http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/summer-growing-tips-for-the-hydroponic-garden.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/summer-growing-tips-for-the-hydroponic-garden.html Thu, 28 May 2009 23:30:46 -0500 Tips for Growing Plants in Summer
Here are some tips to make your plants comfortable in summer and ensure their active growth using hydroponics:
Space: In summer, you may feel the need to bring your plants indoors especially if they are sensitive to the high temperatures. When growing plants indoors, it is better to invest in a grow room, which has been designed and tested to accommodate plants in an indoor setting without compromising on their growth.
Heat: It is important to keep track of the temperature in your garden to ensure that your plants are not subjected to excessive heat. The temperature in the garden should vary from 70 to 80 ˚F and night temperatures should be a few degrees lower than daytime temperatures. For indoor gardens, light cooling kits can reduce the amount of heat produced by grow lights and thus keep grow room temperatures down.
Air circulation: Proper air supply is essential to keeping plants healthy. An oscillating fan is a good option to ensure adequate air circulation in the garden. Oscillating fans are easily mounted on walls and their blades distribute a cooling breeze throughout the room. Other air circulation options are Active Air blowers and axial fans.
Pests: Summer is boom time for insects. This is the season for them to breed and thrive by feeding on plants. There are many pest control products that can keep your garden pest-free. Some of the pest control products available are sticky traps, diatomaceous earth, insecticidal soaps, etc.
It is important for you to monitor your plants' health and growth progress. The only way to do this is to examine them on a regular basis. A healthy plant will constantly sprout new shoots and have a nice rich color.

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Ryan Karl is an expert horticulturist who writes extensively on gardening topics. He is especially interested in all aspects of hydroponics, or the science of soilless gardening.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/indoor-grow-light-tips-for-the-hydroponic-garden.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/indoor-grow-light-tips-for-the-hydroponic-garden.html Tue, 19 May 2009 02:03:26 -0500 lighting system for your needs:


High Intensity Discharge Lights


High intensity discharge lights or HIDs are electrical lights that are highly efficient. Depending on the spectrum of light they produce, they are classified into two types, i.e. metal halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS). While MH lights provide light in the blue spectrum, which promotes leaf and shoot growth, HPS indoor grow lights are more suitable for flowering, as they emit red or orange light. Here are some tips to maximize the benefits of HID lights:


• Use MH lights for 18-24 hours daily to promote growth. HPS lights generally run for around 12 hours per day, to ensure optimum flowering and fruiting.

• HID lights should be positioned slightly away from the plants so that the plants are not exposed to the heat that the lights generate. Small systems (up to 250 watts) should be hung 1-2 feet away, while large lighting systems (over 1000 watts) need to be fitted at least 2 feet away from the plants. Using air cooled lights will allow you to keep the lights closer to the plant canopies thereby giving your plants a higher lumen output.



Other Light Sources


Apart from HID lights, there are many other indoor grow lights available for hydroponic gardens. Full spectrum T-5 fluorescent grow lights produce high light output and generate less heat, making them ideal for young plants and shade-loving plant varieties. Incandescent grow lights are cheap but ineffective as far as light output is concerned. A newer light source that is now available is the light emitting diode (LED) light. Although advertised as highly efficient, it has not yet been proven to outperform currently available indoor grow lights.

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Ryan Karl is an expert horticulturist who writes extensively on gardening topics. He is especially interested in all aspects of hydroponics, or the science of soilless gardening.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/how-to-use-hydroponic-growing-systems.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/how-to-use-hydroponic-growing-systems.html Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:06:50 -0600 hydroponic growing system depends on the type of plants, the scale of the growing unit, and the expense and time that the grower is ready to invest. Described below are some hydroponic growing systems:

Wick system. This is the most basic hydroponic growing system. It makes use of an absorbent 'wick' such as a nylon rope suspended between the growing medium of the plants and a reservoir of nutrient solution. The wick draws in nutrients based on how soon the plants absorb it. A suitably absorbent medium is needed for this system such as a combination of perlite with either vermiculite or coconut coir. This system can be built using simple materials at home and is ideal for hobby growers having few plants.

