienceindryperiods. Nematodesshouldfollowthepredominanceof bacteria or fungi. Bacterial feeders shouldbe high in soil dominated by bacteria, whilethe balance should be closer to 1:1 betweenbacterial-feedersandfungal-feedersinafungal-dominatedsoil.Asthesoilgetsmoreandmorefungal,microarthropodsshouldshowupandbecomeevident. Assoilbecomeseasiertoputyourspadeinto,littletinycritterswillreturntothesoilandstartworking for you. These critters become veryapparentifyoupickupamagnifyingglassandlookatahandfulofsoil.Theseorganismsare

TEST RESulTSWhat do they mean? What should you do?


reallyimportantinstabilizingthewholefoodwebinyoursoil,helpingtomaintaintheproperbalance,sonever,everdoanythingthatwouldknockthemout. Justmakeverysurethatthesoilneverbecomeswater-loggedwhenplantsaregrowing.Ifoxy-genispreventedfrommovingintothesoilandthesoildrops into the lowoxygenrange, thebeneficialfungiwillbekilled,andthefoodfortheselittlecritterswillnolongerbeavailable.They have to eat something, so they will eatyourplant.Overwateringplantsisthemajormess-upduringearlygrowth,whenthesecritterscanwipeoutacropwhiletheplantsaresmall.Oncetheplantsreachfourtofiveleafstagesthelittlecrittersinthesoilcan’teatenoughtoreallyslowtheplantdown.Justbereallycarefulnottowaterlogthesoilandkillthebeneficialfungi. One last category in the SFI report is themycorrhizalfungi(MF).TheimportantaspectofMFistheircolonizationoftherootsystem.Thenumberofspores in thesoilmeansverylittle if thesporesnevergerminateandnevercolonize the plants. Colonization should beabove ten percent to even have a prayer that

thefunguswillbeabletodoanythingfortheplant.Preferablycolonizationshouldbeabove40percentsothatallthebenefitsthatcanbeobtained from mycorrhizal fungi doing theirjobcanbehad. If MF colonization is less than it shouldbe,youneed tobuy somesporesorfindsoilaroundplantsthathaveactivecolonizationbymycorrhizalfungiandplacethatmaterialnexttotheroots.Mycorrhizalfungalsporesbindtoorganicmatter.Don’t justapplythesporestothesurfaceofthesoil,unlessyoursoilispuresand,thesporeswillgetbounduplongbeforetheygetanywhereneartherootsoftheplant.Putthesporesincompostteaorextractorinthecompost,butthenmakesurethetea,extractorcompostgetsplacedwithinaninchoftherootsthatneedtobecolonized.

Dr. Elaine Ingham is president of Soil Food web Inc., 1750 S.W. Third St., Suite K, Corval-lis, OR 97333. Readers can visit her Web site at www.soilfoodweb.com and write to Dr. Ingham at [email protected].


http://www.midwesthydroponics.com


http://www.genhydro.com

Everyone who uses high-intensity dis-charge(HID)gardenlightshasalove/haterelationshipwiththem. We love the way metal halide (MH) orhighpressuresodium(HPS)lampsfloodourgarden’scanopywithintenselight,providinglotsofenergyforphotosynthesisandkeepinginternodaldistancesshort.Welovethewaywecaneasilyswitchbetweenthemtomatchormanipulateourplants’growthcycle.WelovethewayMHandHPSlightsarewidelyavailableatreasonableprices. Butwehatehowmuchenergytheselightsconsume.Inmyarea,SouthernCalifornia,itcostsatleast$35amonthtoruna600-wattMHorHPSlightfor12hoursperday,andevenmoreinthesummerduetohighersea-sonalelectricrates.HIDlightsareoneofourmost“un-green”gardentools,withtheirhighenergyconsumption,lowefficiencyratingsandmercury-containingbulbs.Criticsrightlyviewthemasinconsistentwithearth-friendlygardeningmethods. A big part of the problem is that HIDlightsareinefficient.A400wattHPSlightisonlyabout35-percentefficient,whichmeansthatonly35percentoftheelectricalenergydeliveredtothebulbisconvertedintolight,while65percentisconvertedintoheat.Light-ingballastsarehot,too,contributingtohighexcessheatlevelsinmostHID-illuminatedgardenrooms. Thiswasteheathastogosomewhere,sowe

consumeevenmoreenergytocoolandventgardensthatusetheselights.Airconditioningisoftenrequired,andchillersmaybeneededtokeepnutrientsolutionsfromgettingtoohot. WasteheatfromHIDsincreasesevapora-tionfromourreservoirsandgrowingmedia,and the transpiration rate of our plants.Nutrientandwaterconsumptiongoup,asdotherequiredflowratesofourirrigationsystems.JustabouteverygardensystemissignificantlyimpactedbythewasteheatfromHIDlights. Whattodo?It’snotlikewecanjustturnoffourgrowlightsandwaitforsomethingbetter.T5fluorescentgrowlightsareenergyefficientandcoolrunning,but their lowerlightoutputlimitsthemtoplantsthatneedless light, such as leafy greens and foliageplants.Atpresent,onlyanHIDgardenlightcanputoutenoughlighttoprovideabounti-fulharvestinplantsthatproducelargefruitandflowers. Theremaybegoodnewsonthehorizon.

The promise of LED grow lights We’vebeenwaitingalongtimeforgardenlightsbasedonlight-emittingdiodes(LEDs).NASAandothershavebeenexperimentingwithLEDgrowlightssincethemid-80’sandwearefinallystartingtoseeproductsreachingthemarketthatreflecttheirfindings.Theselightsrepresentamajorstepforward.

LED grow lights offer the dual benefitof low energy-consumption and low heat-generation. Some LED grow lights use solittle electricity that they can be poweredby a small solar panel. According to theirmanufacturers, today’s LED grow lightsconsumebetween2percentand50percentoftheelectricityusedbytheHIDgrowlightstheyreportedlyreplace. Butwe’veyettoseeareal-worldapplica-tioninwhichtheselightsperformaswellas“comparable” HIDs, particularly for high-lightcrops. LEDsare tiny semiconductorchips thatgeneratelightwhenelectrified.IttakesasmallamountofelectricitytomakeanLEDglow(emitelectrons.)Theelementsthediodeismadefromdeterminethelightspectrumitemits.AnLEDisbackedbyaninternalreflec-torandencasedinanepoxybodywithanintegratedlens.Together,thesecomponentsdeterminetheangleofthelightemittedbythediode,whichisshapedasadownward-fac-ingcone.IndividualLEDsproducerelativelysmalllightcones,sotheyareclusteredintoarrayssothelightconesoverlap,increasinglightintensityandcoveragearea. LEDgrowlightsaredesignedtostimulatephotosynthesis by providing light in thefrequenciesthatplantsprimarilyuseforthiscriticalbiologicalprocess.IndividualLEDsmaycontainoneof29knowncombinationsofelementsthatemitlightindifferentcolors

By Laurie Lamberth & Christopher Sloper

Close Encounters of the L.E.D. Kind

Is it the right time to use Light Emitting Diodes in Hydroponics?


whenexcitedbyelectrons.Growlightmanu-facturers emphasizeblueand redLEDs intheirfixtures,sometimeswithothercolors,which gives many LED grow lights theirdistinctive purplish-red color. Optimizingthe light spectrum helps in two ways: itenhancesphotosynthesisandsavesenergybynotgeneratinglightincolorsthatplantsdonotuse. LEDgrowlightshavealongerusefullifethanMHorHPSlights,aslongas15yearsforsomefixtures,andthusalower“totalcostofownership.”Thetotalcostofownershipincludesthecosttobuythelight,useit,andreplace expired bulbs. One manufacturerestimates that the total cost of owning anLEDgrowlightoverfiveyearsisabouthalfthecostofacomparableHPSlight,basedonananalysisthatbalancestheupfrontcosttopurchaseanLEDgrow lightagainst lowerelectricalcostsandeliminatingtheneedtoperiodicallyreplacebulbs.Theiranalysisusedanelectricrateof$0.07perkilowatthour. Growers may be able to save space, or

moveintoasmallerspace,withLEDgrowlightsbecausewiththeselightsthereisneedfor bulky reflectors. Ventilation/coolingequipmentsuchasfans,airconditionersandductworkmightbescaledbackoreliminatedaltogether.Theroomwillalsobesignificantlyquieter,withfewernoisyfans,ballasts,andchillers. ThepromiseofLEDgrowlightsoffersfiveaspects: lower energy consumption, lowerheatemissions,customizablephotosyntheticspectrum,lowertotalcostofownership,andsmallergardenspacerequirements. Can today’s LED grow lights actuallydeliver these benefits? The answer to thatquestiondependsonwhoyouask.Beforewegettothosequestions,however,let’stakeastepbackandexaminelightandphotosynthesisalittlecloser.

Electromagnetic spectrum and photo-synthesis Electromagneticradiationspansabroadrangeofwavelengths,whichincludeswhat

werecognizeas“visiblelight.”Attheoneendoftheelectromagneticspectrumaregammarays,whichhaveawavelengthof5-10nano-meters(nm).Ananometerisone-billionthofameter,averysmallmeasureindeed.Attheotherendoftheelectromagneticspectrumareradiowaveswithawavelengthof1,012nm.Smackinthemiddlearethewavelengthsthatcanbeseenbythehumaneye,fallingbetween380and750nm.Thispartof theelectromagnetic spectrum is what we call“visiblelight.” Plantsusevisiblelightdifferentlythanwedo.Theirleavescontainchlorophyll,acom-poundvitalforphotosynthesis,theprocessbywhichplantsconvertlightintofuel.Chlo-rophyllmoleculesarehighlyselectiveaboutthelighttheyabsorb:bluelightprimarilyinthe460-480nmrange,andredlightaround640-680nm.Chlorophyll,forthemostpart,reflects insteadofabsorbsmostgreenandyellowlight,whichiswhyplantsappeargreentooureyes. Limitinganygrowlighttojustredandblue

Close Encounters of the L.E.D. Kind

WithoutLEDlightsLEDgrowlightilluminateskangaroopawsanddracaenaswithdistinctive,purple-redlight.


lightwouldleadtopoorresults,sinceplantsalsousemostofrestofthevisiblespectrumin lower amounts. NASA’s Biological Sci-ences team at the Kennedy Space Centerhasdoneextensiveresearchonthissubject:a2006paperpublishedbytheInternationalSocietyofHorticulturalSciencedocumentedimprovements in lettuce yields when 24percentgreenlightwasaddedtoLEDgrowlightsthatotherwiseproducedonlyredandbluelight.Includinglightintheyellow-greenspectrumalsohelpstovisuallyrestoregreencolortoplants,makingthemlookmore“nor-mal,”andmakesiteasiertoidentifygardenproblemssuchasnutrientdeficienciesorpestattacks.Thiscombinationalsomakesiteasierforgardenerstoworkintheirgardens. Increasingtheamountofredandbluelightreachingthegardenisn’tanidealimitedtoLEDgrowlights.Enhanced-spectrumMHandHPSbulbs,suchasHortiluxandSolar-Maxlamps,providemoreblueandredlightthan standard bulbs. SO do water-cooledHIDlights,accordingtotheirmanufactur-ers. Enhanced-spectrum and water-cooledHIDlightsstillputoutalotoflightinyel-low-greenwavelengths,too,thatlookbrightto the human eye but don’t do much for

ourplants.AnLEDgrowlight designer isn’t tryingto reproduce sunlight ormake up for the spectralshortcomings of a lightoriginally designed foranotherpurpose.Instead,they are trying to createoptimal light output forphotosynthesis.

Current state of the art Sodotoday’sLEDgrowlightsliveuptoourexpec-tations? Energy consumption issignificantlylowerforLEDlightsvs.“equivalent”HIDlights. Most grow lightmanufacturersareworkingtoreplacethelightoutputofa400-500wattHIDlightwithbetween30and300wattsofpowerconsumed,and some go quite a lotlower. The jury’s still out

on how these lights trulycompare to their HID cousins on gardenperformance and yield, but on the energypromisetheyseemtoperformwell. Thelightsfarewellontheheatpromise,too.MostLEDgrowlightsputoutverylittleheat,sodonothaveanyspecificcoolingrequire-ments.Alight’sheatoutputisaffectedbyitsdesign:somelightsclusterLEDsinroundorsquare“pods”or“rosettes”thatarespacedalonghorizontalbars.ThesedesignshelptolimitheataccumulationbyspacingtheLEDsfartherapart.OtherlightsbunchtheLEDsclosetogetherinasinglefixturetoprovidea greater light intensity directly below thelight. These designs can accumulate heat,sogenerallyincorporateheatmanagementfeaturessuchasheatshielding,fansforaircooling,orwatercooling. Debateswirlsaroundthethirdpromise,customizedlightspectrum.SkepticsdonotbelieveLEDscaneverproducelightthatisintense enough to be effective for photo-synthesis,nomatterwhatcoloritis.Theseconcerns are based on earlier generationLEDsthatdidnotputoutenoughenergytoworkwellasgrowlights.Today’s“thirdgen-eration”LEDsreportedlysolvethisproblem

byputtingoutuptoonewattoflightenergyper LED, a 20-50 fold improvement oversecond-generationLEDs. New-generationLEDsalsohaveawider“beamangle”thatpermitsanLEDtoprojectlightacrossa120degreearcinsteadofmostlyjust straight down (“pin point” lighting).This means wider light cones, improvinglight intensity and coverage at the gardencanopy. PassionatedebatesaboutLEDgrowlightdesignandeffectivenessarewagedonaregu-larbasisinonlinegardeningcommunities.SomepostsdescribeLEDgrowlight trialspeopleareconductingintheirhomes.Whilethesepostsareinterestingreadingandthere’salottobelearnedfromthem,theyshouldalsobetakenwithagrainofsalt.ManyhobbyistswanttodebatewhetherLEDgrowlightsareorcanbeeffective.Theacademicandscientificcommunities, satisfied for some time thatLEDgrowlightsareeffective,havemovedontofiguringout“how.”

