At the local super market I saw a label that read “Hydroponically Grown” on a pack of tomatoes. I instantly had to purchase them to add to the salsa we were making that night. The
Hydroponic Tomatoes before Consumption
hydroponic tomatoes were very ripe. They were very tasty and seemed no different than a set of perfectly grown soil tomatoes. But how often do you see perfectly shaped soil grown tomatoes? There is nothing wrong with soil grown tomatoes, but I had to pay respect to the hydroponic farmers. Commercial hydroponic farming is very efficient and eco friendly.
Hydroponically grown food can use up less land space to grow more bountiful crops. Commercial hydroponic food production can be great in a green house. The greenhouse protects the hydroponic equipment from harsh outdoor conditions. Hydroponic greenhouses give growers the benefits of clean hydroponics with outdoor sun cycles. After all, the sun is the best grow light you can get!
Try your own taste test! If you find some hydroponic or organic tomatoes at the local market buy them both! You can also get other kinds of tomatoes and compare all the grows yourself. A lot of times the quality of the product depends more on the farmer than the style, so don’t let one comparison set your mind on one type of food production. Post your comments below on your experience with buying hydroponic tomatoes!
Many indoor gardeners are looking for organic pest control answers. Some growers forget about certain natural resources they should be using to help avoid pests. Natural pest guards are plants like garlic and fly eating plants. The indoor gardener faces a mini pest that is hard to detect and multiplies rapidly. The dreaded spider mite! Spider mites are indoor grower’s worst nightmare. General Hydroponics offers an OMRI listed pesticide that can kill spider mites. The solution can be used up to the day of harvest and can be sprayed on fruits and veggies.
I have played with Azamax myself to find if the residue would leave a taste on my harvest. The taste of Azamax will be left on your food depending on how you applied Azamax. If you can avoid bugs the last week of harvest you should be able to effectively rinse it out of the plant. Some growers use a final flush solution to clean their hydroponic plants. Mixing Azamax in the nutrient reservoir is effective for preventative pest control, and quick solutions. It is easy to put too much Azamax in your reservoir, but it is also easy to fix. Just add more plain water to your reservoir to help offset the percentage of Azamax.
Foliar applications are the quickest way to kill bugs using Azamax. I use 5ml Azamax per 2L of plain water for foliar applications. Using Azamax as an organic bug spray is very effective against spider mites. DO NOT WASTE YOUR SPRAYS! If you spray too much Azamax on your plants you will be left with a funky tasting food. The key is moderation and effective aiming. Mist the whole plant very lightly from a foot away to give it a spider mite shield. Directly spray the areas with the most spider mites. Spray the undersides of the leaves to kill hatching babies. Spider mites multiply very rapidly, but Azamax will slow down their reproduction. Azamax can affect the taste of your crop if you use too much. Follow the preventative pest control measures to move Azamax to your last resort.
Before harvest time spray your plants with plain water. Start spraying them 2 or 3 days before harvest to rinse off the Azamax residue. Don’t spray them under intense lighting because you will burn the leaves. Try feeding your plant only plain water right before harvest to flush the remaining Azamax. Finally dunk your crop in water as you cut it down to remove the rest of the dust, pests, and sprays.
Get General Hydroponics AzaMax at Amazon today to protect your indoor garden investment. You can also read customer reviews here.
Hydroponic Economics wants to know how your experience with Azamax has been! Kick off the conversation in the comments section below.
A good garden has places where water can drain away from the soil. Drainage mostly applies to container gardens and raised garden beds. The amount of drainage versus the growing medium’s ability to hold water are important ratios to consider when setting up a garden for a new plant. Some plants require a lot of moisture while others may need their containers to dry out in between waterings. The ratio the plant requires will determine the type of growing medium, the type of drip emitter to use, and how much to water the plant each day.
Holes are mandatory in the bottom of containers being used for plants in container gardens.
There are countless designs for containers featuring different types of drainage. The container on the left is a massive planter and just has a few large holes on the bottom. You would want to put some small rocks or hydroclay over these holes. Most gardeners cover the bottom of the container with rocks so soil won’t drain out with the water. I like soil less growing medium rocks that can be used in hydroponic systems for a similar purpose. Some plastic containers also feature side drainage holes. It really depends on what you prefer.
These plastic containers are small and drain through the bottom with many drain holes.
