Commercial Aspects of Hydroponic Vegetable and Flower Production. Primary Considerations: Market and Water Supply. Before entering into a Business of any sort, you must thoroughly research what it is you are going to produce, how much it will cost and how much you can expect to be paid for it. If you have a significant demand for the product then you can consider the profitability of such an enterprise. Many Growers in Soil and yes, in Hydroponics as well, have gone to the wall by growing something that was over supplied or under valued by the consumer. Always research your crop and see what highs and lows there have been in the past, consider that unless there is sufficient under-supply, you may end up with a crisis where the crop is not worth selling because market price is too low to meet the cost of producing it. For instance, Strawberries can go from 80 cents per punnet to $4.00 per punnet; less market costs, transport costs, labour to pick and plant, nutrient and runner costs, electricity and so on. At 80 cents many growers tell me it’s not worth it. If you can secure a buyer such as a restaurant direct it is safer, but still no guarantee that you’ll get a good price, or that they’ll take your produce on the days you harvest. If you are growing an UNUSUAL or NICHE product consider that there must be some demand or you may have no buyer at all. Commercial Growers can make a fortune if they are good at business first, and good at growing second. First contact your Department of Agriculture or Primary Industries. Get some information. Contact your nearest market. Get some information. Talk to Hydroponic Suppliers. Get some information. Check your water supply is suitable for Hydroponics. Start planning your first year profit and loss. Show it to a grower – ask a store if you don’t know any. An Accountant might be a good idea, if you haven’t done a profit and loss before. Once this all has happened, you can see what your moneymaking abilities are. If you will be borrowing money from banks, you will need to consider how this will eat into your profitability. If it is your own capital, consider the returns on your money. There can be many tax breaks when you are a grower (ask an accountant) which can make it extremely profitable as a negatively geared enterprise to recover taxes you already pay. Then get some growers to recommend your next step. Always talk to someone who has done the job. Look at different systems. If you have to travel around, the cost is a good investment. Don’t forget your business sense when chasing your dreams! Hydroponics is very commercially viable, because of cleanliness, low labour costs due to less weed control, spraying etc., usually lower transport costs as farms can be closer to town, the farms require little land (1 to 5 acres of flat available land), much lower running costs, but higher set up costs (can be offset due to the cost of tractors and heavy machinery that are generally not required). The best farms have been run by good business people and the most profitable growers are on main roads (roadside stalls increase profitability), on islands, in deserts or remote locations where normal agriculture is too unproductive and produce is freighted in. (Prices higher) Consider also, if you have a farm in a tourist location, that people may pay for a tour, if a cup of coffee and a Hydroponic starters kit is thrown into the deal. Use your imagination. Propagation. Starting from Seed. Seeds require only moisture and warmth to germinate. God’s design placed every nutrient required by an embryonic plant in the husk of the seed. Besides, nutrients cannot be absorbed until the plant has roots, so why waste your nutrient. Better results are obtained in media that have no nutrient, than in potting mixes, because the availability of nutrient can actually draw goodness from the seed husk. Optimum germinating temperatures can vary from seed to seed, but as a guide, 20 to 25 degrees should give you a very good strike rate. The most critical time for a plant is the first two weeks (generally), because the plant will develop into an ideal plant if it comes from a good strike and a good environment. Both the top of your hot water service and on the top near the back of the fridge near the condenser are two locations in the home that should have excellent warmth for low cost propagation. Desk lamps can also provide some warmth for a tray of seeds, however, the light is not really an issue until the seeds have leaves to use it. Using Perlite and Vermiculite mixes has been a professional method for many years, sometimes with a small amount of Peat to turn it to the colour of dirt. (I think that’s why the Horticulturists add peat. Peat is dark, but Perlite looks unnatural to them, it is white and doesn’t look dirty enough. Just to digress for a second….I pride myself in the fact that my garden doesn’t get my hands dirty. I can now avoid the “Dreaded Dirt”) Rockwool cubes are an excellent way to start seeds as they hold their moisture for long periods. My only concern is that if the Rockwool seedling is placed into a continuous flow system, the Rockwool can get too waterlogged