Top Two Concerns WeaskedseveralLEDlightingmanufac-turersabouttheconcernscustomersexpresswhenconsideringanLEDgrowlight.Twoprimaryconcernsemerged. ThefirstisthepriceforLEDgrowlights.LEDgrowlightscanbepurchasedoneBayforaslittleas$9forascrew-inreplacementgrowbulbtoasmuchas$1,500forawater-cooled garden light fixture reported to beequivalenttoa400-to500-wattHPSlight. Don’tbemisledbythelowpriceonsomeoftheLEDlightsoneBay.These“bargains”often include lower-output, inferiorLEDs,andsomeofthemarerecycledtrafficsignallights.AlargenumberoftheseinexpensiveLED“growlights”maybeneededtoprovideilluminationforastandard-sizedhobbygar-den.Letthebuyerbeware.Ahomegardenershouldexpect to spendbetween$500and$1,500forLEDgrowlightstoilluminatea3-footby3-footgrowingspace. The “total cost of ownership” modelsdiscussedearlierareonewaytounderstandthe price issue: LED grow lights require alarger up-front investment that should bemorethanoffsetbyreducedoperatingcostsgoingforward. Thesecondconcernisthatnobodywantstogofirst.MorepeopleareinterestedinLED

Co-authorChristopherSloperchecksthegrowthofplants.


growlightsthanarereadytostartusingthem.Gardenersdonotwanttheircroptowindupasthe“guineapig”inafailedgarden-lightingexperiment.AlotoftrialsandresearchhavebeenconductedinlabsthatshowLEDgrowlightstobeeffectiveandcost-efficient.Butthosetrialsweredoneinalaboratorysetting.What’smissingareverifiableandrepeatableconsumer-orientedtrialsthatputLEDgrowlightsupagainsttheirHIDcounterparts,inconditionsthatresembleahobbyistindoorgardenroom.Untilthathappens,individualgardeners can experiment with LED growlightsontheirown,eitheronasmallscaleorbysegregatingasmallnumberofplantswithintheirgardenfortrials.

Looking ahead WhatisthefutureofLEDgrowlights? Near-term,weshouldexpecttoseeawidervarietyofLEDgrowlightscomingontothemarket.Theselightswillincreasinglyincludehigher output LEDs in a variety of lightcolorsandconfigurations.Weexpecttoseecombinationlightshittingthemarket,usingLEDplusT5fluorescentorHIDgardenlightstoprovideamorebalancedspectrumthanis available from these garden lights usedalone. We are starting to see LED grow lightsdesignedtosupportdifferentplantgrowthstages,suchasgrowandbloom,andshouldexpect lights to be introduced for specificplantssuchastomatoes,herbs,ororchids.Wewillseecontinuedimprovementsinlightoutput, particularly as fourth-generationLEDscontinuetheirmigrationfromthelabtothemarket.Priceswillbegintocomedownwhensalesvolumeincreases. Inthelongrun,LEDlightingcouldmakealmost every other type of light sourceobsolete. Retrofit LED lamps that fit intostandard fluorescent lighting fixtures arealreadyavailable,andLEDfixturesareintheworksthatwillreplacestreetlights,stadiumlightsandotherinteriorandexteriorlights.Already,AmsterdamandRotterdamintheNetherlandsaretestingLEDstreetlighting.Pressreportsindicatethatothermajorcitiesareconsideringsimilartrials. LED grow lights will be swept aheadwiththetideofmostlygovernment-fundedresearchanddevelopmentnowunderway.ResearchdollarsinvestedbyNASAandother

Another Perspective: Are LEDs Ready for use in Commercial Hydroponics?

Ed Harwood is the founder of Great Veggies® LLC in Ithaca, NY and is currently involved in a collaborative research project with Cornell’s Dept. of Horticulture and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center to explore LED applications to his aeroponic technologies to grow salads in a controlled environment.

EdHarwood’sstoryisacautionarytaleabouttheuseofLEDsbeforetherightkindoftechnologyisavailabletomakethemeffectiveincommercialhydroponics.HebelievesthatsomemanufacturersarehypingtheirLEDproductstothedetrimentofgrowers.HerecallsoneclaimthatsaidLEDlightssave33timesthepowerofanHID.Afewyearsago,hewantedtotestouttheseclaimsandspent$1,000onLEDlightsandsetupshopinthebasementofanoldfactorywiththeintentofgrowinglettuce.Hesetupaneight-barLED(24clusters)lightaccordingtoonemanufacturer’sspecificationsandinthefirstthree-weektrial,itetiolated(atechnicaltermfor“reaching”).Basically,hisgreensweren’tgettingenoughlight.Hecon-solidatedthelightbarsandthenmovedthemclosertotheplantsinsubsequenttrialsandhadalittlemoreluckbutyieldsandthelooknevermatchedtheoutcomeoftheHPSlamps.HefoundthatuseofLEDswas“morelikeapowersavingsof3timesoverastandardHID.” ThegoodthingaboutLEDs,hesaid,isthatthereisnoradiantheat,makingthelightcooltothetouch,buthepointedoutthatLEDsproduceapproximatelythesameamountofheattolightasanHIDorfluorescentwhetherhighintensityLEDsornot.TheheatwithLEDsisjustemittedatthebackendofthelightwhichrequiresasystemtoremovetheheat.“Ifyoudonotremovetheheat,”explainsHarwood,“thelifeofyourLEDswillbereducedbythousandsofhoursperdegreeC°.Placedwithoutventilationtheywillhavealifeexpectancyofaround5years-oruntilthelampemitsonly80percentoftheoriginalamount,thecurrentindustrydefinitionoftheendoflife.” Removingtheheatrequiressomekindof fanorwatercoolingsystem.,Harwoodsays.TypicallyanLEDlightarraymanufacturerwilladdheatsinksonthebackofthecircuitboardwhichpullstheheataway,butthisdoesn’tremovetheheat,merelyincreasesthesurfaceareaforwaterorairtoremoveit.ThisisonereasonHarwoodfeelsthatalotofrefinementisstillneededforLEDlightstobepracticalincommercialhydroponicprojects.ThoughHarwoodadmitsthehobbyistmaybeokay,especiallyiftheircropisexposedtosomeambientlightaswell.Inhiscase,hewasgrowinginabasementwithoutanyothersourceoflight. Harwoodsaysthataninterestingaspectofplantlightspectralresearch,whichonlybeganinearnestabouttenyearsago,isthattheabsorptionoflightoftenhaslittletodowiththeresultingactionoftheplant.Thereareredundantpathwaysresultingfromspecificlightspectrathatoftenconfuseresults.Everyplantvarietyhasevolveditsownsetsoflightstimulatedpathwaysforeachbasicplantfunction. “Wedonotknowthecombinations:howmuch,whentoapply,andhowlongtoapplyusingarraysofnarrowbandspectra.Thuswewillhavetoexperimentcarefullyandprecisely.Itisclearthatallvarietiesandstagesofgrowthandfloweringmaybedifferentintheiruseofspecificlightspectra.” Forinstance,hesaysgrowerswillfindthattheydon’tneedgreenandyellowlightandinfact,formostgreenleafyplantsthesecolorscaninhibitgrowthandyield.Also,Harwoodsays,“thereisnoevidencethatamberisusefulforanythingplantrelatedandtheseLEDsareveryexpensive.” Butingeneralhethinksitwouldbewonderfultoencourage“citizenscience”,wheregrowersareexperimentingwithLEDsinordertogetthekindofpracticalcasestudiesthatwillleadtogreaterknowledgeaboutwhatlookslikewillbethefutureofhydroponics.“Imaginetheginormoustaskofidentifyingthecorrectlightspectralapplicationforthousandsofplantvarietiesacrossseveralphasesofplantgrowth!”

ResourcesTheRPILightingResourceCenter,http://www.lrc.rpi.edu.Narendran,N.,J.P.Freyssinier,andJ.Taylor.2008.LEDluminaireperformance:changingtraditionscansettherightexpectations.LEDsMagazine.18:33-39.Bullough, J.D. 2003. Lighting answers: LED lighting systems; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute andAhmad,M.,Grancher,N.,Heil,M.,Black,R.,Giovani,B.,Galland,P.,etal.(2002).Actionspectrumforcryptochrome-dependenthypocotylgrowthinhibitioninArabidopsis.PlantPhysiol.129:774-785.Dougher,T.A.O.2001.Evidenceforyellowlightsuppressionoflettucegrowth.Photochem.Pho-tobiol.73:208-12.Folta,K.,Koss,L.,McMorrow,R.,Kim,H.,Kenitz,J.,Wheeler,R.,etal.(2005).Designandfabricationofadjustablered-green-blueLEDlightarraysforplantresearch.PlantBiol.5:17.Kim,H.,Wheeler,R.,Sager,J.,Goins,G.,&Norikane,J.(2006).Evaluationoflettucegrowthusingsupplementalgreenlightwithredandbluelight-emittingdiodesinacontrolledenvironment–areviewofresearchatKennedySpaceCenter.ActaHort.711:111-9.


government agencies around the globe are fueling tremendous advances in LED lighting technologies. The energy saving potential of LED lights is something that can’t be ignored: if we can find a way to consume less energy to light up public and private spaces we may be able to postpone or scratch plans to build new power plants or buy time until we are able to commercialize sustainable methods to

generate and transport electricity. There is a lot of promise associated with LED grow lights, but there are also unan-swered questions and unresolved debates. The products that are available today should produce an acceptable result so long as the gardener makes appropriate changes to his or her gardening methods. We’re looking forward to further articles and reports that

describe how LED grow lights perform against standard MH and HPS grow lights. We’re hopeful about how LED grow lights will fare in such comparisons.

ResourcesLED Grow Light Manufacturers• Grow Revolution: www.growrevolution.com• SolarOasis: www.solaroasis.com• Indoor Sun: www.indoorsunled.com• HID Hut/LED UFO Grow Lights: www.hidhut.com• Theoreme Innovation: www.theoremeinnova-tion.comAcademic resources• International Society of Horticultural Science: http://www.ishs.org

About the authors

Laurie Lamberth is a garden writer and the former chief marketing officer for G & G Organics and Hydroponics, a retail garden-ing store previously located in Compton, CA. She writes frequently for gardening and other trade journals and is a member of the Garden Writer’s Association.

Christopher Sloper is the former owner of G & G Organics and Hydroponics and is an avid gardener, indoors and out. He consults and writes about indoor garden design. This is his first contribution to The Growing Edge.


http://www.growrevolution.com

http://www.hygrozyme.com

12 Myths of Hydroponics

Can you recognize the myths abouthydroponics?Allkindsofprejudicesabouttheprocesses involved insoillessculturehave been circulated by misinformationor insomecases,peoplewithanagendatopromoteothersystemsofcropproduc-tion. These myths are familiar but most ofthetime,inaccurate.Someofthesemythsincludetheideathathydroponicproducetasteswateryorlikechemicals.Othermythsarethathydroponicgrowingistootechni-cal,unnatural,ordoneinanenvironmen-tallydamagingorgenetically-engineeredway.It’stimetosortfactfromfiction. Theseideas—oftenoutdatedandinaccu-rate—keeppoppingup.Totheuninitiated,itmayseemasthoughtheyhadsomebasisinfact.It’snotuntilcomingacrossgoodinformationandexperiencinghydroponicgrowingfirsthandthatmanyofthesefal-laciesarerevealed.

#1Hydroponics is not natural.

Theprocessofmineraluptakeinaplantisexactlythesamewhetheraplantisgrowinginasoillesssystemandgetsitssustenancefromacompletenutrientsolutionorfromthesoiloutinthefield.

