Here is a link to an article written by Good Green Builders for the current edition of Urban Garden Magazine. It is all about creating a community greenhouse that would provide four families with fresh vegetables throughout the year. Check it out and let us know what you think. We hope that you enjoy the article.
http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2010/04/how-to-feed-four-families-with-a-hydroponic-greenhouse/
Managing your pH is very important when growing hydroponically. It is critical for pH to remain in the range of 5.0-6.0 with an absolute maximum of 6.5. At these levels nutrients will remain dissolved in the nutrient solution and therefore available for uptake by the root system. If the pH of the nutrient solution is higher than 7.0 some of the important elements can precipitate and become unavailable to the roots. This can cause plumbing blockages as the elements precipitate out of the nutrient solution. As for the other side of the pH scale, lower pH levels tend to have little affect on the stability of the nutrient solution. Adjusting your pH and knowing when to do it is also imperative to a successful crop cycle.
The pH should be adjusted on a few different occasions. First, it should be adjusted when the nutrient solution is first made. Second, the pH should be adjusted after topping off the nutrient solution with water or additives, especially if they are highly alkaline. Lastly, in a re-circulating system, pH should be checked on a daily basis because the uptake of water and nutrients causes pH to change. There are a few different ways to minimize the fluctuations in you pH of your nutrient solution.
The first way to minimize the pH fluctuations in your nutrient reservoir is to use a brand that is pH buffered, especially when using highly alkaline water. The other thing that you should do is to supply two gallons of nutrient per large plant. If you don’t do this, your pH fluctuations will be greater, particularly during the hot and dry months where water uptake and evaporation are excessive.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room/ greenhouse builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation, call today, (415) 246-8055.
When managing your indoor grow room it is important to understand the benefits of CO2 enrichment and how to maximize the CO2’s effectiveness on your plants. CO2 enrichment will promote optimal photosynthesis generally resulting in higher yields. The most common and effective type of CO2 enrichment is through bottled CO2 and combustion generators. The placement of your CO2 enrichment device is very important. Studies have been done that conclude that the enrichment should take place in the upper third part of the canopy because this is where photosynthetic activity is at its highest.
There are two properties of CO2 that you need to consider when enriching your grow room with CO2. The first property is the weight of CO2. CO2 will drop to the ground because it is heavier than air. For example, at 77 F, CO2 weighs 66 ounces per three cubic feet compared to air, which weighs 42 ounces per three cubic feet. The next principle that needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that cold CO2 will descend to the floor and hot CO2 will rise to the ceiling of your grow room. Diffusion is also responsible for the movement of CO2, although it will not travel very far with just simple diffusion. Diffusion, in this instance, is where the gas will move from places of higher concentration to places that have a lower concentration.
To ensure that you have a homogeneous CO2 concentration, especially in larger grow rooms; it may be necessary to have multiple CO2 enrichment devices. Location is also very important; you want to make sure that you place your CO2 source as far away from the exhaust system as possible. Plants will use up the available CO2 very quickly and because this gas diffuse slowly it is important to have multiple oscillating fans to make certain that there is a homogeneous mixture of CO2 in your grow room.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room/greenhouse contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation, call today, (415) 246-8055.
Constructing a sealed hydroponic grow room can be more expensive to set up, but you are able to create a totally controlled environment where every aspect of the plants growth can be manipulated. A sealed room is exactly what it sounds like, completely sealed, there aren’t any holes or vents to the outside from your indoor grow room. The first grow factor to control is the temperature.
Every indoor gardener knows that it is vital to the health of the plants to control temperature and to ensure that there aren’t any large fluctuations. The way that you deal with the heat from all of your lamps, dehumidifiers, pumps and ballasts, is by using an A/C system. The rule of thumb for deciding how big of unit is necessary to cool your sealed grow room is 4000 British Thermal Units, or BTU’s, per 1000 Watts of lighting. After temperature is dialed in, the next issue would be enriching your air with CO2.
CO2 is essential for pants to be able to photosynthesize. There are two standard ways to inject CO2 into your grow environment. One of them, which is more common among larger setups of 6000 Watts or more, is using a burner, where propane or natural gas is lit and the off gas produces CO2. The next method would be to open a bottle of CO2 and enrich the air directly. Many growers have found that having CO2 enriched air can produce up to 30% more yield. Next lets look at humidity.
Humidity is important to control, especially in the flowering stage of a plants life cycle, so you don’t create an environment where mold and mildew will thrive. Using a dehumidifier can control humidity. Much like an A/C unit, a dehumidifier can be purchased in many sizes and it is important to select on that fits your room size.