Reservoir system. This is another simple hydroponic growing system that is somewhat more advanced. Instead of a wick, the plant containers are directly placed in the reservoir of nutrient solution. An air pump is used to keep the nutrient solution aerated with oxygen. This system can be used with mediums having limited absorbing properties, such as volcanic chips or clay pellets combined with vermiculite. This system is inexpensive to set up and easy to maintain, but may lead to a root rot situation as the plants are always submerged in the water so much aeration is required for the reservoir full of water.

Flood and drain system. In this system, the plant container is separated from the nutrient reservoir below. A pump attached to a timer is used to periodically draw up the solution into the plant container and flood the roots before being drained out. It is important to set the flood drain cycle to suit the growing medium. Less absorbent mediums, such as clay pellets or perlite, may require flooding for 5 minutes, 10 times a day. More absorbent mediums, such as rockwool, will require less flooding. This popular hydroponic growing system is used by both hobby and professional growers. It can easily be built at home at little cost.

Drip system. In this hydroponic growing system, the nutrient solution is fed to plants from above using thin tubes. The flow is controlled using different emitters. More absorbent mediums require a slower drip as compared to less absorbent ones. This is an advanced system that can serve the needs of the serious hobby and commercial grower. It cannot be used with organic nutrients that can clog the emitters.

The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). This hydroponic growing system involves using a running thin stream of nutrient solution flowing through the plant roots. This system is good for larger growing units and can easily be set up at home. However, it is only ideal for plants with a root system that is large enough to benefit from the flowing stream.

Aeroponic system. In this hydroponics growing system, the roots of the plants grow in the air, suspended above a reservoir containing the nutrient solution. A pump is used to spray the roots through tubes with a fine mist of oxygenated solution. While it is an excellent system for advanced hydroponic gardening, it requires the most attention. Also, it requires regular maintenance. As with the drip system, it cannot be used with organic nutrients.


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Ryan Karl is an expert horticulturist who writes extensively on gardening topics. He is especially interested in all aspects of hydroponics, or the science of soilless gardening.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/quality-growing-by-additives-and-stimulants.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/quality-growing-by-additives-and-stimulants.html Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:24:29 -0600 What Are Additives and Stimulants Used for?
Additives and stimulants are available for a variety of purposes, be it ensuring better blooms or growing longer branches. Some additives are used to improve the plant's tolerance to drought and heat. Others may help to leach off excess salt in the nutrient reservoir at the end of the fruiting and flowering cycle.

Most of these products are organic or natural. Some are made from plant extracts such as GreenFuse or a mixture of marine, microbial, and mineral extracts as in Floralicious.

Here's a look at some of the important additives and stimulants.

1. Phosphorus
Phosphorus, in the form of phosphates helps the plant in photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, cell division, and several other vital processes. Plants with sufficient phosphorus mature earlier. Phosphates along with growth enhancers are known to produce better blooms, lush growth, and stronger roots.

To get quicker results, use a well-known brand such as Grotek Monster Bloom and Grow, which is very popular among hydroponics enthusiasts. Alternatively, you can use a combination product such as additives from Canna.

2. Amino Acids and Carbohydrates
While plants synthesize amino acids and compounds naturally, adding these compounds increases yield and improves the overall health of plants. These compounds help plants to overcome stress during critical growth conditions such as fruiting and flowering. Some amino acids are known to have a chelating effect, which simply means that they help the plants absorb and transport nutrients. For professional growers, using a tested solution such as SugarDaddy is a must to get better flowers and fruits. Another well-known brand that you can try is Sweet.

3. Magnesium
For lush green leaves, you need to add magnesium from time to time. After all, magnesium is a component of chlorophyll, the substance that plants use to prepare their own food. Limited magnesium can lead to yellow older leaves. Many hydroponics enthusiasts use products such as MagiCal that combine magnesium with calcium, another vital nutrient, to achieve better results.

4. Hormones and Vitamins
Hormones and other substances affect the plant's time of flowering, seed growth, leaf formation, longevity, and fruit development and ripening. These essential hormones and stimulants are used by plants only at specific stages. However, unlike animals, plants lack the glands to secrete hormones. Hence, it becomes necessary to externally add these substances to get better yields. Well-known brands include Nitrozime and Superthrive.