In both soil and nutrient solutions theplant food, which is composed of mineralelements,isavailabletotheplantinthesameway.Nutrientsdissolve intowater–eitherthesoilwaterorthenutrientsolution–anddissociateintoionswhichcanthenbetakenupbytheplantwhenrequired. However, in soil, the process by whichnutrients become available for plants ismorecomplex–organicmatterneedstobebrokendownandmineralizedbymicrobialactionbeforethenutrientionscanbetakenupbytheroots.Dependingonsoilmoisture,temperaturelevels,microbepopulationsandotherfactors,thiscantakesomeconsider-abletime,sonutrientssuppliedasorganicmatterarenotreadilyavailabletotheplantasfoods. Whensoilfertilizersareappliedbyfarmers,someofthesecandissolveintothesoilwaterandbereadyforquickuptakebytheplants.Incommercialproduction,manyformsofnitrogenareappliedtofieldgrowncropsinthisway.Otherfertilizersmightbeslower-release formsofnutrients, soconsiderableplanningisneededtoensurethatnutrientsourcesareappliedtosoilattherighttime,often before planting out, with allowancesmade for the fact that they won’t often bereadilyavailableforcropuptake. Inhydroponicswelargelysupplythenutri-entsrequiredinareadily-availableplantform

for immediateuptake.There isnowaitingtime for mineralization. Plants can be fedondemandwithlesswasteanddecisionstochangeorupdatethefeedingschedulecanbemadeonaday-by-daybasistofine-tunenutrition. Whateverthemethodofsupplyingnutri-ents and fertilizers to a plant, the actualprocessbywhichtheplanttakesupandusesthoseelementsinbothhydroponicsandsoilgrowncrops isexactly thesame:anaturalprocess.

#2In hydroponics, plants are “forced.”

Ifweprovidecropswiththeoptimumlevelsofnutrients,warmth,CO2,moisture,light and oxygen, they will grow to theirmaximumpotentialwhethergrowninsoilor in hydroponics. Hydroponics is just amethodwhereit’smucheasiertosupplyallthe crop needs at optimum levels withoutthe complications of soil and the outdoorenvironment. It’snotpossibleto“forcefeed”aplant.Ifhigherlevelsofnutrientsareappliedthantheplantneeds(e.g.ahighECinhydroponics),thentheplantwillbegintosuffer,growthwillberestrictedandyieldswilldrop.It’snothing

The truth about soilless food productionBy Dr. Lynette Morgan

High density cropping is possible with hydroponics, giving higher yields per unit of land used.


fullyorganicandtherearecertifiedgrowerstoprovethis-at least insomeareasof theworld. Theproblemisthattheterm“organic”oftenhasbeenuseda little too liberally–manycommonly-usedhydroponicnutrientcom-ponentssuchascalciumnitrateandothersarestrictlynotorganic,sosomedistinctionstillneedstobemadeastowhetherasoillesssystemorhydroponicnutrientcanbecalledorganicornot. We no longer see a separate divisionbetween organics and hydroponics whichgivesrisetoawholehostofhybridsystemsincorporatingthebestofbothmethodologies.Manynewtechnologieshaveevolvedfromthis. Nutrient solutions, which in the pastwerethoughtonlytobeeffectiveiftheyweremadepurelyfromchemicalfertilizers,caninfactbeblendedfromarangeofmaterials.Growingmediaforhydroponicsthatarerec-ommendedasinertsotheydon’tnegativelyinfluencethecarefullyblendednutrient,canbemadefromarangeofmaterials,someofwhichareorganicandsomecontainnutrientsoftheirown. The presence or addition of microbemixturestohydroponics,oncethoughttobeunnecessaryandevenharmful,isactuallythebasisofmanyorganichydroponicsystemscarryingoutvitalmineralizationoforganicnutrients. This meshing of two systems once seenas incompatible is opening up whole new

onwhatcountryyouliveinandwhocertifiesyoursystem. In the U.S., fully-certified hydroponic-organicgrowersareinproductionwithcropsincludingherbsandallkindsofvegetables,mostingreenhousesandmanyhaveexcellentyields. Organically-certifiedhydroponicsneedstobealittledifferentfromtraditionalhydropon-icsinitsuseofgrowingmediaandnutrients,butthesystemispossibleandcommerciallyviable. Modified hydroponic systems can be

like the method of over-feeding livestockto make them fatter. The same rules don’tapply. Over-fertilizationhasanegativeeffectoncrops in hydroponics just as it can in soilsystems. It’s the same with boosting CO2,lightortemperature,onceamaximumhasbeenreached,supplyingmoreoftheseinputsdoesn’tgiveanyfurtherincreaseingrowthor “forcing.” In fact,plantswill start tobedamagedandyieldsreduced. Knowingwhatconditionscreateoptimalgrowthisthecornerstoneofhydroponicsjustasitiswithsoil-growncrops.

#3Hydroponics is far from organic.

Hydroponiccropscanmostcertainlybegrown without “chemical” pesticides andmany currently are. Hydroponic crops arealsoconsideredlargelysafe,particularlythosegrownwithstricthygienerequirements ingreenhouseswhere the riskof contamina-tionfromorganicfertilizers,uncleanwatersources,manures,birds,rodents,andotherfactorsislessofanissue. Thegreyareacomeswhenwetalkaboutsoil,orthelackofitinhydroponicsystems.Soil,inmanycountries,isstillconsideredthecornerstoneoforganicproduction.That’snottosaythatfullyorganically-certifiedsoillessorhydroponicgrowersdon’texist,becausein some countries, such as the U.S., theycertainlydoandmanyarehighlysuccessfulwith this system. However, in many othercountries,asoillesssystemcannotbecertifiedasorganic,soitseemswhethersoillesssys-temsareconsideredorganicornotdepends

The truth about soilless food production

A high quality, tasty product – returns should be well worth the higher capital investment in greenhouse and hydroponic systems.

Well-grown hydroponic tomato fruit should be well-flavored – no mutants here!


avenuesofcropproductionforhydroponicproducersandallowingaccesstotheimpor-tant organic niche market, one which isgrowingatarapidrate.Aconsumerbuyingorganically-certifiedtomatoessoldintheU.S.maynotrealizethefruitmayhavebeengrownin the soil as afieldcrop inMexicooranorganicallycertifiedhydroponicgreenhouseinCalifornia. Theymaynot realize that thequalityofthatfruit-althoughorganic-maynotbecon-sistent.Sofurthermarketingpotentialwithhighqualityhydro-organicfruitisanotherpossibilityforgrowers.

#4 Hydroponics is too technical and complicated to learn and

practice.

Simplehydroponicsystemsarenomorecomplexthengrowingapottedplantwithsomeliquidfertilizer.Infactwiththespec-tacular rasnge of hydroponic equipment,materials,ready-madenutrientsandkit-setsystemsonthemarket,hydroponicshasneverbeeneasier. Manywhohavedabbledinhobbyhydro-ponicscantestifytothefactthathydropon-icscanbeassimpleorascomplicatedandtechnicalasyouwant. All thehardwork,experimentationandspeculation about hydroponics feasibilitywascarriedoutdecadesagobythefound-ingfathersofsoillessproduction.Backthen,hydroponicswasdifficultbecauseofalackofresources:plasticsweren’tavailable,neitherwereready-made,easy-to-use,guaranteed-

to-worknutrients.Therewasalackofinfor-mationaboutthesubject:nolibraryofbooksormagazines,nocoursestoreferto,norwastheInternetavailableforsharingideaswithgrowersandexperts. Todaycommercialgrowerscanpurchaseturn-keyhydroponicsystemsfromexperi-encedandknowledgeablecom-panies.Consultantsspecializingin hydroponics can help withsetupandproblemsolvinganduniversitiesareofferingcourses.Forthosenewtohobbyhydro-ponics,asimplesystemcanbesetuponthebenchtopwithafewitemsofplasticwarefoundinthekitchencupboard.Manyexamples of this can be seeninbackissuesofTheGrowingEdge. Theonlyessentialingredientisagood,complete,hydroponicnutrientproduct,whichiseasilypurchasedfromoneofthemanyhelpfulhydroponicretailerssetupbothonlineandaroundthecountry. Mostcommercialgrowersinthehydroponicindustrydon’thave university qualificationsin soilless production andmanydon’thaveaparticularlydetailed understanding ofchemistry either. What theydotendtopossessisanabilityto access and learn from thecorrectinformationandoverallgood horticultural skills. This

iswherehydroponicsisnodifferenttosoilor field cropping – knowing how to growplantsandhavinghorticulturalskillsisvital.Ahydroponicsystemalonedoesnotguar-antee success, and itdoesnot compensatefora lackofa“greenthumb”.Mostpeoplewhohavesomeexperiencewithplantsandcropproductioncaneasilypickupthebasicsofhydroponics,butthoseessentialgeneralhorticulturalskillsarethebasisofsuccessfuloperations. Onceagrowerhasmasteredsomebasicsof hydroponic production – making up ahydroponicnutrientsolutionfromthefer-tilizercomponentsisnomoredifficultthanfollowingacakerecipe–thentherestis90percentplanthusbandryskills.Hereagain,similarskillsarerequiredbybothsoilgrowersandhydroponicproducersalike:learningtoidentifypestsanddiseasesand implementcontrols;selectionofcultivars,croptraining,pruning,harvestingandhygieneallplayamajorroleinbothsystems. Afterall,therearewell-established,simpli-fiedhydroponicsystemssetupinThirdWorldcountriesrunandmaintainedbypeoplewithlittleformaleducationwhowouldnotagreethat hydroponics is “too difficult.” Checkoutthe“HydroforHunger”and“Instituteof Simplified Hydroponics” Web sites to

Hydroponic systems, despite their potential, can’t compensate for a lack of “green thumb” skills that growers must possess.

Whether grown in soil or hydroponically, crops take up nutrients in exactly the same way.


http://www.spray-n-growhydroponics.com

seewhatisbeingdonewithhydroponicsinthesesituations.http://www.hydroforhunger.org/program.htmhttp://www.carbon.org/

#5Hydroponics is too expensive and not worth the initial capital

investment.

Controlled environment hydroponicproductionisinitiallymorecapitalintensivethanoutdoorsoilcropping.However,capitalinvestment into hydroponics shouldn’t belookedatasaburdensomecost. Well-designed and maintained green-houses and systems should last for manyyears,decadesinmostcases.Well-designedgreenhouseandhydroponicsystemshouldgiveyieldsandqualityincreasesthatwouldsimplynotbepossibleinafieldsituation. Growers should also keep in mind thathydroponicoperationsyieldmoreperunitoflandthanfieldcostsofpurchasingsuitablearablelandforcropproduction.High-valuecrops produced year-round bring in moreturnoverperunitoflanddespitetheinitialcapitalcostofthesystem. Infact,insomeareas,hydroponicopera-tionshavebeenset-uponlandunsuitableforsoil-growncrops,includingvacantcitylots,urbanwarehouses,rooftops,andeveninsidecaves.Arablelandpricesarelessofaconcernbecauseahydroponicgreenhousecanbesetupanywhereapracticalandsuitablesiteisfound,regardlessofthesoiltype,conditionorfertility. Formanycommonlygrownhydroponiccropssuchastomatoes,peppers,cucumbers,herbsandothers,agreenhousefacilityisthe

onlywaytoproducetheseyearroundandmaintaincontinual supplycontractsandaregularincome. Anddon’tforgettofactorintheexpenseofmaintainingandbuyingnewfieldtractorsandequipmentaswellasthecostofanacreofgoodfarmland. Aswithanybusiness,highcapital-invest-mentisarisk.Butpeoplealwaysneedtoeatandtherewillalwaysbeademandforgoodquality produce supplied by hydroponicbusinesses.

#6Hydroponic fruit and veggies are grown in water and taste

watery.

People assume that because plants aregrowninwater,theywilltastewatery.Poor-flavoredfruitcanmostcertainlybeproducedinsoil/fieldsituationsaswell,buttheydon’tseemtogetthebadrapthathydroponicscanpickupfromalackofquality. Inexperiencedorbadgrowerscanproducepoorqualityfruitirrespectiveofthekindofproduction system used. However, hydro-ponicsisonesystemwherewecancountoncontrol over plant nutrition, environmentand overall crop production, the factorsthatinfluencequality,flavor,andbioactivecompounds. Thekeytothisisunderstandingplantphys-iologyandwhatfactorsaffectcompositionalqualityandflavor.Tomatoes,forexample,area fruit where its important to concentratethe sugars via a higher -percentage of drymatterwithlesswateraccumulationinthefruit.Aswithmanyfruits,abalancedsugartoacidratioisalsoimportant.Whilegenet-

icsandcultivarselectiongoa longway inimprovingtomatofruitflavor,thereismuchahydroponicgrowercandotomanipulatethese factors. Light, moisture control, EC,potassium, density, even growing mediainfluence tomato flavor quality and this isoneplantthatcanreallybepushedasfarasstressmanipulationgoestoimprovetaste. Thissameprocessismuchmoredifficultinsoil,becausethegrowerhasconsiderablylesscontroloverfactorssuchassoilmoistureandnutrientlevels.