and cause stem rot. Remember that Rockwool cubes are impossible to remove from the plant roots without pulling most of the roots off too! Seeds germinate when moist, not when wet, or after being allowed to dry out too much. The seed swells with moisture then some miracle happens and a bit of dead plant (the seed) actual begins the life process again. The first to emerge is the seed leaves or cotyledons, and the first root has not fully developed yet. Nutrients could be applied now but half to a quarter strength at this stage. Be careful not to over-water or allow them to dry out at this point. When the next set of leaves emerge there will be a root system in place. Continue with half strength nutrients for a week or until the next set of leaves is formed. The whole process can be a long period, but as a guide, 3-10 days to emergence in summer, up to 3 weeks in winter if at all, and 2 to 5 days if optimum heat is applied. Taking Cuttings or Cloning. Cuttings are to be selected from healthy parent stock only take a cutting from non-woody stems if possible take at least 25mm or 1 inch more than required immerse the cutting in water make a cut with a sterile razor or scateurs whilst underwater just below a branch By cutting underwater you eliminate air bubbles forming at the incision and blocking the rooting process. make this cut diagonally (about 45 degrees) to the stem (still underwater) cut off the branch just above the first cut to provide another surface for roots to strike (still underwater) Gently scrape the stem for 25mm above the cut to disrupt the cells on the stem (still underwater). Use the sip of life technique for hard to propagate cuttings by using an extremely sharp razor blade to puncture the stem about 25mm from the base of the cutting. This puts a small amount of water into the stem and must be a very thin cut, as the incision must close itself up when you withdraw the blade. The cutting will now suffer less dehydration whilst rooting.(still underwater) remove the cutting from the water (Optional) dip cutting in a root rot treatment to avoid stem rot during rooting dip the cutting in a rooting hormone, preferably a Gel, or a Liquid and stir around for 15 seconds. Powders can rub off. Place in Perlite and Vermiculite Mix or a Rockwool cube, and keep the medium moist. Dehydration is the major cause of cutting failure because there are no roots to replace lost moisture. Best strikes above 20 degrees Celsius. Up to 30 degrees Celsius. Mist the cuttings with water to stop dehydration (and a vitamin B solution such as Superthrive if available) Using an aquarium as a mini-greenhouse keeps dehydration down to a minimum. Small clear Propagation shells are available with vents designed for this purpose at Hydroponic Stores. A Cutting will usually live or die within the first 3 days (72 hours) Use up to 24 hours of low light intensity (such as Fluorescent light) to ensure photosynthesis is still occurring, but not so bright as to cause dehydration. After the cuttings appear to be rooting, vent the propagator to avoid stem rot or root rot from the high humidity. Remove the propagator after 1 week if all is well. When in doubt, ventilate the mini-greenhouse but use warmth and keep some humidity in the propagator for as long as you require to confirm they have survived. Transplant cutting if required when rooted. Tissue Culture and Microponics. Tissue Culture is the process of taking a small slice of a plant, and by using extremely sterile conditions, propagating the slice in a test tube or petri-dish into thousands of tiny “plantlets” This is achieved by a series of dividing and then a short period of growing or nurturing, followed by further division of the plant material. This can go on and on until one plant can be cloned millions of times. Due to the lack of popularity, this form of propagation is still the mainstay of bigger commercial propagators that have the skill and knowledge to blend different strains of plants together. The advantages are that the offspring from these test tube cultivators can be designed to incorporate disease resistance, new or better colours, and shapes or be faster or greater yielding plants. At home, we are faced with lack of materials to achieve good tissue cultures, but home kits are becoming available and soon this will be another avenue for the home gardener. A new term called Microponics is a technique involving simpler techniques, larger plant sections, but is still being researched. Hopefully, a future revision of this text will eradicate the need to take cuttings, and you will read of methods to produce perfect clones every time, just by finding a suitable parent plant that you wish to duplicate. Microponics may prove to be an ideal method. CF and pH. The basics of Nutrient Control. pH and Nutrient Strength will change as plants use the nutrients you feed them. The Nutrient solution will eventually become depleted, and your plants will have nothing to continue growing with. There are two ways to treat this situation. Empty your tank and fill with fresh nutrient every 7 to 14 days; or test and adjust your solution and dump every 7 to 