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Hormones, Additives & Stimulants help to boost the plant's immunity, remove excess nutrient salt and increase the lifespan.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/ballast-for-hydroponics-growing.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/ballast-for-hydroponics-growing.html Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Why Digital Ballasts

Earlier ballasts consisted of resistors, which is an inefficient way to control current, as it leads to loss of electricity. Modern digital ballasts limit current flow without wasting electricity. They also help to extend the lifespan of grow lights. Moreover, they help to reduce flickering, a common feature in older ballasts. Also, the performance of most conventional magnetic ballasts worsens after few years of operation, while digital ballasts provide a consistent lumen output and efficiency over its lifetime. As a bonus, digital ballasts offer noise-free operation and less startup time, or the time required to achieve full brightness.


Factors to Consider While Buying a Digital Ballast

The most important factor to consider is efficacy, which is measured in Watts / Light output. Another important factor in hydroponics is heating. A ballast that emits a lot of heat will affect the temperature of your growing environment. Some ballasts may include a fan for cooling, but these are known to have a high failure rate. A good ballast should also switch off automatically in case of a short circuit. For best performance, always opt for known and tested products for your indoor growing environment.


Ballasts for Indoor Gardening

If you are growing plants the hydroponic way, you will often use either metal halide (MH) or high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps or both. Consider buying a ballast that is versatile enough to power both types, such as the Dual ballast by Lumatek. Lumatek digital ballasts are well-known in the hydroponics industry for their efficient performance. Other well-known brands include Maverick and Xtrasun.


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Modern digital ballasts limit current flow without wasting electricity. They also help to extend the lifespan of grow lights.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/best-ways-to-use-hydroponic-grow-lights.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/best-ways-to-use-hydroponic-grow-lights.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Light is one such important factor. Plants require light for photosynthesis i.e. the process by which they manufacture their own food. Hydroponic grow lights such as HID (high intensity discharge) lamps—including metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps, fluorescent lamps, and LED (light-emitting diode) lamps are some of the available artificial light sources.

These are some tips to help you get the best from your hydroponic grow lights:

1. Match knowledgeably. Select hydroponic grow lights to suit your requirements. You can do this by researching different options to find out their ideal application. For example, while metal halide lamps support robust growth in plants, high pressure sodium will help your plants to produce quality flowers.
2. Plan properly. For best results, include lighting plans in the overall layout of your unit. This will enable you to install hydroponic grow lights to your best advantage. For instance, fluorescent lamps, which give out little heat, can be placed much closer to your plants than HID lamps. Also ensure safety by keeping ballasts, lamps, and wiring away from water.
3. Use wisely. Keeping your hydroponic grow lights on twenty-four hours a day will inflate your power bills without doing your plants any good. Ideally, your plants should be exposed to light for up to about eighteen hours a day.
4. Maintain regularly. Service your hydroponic grow lights at regular intervals to ensure a longer working life and to prevent accidents.
5. Monitor continually. Assess the results you are getting to determine scope for improvements. Don't hesitate to experiment with different types of lights or lighting cycles.

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Hydroponic grow lights such as HID (high intensity discharge) lamps—including metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps, fluorescent lamps, and LED (light-emitting diode) lamps are some of the available artificial light sources.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/setting-up-grow-lights-in-hydroponics.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/setting-up-grow-lights-in-hydroponics.html Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 What are grow lights?


Grow lights are lamps that mimic outdoor lighting conditions in an indoor setting. These lights emit light in the same electromagnetic spectrum or wavelength as that emitted by sunlight. Most grow lights available emit light of a particular wavelength only since plants rely on different wavelengths at different stages of growth. For example, light in the blue spectrum promotes vegetative growth while flowering and fruiting relies on the red spectrum of light.



How are grow lights used?


Grow lights have a wide range of uses, both domestically and industrially. To maximize the efficiency of the lights though, it is necessary to install reflectors as part of the lighting system. The most commonly used reflector is a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) sheet painted white on the inner side for reflective purposes and black on the outer side to prevent fungal growth. Other reflectors used are white paint containing titanium dioxide, or special reflective substances like Mylar, Astrofoil, and Foylon.