#7Hydroponic fruit and vegetables are grown in chemicals and have

a chemical taste.

Ina largenumberoftrainedtastepanelevaluations which have been carried outon a wide range of hydroponic fruits andvegetables, “chemical flavors” don’t seemtofeature.Thismakessensebecauseplantsgrowninhydroponicsandinthesoiltakeupmineralionsinexactlythesameway. Anydifferencesinflavorareduetofactorsotherthantheuseof“chemicalfertilizers.”Somemaymistakecertainnaturallyoccur-ring bitter flavors or other compounds incertain fruit and vegetables for some sortofchemicaltaste,butthesearejustaslikelyinoutdoorfield-growncrops,orevenmorelikelydue tocertain stress factors that thehydroponicgrowerisn’taffectedby.

#8Hydroponics pollute the envi-ronment with chemical nutrient

runoff. These days, hydroponic production hasbecomealotmorefocusedonwastemini-mization, both to protect the surroundingenvironmentandtominimizecosts tothegrower. Drain-to-wastehydroponicsystemsdostillexist,althoughskilledgrowerswillminimizetheamountofleachate.Itispossibletorunsystems at zero runoff or close to it. Thismythcanactuallybetrueifthehydroponicsystemisinthehandsofacarelessoperatorwithnoconcernfortheimpactofthegrowingsystemontheenvironment.Andadmittedly,inthepasttherehavebeeninstanceswhenthisoccurred. Butahydroponicgrowerwhointention-allydumpshisrunoffispouringawayalotofpotentialnutrientsandwater,ataseriouscosttohimself. There is also a worldwide effort by theindustrytocollectandre-usenutrientleach-

Organically certified hydroponic growers do exist, blurring the lines between `organic’ and `hydroponic’ systems, as these hydro-organic beans demonstrate.


Hydroponics combined with environmentally controlled greenhouses can be used for out of season production of a huge range of crops, such as these raspberries.

Many of the initial predicted disease problems with NFT and other recirculating problems failed to eventuate.

WWW.GROWINGEDGE.COM September/October2008THEGROWINGEDGE39

ate, or to build totally closed systems in which no run off is produced. Some countries, such as The Netherlands, have regulations in place to prevent any leachate reaching the soil or contaminating the ground water. Growers in many other areas will also soon be facing these restrictions. Well-designed hydroponic systems can easily allow for the collection and channeling of any nutrient leachate run off. The waste nutrient itself can be a useful byproduct as it still contains plant usable nutrients which can be applied to other soil grown crops, pasture, turf, ornamental

plants and orchards as a useful source of fertilizer. Growers can also install effective systems for dealing with waste water and nutrient runoff such as sand filters and `scrubber plant’ wetlands which denutrify the solution and prevent any environmental hazards. Perhaps some of the most interesting advances in hydroponics or greenhouse production in general have been a move towards closed systems with no nutrient run off. These systems use advanced methods of nutrient analysis and adjustment so there is virtually no need for nutrient dumping and replacement. These require a higher degree of skill to run and maintain, but they also represent a large saving in fertilizer costs. This is something which would be very dif-ficult to carry out in a field situation – rain and irrigation tend to leach minerals and fertilizers deep into the soil and water table, and resulting run off and contamination of

natural water sources is a chronic problem in agriculture. Even very skilled application of fertilizer to soils will not guarantee that fertilizer leaching and run off will not occur, so this is one area where hydroponics, in the future, will have a major advantage. Soil-grown crops also need extensive use of herbicide chemicals for weed control, which poses another cost to growers and risks misuse that could lead to soil and water contamination, spray drift and damage to non target plants.

#9 Hydroponics is prone to disasters caused by power failures, leaks

and irrigation blockages.

The majority of hydroponic crops are still produced in some form of growing media, most of which retains sufficient moisture to support the plant between irrigations or if a short power failure occurs. Growers in areas that experience unpredictable power supplies are able to design systems which are not reli-ant on electricity. Though some hydroponic systems are certainly more susceptible to these than others. NFT and some other solution culture systems- which don’t have a moisture reten-tive media- will suffer if a power cut, leak or blockage prevents the flow of nutrient. Capillary, gravity feed, alternative power and manual systems can all be used for hydroponic production where necessary, and in some areas of the world these are the only types of systems in use. Other growers certainly make use of back-up generators, alarm systems and regular maintenance to prevent problems with leaks

http://www.cropking.com

Many hydroponic systems these days aim to have very little nutrient runoff or wastage which could pollute ground water and the environment.


andblockages.Ontheotherhand,fieldcropsarenotimmunetothesesortsofproblemseither. Power cuts can affect pumps andirrigation,andirrigationleaksandblockagesalso occur in the field. Worse still, floods,droughts,hailanderosioncanwreakhavoconasoil-growncrop.

#10Hydroponics creates a special risk of widespread root dis-

ease outbreaks.

Theproblemofdiseasespreadisnotlimitedtohydroponics:anuncontrolledandaggres-sivepathogencanbringdownwidespreadplantlossesinsoilcrops,whichspreadrapidlyfromplanttoplantacrossafield. Whiletherehavebeensomecasesofrootdiseaseoutbreakinalltypesofhydroponicsystems, widespread and continual croplosseshavenotcometopass.Lossesduetoplantdiseaseareaproblemofhorticulturalproductioningeneralandgrowers,which-ever system they use, need to be aware ofgoodsanitation,hygieneandplantprotectionpractices. This myth has been in circulation eversince NFT became a commercial reality,with concerns that any disease pathogenwould quickly circulate around the wholesystem infecting every plant and resultinginwidespreadcroplosses. Manyhydroponicsystemsthesedayshavegoodmeasuresinplacetopreventdisease,including solution and water treatment,stricthygiene,earlydiseaserecognitionandpreventionofcontaminationfrompotentialpathogensources,somethingwhichisimpos-sibletoachievewithmostsoilgrowncrops.Furthermore,hydroponicshasproventobeanimportanttoolintheproductionofsomecropswhicharehighlysusceptibletorootrotdiseases. Strawberry crops produced in soil haveinthepastheavilyreliedontheuseofsoilfumigantssuchasmethylbromide,widely

usedtosterilizethesoilbeforeplanting and thus preventmanyofthedestructiverootpathogens fromsignificantlylowering crop yield. Methylbromide however has beenbanned and can no longerbe used in most strawberryproducing regions, so manygrowers are considering theuseofhydroponicsasaviablealternativetotheproblemofsoiltreatment.Startingwithasterile,goodqualitygrowingmediaunderhydroponicpro-

ductionisonewayofavoidingtheproblemofsoilsterilizationandthechemicalsusedtocarrythisout.

#11 Hydroponics doesn’t produce high qualities of fruits and veg-

etables with the essential and beneficial nutrients of soil-grown crops. Theproblemisthatanaccuratecomparisonisverydifficulttoobtainbecausethenutrientcontentofanyparticularsampleoffruitorvegetabledependsnotonlyon the typeofgrowingmedia–soilorvarioushydroponicsubstrates- but also on a number of otherimportantfactors.Forexample,fertilizationpractices,cultivar,lightlevels,temperature,density,cropstress,andpestanddiseasecon-trol.Nowadayspeoplearguethat organic’or`biodynamic’cropsarenutritionallybetterthan those grown in conventional horti-cultureandhydroponics,althoughthereisevidencebothforandagainstthisdependingonwhichstudyyouarereferringto. Whenmeasuringthenutrientcontentofsoil verses hydroponic grown produce, it’simportanttogetproducefromexperiencedgrowersbecausethequalitywillvarydepend-ing on the grower’s expertise. Some willproducefoodofhighcompositionalquality,andotherswillnot. It’safactthattherearecertainmineralsthatarebeneficial tohumanhealth–seleniumbeingoneofmanyfoundintheplantsandother food we eat. In the past hydroponicproduction has been accused of growingcrops deficient in these sorts of beneficialnutrients.Butmostofthesetracemineralswhile present in soils, are also present inthewatersuppliesandotherinputsusedinhydroponicsystemsandendupinthetissueofsoillesscropsjustastheydoinsoilgrownplants. Infactcertainsoilscanbecomesodeficientinthesetypesofelementsthattheyresultincrops which don’t contain even a trace of

them,whilehydroponicnutrientsolutionscan easily be boosted with use of mineraladditivesandbeneficialtraceelementsifnec-essary.Therearecertainlyanumberofgoodhydroponic nutrient products and supple-ments on the market that can supplementinawiderangeofthe`beneficial’elements.

#12 Hydroponics produces mutant plants, “Frankenstein food”

and genetically-engineered crops.

Hydroponicsisjustasystemofproduction,albeitamorehighlycontrolledonethanfieldcropping.Anysortofcroporcultivarcanbegrown using soilless methods. These daysmany commercial hydroponic greenhousegrowerschosetogrowhybridcultivars,justasmanysoilgrowersdo.Andsomechoseto grow older, open pollinated, heirloomvarietiesinhydroponics,justasorganicandconventionalsoilgrowersdoaswell. Adecadeorsoback,whengeneticengi-neeringwasinitsheydayandthe longshelflife’tomatostartedtohitthemarkets,therewas somemisperception thathydroponicswasalltiedupinproducing`mutantfruits’,GE `Frankenstein foods’ and all things`unnatural’.Luckilythisopinion,forthemostpart,hasnotpersistedthesedays,exceptfortheoccasionalcommentheardfromconsum-ers that hydroponics has something to dowith`mutanttomatoes’ Given thecurrentdemand fororganics,naturalproductionmethodsandregulationstoensureproducersaren’tendangeringthepublic with `mutants’ (and also the grow-ing demand for heirlooms and yesteryearvarieties)thesefearsof unnatural’cropsarediminishing. Wealsoneedtokeepinmindthatthesedays,hydroponicshascometomeanawholerangeofdifferentproductionsystemsinclud-ingorganic,traditionalsoillesscultureandeverything in between. Growers can takefrom the best crop production techniquesandblendthemintothehydroponicsystemthatworksforthemandtheircustomers.

Referencesandsourcesofinformation:

GMFs(geneticallymodifiedfoods)–AngelFoodsorFrankensteinTucker?CommercialGrowerVolume54,No3,April1999,VegetableProducersPublishingCo.

HydroforHungerhttp://www.hydroforhunger.org/program.htm

InstituteofSimplifiedHydroponicshttp://www.carbon.org/

http://www.lightrail3.com

nearestvillage,alongerwayfromtheclos-esttownandmorethanonehundredmiles(190km)fromAuckland,theclosestmajorcity.Thusthesitehashadtobedesignedtobefullyindependent. Toensureadequatewater,Canavanbuiltareservoir,whichprovidescleanrainwaterthatisperfectforasound,uncontaminatedhydroponicnutrient. Thestructuresarecoveredwithhorticul-turalplasticfilm,havegoodventilationandarealsoequippedwithoil-fired,forced-drafthot-airheatingsystems.Althoughthetem-peraturedoesnotgetcriticallycoldonthesite, the crop performs consistently betterthroughthewinterwiththeadditionofasmallamountofheatontheoddcoolernight. Thecompactedsoilfloorsarecoveredwitha white reflective material which not onlyisolates any soil-borne pathogens but alsoaidsinreflectinglightbackintothecrop.

tothesamehighstandards,thebrandname‘Beanz’isnowsynonymouswithadepend-ablequalityproduct. Alanhasmovedonfromgrowingandnowlooks after the largest hydroponic supplycompanyintheSouthIslandofNewZealand,some 2,700 miles south of his Northlandproperty. Thebean-growingoperationismanagedbyAlan’sprotege,RickFogarty.Rickstartedasahorticulturalapprenticeat15.Now18yearsoldandfastapproachinghisdegreeinhorticulture,Rickisalreadyaveryaccom-plishedandextremelydedicatedgrower. WhileRickmayseemyoungtobemanag-ingasignificantcommercialinstallation,heisinfullcontrolofeveryaspectofthegrowingcycle.RickassistedAlanwithmanyofthesite’sphysicaldevelopments,sohisunderstandingisnotlimitedtojustthecrop. Thebean-growingoperationisquitesomedistance from the

Entrepreneur Alan Canavan’s heart hasbeenintheworldofcommercialgrowingforyears,buthisrecentbusinessventurehasledhimtogrownotjustacropbutabrand. Aftertryinghishandatvarioustypesofcrops,Alansettledonbeansashispreferredfield and started the business Beanz NZ.Beansareacropthatcommandsrelativelystablereturnswithalmostassuredpremiumsthroughthecoldertimesofwinter–andheselectedasitethatfavorsyear-roundproduc-tion.Themeanaveragewintertemperatureintheareais50degreesF(10C,)certainlynotwhatmostwouldrefertoasacoldclimate. Once he perfected his production tech-niques to produce top quality beans year-round, he realized that a ‘known brand’qualityproductthatwasessentiallythesamethroughout the country would have greatappealtotheconsumer.HesetupafranchiseorganizationknownasBeanzNZ. Withgrowersproducingthesamevariety

Rick Fogarty is obviously both happy with and proud of his crop. His undeniable enthusiasm could be a good lesson for many young people.

