The urban gardener asked:


What is Hydroponic Gardening

These days, when the humanity faces many challenges, associated with natural resources depletion, bad ecology and many health problems, stemming out of the wrong food choices, it is, perhaps, the best time ever to return to natural ways of producing food for the sake of our own and our planet.

It was a common practice for our ancestors to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers for their own needs. Nowadays, the natural way of growing plants reappears with hydroponics as the particular technique, which makes plant cultivation possible even in urban areas without the use of soil. With more and more people involved, hydroponic gardening develops rapidly these days. Irrespectively to whether it is your hobby or professional activity, indoor gardening brings significant benefits for all.

Hydroponic and soil indoor gardening - The World of Gardening for the Future

If you are only making your first steps in mastering the art of hydroponic gardening, our site will become a valuable resource for you. Our hydroponic library is a source of theory on the basics of indoor plants growing, and our shop is a one-stop destination to find everything you need for your hydroponic needs, starting from vegetable seeds and wide variety of growing media to start growing your plants, and finishing with reliable equipment, such as growing lamps and climate control, to help you gather rich harvest.

The definition of hydroponics

Hydroponics most often refers to the science of growing plants (vegetables, herbs, flowers) without the use of soil. Plants are cultivated on a special growing medium, and all the nutrients, required for growing, are supplied via specially formulated nutrient solution. The primary task of any growing medium, used in hydroponic gardens, is to support plants’ roots along with retaining water. There are many books on hydroponic gardening, so if you would need to expand your knowledge in this field, please browse our Literature section or the online library for further information on hydroponics.



MARIO

The urban gardener asked:


 

Along with water, hydroponics plant nutrients, CO2 and oxygen, grow light is the key basic component, required by plants to live. Providing additional light is necessary for indoor gardening. Furthermore, light should resemble the sunlight as much as possible. The major concern with other types of lights is that they do not produce light in the appropriate spectrum, required by plants.

Being the most efficient bulbs, HPS bulbs are commonly used by gardeners. Producing light in red and yellow spectrum, light generated by high pressure sodium lamps resembles the natural sunlight during autumn. Due to this peculiarity, HPS light is the best for promoting plants blooming. However, some plants may react negatively to this type of light, growing with oblong stem, etc. To address that issue, new HPS bulbs with color correction have been developed. For example, Son Argo feature properly balanced light spectrum, which suits perfectly for the needs of indoor gardening.

High pressure sodium grow lamps are made of a semi-transparent ceramic arc tube, filled with a mixture of sodium, mercury, and xenon. The arc tube is placed into the protective outer glass shield, similarly to metal halide bulbs. The power ranges of HPS bulbs vary from 35w to 1000w, while the most popular are 250w, 400w, 600w and 1000w.

HPS bulbs are more durable in comparison with MH bulbs: they can be replaced once every 24 months. Though HPS grow lights lose their brightness slowly, in order to keep the brightness at the steady level, it is still recommended to replace the bulb within the specified period.

Among the brand new types of grow lights are sulfur lights, which are said to feature extremely high brightness and effectiveness. However, these bulbs are still rare on the market in view of the high price, so it is early to evaluate their practical value for those gardeners, for whom indoor hydroponics growing remains a hobby.



GENARO

The urban gardener asked:


Ultimate control of the growing environment for you plants is one of the greatest advantages of hydroponic systems. Plant health is maintained by the proper introduction of nutrients in terms of the amount and what type is assured.  Soil b y nature contains numerous salt and minerals, it does not permit this much flexibility as can be seen with grow mediums. Indoor hydroponic gardens utilize grow mediums which do not contain salts or minerals. This allows the gardener the freedom to control the amount and type of nutrient specifically for their plants.

Nutrient adsorption by soil based plants is done through adsorption of nutrients from decomposed organic materials. Here is a simple description of how these nutrients are formed: organic matter is digested by fungi or eaten by insects and is turned as waste material in the form of compost. This waste material is then digested by microbes which breaks it down to nutrients. The action of water forces this down the ground where they remain until absorbed by plants.

Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are the three hydroponic nutrients essential for optimal plant growth.  Concentration of each nutrient is found on the solutions labels. 20-20-20 on the labels means the solution contains 20% N, 20% P and 20% K concentration.

Several secondary hydroponic are essential as the plant grows through its different growth phases. Primary hydroponic nutrients combined with this secondary nutrients work to provide optimum plant growth. Examples of these secondary nutrients are Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Sulfur, Molybdenum and Boron.

 Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

 Hydrogen Peroxide is mainly used as a supplement for increasing Oxygen levels in the hydroponic nutrient solution. It also serves to stimulate plant growth and protects the plant against plant pests such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora organisms. Hydrogen peroxide is also produced by the human body as a antibody to fight against viruses and bacteria in the body.

Hydrogen Peroxide occurs naturally in nature, when water in the atmosphere is exposed to the ozone (O3) it becomes H2O2. It is present in the rain and snow. It is used in indoor hydroponic systems because it oxidizes organic impurities upon contact. Hydrogen peroxide releases one of its oxygen atoms into the nutrient solution leaving water (H2O) as a by product.

 Benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

 Oxygen content is increased in the nutrient solution

Protects and sterilizes growing mediums against harmful bacteria

Kills pythium and other harmful garden organisms

Increases protein development, improves metabolism and increases overall growth and health

Encourages root development in cloned plants and germination of seeds, enabling propagation of difficult plant species



HOLLIS

The urban gardener asked:


Key Facts on Hydroponics

Hydroponic plants do not require soil to grow in. They use different growing media instead. All the required nutrients are supplied through nutrient solution. Hydroponic system allows cultivation of plants, irrespectively to climate and environmental condition. Hydroponic system allows increasing the density of plants significantly (up to 3 times higher in comparison with traditional soil gardens). It may be surprising but hydroponic plants consume considerable less water than those, growing in soil. Since soil is not used in hydroponic systems, there is no need to worry about crops rotation. Hydroponic plants are healthier, because there are no or very little risks for them to get infected by parasites, living in soil. Hydroponic gardening does not depend on seasons of the year. You can grow plants and gather harvest all year round.

Hydroponics in the Present

Thanks to many technological achievements and innovations, hydroponic growing has already become much more effective, convenient and affordable. Plastic, used for manufacturing of hydroponic equipment, such as plumbing products, fittings, growing pots and containers, etc., made it possible to lower the cost of hydroponic systems significantly.

Multiple electronic devices, such as pumps, timers and monitors, have made hydroponic growing a fully automated process. Furthermore, the hydroponic plants themselves have evolved significantly, ensuring high yield results even if used under the most extreme environmental conditions, for example, at the submarines.

Hydroponics in the Future

The next goal of hydroponics developers is to make indoor gardening eco-friendly and more energy-saving. In this regard, current achievements in the development of solar heating systems look very promising. On the other hand, current innovations open new opportunities for designing new growing light systems with higher lumen output, better spectrum profile and lower electricity consumption. In the long run, hydroponic systems may allow increasing the amount of grown plants to completely satisfy the needs of people in food products, without using additional natural resources and soil.

Furthermore, maybe in the nearest future hydroponic systems, which have already been tested in space on the space stations, will even become another valuable step in the space exploration by the humans.



JOEY

The urban gardener asked:


A great indoor garden requires a good grow light. It could mean the difference between success and failure. Having the right hydroponic light is the single-most important and costly decision in setting up your garden.

 Hydroponic grow lights come in three main types:

 

Incandescent lights

These are the usual lights found in homes. They are generally a poor choice for garden grown lights because of their limited light spectrum and inefficiency.

HID (High Intensity Discharge) grow lights

Producing more light (up to 10x more lumens/watt than an incandescent light),are more efficient. Drawbacks would be, they produce more heat, generally more expensive than incandescent lights and requires the additional expense and maintenance with ballast. It takes around 100 hours before hydroponic HID grow lights reach their optimum working conditions, or until they reach light intensity and color stability. 

Natural Sunlight

Expense for acquiring artificial lights can be skipped by using sunlight. This is done with the use of solar room, greenhouse or large windows which allows plenty of sunlight. Or you can do this outdoors; hydroponics does not necessarily mean the cultivation of plants indoors but it growing plants without the use of soil.

Basic setup for an indoor garden is 1000w of lighting for and area of 16-25 square feet of plant area. Reflectors and/or light movers should also be considered as they improve efficiency of the indoor hydroponic gardening system. Ballast may also be needed as numerous hydroponic grow lighting require igniting.

 Some Basic Facts

Before plugging in your grow light

Different plants require different levels or types of lighting, this paragraph would deal on some simple know-how on how to make an effective lighting setup. In setting up your garden, it is essential that you determine your growing area in order to determine the best lighting setup for you. Light is an essential factor in the growth of plants, it is important that the lighting solution you chose for your garden is adequate for its size. A poor or ill advised decision would certainly reflect on the quality of plants you produced. Inappropriate budgeting like cost cutting specially on lighting would just prove to be uneconomical and inefficient in the long run.