28 days. The latter will ensure problem free Hydroponic Gardening. The former will cost you more in Nutrients. Nutrient strength is either read in conductivity factor , or in parts per million. If conversion is needed, a multiplier of 65 to get parts per million is approximate enough. By keeping the nutrients at an optimum level, your plants will do much better. The range of nutrient strength is 8 to 30 CF, depending on the plant. Some guidelines would be:- 8 to 12 will apply to lettuce, 10- 18 for ferns, herbs, 16 to 22 for most vegetables and plants generally, 22 to 30 for Tomatoes or heavy feeding plants. We try not to grow plants that have much different nutrient strength requirements in the same system (such as lettuce and tomatoes) but if you did, these would be best grown at or just above the lesser of the two plants If I was growing Tomatoes (22 to 30CF) and Lettuce (8 to 12 CF), I would set up the system at 12 to 14 CF. Another option could be that if you are growing a mixture, using 16 to 22 and keeping your lettuce in another simple system, such as Perlite mix, then hand watering the lettuce or arranging a drip system could allow you to optimise the other plants in the system. I say this but remember, good results have been obtained with Lettuce mixed in with plants at this strength (16-20CF). We must emphasise that Lettuce is the difficult crop to mix with others (except for some herbs), due to its abnormally low Nutrient requirements. Otherwise for a mixture of plant varieties outside of Tomatoes and Lettuce, 16- 22 CF seems to work well in most situations. The pH of a solution is the acidity or alkalinity of the nutrient. When a Solution is too acid, plants have difficulty taking up most elements. When a Solution is too alkaline, similar problems develop. pH is read on a scale of 0 to 14. In soil pH can vary and can be difficult to adjust. However, in Hydroponics, adjusting the solution with pH raise or pH lower to read between 6.0 to 6.5 (optimum 6.3 pH) will allow all the minerals and micronutrients to be more available to the plant. Figure 6.3 pH Chart showing availability of minerals in pH ranges always top up your tank with water and test your nutrient strength first. Then adjust the strength if necessary. Then you should test pH and adjust if required. If testing both Nutrient Strength and pH, the nutrients need only to be changed on a fortnightly to four weekly basis. (The more often you change your nutrients, the more ‘balanced’ your solution will be. But as you will be adding nutrient as you go, the nutrient balance does not become as critical as it does without.) For pH control, you will need pH test tape or a Handheld pH meter, pH Raise and pH Lower. For Nutrient Strength a CF meter is best. Don’t forget a calibration solution to check that your electronic meters are reading accurately. Advanced Plant Control through CF control. Osmosis is the theory behind nutrient uptake from the roots. If we take a nutrient strength of say 22CF, the concentration would be roughly 99.86% water and 0.14% minerals. However, in a plant root system, there may be a concentration of up to 70CF. Because there is a higher concentration of minerals and therefore a lower content of water in the roots, the water from the solution moves through the membrane-covering that the roots have, taking the minerals in our nutrient solution with it. It doesn’t actually happen that way. Experts tell us there are specialised receptacles for certain minerals, but even the experts are not sure how the roots really work. This is a convenient way to explain how nutrient strength works. If the concentration of nutrient is increased, the water content decreases, but by minute amounts. The difference between concentrations in the roots and in the solution is now closer, and nutrient solution is absorbed through the membrane more slowly. The effect on growth is exactly as you might assume. 1. The higher the CF strength the slower the new growth of the plant. 2. The Lower the CF the faster the new growth of the plant This would be, in the case of Tomatoes, a change from 24CF to 30CF or 0.156% to 0.195% nutrients. You cannot adjust a solution that accurately without a CF meter. Also, due to the concentration then changing inside the plant, the emphasis on the type of growth changes. 1. Stem growth is more woody and usually thicker, the higher the concentration. 