Another way to obtain maximum light is to set-up grow lights as close as possible to the plants. The disadvantage of doing so is that the plants also receive excess heat produced by the lighting system and may get damaged by it.



What are the different types of grow lights available?


Many different types of grow lights are available. The choice of lighting system will largely depend on the lighting needs of the plant itself. The preferred systems for most plants are high intensity discharge (HID) lights like metal halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS) systems. Other popular lighting systems make use of incandescent, fluorescent or LED (light-emitting diode) grow lights.


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Ryan Karl is an expert horticulturist who writes extensively on gardening topics. He is especially interested in all aspects of hydroponics, grow lights, or the science of soilless gardening

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/an-introduction-to-hydroponics-and-hydroponic-systems.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/an-introduction-to-hydroponics-and-hydroponic-systems.html Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 How does a hydroponic system work?

In a hydroponic system, a soil-free medium is used to keep the plant in place. Options for this medium include sand, stone, or fiber. Because these are porous, they enable the absorption of air and water, which is required for plants to grow.


Typically in a hydroponic system, nutrition is efficiently directed to the roots of the plants. Thus, there is no need for the plant to expend its energy in developing long roots. As long as they are exposed to light, hydroponic plants will flourish.


What are the different types of hydroponic systems?

There are six different types of hydroponic systems. A brief description of each is given below:


Wick System

This is the simplest of the hydroponic systems. A rich nutrient solution is pulled into the growing medium with a wick. Coconut fiber, vermiculite, perlite, and pro-mix are used as growing mediums. This system works best with smaller plants because the wick can only supply a limited amount of water.


Water Culture

This hydroponic system consists of a styrofoam platform that holds the plants, while floating on a nutrient solution. Nutrients and oxygen are filtered to the plants' roots by an air pump. This hydroponic system works best for plants which thrive on water, such as leaf lettuce. As with the wick system, the water culture system is not ideal for larger plants that require a more efficient feeding cycle.


Ebb and Flow

The ebb and flow system operates by temporarily flooding the plant's grow tray with the nutrient solution and then letting it flow back into the nutrient reservoir. The cycle is controlled by a pump that is activated by a timer. This hydroponic system is more versatile than the previous two.


Drip System

This hydroponic system is widely used because it involves a simple operation. A timer is used to turn on a submerged pump that enables the nutrient solution to reach the plant via a thin drip. A recovery drip system recycles excess solution that is not absorbed by the plant; a non-recovery system allows this to go waste.


Nutrient Film Technique

This technique uses a constant flow of food so no timer is used. A tube is used to pump the nutrient solution into a tray where it can be absorbed by the plants' roots. Any solution that is not absorbed automatically flows back into the reservoir. Typically, the plant is placed in a basket whereby the roots can hang freely into the solution. No other growing medium is required.


Aeroponics

The technology involved makes this the most complicated of the hydroponic systems. No medium is used as the roots grow in air, but are misted with a nutrient solution according to a precisely timed schedule every few minutes. The misting cycles need to be monitored to avoid the roots drying out.



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Ryan Karl is an expert horticulturist who writes extensively on gardening topics. He is especially interested in all aspects of hydroponics, or the science of soilless gardening.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/lighting-in-hydroponic-gardening.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/lighting-in-hydroponic-gardening.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 hydroponics gardening. Adequate indoor lighting is essential for plants to produce food and to survive. Lighting is the first thing that is taken into consideration when starting an indoor garden. The amount of light that is naturally available or that can be supplied by artificial means, determines which plants are ideal for an indoor garden.


The amount of light entering any part of the house would vary from one location to another. The surroundings of the house such as trees, roof over hangings affect the amount of light entering through a window. A light meter that provides measures of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) should be used to calculate the amount of light falling through the window. Plants require 400 and 700 nanometers for photosynthesis and chlorophyll production.


Artificial lights for plants can be provided by using a variety of bulbs. These include incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, fluorescent lamps, HID lamps and plant growth lights. These bulbs are ideal for plants that have limited natural light.


Incandescent and halogen light bulbs are known to produce more red spectrum light. These bulbs should be placed about one foot over the plant. This is not a grow light but is ideal for plants with low light requirements. A normal incandescent bulb is considered to be inefficient in terms of energy consumed and the amount of light generated.