A general rule for lighting that area coverage is determined by a light wattage output. Reflectors might be used to increase the light area and reach corners but effectiveness is still determined by this formula.

Day and Night Cycles

The type of plant and its stage of growth generally determine the amount of light needed. A common cycle is that with 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness which is recommended for its vegetative growth phase.

For seedlings, a continuous light source is needed until the first real leaves appear. When the leaves appear, the regular 18/6 light cycle is used. Fluorescent or incandescent lights are best for seedling because of the low heat and soft light they generate. Automated timers maybe used to ensure consistent light cycles. Inexpensive timers are also available; this can be found any hardware or Home Depot/ Lowe’s type store.

Light and Photosynthesis

The plants exposure to light intensity, duration and light color directly affects the amount of energy needed for photosynthesis. The color of the light, Blue simulates the summer sun, Orange for autumn seem to stimulate photosynthesis best. The light spectrum produced by metal halide bulbs (Blue lights) and high pressure sodium bulbs (red/ orange lights) produce this effects. HID grow lights produce these effects owing to their popularity to hobbyist and professionals. Combination of metal halide and high pressure sodium bulbs provides the complete spectrum of light produced by the sun.

Use Caution When Working with Lights

The combination of water, electricity and chemicals in such a closed-in space makes the grow room one of the most dangerous places in your house. Keep in mind to separate your ballast by elevating it from the water-containing areas of your hydroponic growing system. 



ELOY

Bare Bones Gardener asked:


In Today’s throwaway society, there is absolutely no need to go out and purchase mulch material for your garden, unless it is for the particular aesthetic appearance, “The Look”, sake of the mulch material.

Were you aware that there are a number of mulching materials that you can obtain from around your own community that are free, and some of which can even be even delivered to you for nothing as well.

Impossible you might say. Well I mulch my gardens fairly heavily, and I never pay a cent for the mulch material. As a matter of fact, most of the mulch is willingly delivered to my home for nothing. As the former owners are only too glad to see the back of it, as it would cost them money, time and effort to find other ways of getting rid of it.

I also combine these outside sources of mulch with my own compost, weeds and other organic matter mixed through to achieve a great result in my garden, and so all that it costs me is time and effort.

So what am I talking about? While some of the below list is delivered free, other items I pick up myself, depending on time, circumstances, importance etc.

Grass Clippings from other people in the area or from lawn-mowing contractors.

Wood shavings from local wood turners and carvers, ( Do not use shavings from treated timber).

Small amounts of solid fill from friends who are excavating. This is to assist in raising garden beds, in my heavy clay soil.

Light prunings from shrubs which is shredded by me or put whole into garden

Heavier sticks and logs, which are turned into trellis, garden stakes, garden edges, seats, frames, log planters etc. while they slowly decay.

Newspaper, cardboard, non-rubber carpet underlay, and even carpet and carpet squares. Which is put under other mulch to prevent grass and weed regrowth

Animal manures sometimes mixed with straw from places like Racetracks and Showgrounds, Pony Clubs, Stables etc. I contact them well beforehand to see if any is available.

To this I also add my own weeds, throwing away some which can still be a potential problem, or burying them below the bottom most layer of mulch material to stop them regrowing.

Another item I add is any old potting mix from deceased plants or when repotting plants.

Being a fairly lazy gardener, I throw the material around a bit at a time, as they are available, and let nature mix them for me. On a couple of occasions I have received a bit too much wood shavings so these became path material between some of the garden beds, with a heavy underlay of newspapers. People even tell me that it looks and feels good underfoot.

Never put a large amount of fresh animal manure on any garden, as it will burn any plant around it. Be extremely sparing or let it age first for a few months before applying it to the garden.

I have been living in my new house for about fifteen months, and the mulch layer in all my gardens (there were no gardens originally), is about 10 cm or 4 inches deep. None of which I have paid for and little that I have had to even pick up for myself.

People are even starting to comment on how fast the plants in my gardens are growing in the local heavy black clay soils, and they are surprised when I tell them that I have never bothered to fertilise the plants. The reason for this is that the earliest laid mulch material, is now broken down into plant nutrients and is now feeding my plants as a plant nutrient soup aided by the soil life which has suddenly started appearing in my gardens.

Another benefit that has started to appear in the last few months is the arrival of insect eating wildlife into my garden. Predatory insects and birds are now visiting my gardens on a regular basis, where I saw none this time last year. Bees and butterflies are also starting to visit many of the plants, which have come into flower for the first time this year.

So what can you do to start locating your own supplies of free mulch material, well here are a number of suggestions.