In a sealed room, you are able protect your plants from negative outside influences and at the same time, create a perfect environment for your plants to thrive.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room/Greenhouse contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation, call today, (415) 246-8055.
Pests and other pathogens can make growing indoors somewhat difficult. It is all about proper management of your indoor grow room or greenhouse. Preventative measures are always the best way for pest and pathogen management but sometimes these little critters and fungi spores find their way in to your grow room and begin to thrive. One new technology that is being used in commercial greenhouses and grows rooms is the use of UV-C T5 lamps.
UV, or ultraviolet, refers to a broad spectrum of light, anything from 100-400 nanometers. Ultraviolet has been further broken down into subcategories, and UV-C is the category that we are interested in. It is the section of UV between 185-280 nanometers. UV-C rays have the highest energy and is the arguably the most dangerous part of UV. UV-C rays can destroy anything from viruses, mold, bacteria, and mildew to plant pests like spider mites. Although it is successful in killing unwanted diseases and pathogens, it needs to be closely monitored because it can be harmful to not only you but your plants as well.
UV-C lamps can be used to sterilize a grow room before use, even though it is still recommended to clean everything with a weak bleach solution. Another possible application for UV-C lamps is to have them in your indoor garden and have them turn on for a few seconds to a minute depending on the wattage of the lamps. The UV-C rays only kill what they hit so it is necessary to place them in intervals in-between the plants to ensure that the plants are getting hit from every angle.
There is still more research needed for this application, as far as dosage of UV light, how far from the plant lamps should be placed, how long between dosages, but this will be a way for companies to reduce their dependence on chemical insecticides.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room and Greenhouse builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.
Source: UrbanGardenMagazine.com
When operating your own hydroponic grow room or greenhouse it essential that you understand various pathogens and how to prevent and treat them. What is a pathogen? A pathogen is an organism that can cause sickness. Fungi like: fusariums, pythium, verticillium, phytophtora, are ferocious invaders and can lead to total crop destruction. We have to understand that there is a large diversity of organisms that live on plants, in soil and water, in and on our food, and even on our skin. Some of these organisms are beneficial but the others are considered pathogens. These pathogens attack at the slightest sense of stress.
One destructive pathogen is pythium. Pythium is a root-parasite fungus that can multiply very fast under optimal conditions and will deprive the plant of food. This fungi will be present in almost any grow environment, no matter how clean it is. There are numerous ways for this fungi to reach your grow room so it is very important to keep it clean and track your quality of water that you are using. Pythium is considered a secondary infection because it takes advantage of plants that are already slightly damaged or stressed.
Detecting this pathogen in soil-based plants is a lot harder than that of hydroponic growers because of the access to the root system. If pythium has started to attack your plants, you will notice that the roots have started to turn from their normal white color to a light brown and eventually black. In a severe case, the lower portion of the stem will turn black and slimy. Fighting this pathogen can be quite simple if you have everything in your grow room dialed in.
There are some products that are sold to prevent the infestation of various pathogens including pythium. These products include but are not limited to, special silicate powders, beneficial bacteria or fungi. These products, either sold separately or in mixtures of various strains of both, are added to the nutrient solution. However, the main way to prevent this pathogen from taking over your plants is to keep your plants healthy. These basic rules are: good water quality, good ventilation, ideal temperature and humidity levels, optimal oxygenation of nutrient solution, general cleanliness, and a appropriate feeding program. It is very important to pay close attention to your plants to ensure that they are health and not susceptible to pathogen infestation.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room/greenhouse builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.
Source: maximumyield.com
Why is it that there are so few organic certified hydroponic growers out there? This should be a simple question to answer, but it isn’t. Each state has different guidelines for labeling produce as organic. In addition to this there are 36 non-governmental agencies, which can certify produce as organic. If a California grower wants to sell his produce as organic they must register with the California Department of Agriculture and pass inspection. California growers can also obtain a certification through the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), which actually has higher standards for organic than the state. If the grower in California doesn’t obtain the CCOF certification, which is optional, they can’t sell produce as certified organic. A grower in another country can only sell his produce as certified organic if they get certified by one of the 36 non-governmental organizations. In addition to this, produce from any state can be sold as certified organic if it passes inspection form one of the 36 agencies, even if it doesn’t meet their states requirements. Sounds like they need to figure this out. And they are…
Basically the organic label is a matter of bureaucratic definitions, which vary from state to state and country to country. The USDA, state governments, non-government certifiers, consumers, and many other agencies are writing a federally mandated set of organic standards.