There are also containers that promote high oxygen levels in the root zone. Containers like Smart Pots have great drainage. Good drainage is key to maximizing the oxygen in the root zone. Smart pots can be used in soil and hydroponics gardens. They come in many sizes and can be used indoor or out. Economical gardeners favor them because they are high quality, highly productive, and washable. The Smart Pots can be re used or transplanted directly to the next pot or outdoor garden.
Smart pots are great containers for all types of gardeners.
Some reasons drainage is important:
Too much water is bad for your plants if they don’t need it.
Do everything you can to prevent mold and mildew.
Leaving water in the grow space can mean spills for indoor gardeners
Bugs and Pests love a little extra water potentially filled with nutrients or sugars.
Roots filled with too much water are being suffocated because they are not receiving enough oxygen
In the latest issue of Maximum Yield there was an article about high yields in tight spaces. The article is motivational for new gardeners who may be discouraged to start an indoor garden. A simple indoor garden can provide cheap organic food for a family. It’s economical and eco-friendly. The gardener knows exactly what is going into the food. The knowledge of the food’s growth can ensure there are no harmful chemicals or pesticides being used. Despite the food and agricultural industry’s best attempts to bring families clean food, sometimes there are contaminations. Think of all the times you have heard about major food recalls on the news. These kind of things seem to be fairly rare and random, but there are ways to protect your self.
“Ever consider container or vertical gardening? Container gardening is an intriguing option for anyone living in tight quarters, as they are compact and easy to move around. Indoor container gardening is a natural extension of an outdoor garden. Any size home is a great space that will accommodate all kinds of plants. ” – Aubree Gail Gagne
Read the rest of this great article at Maximum Yield.
Open ended 1/4 tubing provides the fastest rate of watering.
Automated gardens are the most efficient way to grow fruit and vegetables. An outdoor garden can still be automated because the sun is the light and you have no control over that. Watering and feeding can also be automated to ensure your plants are getting everything they need. Self-watering containers may be the only way to keep plants from drying up in the middle of a hot summer day. If temperatures are getting above 85F your plants are probably thirsty! It is too big of a hassle to hand water your plants all day to ensure they get what they need. You may not be there when they need the water and your plants should not rule your life. You may be making a homemade irrigation system to water your plants while you are on vacation, but when you return you will ask yourself, “Why don’t I always use an automated system?”
If you are new to drip systems you will want to read the Introduction to Drip Systems to get acquainted with the parts I’ll be discussing. For this project you’ll need:
As always, your first step is to plan out your container garden. Find the arrangement you want to use to maximize sunlight. Keep in mind that your tubing will have to reach from your reservoir to your container garden. The size of your water pump will
Look at the arrows - The half inch tube is spraying with plenty of force through two holes.
determine how much reach you have to play with. Don’t forget your water pump also has to power through your connections and drip emitters. Water pumps are one of the most expensive parts of the home made drip system, but they usually come with at least a one year warranty. Once you realize the productivity ratio of self-watering containers you will not want to go back to daily hand watering.
End clamps are an easy way to ensure your half inch tube is closedKink the tube at the end.
Put the end of the half inch tubing through one end of an end clamp and create a kink. Wrap the tube around the kink 2-3 times and thread the end through the other side of the end clamp. The result should be a closed off water proof end to create pressure throughout the drip system tubing.
half inch black vinyl tubing clamped at the end.
Put the other end of the 1/2 inch tubing on the end of the water pump.
Make sure the half inch tubing is on tight to prevent leaking and loss of pump power.
Once your pump is assembled you are ready to make your drip lines. Punch holes in the half inch tubing where you want your 1/4 inch drip lines to start. Don’t push through the vinyl or whatever material tubing you are using too hard or you will go through both ends and create a leak.
1/4 inch Drip Lines
There is a wide array of drip emitters you can choose from at your hydroponics shop. You can get inline or compensating drippers which are explained in more detail in the Introduction to Drip Systems guide I mentioned earlier. You can also get mini sprinklers and other types of emitters for different purposes. This system is built with compensating drip emitters because the half inch tube sits on the ground and the 1/4 inch tubes climb the length of the container.
T Connection bridging the main drip line to 2 drip emitters.Straight Connectors are used to connect the 1/4 inch tube to 1/2 inch tubeConnect your 1/4 inch drip lines to your 1/2 inch main line.
