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Check out some of my recent Hydroponic projects:
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/District/9046/hydro/cloner.htm
Very cool. Hydroponics don't get any simpler than that.
how do i germinate seeds in rockwool
Any rockwool freaks out their that can help him. I don't use the stuff.
Germinating seeds in Rockwool.
I am just a beginner, but here's what I've done so far: Soak your seeds in water overnight, then plant two seeds where you want one to grow. I just poke 'em down into the rw, then immerse the cubes in a half-strength solution of nutrient. I happen to be using "Ionic" or something, don't know if it's the best, but I started some cukes, toms and peppers Thursday and the cukes are now sprouting above the cubes under a cool flourescent that's on a timer 16 hours a day. I figure I'll let them grow about 4 or 5 inches and transplant them to a homemade deep water culture thing similiar to the "Emily's Garden".
Good Luck Hydro-friends. Erik - ehoover@netdotcom.com
To the person who asked about germination in rockwool cubes -
It's quite simple and works faster than any other method I've tried.
You'll want to have the following for the best success:
seedling tray with humidity dome
PH up and PH down
heating pad
Olivia's cutting solution
1) Prepare a weak nutrient solution with 3/4 cup of Olivia's per gallon of water and adjust the PH to 5.5 and soak your rockwool cubes in them for 24 hours in the seedling tray...
2) After 24 hours your PH should be about 6.3 and your TDS PPM between 300-500...drain ALL the excess solution back into another container, there should be no standing water in your seedling tray. Turn on the heating pad and place under tray, drop your seeds in the cubes (make sure they are situated the right way so the root will point down when the seeds open) and put the humidity dome on.
3) Make SURE that when the MAJORITY of your seeds have popped and are poking out the top, you MUST take the humidity dome off
If your seeds are good, they should pop in two days and sometimes even overnight. I just put 40 seeds down this way and had 100 percent success rate. Hope this helps, cheers!
how would soda effect the growth of the tomatoes instead of water?
The carbonation in the soda enhances the tomatoes so much that it forces the tomatoes to grow bigger than with water. Plus your tomatoes will taste like Pepsi. Let us know how it works.
New to hydroponics! In fact my cukes are sprouting under some cool fluorescents as I type this.
My question is has anyone experimented with using a warm-mist humidifier, like the kind you'll find in the baby health section of Wal-Mart, to add the necessary humidity and warmth to tomato plants grown in an indoor greenhouse??
Great site and helpful BB! Erik Hoover Warren, Ohio ehoover@netdotcom.com
Hi Erik
I liked your site also, especially the portable greenhouses. Members might want
to check out this 10'
X 10' backyard greenhouse for $359.99
The warmth part is OK but the mist humidifier invites mold born deceases.
Thanks for the compliment, Ron. And thanks for tip about mold, I hadn't thought of that. One more stupid (?) question. Will one or two, 125 watt grow bulbs (incandescent, like you can buy at Home Depot for 6 bucks) be sufficient for the growth and bloom stages for vining vegetables like tomatoes and cukes? I'm assuming not, but just trying to stretch the budget before my wifey goes ballistic with my hobby expenditures! ;) As soon as my sprouts are fully opened and almost ready to transplant, I will post some pictures and narrative on my site for the viewers of this site to comment on. Again, thanks for the helpful reply!
Erik Hoover ehoover@netdotcom.com
Sorry but incandescents are only good for the first couple of weeks of growth. You will have to add more lumens to grow successfully indoors.
Can you grow tomatoes in a continuous flow of solution? Our school has such a system, the pump pumps the solution into the upper end and the solution flows down the pipe into a tank. If so can you start the seeds in this system using a type of sponge block?
The system is called NFT and you use rockwool cubes to start your seeds.
For the person asking about growing tomatoes in a "continuous flow of solution". My first grow with hydro is in such a system and I have a virtual salad bar growing in a spare room. It is a 40 plant set-up made with 4" pvc pipe. If you want to grow several large tomato plants, you should probably have something larger than 4". I plan on building another with 6" pipe for the larger plants, tomato, pepper, okra, etc. I started my seeds in a wet paper towel folded up inside a sandwich bag. Then just put them in the cups so that they stay moist, and off they went. Although new at hydro, I'll be glad to help any way I can. Mail me... Righthere@deathsdoor.com
Re: Recent hydroponic projects
Great page!
My first attempt was using a 4" pipe system and 3"
net pots in a ebb & flow system, but I discarded
the idea because of roots clogging the pipes.
I've also tried other systems, too many to list
again, but you can seamy history by reading all the
posts here.
Presently, I'm trying a system where I'm using a 20 gal. sterlite box
and 32 oz. cups with tomatoes. I'm top feeding the plants using a circulating pump and a airstone in the tank. The cups
are NOT immersed in the nutrient, but the roots do hang down and are in the nutrient. So far, so good, I have many fruit and the plants are really healthy.
I might suggest that instead of fabricating the tank out of foam, you check at Home Depot for a concrete mixing tub that is generally the same dimensions of your fabricated tank, only it's 6" deep. Cost is about $3.50. I'm going to use one for a floating lettuce/spinach tray this winter to see how I do. By next spring, I will use them to make a constant flow system with a foam lid and holes for the 32 oz. cups.
Tailwheel
What is the ratio of space required for hydroponic or even aeroponics cultivation as compared to traditional outdoor gardening??
