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Archive for January, 2010

Maximizing the Nutrient Environment

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 29th
Friday, January 29th, 2010

When growing your own foods in an indoor hydroponic garden, it is important to maximize the effectiveness of your nutrients.  The water that you use for your reservoir of nutrients is one of the main sources of problems for pH and conductivity variation.

Another potential problem when growing hydroponically is that the popular growing mediums, such as rockwool and gravel, can be very high in pH causing your nutrient pH to rise to detrimental levels.  Coconut fiber or coir, another popular medium for growing hydroponically, is typically high in sodium levels due to the close proximity of coconut trees to the ocean.  One of the main ways to prevent this from happening is to use a reverse osmosis filter.  This will rid the water of any salts.

Hydroponics is susceptible to a variety of diseases when things go wrong.  With the regards to the nutrient solution, if it gets too warm it’s ability to hold dissolved oxygen is reduced drastically.  This creates an invitation for many diseases to be born in a hydroponic garden.

If you do find a plant that is infected with some type of pathogen or disease, it is important to remove it from the garden as quickly as possible.  It is much better to lose a plant or two than loosing your whole crop.  If a diseased plant is found it is important to flush the nutrient system with a flushing solution.  Good flushing solutions will leach the mediums of any undesired salts as well as clean your hydroponic system.

Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders.  Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca.  For a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.

Source: UrbanGardenMagazine.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips
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Food For Thought: The Importance of Full Nutrition in Consumable Crops

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 27th
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

The way we produce food as a whole is not conducive to a sustainable and healthy future of the world’s inhabitants.  Growing foods organically and hydroponically are potential solutions to one of the principle issues we have with regards to our food production.   Our food today is being mass-produced and solely for a profit.  With industrial agriculture, plants are given the bare minimum they need to grow.  For example, tomatoes produced industrially would only contain 13-17 minerals, all used to grow the fruit.  If that same fruit was allowed to ripen on the vine and was provided with a wider spectrum of nutrients, it would contain many more sugars, amino acids, enzymes, and free radicals.  Many people are turning to producing their own foods in hydroponic grow rooms so they can ensure that what they are eating is actually beneficial to their diet.

If you don’t have your own hydroponic grow room or buy foods at farmers markets than you are probably eating nutrient deprived foods.  The reality of the issue is that we are what we eat and nutrition plays a huge role in our overall quality of living.  As Rudolph Steiner, an Australian scientist said, “Nutrition as it is today, does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in the physical life.  A bridge can no longer be built to will and action.  Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this.”

Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders.  Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca.  Call today for your free consultation, (415) 246-8055.

Source: UrbanGardenMagazine.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips
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Activated Charcoal Carbon Filters: The Deodorizing Solution

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 25th
Monday, January 25th, 2010

After constructing an indoor hydroponic grow room it is important to make sure that you deal with the odors of your harvest ready crops.  Pungent odors, from various indoor crops, will find their way out of the grow room and into the noses of your neighbors.  Cabbage is a great complimentary dish on your dinner plate but it is certain that your neighbors would not like the odor of a 1000 heads ready for harvest.

Within an indoor grow environment heat and humidity can cause aromatic compounds to multiply creating an unpleasant odor.  Some of these aromatic compounds that add to the pollution of the air are: Pollen, plant material, growing media, nutrient solutions, organic sprays. There are a few different ways to deal with these problems and the most effective and most environmentally friendly way to do this is through carbon filtering.

Charcoal activated carbon filters have become the favorite method of odor removal in the hydroponic industry. Activated carbon is an absorbent made from vegetable or mineral based raw materials.   A good filter is able to filter out 99% of air born aromatic compounds.  Carbon’s ability to absorb decreases at higher temperatures and diminishes with a relative humidity of higher than 60%.  Hydroponic grow rooms should not exceed 60% so this shouldn’t be an issue.  Carbon filtering is the only solution for grow room odor.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders.  Good Green Builders is an indoor grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca.  Call today for a free consultation, (415) 246-8055.

Source: Hydroponics.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips
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Why Air Movement Counts

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 22nd
Friday, January 22nd, 2010

When constructing your own hydroponic grow room one must consider all of the factors essential to the growth of your plants.  It is understood that while some factors are more important than others, they are all part the big picture and must remain in balance to obtain the best results.   One of these factors that promote a healthy plant is the movement of air.  Air movement is very important for a few different reasons.