Leaving the consumer in no doubt,the brand name is printed boldly on every carton.

This photo of a tropical paradise was taken in Northland just minutes away from the subject of this story.

Full of BeansStory and photos by Rob Smith

New Zealand operation grows bountiful harvest


http://www.beanz-nz.com

provided is almost unbelievable. In just acoupleofweekstheplantsarewellontheirway towards the top wire. From plantingtofirstflowersisfromseventoeightweeksandthenpickingisfullonforthefollowingmonth–sothreemonthsfromseedandit’salloverforthatparticularplanting. Keepingprotectivefungicidesprayingtoaminimumisessentialformaintainingacleancrop,andoccasionallyairbornepestssuchaswhiteflyneedtobecombatted. Theconductivityvalueofthenutrientisadjustedtosuitconditionsandwillvaryfrom12CF(1.2EC)upto20CF(2.0EC).WiththeDan dripper system metering reasonablyprecisevolumesofnutrientintothebags,therunofffromthissystemisnegligible.Further,thesystemalmostcompletelyeliminatesthethreatofsoil-bornepathogensenteringthebags, which many believe can result withrecycledsystems.RickmeasurestherunofffromsamplebagsandadjuststhepHvalueatthebatchingtankstokeeppHrunoffatplusorminus6.0pH.Whentheplantsareinfullproductionthismaymeanintroducingthenutrientaslowas4.3pHinordertomaintainthedesiredrunoffvalue. Rickplanseachdaysoperationstoensurethatnothingimportantgetsmissedandthatcustomersreceivetheirorders,whichhavebeenpickedatthepeakofdevelopmentandstoredinacoolroomuntilreadytotravelinthebestconditionpossible. I took a sample handful home and canassure you these beans are chock full offlavourandnotabitofstring–theproofofthepudding,astheysay.

Rob Smith is a veteran in the field of hydroponics and a longtime contributor to The Growing Edge.

fourplants.Onaverage,thecropproducesabout seven thousand-plus pounds of flatrunnerbeanfruitpermonth. The irrigation system is controlled by asolarimeter that measures the quality andquantityofsunlight,addsitupandatapre-setvalueoftotalsolarradiationreceivedstartsanirrigationcycle.Theunitresetsatthistimeandrestartscollectingdata. Nutrient irrigation enters the bags via“Dan” dripper stakes. These are all liftedupoutofthewayduringthecleaningandinstallationofnewbags. Rickhasafulltimeassistantandtheyarehelpedbyonepart-timer.Whileitisnotbackbreakingwork,allthreearebusykeepingtheproductionscheduleuptodate. Asinthe“JackandtheBeanstalk”story,therateofgrowthundertheidealconditions

Theplantsthemselvesarepropagatedonsite from seed saved from previous crops.Onceeverytwoyears1,000plantsarehar-vestedforseed.Whenthefruitmatures,thestemsarecutandthepodsallowedtodrynaturally in the air. When fully dried, theplants are removed from the greenhouseandthepodsstored–agoodwet-dayjobisshellingthepodsoftheirvaluableseed,whichisthenstoredindrumstoawaitreplanting. In order to be a year-round productionfacility,theoperationmusthaveseveralcropsatvariousstagesinthethree-monthgrowthcycle.Thisdemandsanongoingprocessofsections of the site being cleared of spentplants, the used, sawdust-filled grow bagsbeing dumped and replaced with freshlyfilledpurposemadeplasticgrowbags.Thesitecontainssome6,000bags,eachcontaining

Like ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’ the growth at Canavan’s Northland facility is almost unbelievable – three months from seed to final harvest.

Just ready for picking!


Head Start

Begin planning now to get tomatoes and peppers when you most want them

IntheUnitedKingdom,weatherhasbeenthemaintalkingpointsincelongbeforethedaysofglobalclimatechange.Ithasalwaysbeenreliablyunreliable,eveninmidsum-mer.AndhereinthenortheastoftheUK,withtheseacloseononeside,arangeof

hills(thePennines)inthemiddleandtheseaat theotherside, theweathercanbeinterestinginallseasons Togrowtomatoesandpeppersearlyintheyear,theplantsneedtheassistanceofagreenhouseandhydroponicstodotheir

best. BetweenNovemberandJanuaryinthenortheastofEnglandtheweatherisonlysuitableforthehardiestofplants,tendedbythehardiestofgrowers.Afteralongwinterofeatingtastelessgrocerystoretomatoes

Story and photos by Les Bridgewood

Les Bridgewood moves a couple of hydroponic channels in his backyard. Visible behind him are his greenhouse and dome and a gray October sky.


progressivelystronger,soitfollowsthatthelongeryouputoffplantingthebetterthegrowthwillbe.However,ifthegrowerwantsthatlittlebitextra,germinatingtheseedinOctoberorNovemberwillmeantheyoungplantswillhavegoodrootsystemsreadytoplantoutassoonasthedaysstarttogetlonger and growing conditions improve.Commercialgrowersplantlikethistomakethemostofthegoodgrowingperiod.Forthehomegrower,thiswillgiveyouachancetohavethatmuchdesiredsweetredfruitlongbeforeyourneighbors. Commerciallygrownproducecannever

abouthavingsoilincloseproximitytothedryingclothes.Soilisforoutsideusewheretheplantsarelefttofendofftheunwantedattentionofalltheinhabitantstheysharethesoilwith.Soilshouldstaywhereitbelongs,inthegarden. Germinating the seed in the home,whetherinOctoberorMay,makessensetome.Theseedlingscanbegiventhatextracare which would be very expensive toprovideoutside.BetweenNovemberandJanuary thegrowthofmostplants slowsdownorstops.Asthedayslengthenandthelightintensityincreases,growthwillget

thathavebeenflownintothecountryfromhundreds,maybethousands,ofmilesaway,bitingintoaripe-on-the-planttomatoinspringisreallyappreciated. But looking forward to a May croprequiresa lotofadvancework–startingwiththegerminationofseedstheprecedingOctober. In our house, the airing room besidethehotwatertankhasthemostconstanttemperature.Thisgivesafastergerminationtime.Becausewearegrowingbyhydropon-ics,whichinvolvesmediainaninertform(chemicallyinactive)wedon’thavetoworry

Begin planning now to get tomatoes and peppers when you most want them

Five red tomatoes growing fat in the sun through the greenhouse glass.


competewithsomethingyouhavegrownyourself;itisyours,yougrewit.Thecom-mercialfruitwill,moreoftenthannot,havebeenpickedbeforeitisfullyripesothatbythetimeitisontheshelfitwillberipe. Speakingofseedgermination,youcangetaroughideawhatpercentageofyourseedsgerminatebyplacingtheseedsinacupofwarmwater.Afteraperiodoftimethefertileseedswillsinktothebottomofthecupwhiletheotherswillfloatonthewater.Donotrush;givetheseedstimetotakeinwater.Onlyusethistestonseedthat

istobeusedimmediatelyorseedthathasbeentakenfromaripefruit. Peppersneedthemostheattogerminateandtakelonger,sothetomatoesandpep-persshouldbeincontainersoftheirown.Whenthepeppersarefinallyplacedinthesystemtheytakealittlelongertosettledownaswell.Iaimforaconstant25degreescen-tigrade(77F)toobtainquickgermination,butatthesetemperaturestheseedscandryoutveryquickly.Toovercomethis,aplantcontainerwithdrainageholes in itsbaseisused;thisisfilledwithCannaCocoand

placedinashallowtrayofwarmwater.Thewaterwillbedrawnupbycapillaryactiontokeeptheseedsdampwithoutbeingsowetthattheyattractunwantedconditions. Leave them for two daysthenchecktheirgrowth.Fromthenoncheckthemeveryday,keepingthetrayfullofwater.Ifyouwaittoolongbetweenchecksyouwillhaveveryhigh,uselessplantswithyellowleavesontop. Assoonastheseedsshowsignsoflifebringthemoutintoalight,warmarea,above15degrees(59F)duringthedayandnotbelow14(57F)atnight).Avoidstrong sunlight for the first day or soand feed them with warm water only.Plantingseedslikethishastheeffectofproducingbeautifulredtomatoeswithafantastictaste. Fortheseedlingstageuseplainwateronlyforthefirsttendaysorso,thentakethesolutionstrengthupto10cF(1.0EC)astheplantsgrowfinishingwith28cF(2.8EC)whentheplantsarefruiting. The plants are not placed on NFT(Nutrient Film Technique) trays untilthey have developed a good rootingsystem.TheNFTsystemIrefertohereiseitherachannelfittedwithalid(withholesfortheplants)oropentrayswithshallowsides;thebasesofbothareopenatthelowerendandhaveagoodslopefrom the solution input point to theloweropenend,Thesolutioninputendwillbefiveincheshigherinrelationtotheopenendoveradistanceof sevenfeet,andthebasesofbothwillbecov-eredwithspreadermat.Warmsolution

(68degreesFarenheit,20C)fromavesselbelowispumpedupandejectedontothespreadermatwhereitspreadsouttoformafilm,runsdownandreturnstothevesselbelow.Thisgivesawarm,moist,well-aer-atedsurfacefortherootstoreachoutandspreadover.Theydothisandcanformarootmataround1to11/2inchesthickafter11monthsofgrowth.Therootsformingatthebaseareinthefilmsolutionandtherootsthatformabovethemarefedbycapillaryactionfrombelow. Amostimportantfacthereisthatample

Two plum tomatoes and flowers grow in Les Bridgewood’s greenhouse, ready for early picking. The author gets an early start,

planting in October, to enjoy fresh, flavorful tomatoes when traditional gardeners are just getting their plants started.


oxygenismadeavailabletoalltheroots(aboveandbelow).Ifapoolformsatanypointalongthelength,thentherootsatthispointwillbestressed,leadingtodiseasesorevendeathbydrowning.Goodrootsarewhiteroots. ThenutrientsusedareasinglebalancedmixofhydroponicnutrientscalledIonic,asingle-liquidmixthatiseasiertousethantwo-partsystems.Justaddasetquantitytoasetamountofgoodwater(goodwateriswaterwithonlyafewelementsinit,andfromasourcethatisclean,)mixwellandtestitsstrengthwithacFTruncheonorsimilarmeter.Ionicgivesgoodcropsandissoldintwoforms–“Grow”and“Bloom.” Theoriginalhydroponicconcentratemixesaresoldinthesetwoformsalso,butthesearetwo-partmixes(theycanbeinsolutionordrypowderform)called“A”and“B.”Thereasontheyaresoldastwo-partmixesisthatsomeelementsinthemixcanreactwitheachothertoproduceanotherelementuselesstotheplant,sothetwomixesarekeptapartuntildilutedinwater.Ionicismadeinawaythatthisdoesnothappen. It is important that the levelof thesolution in the tank ismaintainedbyaddinggoodwateras it falls.Plants can takewaterandleavethenutrients.Ifwaterisnotaddedthesolutionstrengthwillrise. Tomakethesolution,thesupplierofthenutrientmixwilladvisethegroweronasetquantityofwatertobemixedwithasetquantityofconcentratednutrienttogiveasolutionatasetstrength(cForEC).Thissolutioncanthenbeusedforthemaintank.Tellthesupplierwhenyoucallforanutrientsmixifthewateryouplantousewillbehardorsoft. Aftermakingthemainmix,makeanthermixofthesamequantityandstrengthasthefirst.Keepthisinanothervesselasatop-upsolution.Whentheplantsusewaterorwaterandnutrientandthelevelinthetankgoesdown,topituptoitsoriginallevelwiththetop-upsolution.Thelevelofthesolu-tioninthemaintankisnowmaintainedbyaddingsolutionfromthetopupmixuntilithasallbeenused.Nowthesystemiscleanedout,thesolutionforbothtanks(themaintankandthetop-uptank)isremade(intwoseparatevesselsofcourse)andthewholeprocedureisrepeated. ThepHisalsoveryimportant,Iaimfor6to6.5andIfindthat

Seedlings transferred into a larger Rockwool cube.


