Hydroponics anyone

Ric · Mar 21, 2005

Hydroponics is a growing style that recirculates nutrient rich water to the plants roots. Those nutrients are fertilizer so I guess this Forum might be the right one to post this in.

Anyone into Hydroponics?? My recent interest is for Growing LEGAL plants. Yes most people think of cannabis when the word Hydroponics comes up. Not so in this case.

My main interest is in propagating woody ornamental and growing a finished 3 gallon sell-able plant. The finish plant would be soil grown. However I am researching a better mouse trap for growing plants. I have already done some research and plan to do more. Many of the high tech methods used in hydroponic growing maybe able to be modified for standard soil growing. Certainly additional lighting will increase production. However at the same cost is a factor. Anyone can grow plants, but at a profit margin is the big factor in commercial growing.

Therefore are there any Hydroponic grower here at Lawnsite. I am in the process of reading "Hydroponic Food Production" by Howard Resh PhD. which I am told is the bible of Hydroponics. BTW there is a hydroponic food producer in the next county down from me who sells all his vegetable to local restaurants. However I have not been able to find him as yet.

I am open to ALL Methods of growing and would like some informed feed back.

jimslawns-1 · Mar 21, 2005

Ric,
did I stir the "Legal" part of this?

I am however reading to gain knowledge, NO I do not partake of any recreational drugs,with the exclusion of an occasional barley and hopps beverage.

jim

Ric · Mar 21, 2005

jimslawns said:
Ric,
did I stir the "Legal" part of this?

I am however reading to gain knowledge, NO I do not partake of any recreational drugs,with the exclusion of an occasional barley and hopps beverage.

jim

JIM

I guess you certainly didn't understand my pre-sell above about how I wasn't really interested in juvenile posts about Illegal plants. I even put the word in BOLD TYPE. But there is a jerk in every crowd.

ArizPestWeed · Mar 22, 2005

Ric
Are you calling people names again ?
You remember what happened last time you did this ?
Are you the message board bully tonite ?

tjgray · Mar 22, 2005

Nope I think that title goes to me tonight

Ric I am glad you started this thread as I would be interested in learning more on this subject and hope that you can get some intelligent responses

JRAZ · Mar 22, 2005

Ric,

I visited a small carribean island country called Anguilla for the last holiday season. While I was there I had an opportunity to have dinner with Dr. Resh and got a personal tour of his greenhouse. It is a truly genius piece of work. The guy has dolphins swimming in his backyard pool at his house there. You can check out his hydro greenhouse here: http://www.cuisinartresort.com/view.php?catID=25&pID=91

I am very interested in setting up my own hydro system but have never had the time or space. Keep us posted on your progress. Dr Resh is a great person to learn from.

JRAZ

Ric · Mar 22, 2005

JRAZ

Great to get some Intelligent feed back for a change here on LS. I didn't Know Dr Resh was living in the islands or that he had hydroponic product operation at present time. In Fact My quest for knowledge of Hydroponics is but a few weeks old. His Book is a standard text book used by many colleges and used or new versions can be purchased from Amazon.com. Since my initial interests was only curiosity I purchased the $ 9.95 or 1978 used 3th edition. Alot of Technology has happened since then.

I first got interested in Hydroponic a few weeks ago when a member of this forum, posted a question on an other forum of lesser membership and more BS. Doing a Goggle I found Dr Resh to be the leading expert. However I also downloaded the "Cannabis Growers Bible" for free off the dark side of the Internet. Of COURSE I wouldn't say this on the WWW if I had any intentions of growing Cannabis. The CGB was no where as complete of information as Dr Resh book, but was a basic starting point. It at least gave me some hydroponic terminology and a overview that made Dr Resh's book more enjoyable.

THE BUBBLER is the easiest and least expensive way to get started in Hydroponic growing. All you need is a bucket with a lid and a standard fish tank air pump and air stone. Fill the bucket so when the plant roots are placed through the lid, they just touch the top of the water. The air stone below, bubbles splash water on the roots along with the all important Oxygen. Of course a mild concentration of water soluble fertilizer is used in the water. This might be just an over simplifying the process but it is not rocket science at this point. Anyone could try this as a hobby and in fact I am now trying it myself. I did however spend $ 160.00 for a Hanna multi meter to read PMM to get my Solution concentration right.