Put 1/4 inch straight connections on the end of the drip line with no drip emitter. The straight connector goes into the hole you made earlier in the half inch tubing. The connection is how water gets from your 1/2 inch main tube to your individual drip lines. Fewer connection bridges and fewer drip emitters means more power and further reach.
These drip lines are ready to be staked into their containers.
This is a lengthy guide for a homemade drip system, but bare with me and you’ll be on your way to irrigation freedom! Next step is to prepare your water reservoir. You’ll want to drill or burn a hole through the side of your reservoir to put the half inch tube through. If you just want your lid to sit on top of your reservoir that is fine, you can tape it down. Expect greater evaporation rates and contamination if you don’t use a sealed lid. Keep in mind a cleaner grow space is better grow space.
You will have to put the end of the half inch tube that is connected to your water pump through the hole before connecting the pump. The water pump will not fit through your 1/2 inch hole! This step is really easy using a drill with a 1/2 inch circle drill bit. If you are using plastic make sure you don’t crack the side of the reservoir. If it does crack easily you are probably using a material that is too weak to hold water for long periods of time.
I used a hose to fill the 14 gallons of this reservoir.
For this outdoor reservoir I bought a container that already had holes in the handle. Since it could rain in the area where the reservoir is it could fill with rain water and knock the lid off the top. You can drill your own drain holes with a simple drill bit if you are planning to use a container without them.
Once your water pump is in place and suctioned down to the bottom of your reservoir you are ready to add the aeration device. The air pump will oxygenate the reservoir and ensure the water keeps moving. Stagnant water can get pretty nasty and your plants love oxygen in the root zone. If you are unsure on how to set up an air pump check out my guide on installing air pumps in hydroponic systems.
I like to make sure my reservoirs have over flow holes so they cannot flood.
One thing you will probably not find at your local hydroponics shop is a cheap water proofed air pump. The lack of water proof air pumps seem to
A standard aquarium air pump will work fine. Different air stones will create different aeration patterns. Test different air stones to see what creates the best results.
discourage most hydroponics gardeners from using the natural sun. A smart do it yourself gardener can find a solution. You will need to get a plastic container of some sort that comes with a lid that seals tight. Poke a hole in that container near the top. Make sure the hole is just big enough for your electric plug and air tube to come through. I used a screwdriver to create a small crack for both things to go through.
A small crack in a food storage container.
Put the air tubing through the hole before you connect it to the air pump. You do not want the hole to be bigger than it has to be. A large container is safer because the hole can be higher off the ground and away from potential flooding. Do not put the hole through the lid of the container because rain will get into your electronics!
The electronic air pump is sealed in the container the cord and air stone are on the outside.
I placed the reservoir and water proofed air pump in a covered area with electrical outlets. I had to use extension cords to get the air pump to reach the outlet. I also needed a 3-prong extension cord for the water pump. The digital timer you use to automatically turn your water pump on and off also needs to be in a covered area where rain can’t get into the parts.
Novice gardeners – don’t get the idea air pumps are too complex or unnecessary for you. That’s your first mistake as a novice gardener! Automate your irrigation and add oxygen and whatever else the plants need. Reaching for 100% is how you get perfect plants! Click on the picture below to see what an air pump does.
Left: Before air pump || Right: After air pump is turned on
Your friends will be jealous when they see how “high tech” your garden is! Now that your reservoir is up and running you are ready to finish your automated drip system.
Position your containers so that all your drip lines reach your desired target.
Position your containers around the drip line so all the lines can reach their desired area. I use two drip emitters on most of these containers because they are three gallons and up. On 1 -2 gallon containers one drip emitter may cover the whole medium over a drip period of a few minutes. At the very least it will keep your plants alive while you are on vacation. Having a small drip cycle with outdoor plants will adjust for rain. Say you are gone for a week and it rains for three of those days. Those three days it was unnecessary for your drip system to run! It may have had a detrimental factor because of excessive watering. Make sure your containers have good drainage and choose your medium carefully. Well mixed growing mediums are key to ensuring your plan’ts success. Different plants benefit from different growing environments and growing mediums.
