Hydroponic and Organic Gardening

The reasons that make people turn to hydroponics are varied, but for most of us, it is the desire to have higher yielding crops. However, most people overlook some very fundamental factors that affect both the growth of plants and the quality that is produced. Some of these factors include the temperature of the grow room and root zone, and even distribution of light.

Temperature

Most plants cannot withstand high temperatures; both room and root zone temperatures have to be optimum, for the plants to produce high and quality yield. Hence, if temperatures in grow room are not properly managed, they lead to poor crop performance. Research has shown that temperatures above 90°F are unfavorable for most crops, since they lead to an increase in the rate of metabolism, which in turn increases the stress levels for other biological processes in the plants. A major cause of temperature increases in indoor gardens is the lighting system.

Hydroponics will require the use of artificial lighting; in the case of indoor gardens. In recent years, major technological strides have been made in designing specialized lighting for indoor growing. As a result, there are numerous lighting options available ranging from light bulbs, and lighting fixtures among other lighting systems. The most common lighting systems are High Pressure Sodium lights or HPS lighting, and High Intensity Discharge Lights also known as HID lights.

HPS and HID lights are very efficient in producing the high intensity lighting required by plants grown indoor gardens. However, they produce a lot of heat as a result of their high wattage. Since this heat is bound to adversely affect the plants, mechanisms have to be put in place to ensure that optimal temperatures are maintained within the grow rooms. Example of such temperature control mechanisms include the use of cooling fans, fixing the lighting systems at appropriate heights, and installing venting ducts with inbuilt exhaust fans.

Apart from the room temperature, the temperature of the root zone has to be optimal also, for the plant yield to increase. Root zone temperature is often ignored or forgotten, since the roots are normally not visible. The effects of root zone temperature are similar to those of the room temperature, whereby, it acts to increase or decrease the plant’s metabolic rate, if the temperature is too high or too low respectively. The root zone temperature is usually determined by the nutrient solution used for growing. The favorable temperatures for the growing solution should be between 68°F and 75°F. Temperatures below this range are likely to hinder the rate of absorption of nutrients by the root, whereas those above the range are likely to cause unnecessary strain due to increased metabolism.

Lighting

Lighting is the other important factor that affects the yield in hydroponic plants. High wattage lighting produces a brighter light intensity, and consequently a high the yield in plants. In addition, the lighting must be evenly distributed in order to increase efficiency. A hydroponic reflector is essential for even distribution of light, in the growing room.  Another important tool is a light meter, which measures the amount of light and its distribution within the room, at any given point in time.

Organic gardening is a form of green gardening that involves the use of water as a medium for planting as opposed to soil. In hydroponics organic gardening, the water is mixed with nutrients and exposed to the roots. This mineral nutrient solution can also be put in a medium for growing the plants. Perhaps one of the most important questions a hydroponics organic farmer will ask himself is what medium to use.

There is a myriad of organic  media to choose from; the hydroponics growing technique will help a farmer decide which medium to use. They all come with advantages and disadvantages. A common medium for hydroponics is using clay – expanded clay for that matter. the clay used for this medium is prepares by first shaping into pellets and then baking them at 2,190 °F (1,200 °C). Expanded clay is pH neutral inert and does not contain any nutrition. It is reusable; this means that it can be used for more than one planting season. However root matter can grow into the caly pellet themselves, compromising fresh plants.

A widely used medium is rock wool or mineral wool. It is made from basalt, molten rock spun into single filament fibers and bound into material that can support capillary action. Since it is made from rock, it is not susceptible to biodegrading. It however has been classified as a possible carcinogen.

Pozolannic lassenite is also used as material for organic farming.  Some farmers use coconut coir colonized with trichoderma bacteria, which stimulates roots to grow and also protects.  Coir’s water to air ratio ensures that it is not overwatered. Its high capacity for cation exchange means that unused nutrients and minerals can be stored and then released to the plants when it is required.

Several volcanic rocks are used as a medium for example pumice: a lightweight and porous rock. Perlite is a fusion of several volcanic rocks that is heated in super high temperatures until they morph into lightweight glass pebbles that are expanded. Perlite holds more water that air, and it is for this reason that some farmers mix it with soil so as to reduce soil density.

Sand and gravel are other media used by organic farmers. Sand is cheap and easy to get, it however does not hold water. Gravel on the other hand is easy to use, cheap, does not become waterlogged and is easy to keep clean.

Hydroponics derives from two Latin words: ‘hydro’ meaning water and ‘ponic’, which means labor. Hydroponics is a style of gardening where the medium for planting is water not soil. This form of planting has been used for centuries after scientists discovered that soil only acts as a reservoir for nutrients and that plants do not essentially need soil to grow.
There are two types of hydroponics organic gardening: one that is solution based, and another one that is medium based. In the solution style of hydroponics the roots do not require a solid medium to grow, it just needs the nutrient solution. There are several types of solution based cultures; they are differentiated by how the nutrients get to the plant. Read more »

Hydroponics is a Latin phrase, which means ‘working water’. In agriculture, hydroponics refers to a style of farming, whereby seeds or shoots are grown in water, instead of being grown in soil as is the norm. This form of growing has been in existence since the 17^th century, but since the beginning of the last century, it has become even more popular, especially with the advent of plastics. Hydroponics was made possible after it was discovered that soil merely acts as a reservoir for plant nutrients, and that plants do not essentially need soil to grow.
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