What Are Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a very pure form of agriculture which uses a fraction of the water and fertilizer that traditional, soil-based agriculture does. There is no need for herbicides in hydroponics because there are no weeds. Most hydroponic growers use integrated pest management or biological control to keep pest insects from causing damage. Most hydroponic fertilizers are a premium grade of water soluble fertilizer. Most of these traditional hydroponic fertilizers (often called nutrients) are not on the list of approved fertilizers for the USDA organic certification. There are, however, some companies who have developed organic-hydroponic fertilizers that can be certified organic under the USDA rules.
What kind of plants can be grown using hydroponics?
Almost any type of plant can be grown using hydroponics techniques. Some are just more delicate than others. Usually if you can produce ideal environmental conditions the hydroponic plants will be far superior to plants from the same stock grown in soil. Anything can be easily grown, but some plants prove to be more space efficient. Some plants we suggest are tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot chilies, lettuce, spinach, chard, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, beans, snow peas, herbs, flowers of all types and house plants.
Do plants grown using hydroponics taste better than plants grown in soil?
Quite often this is the case because the plants grown utilizing hydroponics have all the essential nutrients readily available to the plant. In soil the important micro nutrients are often locked away in the soil where the plants cannot take full advantage of these minerals. That is why hydroponics is superior because the grower has complete control over what minerals the plants are feeding on and in what quantities. This advantage over soil often produces produce that is far superior in taste, color, size, and nutritional value. The plants, receiving everything they need, tend to be healthier, faster growing and generally more productive.
Where can I grow with the hydroponic method?
Anywhere. Indoors, in a greenhouse as well as outdoors. Any plant can be grown with hydroponics, though some are more delicate than others. If there is enough light for the plant to grow, you can probably bet somebody has grown it using hydroponics.
Can I transfer plants from soil to hydroponics?
Yes, you can. All you need to do is wash the roots of the plant by dipping in water and try to remove as much of the soil matter as possible. Be very careful with the delicate roots so the plant doesn’t go into too much transplant shock. After the roots are somewhat clean go ahead and pot the plant in any of your favorite hydroponic media and begin a standard watering regimen.
What is pH?
It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions. Value of pH increases with increasing alkalinity and decrease with increasing acidity. We recommend that you keep your solution pH between 5.6 and 6.4 because that is the point at which the nutrients are the most soluble.
What is PPM?
PPM is very easily defined as Parts Per Million and can be used as the measurement of a number of different things. More commonly in the hydroponics world, this measurement is used to measure the amount of Total Dissolved Solids in your nutrient solution or how much Co2 is in your atmosphere.
How Do I Get Started?
Our experienced sales staff has over forty years of indoor gardening. Give us a call to day to discuss your needs Soon, you will be on your way to a healhier way of eating and growing.!