Halogen bulbs have a color temperature of 3000K giving it a whitish light. These lights can be used to supplement a lighting system that is deficient in red spectrum light. Horticulturists should opt for low voltage halogen bulbs to use in track lighting systems. These are 12V bulbs which can complement a fluorescent bulb setup.


Fluorescent bulbs are a cost effective solution offering four times the light of an incandescent bulb per unit of electricity. Though there are a number of fluorescent bulbs available to the general public only few of them are applicable to aiding plant growth. These are plant growth, industrial, daylight, full spectrum (which imitates natural light), actinic, tri-phosphor, special purpose and High Output / Very High Output bulbs. The ideal size of bulb for plant growth is the T12 four foot length tube. These bulbs fit the gap between cost and quality.


High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs are another solution for illuminating an indoor garden. These bulbs are very large and draw a large amount of energy. These bulbs require an additional fan to cool down due to the large amount of heat that they produce. These lights are ideal for flowering plants as the light source mimics sunlight. These lights require a ballast box to regulate the amount of electricity going to the light.


If additional lighting is not possible, the best choice for an indoor garden is plants with medium to low light requirements. Plants such as Boston fern, Philodendrons, etc are ideal.




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Indoor Hydroponic Gardening | Hydroponic Gardening systems - Hydroponic gardening is a better alternative indoor gardening process. Hydroponic indoor gardening uses hydroponic systems to grow plants in an inert soil-free medium like water, fiber, sand or stone, may be used to anchor the roots.

Know more about lighting in hydroponic gardening and different types of lighting products visit www.hydroasis.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/all-about-indoor-gardening-easy-indoor-growing.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/all-about-indoor-gardening-easy-indoor-growing.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 hydroponics, which is a soilless growing technique or by using suitable techniques for conventional geoponics (growing in soil). Irrespective of the method you choose, you can even make your indoor garden yield better results than a comparable conventional outdoor garden with less effort and in less time.



For successfully using Easy Indoor Growing techniques you need to understand five essential aspects of plant growth such as lighting, nutrition etc. These need to be considered and properly provided for during the planning stage, if you want to ensure adequate returns on the time and effort you put in. The five essentials are:

• Lighting

• Environmental Control

• Propagation

• Cultivation

• Nutrition



Lighting

In the majority of cases, while gardening outdoors, you don’t have to consider lighting because the proper light balance and intensity for healthy growth is taken care of by the natural patterns of seasonal and diurnal changes. Your plants sense and respond to these changes and grow in accordance with the natural life cycle progression. When growing indoors you need to properly design the lighting system to provide this vital input for accomplishing the same task.


Environmental Control – Air Circulation

If you want to grow healthy indoor plants you can’t afford to neglect air circulation. An adequate supply of fresh air is vital for plant growth as important plant processes depend on exchange of gases between the leaves and the atmosphere. These processes will be impeded in the absence of fresh air. A continual supply of fresh air will help your plants grow strong and healthy.


Propagation - Starting Stages

Provided you have got all support systems in place, you can start off with seed, a cutting from an existing plant or a pre-started plant. If you plan your garden keeping in mind the stage of the plant life cycle you want to start with, you will be in a better position to take care of all the inputs your plants will need at different times in its life cycle.



Cultivation - Hydroponics or Soil?

In hydroponics or soil-less gardening, the plant is supplied nutrients mixed with water. With these nutrients the plant grows much faster resulting in larger yields than in conventional gardening. Plants grown in soil need to be provided a container that is large enough to sustain growth. The rule of thumb is to provide for the larger of the two -one gallon of soil per foot of plant growth or one gallon per month of growth. You may need to do a little research to decide which method will best suit your preferences considering your budget, the amount of time and effort you can devote etc.


Nutrition

Providing the right nutrients at different stages of the plant life-cycle is important. During the vegetative phase, plants that put out heavy vegetation need larger amounts of nitrogen. On the other hand, during fruiting time they need a high phosphorous mix. An abundant supply of trace elements is vital for plant growth in indoor gardening. Select trace elements rich nutrients to meet the unique demands of plants grown in containers.




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Easy Indoor Growing, hydroponic products

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>