2. Leaf growth has more emphasis when the nutrient strength is low 3. Flower/Fruit Production has more emphasis when the nutrient strength is high 4. Height is determined in plants by the internodal length, or the distance before another branch or leaf occurs. The Internodal length is closer (plants are shorter and bushier) when the strength is high. 5. Calcium is a difficult element in terms of nutrient strength. While Nitrogen and other elements can be moved by the plant from the older leaves to newer leaves if required, calcium cannot be stored or moved. It must be available to the new growth at all times or calcium deficiency, characterised by tip burn of the leaves and blossom end rot on fruit, will occur. If the nutrients are not being taken up at a fast enough rate, the leaves will begin to brown at the tips. This occurs because the nutrient strength is too high and the nutrient uptake has been slowed by the high strength. If nutrient salts are building up in a Perlite, Expanded Clay, Rockwool or other media System, the plant roots are in the same situation of high nutrient strength. When adjusting CF levels with a crop, immediately check your strength if tip burn occurs. By using CF control, we can control the stages of growth. The only more effective way is to use day length control with artificial lighting as discussed below. Indoor Lighting I can’t explain in just a small book what goes into lighting and the indoor environment. In all cases, I suggest you ask a Hydroponic Store for Advice, but I can give you a few guidelines as to what to expect. Spectrum: Spectrum is the colours that the plants use. Plants use Oranges to Reds more than any other colour. They give the plant the highest energy levels. But without enough Blues they will become unhealthy and spindly. Blues cause a plant to grow bushy and leafy, but reds encourage the upward growth. Ultra Violet doesn’t help much, in fact outdoor growers have seen improvements in plant growth when grown under a sheet of UV protectant glass. Infra Red Light is Heat, and doesn’t help unless heat is required. Light Intensity: Light Intensity is important as well as colour spectrum. You can’t stare at the sun without damaging your eyes, so you can imagine the brightness that plants require to grow to maturity. The more the total leaf area, the greater the light required to keep the plant healthy. Therefore, the low light intensity of fluorescents work best for cuttings, and seedlings, or for supplemental light, where indoor type plants are not getting enough sunlight. Fluorescent: Fluorescent tubes have been used for seedlings, tissue culture and cuttings for a great number of years. The most commonly used is GROLUX and Activa 172 tubes, but also Powertwists and other speciality Fluroscents, as well as Cool White tubes (as used in plant terrariums e.g. Phototron). By using Fluorescent tubes, to achieve mature growth, plants must be grown as close to the tube as possible, without touching the tube, as this may cause burning of plant tissues. The closeness of the tubes is required as each tube only outputs the minimum light required for plant growth (about 1000 foot-candles) and if further away from the tube, the output of the light diminishes. Always use a horticultural reflector. Because a fluorescent tube is round, light is travelling in all directions from the tube, and any light travelling upward, or sideways will miss the plants below. Reflectors redirect this light in a favourable manner and generally increase the light to the plants by 50% to 95% with any standard lamp.. The benefits of Fluorescents are smaller internodal lengths, smaller leaves and smaller flowers but more numerous. Plant growth may be slower than expected. Incandescent: The filament design of household incandescent lights reduce the average life span of each bulb well below that of Fluorescent. Incandescent output too much of their light in the red band of the spectrum making these unsuitable for plant growth. Colour corrected bulbs are available such as CROMPTON, and these output around 5000 foot-candles, and are suitable for plant growth, however they are more suitable for supplemental lighting, where plants already receive some light from the sun, e.g. most indoor plants, and seeds and cuttings can benefit from the small amount of heat they produce. Incandescents are frequently used to confuse a plant in greenhouses and tunnel-houses by extending the day length. The plants are exposed to a longer day than usual, and when this additional day length is removed, flowering and fruiting plants can be induced to produce their fruit or flowers out of season. Contact a store or your Department of Agriculture/Primary Industries for more information. HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMPS Metal Halide: Metal Halides are available in 400 Watt (60,000 foot-candles) and 1000 Watt (100,000 foot-candles), and sometimes in other sizes. They emit a blue/white light and are used for increasing plant growth rates, controlling the seasons (Photoperiodic control) and for indoor growth, away from pests, disease, wind, rain, heat or cold extremes, as well as the healthy growth characterised by these plants. Hobbyists use these lights for these reasons and for limited growing areas where indoor gardens may be either more viable or decorative. Metal Halides are very suitable for healthy vegetative growth, flower growth and produce excellent large, bushy plants. These lamps require Metal Halide control equipment, which is sort of like a transformer and starter put together. High Pressure Sodium: High Pressure Sodium’s are available in 400 Watt and 1000 Watt sizes, as well as other sizes. They emit a spectrum of red/orange/yellow and have been compared to the autumn or harvest sun. There has been in the past, considerable debate over whether Halides or Sodium’s are more suitable for plant growth. The High