http://www.hydrodynamicsintl.com

http://www.everestgardensupply.com

Ionicgivesmeareadingaroundthisvalueontheinitialmixifitismixedcorrectly.However,astheplantstakeoutelements,elementsandwaterorjustwater,thepHwillgoupordowndependingontheenvi-ronmentaroundthefoliageandthetypeofgrowth.ThisshouldbecheckedregularlyandmaintainedbyaddingpHuporpHdownthen testing itusingacheapcolormatchunitorapHTruncheon. Theflowertrussesoftomatoesareformedatanearlystageofgrowth,solightisespe-ciallyimportantatthisstage.Havethelightclosetothetopoftheplant,butremembermost lamps produce heat as well, so becareful thatyoudonotburn the foliage.For perfection, if you have planted earlyandthehighcostoflightisacceptable,thenlightscontrolledbya timercansimulatelongerdaylengths.Sixteenhoursofday-lightfollowedbyeighthoursofdarknessisperfectfortheplant’sfoliagebutcostlyinthewinter(theperiodofdarknessisequallyasimportantasthedaylight).However,mycostsarekepttoaminimumandsoforthisreasonIonlycovertheglasswithinsulation

onthesidethatgetsthecoldnorthwind;Iwantallthedaylightavailablefromtheothersides. Avoidfilamentlamps,astheheatgivenoffbythesecangivethegroweragreatdealoftrouble.Staywithfluorescents,lowenergyor lamps recommended for the purposefromahydroponicsupplier.Thecoloroflightisimportant;plantsreactmoretotheviolet/blueandorange/redspectrum.Thegreen/yellowportionof lighttendstobereflectedorpassesthroughtheleaf. Theleavesofthetomatoplantadjusttotheintensityofthelighteitherbyproduc-ingalargerleafareainlowlightorthickersmallerleavesathigherlevels.Ifatomatoplantisexposedtoveryhighlightintensitylevelsitusuallypositionsitsleavesvertically,pointingthetipsatthelightsource. Intheinterestofcostcutting,thesolutionisheatedto68degreesF(20C)aroundtheroots.Warmerthanthiscancauseproblems.Thismeanstheairinthegreenhouseonlyneedsheatingtoaminimumof50F(10C). Stillwithcostinmind,Iinsulatetheside

ofthetanksholdingthesolutionandstandthemawayfromthegroundonblocksofheatinsulationmaterial.Heatfromthesolu-tionrisesaroundthefoliageoftheplantsandIsave thedauntingtaskof tryingtotakeairtemperatureup75F(24C.) Recommendedtemperaturesfortoma-toes and peppers are a minimum of 16degreescentigrade(60.8)atnightand25C(75F)byday,ventingat23C(73.4)–butallthatcouldbeexpensive! Hydroponics looks after the roots ofthe plants by supplying the full range ofnutrient(majorandtraceelements)intheexactquantitiesandstrengthrequiredandatapHwhichagreeswitheachplant.Itisthegrower’sresponsibilitytolookaftertheenvironmentaroundthefoliage.

Les Bridgewood is the author of “Hydro-ponics: Soilless Gardening Explained.” He has been gardening without soil since the early 1970s, and is a regular contributor to several hydroponics publications, including The Growing Edge.

NFT channel with holes in the lid for plants, in the greenhouse.



q

TExT & PHOTOS By lyNETTE MORGAN, PH.D.BEGINNER’S CORNER

In the first article in this series on spice gardens for beginners, we covered some system basics

and detailed how to grow members of the ginger family. While many hydroponic gardeners love the pungent, spicy zing of ginger, some of the more subtle spices are just as tempting. Saffron is a sought-after, expensive, delicate spice which adds both color and distinctive flavor to many dishes.

Saffron is produced commercially asanoutdoorfieldcrop incountries suchasSpain, IndiaandIranwhere theclimate issuitable and cheap labor available for thetime-consumingharvestingandprocessingof theflowers.Howeversaffron isaneasy,small-scalecropforhydroponicsandbulbsarereadilyobtainableforthosewhowanttogrowtheexoticspice.

Hydroponic saffron production Saffronistheworld’shighest-pricedspiceandiscomposedofthebrightyellowdriedstigma of the saffron flower. The saffroncrocus(CrocussativusL)growsfromasmallroundedcorm(similartoabulb),whichafterfloweringandvegetativegrowth,multipliesbytheproductionofmanysmalldaughtercorms.Whenmanyrealizethatthisexoticspice is just the inside of a type of crocusflower, grown from a corm, then produc-tionseemsmuchlessdaunting.Eachflowerproducesthreestrandsofsaffrononaverage,weighinginatmuchlessthanagram,henceahugenumberofflowersmustbegrown,picked,processedanddriedtomakejust100gramsofthisspice.Forthehobbyhydroponicgrowerorhouseholdchef,however,asmallplot of saffron should give sufficient spicetolastformanymonthsbecauseonlyafewstrandsareusedinmostdishes

Where to get starter corms Saffroncormsusedtobedifficulttoobtain,butnowadayscormsaresoldbyvariousseedsuppliersandnurseries insmallquantitiesforhomegardeners.BulksaffroncormscanalsobepurchasedonEbayfromtimetotime,althoughthesupplyofthesecanbeseasonalandcormsshouldbereadilyavailablefrommid summer to autumn in many regions.When buying corms for the first time, itsimportanttorealizethatlikemanyflower-ingbulbs,thecormscomeinsizesfromverysmall(0.6g)—whichwouldbeanon-flow-eringtyperequiringanadditionalseason’sgrowth—tovery large(24g).Thesmallercorms are usually less expensive, but theymaynotproduceflowersinthefirstseasonormayproduceamuchloweryieldofsaf-fronandalowernumberofdaughtercormsafterflowering.Thebestplantinggradeforhydroponicsisaround15gwhichisusually

Spicing it upPart TwoSpice gardens

for beginnersSaffron can be grown in beds, containers or small pots, making it a great crop for small spaces.


atrayoffreedraining,sterilegrowingmediasuchascoconutfiberwithsomeperlitemixedin.Themedianeeds to support theplantswhile being friable enough for the youngcorms to formwithoutdeformities soanysubstrateusedforbabyrootcropswouldbesuitable. The flowers will have already been ini-tiated in the corms during the summerdormancyperiodandfloweringwilloccurwhenmoistureisprovidedandtemperaturesstarttodropinFall.Floweringistriggeredbyenvironmentalconditionssuchastemperateandmoisturewhichiseasilymanipulatedinahydroponicgrowroom.Theidealconditionsduringfloweringarea16-hourday lengthwithday temperaturesof17C (64F)andnighttemperaturesof12C(54F).Anindoorgrowroomorgreenhousesituationmeanstheflowersareprotectedfromrain,moisture,windandthelackofweedsmakesharvestingofhighqualityflowersmucheasier.

Environmental conditions for hydroponic saffron Afterflowering,thefoliagegrowsbestat60to65degreesFarenheit(16to18C)with12to14hoursoflighttokeepenoughpho-tosynthesisgoingtobulkupthedevelopingcormlets.Saffrontypicallyflowersinautumnoverashortperiod,thenproducesanumberof strap- like leaves which grow throughwinter,springandintosummer,providingfoodreservesforthecormanddevelopingnewcormlets.Afterfloweringandharvestinautumn,foliagewilldevelopquiterapidlyandduringthistime,astandardvegetativenutri-entshouldbegiventotheplantsasrequired.

RecommendedEClevelsare1.2 to1.4during this stage.Leaf growth will continueuntilsummerwhentheyoungcorms start to develop andrapidly develop around themothercorm. In their natural environ-ment, the saffron plants’foliage dies back in mid tolatesummer,aftertheyoungcorms have matured andas conditions become verywarm and dry. The cormsthen go into a dormancyperiodwhichisessentialfor

initiatingthenextseason’sflowerswhichwillbloominthecooler,moistconditionsofFall.Inhydroponicswecaneasilyreplicatethisbydryingthemediabackafterthecormletshaveformedtoagoodsizeinthegrowingmediaandthefoliagehasdiedback.Hav-ingadigaroundoneoftheplantwillsoonrevealifthecormsarereadyforharvestanddormancy.Thetrayofsaffroncorms,oncefullydrieddown,canbeharvestedandstoredawayinadry,darkplaceuntiltheyneedtobeplantedout forflowerproduction.Thisisatime-consumingprocessasthesaffronplantdoesneedmanymonths(9to10)afterflowering,untilharvestofthenewcormswithonlyoneharvestofflowersperyearobtained.However,eachmothercorm,afterflowering,willproduceanumberof(4to10ormore)youngcormletsthatcanbeusedtoproducemoreflowersandgreaterharvestsofsaffronspiceinthefollowingseason.Saffroncanalsobestoredforyear-rounduse,soitispossibletoharvestawholeyear’ssupplyofthespiceovera2to3weekperiod,dryitcorrectlyandstoreforuseovermanymonths. Ahydroponic saffronbedcanbe left inplaceformanyyearsifnecessary.Thenewcormlets don’t need to be harvested eachseasonandcanbeleftinplacetoflowerandgrow. Overcrowding will occur sooner orlaterand it’softeneasier toharvestall thecorms,re-plantandre-spaceeachyear.

BEGINNER’S CORNERoveraninchindiameter.Thecormsarrivedry in a dormant state ready for plantingout.Saffron system basics Saffron,thoughquiteeasytogrow,doesneedsomespecificrequirementsiftheobjec-tiveistopropagateandmultiplytheplants.There are actually two ways of running asaffronsystem–thedormantcormscanbepurchased,usuallytowardstheendofsum-merorinearlyautumn,planted,flowered,harvestedandthecormsdiscarded,alloverasix-weekperiod.Oraftertheshortfloweringperiod,thebulbscanbegrownon,produc-ingvegetationandnewdaughtercormletsover a period of many months, until theybecomedormant inmidsummer.Thefirstsystem means the corms are planted at ahighdensitysincetheywon’tbegrownonandmultiplied. Thesecondsystemneedsmorespacefortheplantstofullydevelopandmanymonthsof caring for the corms after they flower,althoughtherewardisasupplyofnewcormswhichcouldbesoldorgivenawaytoothersandahigheryieldofflowersinthenextyear.Tyingupyourhydroponicsystemwithveg-etativesaffronfor9to10monthshowevermaynotbeattractivetothosewithlimitedspace, although trays of saffron plants arehardlyevercoldandcanbeputoutsideforwinterandspringifnecessary. Cormscanbestored inadryplaceandplantedoutwhenthehydroponicsystemisready.Thespacingshouldbeapproximately4to5inchesapartand1.5to2inchesdeepin

A harvest of fresh saffron strands, cut from the open blooms, ready for drying and storage.

A free draining sterile media, some warmth and moisture will give not only colorful blooms but exotic spice as well.


Harvesting saffron Flowering of the corms will typicallyoccur quite quickly after planting. Withinafewweeksthefirstemergingflowerbudsshouldbeseen.Theflowerswillfullyopenwithin3to5daysandbereadyforharvest.Aseachflowerblooms,itshouldbepluckedorsnippedfromtheplantandtakenawayforprocessing.Theeasiestwayofremovingthe saffron stigmas from the centre of theflower) is to pull back and remove all thepetalsand thensnip thegoldenstrandsatthebase.Thesewill thenneed tobedriedbeforestorage.Saffronisverydelicateandthestrandsshouldbeplacedonwhitepaperandallowedtoairdryandfullydesiccate.Anyslightbreezewillblowthestrandsawayandhomedehydratorsarenotwell-suitedtothis.Beingsmallandverylight,thesaffronwilldrywithinaweekinmostcasesandcanthenbestoredinairtightglassjars.Asmallpackageofsilicondesiccantcanbeusedtomakesureanyadditionalmoistureonthestrandsorintheairdoesnotcauseanystorageproblems.Insufficientlydriedsaffroncangomoldy,soadditionalairdryingtimeisrecommendedifhumiditylevelsarehigh. Whiletherehavebeenafewstudiesontheproductionofsoillesssaffron,itsnotknownhowqualityorflavormightbeaffectedwithuseofhydroponicsorindoorproduction,soconnoisseursofthisspicemightliketoruntheirowntastepanelsontheirhomegrownproduct. In the next part of this series on grow-ingspiceswemovefromthedelicatetothedownrightdangerous:superhotchilies.References and sources “The Growth of Saffron (Crocus sativusL.)inAeroponicsandHydroponics,”FredricV Souret and P J Weathers. Published in:JournalofHerbs,SpicesandMedicinalPlants,Volume7,Issue3,2000.ISBN1049-6475

Supplies of saffron corms:

http://www.nicholsgardennursery.comhttp://www.whiteflowerfarm.comhttp://www.richters.com

http://www.buy-the-homebox.com


HyDROPONIC Q&AAnswers to questions are supplied by the following: lynette Morgan (l.M.), Rob Smith (R.S.), Growing Edge editor, or guest.Answers to questions are supplied by the following: lynette Morgan (l.M.), Rob Smith (R.S.), Growing Edge editor, or guest.

QWhatdoeshighECmeanandhighsalinitymean?

– Tracy, U.S.A.

