August 19th, 2008
Well, yes, it is soilless. But, it doesn’t look at all soilless. Consider the materials used to start an indoor hydroponics garden. Everything from pottery shards, to sand, to marbles may be used in an indoor hydroponics pot. The containers may just be the common flower pot or the ordinary vase. So from the outside it may not seem so different.
The real question is, what is soil? We think of soil as dirt, earth, that stuff underneath us. One moment we may wax poetic about the earth, the next minute we complain about the dirt or mud we are tracking into our car or our house.
More precisely, soil consists of unconsolidated materials both inorganic (minderals) and organic matter, liquid, and gases. It was created by the combined actions of weather, organisms, lay of the land, micro-organisms as well as larger plants and animals acting on rock over long periods of time.
it’s because of these actions that soil has the ability to sustain plant life. Soil contains both mineral and organic nutrients, water, carbon dioxide and oxygen.. However, not all soils are created equal. Some soils are unproductive.
Hydroponics does not require soil itself because nutrients, minerals are dissolved in water. Also the micro-organisms and animals acting upon it may also be damaging plant pests.
Looking through the materials necessary to set up an indoor hydroponics garden, there is a lot of different substances which function as support material for a plant.
Plants orient themselves with the roots and part of the stem in the earth/soil and leaves above ground to receive light. Some plants can remain “upright” in water without help. Or some may need support at the beginning before their root system develops. Many plants require some method of support replacing that of the earth. This support is called an aggregate.
Aggregates for indoor hydroponics include a broad range of materials: the most commonly used are sand, gravel, rockwool, perlite, vermiculite, shards of brick, sawdust and woodchips. Each aggregate requires a different method of water irrigation.
The fundamental principle lying behind all these methods? To successfully cultivate a plant requires:
- Necessary nutrients in water
- A way of delivering water to the roots, i.e., proper irrigation.
- Proper temperature, humidity, and light.
These principles of successful plant cultivation hold whether in a commercial setting or in an indoor hydroponics garden.
Technorati Tags: hydroponic aggregates, indoor hydroponics, indoor hydroponics cultivation, soilless gardening
August 18th, 2008
One of the more interesting ways of gardening is
hydroponics. Hydroponics, also known as soilless
gardening, uses water as the source of the nutrients a
plant needs. Indoor hydroponics techniques can help
create a garden even in the least likely of places.
For the novice home gardener, hydroponics offers easy
first steps to creating a garden.
Hydroponics isn’t new. Its development started in 1860
when Professor Julius von Sachs published a nutrient
solution in which plants successfully grew. This established
that plants could directly absorb nutrients dissolved in water.
This information was used by scientists researching
plants.
In 1936 interest was rekindled when W. F. Gericke and
J. W. Travernetti at the University of California
published their technique of cultivating tomatoes. Due
to the high skill levels required to implement this
technique, it was not broadly adopted. Their success
did inspire commercial growers and agronomists to
experiment to develop easier and more efficient
hydroponics methods.
So how does hydroponics work? A plant requires light,
heat, humidity, carbon dioxide and oxygen as well as
water and nutrients. Water carries the nutrients
which any plant absorbs through its root system. With
soilless gardening, plants get all their nutrients
dissolved in the water.
Curious as it seems, removing soil from the equation
can actually increase plant productivity. Several
reasons contribute to this fact:
- Plants have to work harder to find the water in soil. Less development of a root system means more energy for growth of other parts of the plant.
- Fertilizing plants can be made more exact. Soil may leach important nutrients making it difficult to calculate the amount of fertilizer sufficient for proper care of the plant. Less fertilizer is wasted.
- Plants have a better chance of avoiding diseases caused by insects and fungi.
Who might want to try out indoor hydroponics?
Apartment dwellers come first to mind of course.
However even people who own a home may not have enough
space for a garden. Not every home owner has a back
yard.
And for absolute novice gardeners, there may be fear
when they have too much space. The minute you plan a
garden, there is a question of scale and composition.
Looking in all those glossy magazines can be
intimidating. Even when you know, these gardens have
taken years to reach maturity. Instead of thinking
about it too, too, long – simply start with a simple
plant indoors using hydroponics.
Of course experienced hands may want to try this out as
well. They can start plants indoors with hydroponics
methods and then move them outside when sufficiently
mature.
Especially for the beginner gardener hobbyist, you can
start your garden in a wide range of environments.
Certainly space matters, but you can scale an indoor
hydroponics garden up or down. You can start simply
with just one plant in a pot.
Technorati Tags: indoor hydroponics, soilless gardening
November 25th, 2008
Hydroponics/Indoor Hydroponics Methods are Effective
Hydroponics is an extremely effective way of growing plants. By providing the plants with dissolved nutrients, with the proper support (growth medium), pH and light, they grow faster and more abundantly in a smaller space then they would in soil. The efficacy of soil-less gardening has been amply demonstrated for commercial applications. The same effective principles apply to indoors hydroponics.