Pressure Sodium lights are best known for their longer life, higher light output and flowering capabilities, but with less blue light than Halides, some plants may not produce the healthy vegetative growth when used alone. High Pressure Sodium are ideally used in conjunction with Metal Halides to produce a brilliant plant growth environment, and an excellent spectrum full of high energy reds, and blues that keep the plant compact and healthy. Sometimes Halides are used up to the flowering stage and High Pressure Sodium is used from this point for increasing the flower/fruit size and weight. Son T Agro Lamps (see below) are an example of a lamp designed to incorporate these two spectrums. High Pressure Sodium’s require High Pressure Sodium Control Gear. Because of the requirement for different Halide and high-pressure Sodium control gear (also known as ballast) the retrofit bulb was created. Retrofit Bulbs: There are High Pressure Sodium retrofit bulbs available for running in Metal Halide ballasts. They are available in a 350-Watt and 360-Watt lamp sizes for running in 400watt Metal Halide ballast’s. High Pressure Sodium retrofit bulbs do not have the longer life and higher light intensity of Standard High Pressure Sodium’s, but Metal Halide systems are cheaper and run at a slightly lower amperage than High Pressure Sodium ballast’s. Ideally, both a High Pressure Sodium and a Metal Halide should be used throughout the flowering cycle, however, Retrofits provide an economical alternative for the hobbyist when a distinct lighting source is required for flowering as opposed to another light source for flowering. Son T Agro Bulbs: Son T Agro Bulbs are a new development from Phillips. They run in 400 Watt High Pressure Sodium Control Gear, and they are basically a modified High Pressure Sodium Lamp with 30% more Blue light in it’s spectrum, making it the best lighting system for plant growth, with high energy reds to speed growth, and enough blue light to keep plants compact and healthy. With No Lamp change required when plants begin to flower, Son Agros are now the most popular growing system on the market. Son Agro Lighting sources are only 400 Watt, but are brighter than 400-Watt Metal Halides. PL90E fittings are used in Holland extensively, with Son T Agro Lamps. Holland’s use of Son T Agros represent the largest usage of lighting for commercial purposes in the world. (Consider growing plants in winter there. Sometimes the 4 hours they call daylight is not overcast, but not often. Without lighting, growing vegetables or flowers is quite difficult.) Used in the European PL 90 E Fixtures the coverage of the light is more than that of a 1000-Watt Metal Halide lamp in a normal Australian fitting. Mathematics tells you that Son T Agros at 400 Watts use only 40% of the power of the 1000-watt! Planta -T Lamps: To produce a lamp that matches the plant sensitivity curve, the Son T Agro was not quite high enough in the blue spectrum. This Osram Lamp is designed to match the plants requirements for an ideal light source, without reducing efficiency per watt. They are as bright as Son Agros, and High Pressure Sodium’s, but have more blue. Results under these lamps are excellent leaf production as well as good flower production. Ensure you have a good High Pressure Sodium Ballast, that is a high performance ballast. (Short or Long Stage Ignitors will not ignite a Planta T.) High Performance ballast’s, incidentally, will ignite lamps that will no longer ignite in normal ballast’s. Running costs: The running cost of anything running at 400 Watts is around 4 cents for every hour running (assuming a Kilowatt-hour is 10-11cents). If you examine your fan heater (usually 2400watts), Hairdryer (1200Watts), Air-conditioning (1500Watts), Pool Pumps (up to 1500watts) and other appliance wattages, you may be very surprised! With lighting, if a 12 hour day is used this is roughly three dollars a week. High Intensity discharge lights are therefore regarded to be more efficient (light intensity vs. wattage) than Fluorescent. (Considering Fluorescents are advertised for their energy efficiency) For a 1000-Watt light the costs are around 11 cents per lamp. (Figures based upon 11cents per kilowatt-hour) Greenhouse / Growroom sizes: I’d recommend placing lights two to three feet above the plants for optimum growth rates . At this height, a minimum of one 400 Watt per 1.5m x 1.5m or a minimum of one 1000 Watt per 2.5m x 2.5m to maintain the optimum growth rate. If a light is raised the growth rates slows. At four feet above the plants you should maintain a reasonable but slower growth rate, and the useful area should about double. When attempting to stretch the light source, it is difficult to say what the average would be as reflector type and plant types can affect the outcome. Use of a light meter would help your growroom design. I have used a PL90 E to light areas up to 3 meters by 2 Meters effectively with the running cost of only 400-Watts. Lighting Accessories: Light Rails move lights over the plants slowly to improve growth. These cost around the price of a lamp, but are very effective in making plants bushy, without