It has been proven that 2000 square feet of outdoor garden space is able to produce 700 lbs of fruits and vegetables in one year (if done just right). If this is so, how much space does it require to produce the same amount of produce using hydroponics and aeroponics. This can be a general number or ratio because we are not talking about any specific crop. This might be easier to answer than the last posting. Thanks!!
Please e-mail answers back to me at daa1@ra.msstate.edu ASAP Thanks!!
Daniel Ashworth, Jr.
About the same space. The benefit comes by the fruit finishing sooner and more weight.
To anyone interested, I've ran up upon a place that has very reasonably priced equipment and especially lighting. I saved $100 on my light!!!! DON.
http://www.igcusa.com/index.htm
Hey Ron! I was looking for what the solution was you use for hydroponics and I clicked on your link but it did not work. So I was wondering if you could tell it or maybe fix that link. Thanks
I use Formula One when I can afford it and I am using a commercial mix this year in my greenhouse.
Thanks for the tip on incandescent lights. I splurged and bought a 400W MH from a growing friend. He has it mounted in a 6 foot tall Rubbermaid tool cabinet with a switched fan. Boy, what a difference there is in the light intensity.
He also gave me a nutrient drip bag, like the kind used in the medical field. He said to fill it with vinegar and let it drip about once a second into a coffee can with baking soda. I guess this will produce enough CO2 for the area. Any thoughts on this Ron? Will it work? I'm concerned about creating too much CO2 in my basement and it harming my most precious living things, my 2 boys.....
Erik - ehoover@netdotcom.com
co2 has to get pretty high to be toxic to people. With your drip method or even bottle co2 you don't have to worry but watch out with those co2 generators that burn gas in small spaces.
When using a nft system, how much water should flow around the rockwool that have the seeds in them?
Has anyone ever used aqua cubes in place of rock wool? If so what is the best way to start tomato seed using them. I will be using a nft system.
If you are germinating seeds in rockwool, in an nft system, you can just water the rockwool until the roots reach the nutrient stream. I use a modified nft system, and i have always preferred to germinate my seeds and then transfer them to the system.
hi i was wondering how long should the clones remain on the grow cycle and then how long until they are ready to pull out? and also can i grow two different types of plants in the same pots?
I'm considering making a hanging garden made of either 4 inch round pvc or 5 inch square plastic fence post. I want to suspend the highest piece about 12 inches below the fascia board of my home and hang another segment about 24 inches below that one and until there are a total of 3 segment. The pvc/fense post will each be 8 foot long.
I want to install spray lines inside the pvc/fence posts but, I don't know how to determine the size of pump I'll need for the system.
The top level will be about 7 feet high, the next one 5 feet high then the next 3 feet high then the last one at the one foot level.
I plan on having each segment drain into the segment below it.
Any idea or comments? Thanks, Jeff
Jeff I use a 700gph pump in a 5 tube pvc garden. There is enough pressure to run several more. Since your garden is several feet off the ground, I would go with at least that size or larger. There's really no such thing as the pump being too big (as far as gph), but if your pump is too small then it just won't work. The below link is the best place I have seen for pumps. Their pumps are up to half price of identical pumps I've seen on the net or in stores.
http://www.graystonecreations.com/acc.htm#pump
If you or any one else knows of another site then please do tell as I need several more pumps before spring.
Re: Pumps
Great prices and good delivery here.
http://www.salt-solutions.com/
Tailwheel
You submerse the pump in your solution tank, connect it to your garden and turn in on.
how much soil does each plant need?
Soil? No dirt under our fingernails. With hydroponics we don't use soil.
How do I get rid of spider nats
I'm assuming you mean "spider mites". Insecticide soap or a good miticide will do the trick.
Dear Ron (and others), I have a small problem with my hydro set up. It appears that my PPM keeps going up around 400 per day. I was wondering if anyone could tell me why this is happening and also how to prevent it from happening. Thank you in advance. Be well.
HOW CAN I CONTROL THE SEX OF MY PLANT?
Use homorphindyke seeds. That's a female plant pollinated by a male flower growing on the female plant. Usually brought on by stressing the plant. Seeds pollinated in this fashion will be all female plants.
where can i purchase phosphoric acid?i have tried hardware stores ect.they can't order it nor do they know what it is or used for.i want it to lower ph of water.buying ph lower from hydro supply stores is getting expensive.good growins,
george
George: Sorry about late answer to your question about cheap phosphoric acid. You can buy at any farm supply store. It comes in 1 gal jugs listed as Monarch CIP Acid. It is used for cleaning out dairy equipment. I use at rates normal for straight phosphoric acid. I would give rates but it all depends on starting PH and alkalinity. Good Growing Nurse Duckett
Re: Phosporic acid
Don't worry about it. Go to Home Depot and get a bottle of Muriatic acid for swimming pools. It only takes a few drops. Just make sure you don't add water to acid. <b>ALWAYS</b> add acid to water. Mix no more than a couple of tablespoons of acid to a pint of water. After you fill your tank, check the Ph, then add the diluted solution until you get the Ph you want.
Re: Sex of plants
Don't know how you control sex, but I do know that you do not want to give them Viagra.
where can i get epson salts how much should i expect to pay
You can buy that stuff cheap at any grocery store.
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