Often times indoor gardeners believe that more is better and don’t realize that more can actually hurt their indoor garden environment.  An exhaust fan is one of the most important pieces of equipment in an indoor grow.  This is because it helps regulate temperature, CO2 levels and relative humidity.   A quality exhaust fan should be able to remove the volume of air in the room in three to five minutes.  This process of removing hot air and replacing it with cold air (through an intake fan) is easier in the winter months due to outside temperatures.  With that said, it is much harder to control temperatures in the summer months.

There are a few different things that you can do when trying to lower the temperature of your grow room in the summer months.  One of them is turning your lights on in the middle of the night.  Another solution is having air-cooled reflector lights that has its own exhaust system.  This will remove the heat of the bulbs before it reaches the indoor grow room.

There are many pests and diseases (mold, mildew, spider mites) that can be prevented through the proper movement of air in an indoor hydroponic garden.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders.  Good Green Builders is an indoor grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca.  Call today for a free consultation, (415) 246-8055.

<small>Source: Hydroponics.com</small>

Categories : Harvesting Tips, Indoor Grow Rooms
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CO2: The Secret Ingredient for a Better Harvest

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 20th
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Every recipe has a secret ingredient that is essential to the outcome of a dish.  The same can be said for that of indoor hydroponic growing.  If you already have an indoor grow room you know how important it is to have every aspect of the grow in proper balance.  In the latest edition of Maximum Yield, it discussed how carbon dioxide (CO2) is that secret ingredient when growing hydroponically.

Without taking water into consideration, plants are comprised of mostly carbon and oxygen, which comes, mainly, from the CO2 in the air.  CO2 is an essential element of the photosynthesis process, without CO2 the plant would not be able to grow to its full potential.   As the concentrations of CO2 increases in your grow room, the photosynthesis process is increased and therefore your plant will grow much bigger.  However, there is a point of diminishing returns.

A plant ideally requires a CO2 level of 700 parts per million (ppm) and 1000ppm during the light period and around 400 ppm in the dark period.   You want more CO2 in the air during the light period because that is when the photosynthesis process occurs.  CO2 isn’t the only factor in your grow that is important to the end results.  It is important to master the basic needs of your plants and then start enriching your indoor grow environment with CO2.  CO2 alone will not have a significant impact on yields and flower quality if all the other factors are properly maintained.

Categories : CO2, Harvesting Tips
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Plant Obesity: Choosing Higher Yield over Healthy Crops

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 18th
Monday, January 18th, 2010

After reading this article it made me wonder why there aren’t more people with hydroponic grow rooms producing their own foods. There have been countless articles written about this same topic and how our food supply has been depleted of many nutrients that they once had. To make this point more clear a study of 45 corn varieties developed from 1920 to 2001 found that concentrations of proteins and amino acids have declined in the newer varieties. The article uses two more examples of fruits and vegetables to reiterate the point at hand. One being the calcium levels in broccoli have declined by 8.5 milligrams in a 50-year period. The next study showed a decline in mineral levels in 14 varieties of wheat by 22-39%.

This has all happened because of the industrialization of our nation and our food supplies. A bushel of corn loaded with vitamins and minerals will sell for the same amount of bushel depleted of nutrients. So far there isn’t an added value for farmers to start producing nutrient rich foods. This is why people need take matters into their own hand and start producing their own food supplies through their own hydroponic grow rooms. Until there is a shift in societal norms, these large farmers are going to produce foods for a profit and not for the most nutrient rich foods. The big picture, as noted in the article, is that plants and animals cannot operate at full functionality without having access to all of the physical elements.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.

Source: www.maximumyield.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips
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Water World: The Many Advantages of Hydroponics

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 15th
Friday, January 15th, 2010

This is a great article if you are interested in reading about hydroponic industry as a whole. It details the history of hydroponics, the industry today, and some of the benefits of growing hydroponically. The article speaks on the larger scale production of vegetables but is easily related to the small time farmers who have hydroponic grow rooms of their own. Most of the article used tomatoes as the subject for discussion. Tomatoes were traditionally picked for the size and uniformity of the fruit, however; consumers’ tastes and preferences have shifted. They now desire a fruit that is full of flavor and high in nutrient content. Growing hydroponically has enabled, both, small and commercial farmers to produce more high quality fruit.