TIP: People who have been paying attention can skip this tip because they already realized from the article I suggested on Digital Timers, there is a way to automate their watering schedule. Some digital timers come with a day setting. The day setting will allow you to run your drip system every other day or in different intervals. You may want your drip system to run 3 times a day alternating with 1 time a day. If this tip is confusing you, come back to it later when you have worked with timer settings for your drip system.
1/4 inch hose split into two drip emitters for two container plants.
Compensating drip emitter in outdoor drip system for container gardens.Two drip emitters in a homemade container garden irrigation system.Different styles of drip systems and drip emitters can be used to find new ways to efficiently water and feed your container garden.Inline drip emitters can run through 1/4 inch tubing without ending the drip line. They also come in varying drip speeds.
Notice all the bubbles being created, it is hard to see, but there are actually multiple air stones in the reservoir. These plants are thriving in this system.
Virtually all hydroponic and aquaponic systems will require an air pump of some type. The nutrient reservoir must be oxygenated to maintain maximum efficiency. If you do not want perfect plants what are you doing here?
Setting up an air pump in your nutrient reservoir is really simple. I’ll outline the steps below.
1. Figure out the length of air tubing you need for the air stones to sit in the reservoir where you want them. Leave a little extra tubing- you don’t want too much because air loses power over distance.
2. Put a hole through the side of your reservoir if you want your lid to seal. Put the hole close to the top where water won’t spill out. The hole is where the air tubing goes through.
3. Put your air tubing through the hole you made before connecting the air pump or air stone.
4. Connect any T connectors you plan on using. T connectors connect two air lines together to aerate two separate stones. One large air pump can aerate many air stones in one reservoir or provide all the oxygen to many reservoirs. I use small air pumps for each reservoir so all my eggs aren’t in one basket. If one air pump aerates all the reservoirs and it malfunctions, all your reservoirs are donezo!
T connectors are used to bridge multiple air lines to the main air line.
5. Cut your air line before it meets each air stone to put in check valves. Check valves ensure you air pump does not siphon water in the event of power loss. Siphoned water into your air pump means a broken air pump.
Check Valves prevent water from being siphoned to your air pump.
6. Connect your air lines to your air stones and place them where you want them. I like heavier air stones that stay in place at the bottom of the reservoir. If you have multiple air stones, spread them out so your entire reservoir is oxygenated.
7.. Now is good time to hang your air pump if you plan to do so. Air pumps can be noisy and sometimes give off a loud vibration that gets really annoying. A hanging air pump should be a quiet air pump.
8. Connect the other end of your air tubing to the little connector coming out of the air pump. (shown below)
9. Plug in you air pump and oxygenate that reservoir!.
Hanging air pumps reduce noise by eliminating loud vibrations.Air pump connected to 1/4inch air tubing oxygenating a large nutrient reservoir.
A lot of indoor gardeners have trouble getting rid of bugs and insects in the grow room and around the house. The aroma of fresh fruit and blooming flowers attract swarms of bugs and insects. Chemical pest control is not always the best route, but it can provide a secure block around the house. I tried spraying Home Defense Max outside around the perimeter of my house. I also sprayed the cracks in all the doorways and windows. Next, I sprayed a line on the floor around the kitchen. I used the whole bottle around my house after two separate applications about a week apart. If you plan to use Home Defense Max around your grow room or grow box, I would remove your plants from the room before spraying the areas you want to protect. Once the spray drys out and the room airs out you are safe to put your plants back in.
The bug spray is a chemical type of spray with a weird scent. It was not overwhelming though in comparison to some other sprays. I wouldn’t keep this bottle around the children, but I also wouldn’t keep salmonella carrying roaches around either. Make sure to spray with enough time that the zone will not be bothered so it can dry and air out. Despite the chemicals in Home Defense Max- the product seemed to work very well. At the time of spraying I actually wiped out a bunch of bugs just hanging out in the spots I was spraying. Those bugs could have reproduced and made many more bugs. Catch bug infestations early and you will be glad you did. Ortho’s Home Defense Max will help you with your current bug problem and prevent you from having another one.
The cheapest pet snack I can think of is salad greens. Organic greens are a fun snack for your pets and are easy to grow. You can even feed your pets the weaker salad leaves that you were going to cut off anyway. Instead of throwing those extras in the compost or garbage disposal, toss them to your best pet friends! They will certainly appreciate the snack and gain the nutrients they need.
Fresh Greens on top of a guinea pig home.