Not only do plants grow more abundantly and more quickly, without soil your plants are much less likely to be afflicted by pests. And if no light reaches the water reservoir, there is no chance of growing algae. Without pests, you don’t need pesticides.
Indoor Hydroponics – Bypassing the Learning Curve to Grow Abundant, Flavorful Harvests
However, there is a learning curve for any subject and indoor hydroponics is no exception. There’s the question of equipment once you reach a certain stage. You may be a busy person and just want to enjoy the color, aromas, and tastes of a living plant in your own home.
Indoor Hydroponics with the Aerogrow Aerogarden System
Aerogrow Aerogarden system is for you then. More complete than most indoor hydroponics kits, it comes as a beautiful all in one unit.
Anyone, with or without gardening experience, can succeed in growing lush, beautiful gardens. Simply add water, drop in the pre-seeded grow plugs, turn it on and watch it grow. The system automatically turns the grow lights on and off and reminds when to add water and nutrients. Nutrient packages are available.
Grow Flowers, Grow Herbs, Grow Salad Greens
You will easily be able to grow flower, herb or salad green gardens. There are multiple seed packets available for each type of plant.
Imagine in the middle of winter tasting a bright red ripe cherry tomato. Not like the kind you get in supermarkets. It’s hard to find a decent tomato of any kind, at any time of year in most American supermarkets.
Miss the salad days of summer and the farmer’s markets? You can grow your own salad greens during the fall and winter. You don’t have to worry about wasting. Just harvest when you need them. It’s possible though, you might grow so many you will have to give some away.
Always liked the idea of an herb garden in the kitchen? An Aerogarden will give you a push-button herb garden. You won’t have to buy whole packs of herbs that often discolor and go to waste, You won’t have to worry about storage. Snip what you need and start cooking!
Aerogrow Aerogarden Makes a Great Christmas Gift
An Aerogarden would be great for any of the following:
- The gardener in your life.
- The cook keen on preparing tasty, fresh and healthy meals.
- The salad lover, who needs a variety of fresh vegetables readily available.
- The person who is a little intimidated by gardening. And just needs a little push in that direction.
- Children nowadays seem to think food comes wrapped in plastic. Comes. Teach them how plants grow.
Aerogrow Aerogarden units come in a variety of colors, and sizes, and designs. See the Aerogrow Aerogarden unit which is right for you,
Hydroponics/Indoor Hydroponics Methods are Effective
Hydroponics is an extremely effective way of growing plants. By providing the plants with dissolved nutrients, with the proper support (growth medium), pH and light, they grow faster and more abundantly in a smaller space then they would in soil. The efficacy of soil-less gardening has been amply demonstrated for commercial applications. The same effective principles apply to indoors hydroponics.
Not only do plants grow more abundantly and more quickly, without soil your plants are much less likely to be afflicted by pests. And if no light reaches the water reservoir, there is no chance of growing algae. Without pests, you don’t need pesticides.
Indoor Hydroponics – Bypassing the Learning Curve to Grow Abundant, Flavorful Harvests
However, there is a learning curve for any subject and indoor hydroponics is no exception. There’s the question of equipment once you reach a certain stage. You may be a busy person and just want to enjoy the color, aromas, and tastes of a living plant in your own home.
Indoor Hydroponics with the Aerogrow Aerogarden System
Aerogrow Aerogarden system is for you then. More complete than most indoor hydroponics kits, it comes as a beautiful all in one unit.
Anyone, with or without gardening experience, can succeed in growing lush, beautiful gardens. Simply add water, drop in the pre-seeded grow plugs, turn it on and watch it grow. The system automatically turns the grow lights on and off and reminds when to add water and nutrients. Nutrient packages are available.
Grow Flowers, Grow Herbs, Grow Salad Greens
You will easily be able to grow flower, herb or salad green gardens. There are multiple seed packets available for each type of plant.
Imagine in the middle of winter tasting a bright red ripe cherry tomato. Not like the kind you get in supermarkets. It’s hard to find a decent tomato of any kind, at any time of year in most American supermarkets.
Miss the salad days of summer and the farmer’s markets? You can grow your own salad greens during the fall and winter. You don’t have to worry about wasting. Just harvest when you need them. It’s possible though, you might grow so many you will have to give some away.
Always liked the idea of an herb garden in the kitchen? An Aerogarden will give you a push-button herb garden. You won’t have to buy whole packs of herbs that often discolor and go to waste, You won’t have to worry about storage. Snip what you need and start cooking!
Aerogrow Aerogarden Makes a Great Christmas Gift
An Aerogarden would be great for any of the following:
- The gardener in your life.