There are many variation on the bubbler and I heard some say a small child's swimming pool might be place in the ground for heat dissipation and a floating foam tray for the plants might work good.

Now my main interest in all of this is to increasing production of Woody Ornamental at a economic cost factor. so I am not going to be a hydroponic purest. Nor can I be since the end product is soil grown. Like I said before, I am looking for a better mouse trap. I am looking for help in the form of information and ideas.

MODERATOR Please delete the inappropriate post in this thread. It may just be an educational thread.

Garden Panzer · Mar 22, 2005

I would think the average person on LS would have no clue as to what HYDRO is about....I'm waiting for someone to ask how you get a mower in a hydro tray!!! :sleeping:

They don't deserve the knowledge....let them rot.

:sleeping:

Ric · Mar 22, 2005

Garden Panzer said:
I would think the average person on LS would have no clue as to what HYDRO is about....I'm waiting for someone to ask how you get a mower in a hydro tray!!! :sleeping:

They don't deserve the knowledge....let them rot.

:sleeping:

Panzer

Since you are more than likely the most Hydroponic Knowledgeable person on LS, I am sorry you feel this way.

Since Lawnsite has the most members of any Green Industry forum, I brought my questions here. Not that you have not already given me Great Input. It was your original Question that got me started as you already Know.

Ric · Mar 22, 2005

jimslawns said:
Ric,
did I stir the "Legal" part of this?

I am however reading to gain knowledge, NO I do not partake of any recreational drugs,with the exclusion of an occasional barley and hopps beverage.

jim

Jim

I just re read you post and may have gone off on a tanged un justly. All I saw was "LEGAL and Drugs" and got paranoid. I am far from perfect but will stand my mistakes. Please accept my apology.

genoaustin · Mar 22, 2005

I was always harrassed for being the hydroponic guy at a company I used to work at. When one of my workmates was at a Bible study meeting ( I guess they were talking about the evils of drug use), he had to defend me that I did not grow MaryJane, because he had seen the tomatoes and basil. I was amazed at the amount of Basil you could get from one plant.

One thing to note is that the 2 or 3 part nutrients used in hydroponics is not the same as "miracle-gro" or some other plant food. The Hydro systems supply all the micro-nutrients. The "miracle-gro" will keep it alive for a while, then the plant will give out. Some people choose to mix Miraclegro with epsom salts and calcium chloride.

http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/FAQ.htm#nutrient solution I

This is a link for a school-child project making a hydroponic plant reservoir from a 2 liter bottle and feeding it via wick. They are growing a ornamental plant in it.
http://www.hydroponics101.com/sw52597.asp

Here is a system I have made that lets you pump nutrient to 11 plants at once, then drain back to a tank. (This is called the ebb and flow cycle)
http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/11plan01.htm

Garden Panzer · Mar 22, 2005

Nice links! :waving: That small ebb system would be great fun!
The small resie would be easy to clean out every week... I like the shelf method, uses rain gutter to drain...shelves stack plants high, lights hang, lot's of training- but they grow inward....I'm into trays now- but if I ever had another house built I'd install raingutter in the house to grow my house plants- up by the ceiling...set it to run to waste and use grey water septic...just a pipe dream...
Good to meet another hydro guy!
:waving:

Ric · Mar 23, 2005

genoaustin

Great input Thanks. I had found one of the website with Goggle however I still have a lot of reading to do. Nutrients are very important and Dr Resh has an excellent section on that in his book. Home or Hobby growing is better off with the retail hydroponic blends, because of the certainty. However commercial growers need to keep costs down and can better afford to mixing their own. Fact is Hydroponic grown plant if set up correctly can not be over watered. However improper Nutrient mix can burn them in a New York Second. Part of my hobby experimenting will be to find that fine line for each of the plants I try growing. Yes TRY GROWING.