While organic farming methods do produce superior and safer crops than the larger agribusiness operations, modern hydroponic techniques can supply equally safe food that in many cases has a higher nutrient level and superior taste to that of its soil counterparts. Many consumers don’t know this and for them it is only the label that counts. The main problem for hydroponic growers in gaining organic certification is the nutrient formula that they use for cultivation.
Another concern for certifiers is the way that media such as rockwool cubes and slabs are disposed of. Considering the fact that the organic label also gives people the sense that the food labeled organic was produced in the most sustainable manner possible. Even thought this fact has nothing to do with the quality or safety of the product, certifiers have a problem with this. This is one reason that hydroponic growers have had a hard time gaining organic certifications.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room/greenhouse builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055
The following set of articles will explore the different ideals of organics and how they fit into the hydroponic industry. This is a very popular debate amongst many growers and produce consumers alike. There are very few organic certified hydroponic growers out there today and this is because of the difficulty in obtaining a certification for their hydroponically grown crops. Accepted organic fertilizer components are dependent on organisms in the soil to convert the organic material into a usable form for the plants. As many people know hydroponics is the growing of plants with a neutral media, where the nutrients are carried to the plants in water. The various materials, which are permitted for use under organic regulations, are not in pure enough form for use in hydroponic applications. With this in mind, it is important to remember why the word “organic” became such a buzzword in the ‘90s.
Consumers are becoming more conscience of what goes into their bodies. They don’t want to consume any produce that was treated with any sort of hazardous chemicals or poisons. Another reason for organics is the desire to create a food model that doesn’t harm the soil, water or ecosystems. There is an increasing public demand for produce that is cultivated with our planet in mind and that doesn’t harm our soil, water, or ecosystems. With hydroponics, less water is needed for cultivation and therefore, more food can be produced with less water. Hydroponic fertilizers are ultra pure and aren’t present in the cultivated fruits and vegetables. The result of providing the plants exactly what they need in the form of dissolved minerals in water, the plant is able to achieve higher growth rates, yields and even higher quality than organic methods. Since hydroponic technologies are more efficient than soil methods, more people can be fed with less area and ecological impact.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is hydroponics grow room/ Greenhouse builder in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.
Below are a few more ways that temperature can be controlled in you indoor grow room. Oscillating fans are a great way to control temperature and ensure that the heat doesn’t build up in one area. They wont lower the overall temperature of your garden but they will help to make sure plants don’t shut down due to overheating. Also, during winter months, if you have a space heater, oscillating fans will help distribute the warm air around the indoor grow room. Managing the temperature of your garden is very important but it is also imperative that you control the temperatures of your nutrient reservoir.
The temperature of your nutrient solution should be in the range of 60-75F. The ideal temperature is 65F because this is where water holds the most oxygen. Letting the temperatures of fall below 50F or above 80F could be disastrous to your root systems. To control temperature in a nutrient reservoir a reservoir chiller or a aquarium heater may be used. Make sure that if you do use an aquarium heater that it is plugged into a grounded plug, and that it doesn’t rest on the bottom or the side of the reservoir.
To speed up the rooting process of your cuttings you can put them on a heating mat. Keeping them 10F warmer than the ambient air will speed up rooting on cuttings and increase their survival rate. All you need to do is place a heating mat underneath the tray of cuttings. This can speed up rooting of clones from two weeks to only three days. These are a few ideas on how to control temperature in you indoor grow room.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.
Source: Hydroponics.com
This article will give you some insight on different ways that you can control the temperature of your indoor grow room. As explained in the previous article, temperature is one of the most important grow factors to control in order to promote healthy and vigorous plants. One of the main ways to control temperature is with an exhaust fan, this will help you keep your grow room temperature to an ideal 70-75F. A quality fan should be able to exhaust your room of the stale air in about five minutes and should be turned on once an hour. In conjunction with the exhaust fan you will need an intake fan to bring in cool, CO2 enriched air from either an adjacent room or outdoors. Another thing that you could do is hook up the exhaust fan to a thermostat, once the temperature in the grow room reaches its designated limit, the fan will turn on and exhaust the hot stale air form the room.
If you are having heat problems due to your lamps, an air-cooled reflector might provide some relief. An air-cooled reflector is an airtight reflector that runs an inline with a fan to take all of the heat from the bulb and exhausts it out of the garden. This will allow you to bring the lights closer to the plants than normal, which will greatly increase the efficiency of your lights and should lead to greater yields. These are a few ideas to help control the temperature in your grow room. More ideas are to follow.
Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca. For more information or a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.
Source: Hydroponics.com