- The cook keen on preparing tasty, fresh and healthy meals.
- The salad lover, who needs a variety of fresh vegetables readily available.
- The person who is a little intimidated by gardening. And just needs a little push in that direction.
- Children nowadays seem to think food comes wrapped in plastic. Comes. Teach them how plants grow.
Aerogrow Aerogarden units come in a variety of colors, and sizes, and designs. See the Aerogrow Aerogarden Systems
which is right for you.
Technorati Tags: Aerogarden, Aerogrow Aerogarden, flowers, grow your own, herbs, hydroponics kit, hydroponics kits, hydroponics system, indoor hydroponics, indoor hydroponics kit, indoor hydroponics kits, salad greens
August 31st, 2008
You’ve probably already selected the container for your first indoor hydroponics houseplant.
If you haven’t, take a look around your house. It’s best to have something pretty, to complement the beauty of your plant. Yet it really isn’t necessary.
You may have an old vase or a beautifully shaped wine bottle. For the design impaired, the first container could be a dented, blackened old saucepan which lost its handle. It could even be styrofoam. Even an old flowerpot. Just make sure the hole on the bottom is covered or it rests in a larger pan. It’s all up to you.
It is of the utmost importance that whatever container used is scrubbed vigorously in hot sudsy water. Cleanliness is paramount in diminishing the risk of pests.
You’ve also made sure the water’s pH is in the correct range. All plants will benefit from the addition of some nutrient to the water. Wait a week before adding any. Remove the water and replace with water and nutrient. A general nutrient will do. Just remember to use 1/4 -1/3 the amount indicated for a given volume of water. Then carefully raise if need be.
Now’s the time to remove the house plant from its pot. Lay out paper over your work surface. This can get messy.
At the soil line, hold the stem gently between 2 fingers. Make sure you don’t pinch the stem. Upend the pot and see if the soil and root ball of the plant comes out. If not,gently tap the pot to encourage release of the soil and root ball. If necessary run a knive along the sides of the pot.
When done, place the plant in your container. If it can’t suspend itself in water right side up, , just place some marbles at the bottom of the container. Or the gravel found in pet stores for aquariums. This will help the support the plant before it develops its root system.
Leaning against the side of the jar should not be injurious to the plant. If you find the look displeasing, find a container with a cork stopper. Put a hole in the center big enough for the stem. Pack the opening with absorbent cotton to keep the stem in place.
You are now doing indoor hydroponics!
Simple isn’t it!
Technorati Tags: house plant container, houseplant, indoor gardening, indoor hydroponics, plant container
August 25th, 2008
The primary nutrients of a plant are nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium. Plants require these in larger amounts than the secondary nutrients: sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). Both primary and secondary nutrients are called macronutrients. Micronutrients aid plant chemistry at much lower concentrations than the macronutrients. For basic information on macronutrients, see this post.
THE SECONDARY NUTRIENTS
Soil generally contains sufficient quantity of these secondary nutrients. However for the hydroponics gardener, indoor or out, you must supply these as well.
Among other actions, sulfur is required to produce chlorophyll. It is also the cause of the distinctive taste of many vegetables, including onions and garlic.
Another necessary mineral for the production of the chlorophyll molecule, correct magnesium levels are also critical for reactions producing fats and carbohydrates.
Calcium aids in cell growth and division. It is also required to take up nitrogen and other minerals. It plays an important role in the movement of water in cells.
All the secondary nutrients are important for the funciton of enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions, i..e, help them occur in the internal environment of the plant.
THE MICRONUTRIENTS
A partial list follows of the micronutrients: iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and copper (Cu).
Iron is another critical component in the production of chlorophyll in a plant.
Manganese supports the absorption of the macronutrient nitrogen.
Zinc, again is a nutrient which is involved in enzymatic processes in the cell. Zinc is also involved in the formation of auxins, plant hormones stimulating grownth, as well as carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis.
Boron is involved in a broad range of biochemical activities, including but not limited to cell wall formation, membrane integrity and calcium uptake.
Found primarily in plant root, copper is involved in nitrogen metabolism.
FORM OF MACRONUTRIENTS AND MICRONUTRIENTS
Plants require these minerals to be dissolved in water. Therefore fertilizers are in the form of salts. A salt is a which when dissolved in water breaks up into ions.
WARNING REGARDING THESE NUTRIENTS
This is not a case of the “more the better”. Excess amounts can kill your plants. Err on the side of caution. Unless you get recommendations specific to hydroponics methods, reduce the amount given to 1/4 to 1/3 of the amount recommended. Doing this your first indoor hydroponics exeriences should be good ones.
Technorati Tags: hydroponics, indoor hydroponics, mineral salts, plant fertilizers, plant micronutrients, secondary plant nutrients