Now at this point I am thinking about rebuilding my Mist House thanks to Hurricane Charley. I am thinking about the possibilities of incorporating a modified Hydroponic system with a reservoir that recirculates nutrient rich water through the mist heads from above. the Pumps and nutrient costs are not of big concern. However all the plumbing that collects the return water is. Now please remember anyone can grow plants, But can they do it economical enough to make a living. I have grow plant at a profit but would like that better mouse trap like everybody. The truth of the matter is I may can the whole hydroponic idea latter on down the road. But for now I need all the input I can get. Maybe that far out Idea has some merit. The big question is. Can the increase in cost increase production to the point of a better return???

NattyLawn · Mar 23, 2005

Ric,

Were you planning on growing indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse? If indoors, were you thinking of using HID lighting?

Geno and Panzer,
What do you think of the taste of the hydro grown basil, veggies, etc, compared to their organically grown counterpart?

Ric · Mar 23, 2005

NattyLawn said:
Ric,

Were you planning on growing indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse? If indoors, were you thinking of using HID lighting?

Geno and Panzer,
What do you think of the taste of the hydro grown basil, veggies, etc, compared to their organically grown counterpart?

Natty

I am growing out doors in a 30% shade house or at least did before Charley. Supplemental Lighting is one of the many options I my looking at. However cost being a factor in commercial growing HID are a little too expensive on electrical consummation to consider as viable. I have found Full Spectrum natural sun light 32W Florescent Bulbs that put out 3300 lumen's per 48 inch bulb. These are special order items. Certain Turf Grasses require Orange light while most other plants require violet blue green light. I feel any additional lighting should be as closes to natural as possible since this would only be run for maybe 7 to 8 hours per day in addition to natural sunlight.

Now Water and Electric don't mix. The farther away the bulb, the less lumen's. Therefore I would need to design this structure with adjustable water and lights. Of course the water on the bottom just under the lights. Maybe this could be individual 4 to 8 foot sections that had both water and light and could be raised as the plants grow. Florescent lighting is inexpensive to operate. But if you have acre of lights it could add up.

Williams Services · Mar 23, 2005

Ric,
I'm a rank amature when it comes to this kind of thing but if I recall correctly, doesn't the Plant Propagation Principles and Techniques (Hartman & Kester) contain some info on hydroponics? Even the recovery systems, for certain irrigations.

Ric · Mar 23, 2005

Williams Services said:
Ric,
I'm a rank amature when it comes to this kind of thing but if I recall correctly, doesn't the Plant Propagation Principles and Techniques (Hartman & Kester) contain some info on hydroponics? Even the recovery systems, for certain irrigations.

Williams

Yep your right but I haven touched that book in many years. In fact I can't find it right now. If I remember right there wasn't a whole lot about it other than low volume water usage. However I am losing my mind as the years roll by. About a month ago I re read a paper I wrote about redox potential three years ago. I am still trying to figure out what the guy who wrote it was talking about

genoaustin · Mar 23, 2005

NattyLawn said:
Ric,

Geno and Panzer,
What do you think of the taste of the hydro grown basil, veggies, etc, compared to their organically grown counterpart?

Natty,

We loved the basil. We had so much, though, from the 4 plants I was growing, that at harves time we made a gallon of Pine Nut Pesto, packed it in ice cube trays, and froze it. Then we zip-locked bagged it. For months, we had incredible pasta, fish, whatever. We experimented how it would taste on everything. Pesto Herb Butter on a good steak was cool.

Geno

NattyLawn · Mar 23, 2005

Thanks for the reply, Geno. I was just wondering because of the water and nutes being directly on the roots. I read and through word of mouth have heard the flavor isn't as good beacuse of this. Did you flush with plain water beforehand?

NattyLawn · Mar 23, 2005

NattyLawn said:
Thanks for the reply, Geno. I was just wondering because of the water and nutes being directly on the roots. I read and through word of mouth have heard the flavor isn't as good beacuse of this. Did you flush with plain water beforehand?

I meant did you flush before harvesting the basil.... :sleeping:

Hydroponics anyone

Ric

jimslawns-1

Ric

ArizPestWeed

tjgray

JRAZ

Ric

Garden Panzer

Ric

Ric

genoaustin

Garden Panzer

Ric

NattyLawn

Ric

Williams Services

Ric

genoaustin

NattyLawn

NattyLawn

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