growing straight up toward the light source. Reflective plastic (white and Black) is excellent for doing the same thing. You hang this plastic like a curtain to reflect the light back into the plant growth. NEVER use aluminium foil, or insulation foils, as these are designed to reflect heat, not light. These foils tend to affect the spectrum, and reflect less visible light, and keep your growroom too hot. Some mirror films and Mylar are okay, but only purchase it as is recommended by a Hydroponic Store. Ventilation: Ventilation is the key to a good growroom. If you do not have enough fresh air, and a suitable temperature, plants can suffocate. An exhaust fan, especially the steel ball bearing types are quiet and much more efficient than 10 of the budget ceiling fans. Ideally you should have a fan with an air exchange of 10 to 15 times the growroom size per hour. Remember, the more fresh air the better. Carbon Dioxide Enrichment systems are fine when a grower is experienced, but to a beginner they represent more problems than they are worth. Ask a Store for advice. The results of using lighting in an indoor environment are at least remarkable. The benefits of controlling a plants environment are numerous, and you should speak to your local Hydroponic Store about the results obtainable. NOTE FOR THOSE “ACQUIRING” LIGHTS FROM OTHER SOURCES THAN THOSE OF HYDROPONIC STORES….. The above is a GUIDE ONLY! When considering a Lighting System for plant growth it is important to ensure every consideration is taken into account, for example reflectors, burning position of bulbs, ballast’s etc. Many systems designed for lighting large areas have NO PLACE IN HORTICULTURE! They can BURN the leaves, reflectors may destroy the spectrum and cause unhealthy growth. If you come across other systems, describe them to a Hydroponic Store who will tell you if the system is suitable, or can be modified! PLEASE SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS FIRST! Controlling stages of growth under artificial lighting. This should only be used as a general guide. Ask your store if they have anything further to add. For the following, I have assumed that no sunlight will be used to supplement growth. 1. Seeds and Seedlings. All a seed needs to germinate is warmth and moisture. A seed has all the nutrients it needs in the husk of the seed. Generally, the medium used to germinate a seed must be well draining, but remain moist to the touch. Although moisture levels may vary for different varieties, the medium must not be too wet. The media is best described as not dry and never very wet. ( Other descriptions of moisture levels could be described as like a sponge used to wipe a counter. Not so wet as to leave water on the counter, but not so dry that it does not clean.) Once a seed has sprouted it is a good idea to give it some indirect light in preparation for its first leaves. ( Lighting should be Fluorescent close to the tops of the seedling or a Metal Halide / Son Agro about 1 meter from the seedlings ) The Seedling will sprout with small “false” leaves (cotyledons or seed leaves), but when the first true leaves appear it is a good indication that the seedling now has roots and you should apply nutrient from now on. For the first week, half strength nutrient can be applied. It should be noted that the first two weeks of life are critical. If a plant does not have a good start, then you can say generally that the plant will not grow to be an excellent plant. 2. The Vegetative Cycle. Once a seedling becomes a young plant, full strength nutrient should be used (On average 2 to 4 sets of true leaves is a young plant). Using a CF meter, adjust your nutrient to the correct strength for your crop. If you do not own a meter yet, mix nutrients according to pack directions. Your store should be able to provide you with specific crop directions. Metal Halide Lighting is the best light source to use at this point. Lamps should be 2 to 3 Feet from the tops of the plants. The Photoperiod or length of artificial daylight is best set at 18 Hours with a normal household timer. Other “day” lengths are discussed below. The rate of growth will gradually become faster; Young plants usually grow slower than they do when they become maturer. A Vegetable or flower that has been grown at 18 hours per day of HID lighting can be induced to flower/fruit as early as five weeks (approx) but better end results occur when the plants are eight weeks old or more before reducing the light hours. The plants are growing at such a rate that they give better results if their metabolic age and chronological ages have a chance to catch up on each other. It is during the vegetative stage that growers should take their cuttings or clones. For more detailed information on cloning, please consult our staff. 