Another interesting topic discussed is the comparison of growing hydroponically to that of field growing. Growing hydroponically requires higher nutrient doses and the threat of power outages could ruin crops. That doesn’t mean that field growing is completely energy efficient in itself. Field growing does not recapture resources, takes longer to grow, yields less than growing hydroponically, and finally has mother earth to deal with. Yields are varied on a year-to-year basis due to weather and other environmental conditions. While growing hydroponically will help feed all of the worlds population in the future.
Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.

Source: www.culinate.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips, Hydroponics
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Comparing Hydroponic Gardens

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 13th
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

This article talks about hydroponics and the different methods for growing hydroponically. The first one method is passive hydroponics. Passive hydroponics is the lowest yielding method however it is the easiest. One of the main benefits for growing hydroponically is that there is unlimited space for your plant’s roots to grow but in passive hydroponics this advantage does not apply.

The next method on the production scale is deep-water culture. This method is very simple in design and limits the risk of root damage. One negative to this method is the difficulty of growing in large scales because of the size of the reservoir compared to the tray.
Flood and drain or ebb and flow systems are very popular for indoor grow rooms because of they are simple, versatile, and efficient. One negative for this system that is so popular is that the cycling of nutrients is dependent on a submersible pump. The growing medium, often rockwool or coco-coir, dries easily and therefore needs to be watered multiple times a day.

Another type of re-circulating hydroponics system is the drip or sprinkler system. This system allows the roots to have large amounts of oxygen. The nutrient solution, also very rich in oxygen, flows 24 hours a day.

The final method for growing hydroponically is the Nutrient Film Technique or NFT. This is where the plant is grown in a sloped pipe and the roots are allowed to grow freely without any medium. This is the highest yielding method of hydroponic growing. This is the most yield productive for a number of reasons. This method allows for the roots zone to have optimal oxygen levels at all times. It also allows the roots to have constant nutrient uptake. This hydroponic system is the hardest to master but can be very rewarding if done properly.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland, California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.

Source: www.hydroponics.com

Categories : Hydroponics
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A Beginners Story

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 11th
Monday, January 11th, 2010

This is an article that shows you that anybody is capable of running their own hydroponic grow room. In this article the subject attempted to grow outside with little success. She goes on to give her testimonial on how she got started with indoor gardening and how much satisfaction she receives from her garden. She speaks about how her garden actually runs. Also that with all of the technologies we have such as, timers and pumps, it makes it easier than outdoor gardening and it is cleaner too.

She is just one out of many happy gardeners who have made the change from traditional outdoor gardening to the less traditional hydroponic gardening. Growing hydroponically has many benefits over that of its counterparts. Having your own grow room can enable you to produce your own organic food year round. This enables you to know what exactly is going into your body at a given time. This article will inspire you to want your own indoor hydroponic grow room.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland, California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.

Source: www.hydroponics.com

Categories : News
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Yield of Dreams: An Optimal External Environment for Accelerated Crop Growth

Posted by: Brett McCormick · Comments (0) · January 8th
Friday, January 8th, 2010

This article from January’s edition of Maximum Yield speaks of the importance of mocking nature as much as possible when growing indoors. The purpose of the article is to describe how the photosynthesis process works and how it relates to modern indoor growing. It goes on to explain the three processes of photosynthesis: Photosynthetic activity, respiration and transpiration and how they all feed off one another. It is very important to understand how these processes work on an individual basis as well as how they do with one another.

It breaks down all of the external factor that go into creating an ideal indoor grow room that will allow you to maximize your crop yields. The article explains how it is easy for an indoor gardener to create an imbalance in the growing equation due to the high intensity lights used. This imbalance is created because factors such as temperature, carbon dioxide, minerals and vitamins are not supplied in the same abundance. One of the main issues when deciding the type of lighting you want to use for you indoor grow is how theses fixtures handle excess heat. Excess heat will harm your plants and as discussed in the article it is very important to make sure that all of theses factors are controlled to promote a healthier, higher yielding crop.

The next topic discussed is the importance of essentially giving your plant exactly what they need. In short, you want to give your plant all of the nutrients it needs so it doesn’t have to produce any itself. With doing this you will enable your plant to do what you want it to do and that is to do…grow big and healthy.

One can’t go with put the other, supplementing your plants with nutrients doesn’t make up for having poor growing conditions. It is all about recreating the balance of nature in your indoor grow room.

Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland, California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.

Source: www.maximumyield.com

Categories : Harvesting Tips, Indoor Grow Rooms
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