ATofullyunderstandECandsalinityyoufirstneedtoknowthatcontrary

to popular belief, water does not conductelectricity!Waterinitspurestatehasnoabil-itytoconductanyelectricalsignal.However,ifyouweretodissolvealittletablesaltintothepurewateritwouldnowstarttoconductelectricity.Themoresaltyouaddtothewater,thegreatertheconductivity. Torelatethatfacttoplants,youhavetounderstandthattheonlywayplantscanfeedthroughtheirrootsiswhentheirfoodis100percentdissolvedinwater-inorderforthistohappen,alltheelementsthattheformularequiresmustbeintheformofasaltofthatelement. In other words, if you wanted toaddcoppertoaformulayouwouldnottrymixingupahandfulofcoppernails.Whatyouactuallydoisuseacoppersalt,usuallycoppersulphate,anddissolvethatintothewater. Nowifyouunderstandthatthemoresaltinthewaterthegreateramountofelectricitycanbeconductedbythewater,youshouldbeabletorelatethattotheideathatthemorehydroponicformulayouputintothewater,thestrongerthenutrientsolutionwillbe.Thisstrengthhasbeencalculatedtoanelectricalconductivity(EC)scalethatcanbereadbyanelectronicmetersothatthestrengthofthenutrientformulacanbesettooptimumforthecropbeinggrown.AhighECmeansaverystrongnutrient(orothersaltsolution).Ingeneralterms,werefertosalineasbeingacommonsaltsolution,howeverthegrowingworldhasadoptedthistermtoalsodescribehighconcentrationsofnutrientsalts. SorrytogetabittechnicalbutIhopethathelpsyourunderstanding!– The Growing Edge (R.S.)

QMy passion is gerbera daisies, butI have bought one after the other

only to have them all die; It is by far themost difficult plant to keep alive. I havetriedeverything:under-watering,generouswatering,fungicidespray,nosunlight,littlesunlight,yetonerightaftertheothergradu-allysuccumbstodeath.Iwillnotbegiving

upthough.Cansomeoneouttherehelpme?-Jacquie Penner, Canada

AGerberasdoseemtobearathermis-understoodplant!However,under

the right conditions theyarequite easy togrow but they don’t often do well insidebecause they need bright light and plentyofwarmthandhaveno tolerance forhighlevelsofmoisture. Gerberas originated in South Africa insandy-freedrainingsoilandplentyoflight.Iftheybecomecoldanddamp,theyareveryprone to rot pathogens and will die backquicklyasthecrownrots.Inmanyclimates,theyalsonaturallydiebackinwinterwiththeleavesblackeningandrotting,buttheplantwillthenregrowinspringwhenconditionswarmupagain.Manynurseriespropagateandgrowgerberaplantsonlyinspringandsummerforsaleascontainerplantsascondi-tionsmakeproductionmucheasierduringthistimeoftheyear,howevergrowingyourgerberathroughacoldwinterwithlowlightcanthenposesomedifficultiesunlessyouhave some extra light and warmth avail-able. Gerberaswillgrowwell inwarmgreen-housewithwinterheat,andevenproduceverywell inhydroponics in soillessmediasuchassterilecoarsesandorperlitewhichseems to prevent many rot diseases fromdeveloping.Ifgrowinginsoillessmedia,thenagoodqualitynutrientsolutionneedstobeappliedasgrowthcanberapidinsummer.WateringofGerberasshouldbecarriedoutsothatthegrowingmediadriesoutsomewhatbetweenirrigations,butnotenoughtocausewilting.Agoodwateringonceaweekisoftenall that is required during active growingconditions. Plantsshouldbewateredearlyinthedaysothefoliagedriesoutbeforeevening.Generallygerberaproblemssuchasfailuretogrowanddiebackarecausedbyeitherpoordrainage,overwateringorsoiltemperaturesthataretoolow. Optimaltemperaturesforgerberasare65–80F,theydon’tlikehighhumidity,needplenty of full sun and can handle bright,dry conditions. Gerberas also need goodair movement up and under the plant toremove excess humidity from around thecrownwhererotcandevelop.Humiditylevels

shouldnotbeanyhigherthan70percentforgood growth and development, otherwisediseases suchasBotrytis (Greymold) candevelop,andthisdiseaseisnowresistanttomanyfungicideproductsandthusveryhardtocontrol.Theyalsodowellunderartificialgrowlightsifyouwantedtogrowgerberasinside–HPSlampsorsmallspotlampsforhouseplantsaregreatforgerberastoboostlightandheat.The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QMy daughter has a substance thatresemblessmallseeds.Whensheadds

sugarwatertoit,itgrowsinsize.However,whensheaddssalttoit, itreducesinsize.What is this seed-like substance and is itsafe?Whenthesubstanceisenlargeditfeelssoftandsquishy.HoworwherecanIfindoutmoreaboutthisstrangesubstancethatalltheschoolkidsseemtoenjoyplayingwith.-Shauneez Albertyn, South Africa

AThoughitisdifficulttosaywithcer-taintywhatthissubstanceis,itsounds

very much like these are water absorbingcrystals-apolymer(polyacrylamide)whichisdesignedtoholdmanytimesitsownweightinmoisturewhenputinwater,whereittendstoformsasoftgel.Thesecrystalsareoftenusedtoincorporateintosoilpottingmixeswheretheyholdextramoisturefortheplantsbetweenwaterings.Asthewaterabsorbentpolymerdriesoutitshrinksagain,howeverputtingthemintoahighosmoticpotentialsolutionsuchassaltwilldrawwateroutofthe crystals and they will shrink. Placingtheminsugarwaterwillmakethemabsorbwater again and swell up. Generally thesearenotharmfulortoxicandhaveanumberofuses.The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QI have been growing hydroponictomatoes and peppers in a hobby

houseforthelastfiveyears.Theyaregrowninarecirculatingsystemwithbatobucketsinperlite.Everyyearwhenthetemperaturesgetintothe80to90degreeFarenheitrangeIstarttohaveissueswithblossomendrotonthetomatoes,andthepeppersdon’tperformverywelleither. Inoticeattheendofthedaythetopsof


indeterminatetomatoesarewiltingtoo.Iuse50-percentshadeclothonthegreenhouseandrollthesidesdownforaddedventilation.Ialsohaveagableexhaustfanandaceilingfanrunningtokeeptheairmovingoutofthegreenhouse.IkeepmypHbetween5.5and6.0.ThisyearIamaddingtheuseROwater. From what I am reading, part of myproblemmaybeECrelated.ForthelasttwoyearsIhavebeenusingGeneralHydroponicsproducts.WhenIaskthemaboutwhatEClevelstousetheyalwaysgivemethenumbersinppm.EvenwhenIrequestECtheygiveme PPM. From what I have read on yourWebsite,ppmisnotthepreferredmethodtomeasurethefertilizerconcentration. ThereforeIhavetwoquestions. •1.WhatshouldmyECbewhentheplantaregrowingvigorouslyandthetemperaturesareinthe70-75degreerange? • 2. What should my EC be when thedaytimetemperaturesexceedthe85Flevelandtheplantsarefruitingheavily?– Tim Hawk, U.S.A.

AItsoundsasifdespiteyourbesteffortstominimizetemperaturebuildupin

yourgreenhouse–withtheshading,ventila-tionandairmovement–temperaturesarestillalittleonthehighsidewhentheyreach90F.Thewiltingofthetomatotopsisagoodindicationofthat.I’mnotsurewhathumiditylevelsaredoinginyourgreenhouse–oftenhumidityplaysquitearoleinthedevelop-mentofBERalongwithsuchfactorsasplantgenetics,temperature,roothealth,nutrition,EC,airmovementetc. Iftheplantsarewiltingthatmeanstheyhave shut down their stomata to preventexcessivemoistureloss.Thisoccurswhentheplantsstartlosingwaterfasterthantheycantakeitup.Toprotectthemselvestheyclosethe stomata to prevent desiccation and indoingso,photosynthesisstops.Thetransportofcalciumupintotheplantandfruitalsostopswhenthisoccurs,andwithlesscalciumgettingintothefruit,BERdevelops. SoBERistypicallycausedbyenvironmen-talconditions,notalackofcalciuminthesolution(hydrosolutionsusuallyhaveplentyofcalcium,)butit’snotwelltransportedouttotheendsofthefruitundercertaingrowingconditions.

Otherfactorsalsoplayarole–highECisone,althoughtomatoesarequitetolerantofhighEC,especiallymodernhybrids.AnotherfactorthatoftencausesquitesevereBERisthe use of nutrient solutions which havesome of the ammonium form of nitrogen(NH4)inthem.AmmoniuminthenutrientrestrictstheuptakeofcalciumbytheplantandhencecaninduceBERunderwarmgrow-ingconditions.SomenutrientproductsuseNH4intheirformulationsbecauseithelpswithpHcontrolinthehydrosystemandtheGHproductsyouareusingmaycontainthis.Soit’sworthtryingothernutrientproductsduringthewarmesttimeoftheyear(onesthatdon’tcontainanyNH4)andseeifthathelps. Alsoadjustingyourhumiditysothatit’swithinthe70to80percentrangewillassistthe plant to keep transpiring during theday,coolingthemselvesintheprocessandassistingwiththetransportofcalciumintothefruits. Iwouldalsosuggestthatgreenhousegrow-ersbattlinghightemperaturesonlygrowgoodgreenhousehybridcultivarsthathavebeenbred for summercropping.Manyof thesehaveamuchreducedsusceptibilitytoBER.OldertomatotypesareoftenverypronetoBER and other disorders when grown inhigherthanoptimaltemperatures. Peppers also have pollination and fruitset problems when temperatures are notideal.Heatwilloftenresultincompletepol-linationfailure.Peppersneedtohavenighttemperaturescoolerthandaytogetfruitsetanddevelopment. YouaretotallycorrectthatECisafarbettermeasurementthanppmandismostcertainlytheonetouse–ppmmetersactuallymeasurethesolutioninECandthenuseaconversionfactor togivea reading inppm.However,thisconversionfactorisnotthesameforallnutrientsolutions,henceerrorscanoccur.ECisadirectwayofknowingtheosmoticpotentialofthenutrientsolutionandisfarmoreaccurate. Toansweryourquestions: 1. What should my EC be when the plant are growing vigorously and the temperatures are in the 70-75 degree range? Forvegetativeorfruitingplants(notseed-lings)within this ideal temperature, rangerecommended EC is 2.8 – 3.5, this helpskeep plants compact. If you are growing

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HyDROPONIC Q&A Aphidscanberemovedwithuseofoilorsoapsprays–Neemspraysareparticularlyeffectiveandsafetouse. Iftheplantsarenowoutside,theaphidsmaydisappearontheirownaccordifcon-ditionsarecoldandrainy(heavydownfallsshoulddislodgeandremoveadultaphids).Otherwise a general insecticide spray willclearupthesesortsofinsectinfestations.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QI’mapharmacistandliveinIran.I’mtrying to produce strawberries by

hydroponics.Whichofthenutrientsolutionsarebestfortheallphasesofgrowth:floweringandfruitingofthestrawberry?– Sabali Saberi, Isfahan, Iran

AMy book, “Hydroponic StrawberryProduction” covers much of the

informationyouwouldneedtogrowstraw-berries,includingdetailsofthecorrecttypeofnutrientsolutionandlevelsofthevariouselementsrequiredateachstageofgrowthandfordifferentgrowingmedia.ThebookcanbepurchasedfromtheGrowingEdgeWebsitebookstoreatwww.growingedge.com. Thecompositionofthenutrientsolutionneedstobeadjustedforthemineralspresentinyourwatersupply(whichneedstobeofhighqualityandlowinsodium).Forageneralpurposevegetativeformulationthefollowinglevels(inpartspermillion)ofelementswouldberecommended; N=207,P=65,K=184,Mg=58,Ca=221,S=77,Fe=6.5,Mn=2.5,Zn=0.25,B=0.70,CU=0.07,Mo=0.05. Forfruitingthecomposition(inpartspermillion)wouldbe: N=182,P=82,K=301,Mg=58,Ca=148,S=77,Fe=6.5,Mn=2.5,Zn=0.25,B=0.7,Cu=0.07,Mo=0.05. Thenutrientsolutionshouldberunonthevegetativeratiosuntilthetimeoffruitsetofthefirstfewflowers,whenthefruitingratiosofelementscanbeswitchedovertoandrununtiltheendofthecrop.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QIgrowwheatgrassatmyhome.Ihavelearnedsomeaboutwheatgrassfrom

abook,butIcannotgetorganicseeds.Also,Idon´tsterilizetrays,justwashthem.Aftera

older,open-pollinatedorheirloomvarietiesstayinalowerrangeof2.5to2.8Ifgrowingmodernhybrids(F1),then3.0to3.5wouldberecommended. 2. What should my EC be when the daytime temperatures exceed the 85F level and the plants are fruiting heavily? Underthissortofstress,ECneedstobeloweredtohelptheplantstakeupwaterfastenoughtokeepupwithevaporativelosses–ECof2.2to2.4wouldbesufficient.YouwanttochecktheECasitcomesoutofthebaseofthebatobucketstomakesureitisnotincreasingfromthefeedEC–astheplantstakeupwaterintherootzone,theycancausearise inECinthatareaandtheonlywaytoseeifthatishappeningistotapintotherecollectionpipeandchecktheECduringthemiddleoftheday.AdjustthefeedECdownifthatishappening–youwantthedrainageECtobe2.2–2.4,evenifyouhavetodilutethefeedsolutionfurthertogetthis.ThisEClevelshouldhelpmaintainfruitquality(lowECresultsinlowfruitcompositionalquality),butatthesametimeallowtheplantstotakeupsufficientwaterandcalciumwhenunderheatstress.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QWejustmovedallofour46bananatreesoutside.Thereisblackonsome

themandIwastrimmingthedeadpartsoffofthemanddiscoveredtherearelittleblackants all over them, along with ant larvaebetween the leaves on the stalk. Please letmeknowhowtogetridofthem.– Michelle Grim, U.S.A.

