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.