Hydroponics

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Hydroponics

• Modified by Georgia Agriculture Education Office
• June, 2002

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Hydroponics

• The growing of plants in a solution of nutrients
  necessary for plant growth, rather than directly
  in soil.

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Substrate

• the substance in which something takes root

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General Facts

• any plant can be grown in a hydroponics system
• almost any system will produce acceptable growth

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General Facts

• small scale is entirely different from the
  culture of several thousand plants
• has contributed much to understanding plant growth

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General Facts

• Very few commercial producers
• Most facilities are experimental, studying plant
  nutrition

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Different Names

• nutriculture
• solution culture
• slop culture
• gravel culture

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Requirements for home hydroponics

• best possible light
• humidity 50 or more
• day temp 75 degrees
• night temp 65 degrees

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Requirements for home hydroponics

• no need for special drainage system
• small scale, outstanding plants such as tomatoes,
  radishes, lettuce, carnations, roses, cabbage
  etc. produced

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Requirements for home hydroponics

• return is not sufficient for a hobbyist to earn a
  living.

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Facts about hydroponic growing

• plants dont do well unless all essential
  nutrients are available in reasonable amounts

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Facts about hydroponic growing

• 25 gallon container, minimum size for proper
  proportion of nutrients

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Facts about hydroponic growing

• the larger the particles in the substrate, the
  more often it must be watered.

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Commercial use

• very familiar with plants
• observation can determine temps and nutrient
  deficiency

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Commercial use

• to earn a reasonable living you must grow
  thousands of plants

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Commercial use

• minimum of 100,000 square feet is needed to break
  even financially

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Growers must know about plants

• most plants are very adaptive
• plants can take a lot of abuse

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Growers must know about plants

• plants require a minimum amount of water, food,
  vitamins, sleep and proper temps.

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Growers must know about plants

• each species has its own requirements for maximum
  growth

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Media

• almost any inert material may be used as a
  substrate
• substrate must not decompose or be too fine

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Media

• River washed gravel is competitive in price with
  soil mixtures
• aeration of roots is necessary

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Various Media Types

• rock
• volcanic ash
• vermiculite - heated mica
• perlite - exploded volcanic rock 1800 degrees F.

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Various Media Types

• peat moss
• granite or sand
• idealite - concrete aggregate
• water

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Watering

• frequency depends upon media
• each time a hydroponics system is replanted,
  roots will be left, this increases water holding
  capacity

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Conventional Irrigation

• flooding
• flood tray until water appears at surface
• perforated tube is used to fill and drain media
  as needed

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Flooding

• nutrient solution is pumped back and tray is
  flooded again

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Disadv. Of Flooding

• nutrient solution can become unbalanced
• bacteria and disease can be spread

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Peripheral Gates

• nutrient solution applied and allowed to drain
  away
• non recirculating system
• no storage tank

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Peripheral Gates

• bacteria and diseases are drained away
• solution is sprayed on

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Disadv. Of Peripheral

• more expensive, solution is not reused
• spraying can cause spread of disease by splashing

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Ooze Tube System

• drip holes in double tube
• no splashes
• Disadvantages most expensive

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Facts about nutrients

• all plants require certain basic elements
• if nutrients are missing poor growth may result

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Facts about nutrients

• plants need more of the major elements
• any deficiency is rapidly apparent

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Facts about nutrients

• trace minerals are often present in tap water in
  sufficient amounts.

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Major Elements in a basic solution

• Ca - Calcium
• K - Potassium
• N - Nitrogen
• P - Phosphorous
• Mg - Magnesium

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Minor Elements

• Mn - Manganese
• S - Sulfur
• Cu - Copper
• B - boron

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Minor Elements

• Fe - Iron
• Zn - Zinc
• Mo - Molybdenum

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Recommendations

• If less than 25 gallons of nutrient solution is
  needed, purchase a commercial preparation
• Get a scale that can weigh to less than 0.01 oz.

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Diatomaceous Earth

• Skeletons of diatoms
• dried and used as a filter