Put a little sign near your gate, something along the lines of ‘Organic mulch required’, or ‘Lawn clipping wanted’. There are sure to be a number of local people who are currently throwing theirs away in your community or even local area. Never mulch solely with grass clippings as they form an impenetrable layer that air and water cannot get through. Always mix it with other things to stop it ‘thatching’, just like a roof over the soil.

See if you can get into contact with local people who are into woodturning and carving, or even local sawmills. And come to some arrangement about unpreserved wood shavings.

Check the local phonebook for local showgrounds/racetracks/stables etc, to find out if any have stable or manure waste to give away, for people willing to pick them up

In other words, start talking around the place that you are after mulch materials and they will soon start coming to you.

The only caution with using other peoples waste material is the chance that you might also import other peoples pests and weeds. I have rarely found it a problem because of heavy mulch on mulch routines. But it is possible.

One point being that when you first start applying mulch to your garden you may see some nitrogen deficiencies occur in some plants. This is because the organisms that are breaking down the mulch material are using up all the available resources of it during the initial breakdown. Once you have gotten past this time the old composted material provide more than enough nitrogen for future processes.

Another thing to be careful of is not to bury or mulch up against the stems of wanted plants, as it may cause further problems for your plants in rot problems around the collar of the stems.

So get out there and talk around the community, find the contacts, believe it or not they will be as grateful as you to solve their particular problems of waste reduction. As well as that, you may start making some new friendships out of the deal; I know I have.



FABIAN

The urban gardener asked:


Temperature is a gauge for optimum production for every plant. When plants are exposed to extreme ranges of temperature, stunted growth and poor fruit yields are the result. Plants have specific temperature ranges for their ideal growth. Warm-season vegetables and most types of flowers have 18o C and 260 C as an ideal temperature range. Cooler season vegetables like lettuces have a 10o C to 18o C range.

Garden Climate Controller

Environment greatly affects plant growth. Environmental factors such as temperature, climate and CO2 levels are just examples. Garden climate controllers give you control over this variables and keep them at ideal ranges for optimum growth of plants.

 

Basic Garden Climate Controller

The cheap and basic garden climate controller usually control temperature and humidity and turn exhaust fans when needed. CO2 controls could be installed together with them for a small additional charge. This combination is more economical allowing you control over all environmental factors without spending hundreds of dollars for more sophisticated setups not needed. Indoor hydroponic garden systems can be maintained with this basic setup.

Complete Garden Climate Controller

Complete control over CO2 system is another advantage presented by the use of the complete hydroponics garden climate controller. Controllers also allow for coordinated infusion of carbon dioxide with exhaust fans giving minimum waste of CO2.

Other “extras” found with garden climate controllers:

Additional outlets activates when lights are off allowing a “night mode” setup.

Flood Sensors that prevent common gardening mishaps by shutting down the system.

Photo sensors recognize natural sunlight and power ups the “night mode.” This makes the setup more efficient and economical as grow lights are only utilized when needed.



ALLAN

Garden Lodges asked:


In today’s world, garden offices have gained much popularity and are in great demand. People purchase garden rooms from different suppliers and manufactures. However, there are certain essential things that a person needs to consider before purchasing a garden office. A person, prior to purchasing garden offices, should ensure that he is getting the best deal. There are ten essential things that should be considered before buying a garden office or garden studio.

Before purchasing a garden office one must be sure of the purpose that it would serve. This will help the person to ascertain whether the requirements of the building can be met by the design. If the building is being purchased to be used as a garden office, sufficient amount of lighting should be provided. If the room is to be used as a gym, then there should be provision for sufficient ventilation. If it is for the purpose of garden a lodge, then there should be provision for proper heating.

The position of one’s garden office is also of utmost importance. One rarely requires planning permission most of the time as long as the garden office is situated at a distance of 5 metres from the person’s home and occupies less than 50% of the garden’s area. Permission is also not required if the garden office or garden studio is built for private use and is about 20 metres away from any public place.

A person while buying a garden office or garden studio should also be careful about the height of the building. However, the height of the modular garden offices should not exceed 4 metres. If the height of the garden office exceeds 4 metres a person will have to seek permission. Permission also has to be taken if the building consists of two or more floors. Permission also has to be taken if the size of the rooms exceeds 30 Sq metres.

Further, a person prior to buying a garden room should be sure of the type of room he requires. A person buying a room for a garden studio should ensure that the room is in accordance to his requirements. The design of the room should also be taken into account.

A person buying a room for the purpose of running a garden office should also check the materials used for both constructing and designing the office. There are numerous suppliers who can provide the best garden offices. For information regarding garden offices and garden studios visit gardenlodges.co.uk.