If you have a lot of pets it is very easy to create a small container garden to provide fresh snacks for them. A small container garden is also very cheap and can be automated. An automated container garden for organic pet food is very economical and easy to set up. A small recirculating drip system can be built for about $30. Thirty dollars is a small price to pay for a garden system that will last years and provide many harvests of fresh greens. Assorted seed packs of salad mixes are very cheap($2-$5). One pack of seeds may last you a whole year depending on the rate you use them. You can’t get fresh organic pet food that you can trust at that price!
There are many manufacturers of organic and natural pet foods and it may be necessary to buy these for daily nutrition and feeding. Stay tuned- I’ll be posting a detailed guide on how to efficiently grow organic greens for your pets.
Check out Organic Authority for more information on the benefits of feeding your pets organic pet food.
Guinea Pig Enjoying Organic Pet foodGuinea Pig Finishing Organic Pet Food
Mother plants are essential for maintaining a continual propagation system. A strong mother plant is the first step to taking perfect cuttings. Weak cuttings turn into slow and sometimes weak plants. A weak clone is very susceptible to pest and disease problems. The plant is already under going immense stress and an unnoticed infestation can kill it. Here are 7 tips to keep your mother plants healthy and inevitably take stronger cuttings.
1. Trim off yellowing, brown, dried, wilted, and dead leaves – Dying leaves are a great place for bugs to hang out. Your mother plant may be wasting energy trying to save dying leaves. Cut your losses and focus the new growth.
Cut leaves like the yellow ones off. The leaf that is mostly green and brown and the tip is worth keeping on the plant. Trim the brown part and the plant will still utilize the leaf for energy.
2. Use small amounts of nutrients – Salt lock up and over-fertilization are the last thing you want for your beautiful mother plant.
3. Try Mother Plant nutrient formula – I have personally not tried this bio-organic formula, but I have heard it works pretty well. There seems to be a lot of buzz about it in the indoor gardening magazines.
4. Use a big container if you plan to take many clones from a large mother plant – Roots are a vital part of healthy vigorous growth. A dense root zone will allow your mother to recover from cuttings quicker. Bigger roots means bigger plants.
5. Water frequently – Use a drip system or hydroponic method to ensure your mother plant gets as much water as it needs.
6. Do not cut more than 20% of the healthy foliage at a time. Taking too many cuttings at a time can stress your mother plant. The plant should recover, but it may actually slow down growth because of the amount of energy it takes to recover. The plant needs leaves to catch sunlight for photosynthesis.
7. Watch Closely for bugs and pests – Use a magnifying glass to check your plants! You never know what you may find. Any small pest infestation on your plant will transfer to your clones and potentially your whole cloning system. If it makes to the next stage before you notice you may be dealing with a major infestation later on. Preventative pest control is the best pest control.
BONUS TIP: Do not keep mother plants with a disease or genetic disorder. It sounds prejudice, but they aren’t people. Diseased mothers can pass the disease on to the clones. The disease may not strike the plant until late in it’s lifetime. By this time it is too late and you have already wasted your resources. Not Hydroponic Economical… Keep the green thumbs up!
A large hydroponic system can use a lot of water. Most indoor gardeners are concerned about the environment and wan’t to reduce their carbon footprint. Growing your own food at home is a great way to be green. Gardeners don’t want to be consuming more than they have to because that would be completely counter productive. There are ways to get your water for free and recycle at the same time. You can use any sturdy food safe container that can withstand your area’s outdoor conditions as a reservoir for rainwater.
Depending on when it rains in your area you may need to plan to catch the rain water during its season. Collecting rainwater is easy and even though it may not cover all your water uses, it will certainly reduce the amount of water you pull from your city or well. You don’t have to be an indoor gardener to have uses for rain water, although you should run your water through a reverse osmosis system to make sure its clean. RO water is better gardeners anyway because you know exactly what you are putting in. If you would just like to go buy a water collection system your local hydroponics shop should have something you can use. The water barrels at the hydroponic store are usually 55 gallon barrels with a lid.
I plan to write a detailed guide in the near future on how to start your own homemade rain collection system. In the meantime, Hydroponic Economics will be accepting pictures of anyone else who has started a rainwater collection system. Send your pictures to mailbox@hydroponiceconomics.com and you may be featured on the website!