AIftheinsectsyouareseeingareindeedants,thenthesewon’tactuallyharm

theplantsanddon’treallyneedtoberemoved.Ifyoudowanttogetridofants,thesafestmethodofdoingthisistobuysomestandardantbaitfromthehardwarestoreandplacethataroundthebaseoftheplants.Theantswillcollectandfeedonthisandthecolonywillbedestroyed. However, if the black insects and theirlarvaeappeartobefeedingontheplantandproducing lots of sticky “honeydew”, thenthesearelikelytobeblackaphidsratherthanantsandtheseinsectsdoharmtheplantbyfeedingonthesap.

yearthetrayscameoutfromthedarkroom

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coveredwithacotton-likefungus. Even though the wheatgrass grew andpassedthefungus,Icutitattheseventhday.Canchlorophyllorwheatgrassjuicebecomecontaminated?Inotherwordscanwheatgrassjuicecarrythefungusfromthetray?Thanksverymuchforthehelp.Nobodyhereknowsanythingaboutthesubject.– Eduardo Cano, Colombia

AItisimportantwhengrowingyourownwheatgrassthatveryhighstandardsof

hygieneareused,otherwisemicrobialgrowthcanoccur,someofwhichcanproducetoxinswhichareharmfulifconsumed. Wheatgrass should be surface sterilizedbeforegerminationtopreventanyfungiorbacteriawhichmightbenaturallypresentonthegrainfromgrowinginthewarmmoistconditionswherethewheatgrassisgermi-nated.Arinseina10-percentbleachsolution(dilutedwithwater),thenafurthertworinsesinplainwaterwillsurfacesterilizethegrainsbeforegermination.Allthetraysandotherequipmentshouldalsobewashedinwarmsoapywaterandthensurfacesterilizedwiththesamebleachsolutionandrinsedinwater

beforeeachcrop. This,alongwithkeepingthegerminationareaascleanaspossibleshouldpreventanyfungiorbacteriafromgrowingandcontami-natingyourwheatgrasscrop. Ifyoudoseethecottonlikefungalgrowthagain,itwouldbebesttodiscardthatcrop,cleaneverythingwell and start again. It iscertainlypossibletocontaminatewheatgrasswithmicrobialgrowth–andthewheatgrassshould also be washed before juicing andstored under refrigeration until it is con-sumed.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QMyNameisDanielandIamthegen-eralmanagerofacompanyinCaracas,

Venezuela.Webuygreencoffeeandroastit.Wehavemorethantenyearsexperienceonthemarketandlatelyhavebeenwonderingifcoffeecanbegrownwithhydroponictech-nology?Withthesemethods,canwegrowcoffeeover1,000metersofaltitude?– Daniel Friedwald, CEO of Cafe Gourmet Imi, Venezuala

ACoffee plants can certainly be pro-ducedusinghydroponicsorsoilless

production systems. However this wouldprobablynotbeeconomicalforthiscrop. Hydroponicproductiondoesnotchangetheplant’sability togrowathighaltitudes– plants would respond to altitude in thesamewayassoil-grownplants.Hydroponicproductionallows improvednutritionandfastergrowthoftheplants.Butbecausecof-feeplantscangrowintoquitelargetrees,thesystemusedwouldhavetoincorporatetheuseoflargeplantbucketsandanextensiveirrigation system to feed nutrients to theplantaswell as access to largevolumesofsterilesoillessgrowingmedia.Isuspectthatwithcarefulcontrolofnutritionandplantgrowth that hydroponically-grown coffeebeanswouldbeofhighquality,althoughIam not aware of any studies having beendoneonthis.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

QWhatsizeandtypeofpotshouldbeusedforgrowingtomatoes?

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HyDROPONIC Q&A

AIamassumingyouaretalkingaboutgrowingatomatooracropoftomatoes

insomeformofcontainerfedbyahydroponicnutrient? Commerciallythisisoftendonebutratherthanusingapot,purpose-madeplasticgrowbagsareusedforcostreasonsandforeasyremovalofoldmaterialandrapidreplace-mentwithnewplants.Thesecomeasaflatpack, rather like an envelope, and whenopened up and filled with media result ina container that is about eight inches indiameterandabouttenfeethigh.Theyarecommerciallyavailableatmostgrower-sup-plystoresandcomeinvarioussizes,usuallyreferredtoasaPBxx(Thexxbeingtheactualsizeofthebag)Thebagshavepre-puncheddrainageholesinthebaseandinmostcasesare filled with aggregate, pumice or evenuntreatedcoarsesawdust. They are not my personal choice forgrowing tomatoesbutdohave somegoodbenefitsinthatthemediagrowingcanbefarmoreforgivingduringpowercuts,etc,thangrowinginNFT.Theyareusuallyoperatedona“towaste”hydroponicsystem,irrigationcyclesarenormallytriggeredautomaticallybyatimerormorelikelyasolarintegrator

andthendurationtimersareusedtoirrigatejusttothepointofrunoff.Thebagsarethenallowedtodrainoutontothefloor. Inrecenttimessomegrowershavebeenplacingthebagsinsideatroughsothespentnutrient can be captured and disposed ofelsewhere.– The Growing Edge (R.S.)

QWhatdimensionsshouldIusefor20-footlongsectionsofpandaplas-

ticfilledwithperlite,forgrowingpeppers? Iwanttomakemyown20-footgrowtubesby stapling black and white poly, poppingdrainholes,cuttingaholefortheplant,andaddingdripstakeorperhapsrundriptapetheentire lengthof thetube.Iplantouseperlite,andperhapssomepinebarkmixedinformedium. Wehavebeenusingthebagsystem,butIwanttotrythelongone-piecebagsortubes,likeonthecoverofacopyofThe Growing EdgeIhave.– Hygron, U.S.A.

AIwouldsuggestastandardgully-widthpandacouldbeused–2to21/2feet.

Fillandstaplethetwoedgesatthetopand

the plants can be popped in between thestapledjoint.Anevenbetter,butmorecostlymethod,istomaketimbergulliesandlinethemwithplasticfilm(pandacanbeused.)Thesedonotnecessarilyneedtops.Simplycoverthetopsurfacewiththepinebarktostopexcessivealgaefromestablishingitselfonthetopoftheperlite. Anothermediayoucouldconsiderthathasgivenexcellentresultsisexpandedclay–myownexperiencewiththeGermanHydrotonproducthasyieldedphenomenalresults(andnoIdonothavesharesintheircompany.)– The Growing Edge (R.S.)

QIhaveafewtomatoplantsthatweregrowing just fine, but we have just

hadasandstormwith100-degreeheatandtheplants’leaveshavedriedtoacrisp,Thishappenedinoneday. Is it theheat?AndcanIdoanythingtorevivethem.Therootsstilllookgood.– Wayne, Spain

AWithoutviewingtheplantsitisimpos-sible togiveyouaccurateguidance.

Nodoubt theheathasbeenacontributor,

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but100degreesF(37C)isnotsohotastoinitselfcausethisproblem,assumingtheplantsareinahydroponicgrowingsystem. Iassumetheseplantsareinsomeformofprotectivestructuresinceonewouldthinkasandstormatthattempwouldotherwisecompletelydestroytheplants. IftherootsareingoodconditionthenIwouldadjusttheconductiv-itydowntosay10CF(1.0EC)andruntheplantsatthisleveluntiltheyrecover.Recoverysignsshouldbeobviouswithinseventotendays. Bearinmindthatthefruitspursintomatoesformseveralweeksbeforeyouactuallyseethemandsoitmaybesixweeksbeforeyounowseenewfruitspursappearing.Sometimesyouhavetocutyourlossesandpullouttheplantsandstartagain.Onlyanactualinspectionoftheplantscouldallowmetomakesuchadecision.– The Growing Edge (R.S.)

QIhavetwopeachtrees(DwarfElbertaPeach),justoverayearold.Oneofthemdied.DoIneedtogetanotheronefortheonethat

issurviving?Idon’tknowifitisself-pollinating.IfIdogetanotherone,doesithavetobethesamekindofpeachtree,andhowfaraboutcantheybeplaced?Myneighbor,wholivesaboutatenthofamilefrommehasapeachtree.Isthattoofar?– Lisa Scherer, Pennsylvannia, U.S.A.

AThisparticularvarietyofpeachisselfpollinating,soitwillnotbenecessarytopurchaseanothertree.Bee’sareyourbestfriendhere,

soanythingyoucandotoattractandsupportthebeepopulationinyourareawillhelptosetgoodfruitonyourtree.– The Growing Edge (R.S.)

QI’mgrowingsweetandcinnamonbasiloutsideinsouthFlorida.Iamseeingshinywebshapedlightspotswithadarkcenteronthe

topofsomeleaves.Eventhoughtheyareondifferentplants,allthespotsarethesame.Allplantsarepottedanddrainwellbetweenwaterings.Ionlywaterthesoil.– Mike, U.S.A.

AThespotsaremostlikelyeitherafungalorbacterialdiseaseonthebasilplants.Therearequiteanumberofpathogensthatcould

causethesesortsofspots,butifthespotsareshinyandtherearenovisiblespores(white,greyorbrownfluffylookingsporesgrowth)oneithersideoftheleaf,thenabacterialpathogenwouldbethemostlikely. “Bacterialspot”oftenproducesspotswithahalooflightercoloursur-roundingthedarkercenter.Inthiscase,sprayingwithacopperhydroxideproduct(gardenstoreswillstockaselectionofthese)shouldhelpcontrolandpreventtheproblem.Ifsporesarebeingseenontheplantsthenthepathogenwillbefungalandageneralpurposefungicideproductwillhelpclearthatup. Ifyoucontinuetogetspotsanddiseaseontheoutdoorbasilitwouldhelp tohavearaincoverover theplants,as leaves thatbecomedampduetorain,deworcondensationdoestendtocausediseaseoutbreaks,particularlywhenconditionsarealsowarmandhumid.– The Growing Edge (L.M.)

HyDROPONIC Q&A

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A.J.Hamilton/GualalaRobotics.................................................. 41

BWGS..................................................................InsideFrontCover

CanFilters....................................................................................... 17

Canna..................................................................................................5

CropKing......................................................................................... 39

BWGS..................................................................InsideFrontCover

EinstienOil..................................................................................... 14

EdenBio-Science........................................................................... 18

EverestGardenSupply.................................................................. 47

EyeLightingInternational............................................................ 15

FrigidUnitsInc.............................................................................. 55

FutureHarvest................................................................................ 58

GeneralHydroponics.............................................. 25,BackCover

Grodan............................................................................................ 19

VitaminInstitute............................................................................ 11

GrowRevolution............................................................................ 53

HannaInstruments...........................................................................2

HumboltNutrients........................................................................ 13

HomeBox....................................................................................... 51

HydrodynamicsInternational/Clonex........................................ 47

AD INDExHydrofarmInc.......................................................................... 21,57

Hydro-OrganicsWholesaleInc................................................... 56

HydroponicEquipment.com......................................................... 53

InternationalGrowersSupplyIntl..................................................7

MidwestHydro............................................................................... 24

MotherEarth.................................................................................. 64

Nature’sControl............................................................................. 54

NickelCityWholesaleGardenSupply...........................................4

Olivia’sSolutions............................................................................ 18

Plant’ItEarth.................................................................................. 14

P.L.Lighting/Tradewinds.................................................................1

ProgressiveGardeningTradeAssociation.................................. 54

QualityWholesale/ThermoFlo.........................InsideBackCover

RoseCityWholesale/AmericanAgriculture.............................. 55

Sipco/Hygrozyme......................................................................32-33

Spray-N-Grow................................................................................ 37

SunlightSupply.................................................................................9

TexasGrowersSupply..........................................................16,24,29

VitaminInstitute............................................................................ 11

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Shedding new Light Spring tomAtoeS 12 mythS of hydroponicS

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