TEDDY

Bare Bones Gardener asked:


It can be a scary exercise to sit down and work out exactly what is spent every year, on the average home gardens and lawns.

Try adding up the costs of plants, weedicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilisers, petrol, mower and trimmer maintenance, weed eater cord, garden mulch and even water costs. Even the time and effort we go to in order to maintain a good-looking environment for our families and ourselves can amount to a substantial price.

So it is no wonder that many people are looking at ways to save money for more important causes.

One of the first things that you can do to save money, is to make use of as much of that organic matter that many people throw in the bin or wash down the sink.

For instance do you throw out your lawn clippings? Do you dutifully wrap up and throw out those old veggie scraps?

Are you one of those people who regularly get the trailer out and make trips down to the landfill with a pile of branch prunings?

What about those pile of leaves you threw in the bin last autumn?

Do you realise that all of those things can be turned into a wonderful form of plant food, as well as being used as a barrier to prevent the soil from loosing moisture and therefore increasing the amount of time between watering your garden. An organic mulch will also improve the soil structure, increase the good animals like worms while assisting in decreasing the nasty pests living in the soil.

By keeping these sorts of things within your own garden you are also assisting in reducing the effects that city living is having on the environment in landfill problems and costs.

There are a number of different ways that you can recycle these piles of organic matter within your own yard. One is to apply the bulk organic matter directly to your garden beds, ensuring that you don’t pile the material directly up against the trunks or main stems of the plants. A second idea to get a worm farm and recycle your kitchen waste that way; the worms provide you with a very strong and nutritious fertilising liquid for the garden as a bonus. This liquid is so strong it has to be diluted 10-1.

Don’t, by the way, put meat products, citrus peels or onion and garlic in with the worms. A third way is to purchase or construct your own compost pile/bin/tumbler and recycle the material that way.

So just by composting your old leaves, soft cuttings, veggie and fruit scraps, chipped branches, lawn clippings etc., you can do a lot to reduce your costs that you would have spent on such things as garden mulch and fertilisers as well as assisting your plants to last much longer between watering periods. So as you can see there are a number of reasons for not throwing away all that organic material.



GERRY

Organic Gardener asked:


How to Start a Garden

Planting a garden can be easier and more enjoyable with these gardening tips

Planting a garden, whether it is a vegetable plot or a flower bed, is an adventure where your creativity and patience are put to the test! You are directly responsible for the beautiful rose blooms or the delicious tomatoes that develop in this section of the land. Therefore to have the most success you need to determine where you plant!

The location of the garden should be determined by several factors: sunlight, soil conditions, water and wind exposure. Take notes on when this area of the yard is exposed to sunshine. This can determine which plants will thrive there. Test your soil to see if conditioners are needed to bring it up to optimum growing conditions. Pay attention to whether water collects in this section of the lawn. Some plants do well in soggy locations, but most need well-drained soil. Strong winds can dry out soil and plants, so try to locate the plot out of direct winds. Once you have determined where you will create your garden masterpiece you are ready to select plants!

Choose plants that will grow in your zone. Although you might have your heart set on a certain flower or vegetable, if your climate or garden location won’t support this choice, you will inevitably be disappointed. To avoid this, choose plants that are meant for your growing zone (ideally native plants), and disease-resistant and drought tolerant plants. Ask the employee at the nursery for assistance in selecting these. Be aware of the future size of each plant. A tree planted near a house will eventually provide shade, but it could also be a hazard during storms.

Plan out what flowering plants you would like for the seasons. Most perennials only bloom for a short time, so by mixing in some annuals there will be constant color in your garden. By having seasonal color you can change the look of your garden and create excitement and personality!

Now that you have your garden location selected and your plants purchased, you are ready to start digging! What tools are required to get things started? These include:

Rake: for seasonal cleanups and spreading/leveling soil

Trowel: for transplanting and weeding

Shovel: for digging, scooping, spreading compost and planting 

Hoe: for chopping weeds and tilling soils

Pruners: for clipping flowers and pruning trees

Garden Gloves: for protecting your hands from blisters and dirt 

Garden Hose: invest in a top-of-the-line hose that will resist kinking, is flexible and coils easily. Invest in high quality tools. They will last longer and are more durable than their cheaper counterparts.

Have fun starting a garden. Don’t try to create a masterpiece your first year-build up to it. Select a few choice plants that are more expensive. The rest can be less expensive, smaller complementary plants to round out your garden. Gardening is our nation’s number one leisure activity so go out and have a good time in your own piece of earth!



JODY