3. The Reproductive Cycle. The Light hours can be reduced to induce Flowering or Fruiting. Once the light hours are reduced to 12 Hours, ensure that the plants receive NO LIGHT at all during their dark 12 Hour “night”. Should you open a door to your growroom and allow light from a hallway light to enter the room during their 12 hour sleep, this will stress the plants by “waking” the plants up and putting them back to “sleep”. Stress is to be avoided at all stages of growth. This stress will slow the flowering process. Plants require less nitrogen during this cycle, and will consume more Phosphorus. There are two ways to combat this. Either increase the strength of your starter nutrient with a CF meter, or purchase one of the range of Bloom solutions/additives available. No one really understands why the red spectrum of light stimulates and increases the floral hormones of a plant, but the effect of an autumn sun is more in the red band of the light spectrum. What we do know is that during flowering, a High Pressure Sodium Lamp will add to your total flowers/fruit if used with a Metal Halide during this Cycle. Many Growers will run High Pressure Sodium during flowering alone, and this can still increase the crop significantly. It could be noted however; Metal Halides will be enough during the flowering and fruiting stage to produce good results. It is worthwhile to have High Pressure Sodium for the results are usually larger flowers and/or fruit and more numerous flowers/fruit, as well as significantly shorter flowering time. Son Agros are suitable during both growth and flowering stages. Flowers generally will be visible in one to four weeks. (If not, it is likely that the plants were stressed by poor ventilation, heat, cold, produced from poor cuttings or seedlings, were an offspring of a sickly variety of that plant type or were too young to be “flowered”.) From then it is only a matter of time for your plant to produce ripe fruit or fully form their flowers. Plants can be harvested and an 18 Hour Vegetative Cycle begun again. Whether your plant is better off started from seed, cutting, clone or re-cropped at this point cannot be generalised. Ask your store for advice. Other Options. A plant requires a minimum of 8 Hours lighting out of every 24 hours. But the light hours must be long enough to enable you to reduce them and create an artificial autumn. If 18 Hours is used, then a reduction to 12 hours will induce flowering and fruiting in most plants. This is done in order to induce flowering and/or fruiting with most plants where required. Obviously, you are not interested in flowering or fruiting Lettuce, because you are more interested in the leaves. With Chrysanthemums, or fruiting crops, you will require a shorter day length to induce the plant into its reproductive cycle. If you use 12 Hours for your initial cycle, then reduction to 8 Hours will result in Flowering. However, that the plants would take longer to grow to a point where flowering could take place, and flowering may take longer to come on. Should you have any problems, please do not hesitate to contact your local Hydroponic Store. It is through talking with them that they can help you get the most out of your garden. Besides, the advice is free. TIPS. 1. When assembling your light for the first time, screw the bulb in until it is finger tight, and then give it a little more of a twist to ensure a firm contact. After a week to two weeks, the contacts will have worn in, and could need a little more of a turn. 2. Many people use nylon rope to hang their lights. Ensure they do not contact the bulb and melt. I would recommend welded link chain. Unfortunately, these do not go through pulleys very well, but it can be easier to unhook the light and move it up a couple of links at a time. 3. Make sure your plants are well ventilated. A plant is 90% water and carbon. The only way a plant can take in Carbon is through the Carbon Dioxide in the air. If the Carbon Dioxide content in the garden is not replenished, plants will grow more slowly and could develop problems. 4. The optimum temperature of the growroom is between 22 and 25C and the optimum Humidity levels lie between 40% and 60% Relative Humidity. Generally, it may be difficult to obtain this range of temperature and humidity, however as a general rule, try to keep the room as close to the optimums and most plants will adapt themselves to their environment. Try to avoid sudden leaps of humidity or temperature as this may shock your plants. If you maintain the environment within the optimum ranges, you will see a much better growth rate. 5. Remember that Light is one of the most essential ingredients in plant growth. If poor growth occurs in any environment, 90% of problems relate to LIGHT, OXYGEN IN THE ROOT ZONE, pH (Acidity/Alkalinity), NUTRIENT STRENGTH, TEMPERATURE AND VENTILATION. Think about these factors as discussed at the start of this book. Guidelines for the Media used in Hydroponics. Media should be disease free. Media should not have any nutrient quality of its own, or the whole point of a balanced nutrient solution is lost. If the Media adds Calcium for example, how much, and does it change, and is it soluble? It’s best if we determine the nutritional balances for the plant not the media. Media must be pH stable, and reasonably inert. Media should be high in oxygen.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 11:42:20 +0000
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