Guano In Hydroponics

The word guano stems from the Inca civilization meaning “droppings of sea birds”. Guano can come from two different animals sea birds and bats. Guano consists of ammonia, along with uric, phosphoric, oxalic, and carbonic acid, as well as some earth salts and impurities. Guano also has a high concentration of nitrates. The nitrates and phosphorous are what makes the guano an excellent fertilizer for plants.

Gardening with guano has a number of uses, including as: soil builder, lawn treatment, fungicide (when used as a foliar) and as composting activator (nutrients and microbes speed up decomposition process). Guano can be purchased in the ready to use condition, thoroughly aged to the vintage state of a good natural fertilizer.  Guano can be used with outdoor plants, indoor plants and can also be used in hydroponic application. Guano supplies fast and slow release nutrients to the biological system of plants.

Hydroponic growers are finding that guano and water are a natural alternative to harsh chemical solutions that can burn or cause harm to plants. Growers use nitrogen guano for growth, phosphorus guano for budding and all guano for your plants general health and well being. Guano can be blended with topsoil before laying sod or grass seed and while planting trees and shrubs. Add guano to your container growing mix for a supercharged potting soil or mix in a reservoir for hydroponic growers.

Methods Of Cloning

While cloning is not a new process, it has been documented as a gardening procedure for
centuries. However, over the last 3 decades cloning has been given more and more importance, mainly because of the need to have plants with the same genetic package growing together in a hydroponics system. This article will cover the main aspects of the cloning process and teach you how to use a hydroponics system to clone your current plants.

In most cases cloning is performed naturally by plants as it is one of the main ways to propagate in the harsh outdoor environment. It’s a type of asexual reproduction that allows plants to live on through their cloned siblings, it’s important to note that not all plants are capable of cloning and not all clones are appropriate for growing.

In the process of cloning whether in nature or in a hydroponics system: a portion of a plant containing a stem and a couple of leaves is detached from the main plant the process is different in nature in nature, it is detached by wind, diseases or pest. In a hydroponics system it has to be cut manually by the gardener) and it is used to develop a new plant with the same genetic characteristics as the “mother”.  Usually,  the stem is a terminal growth point in a plant and depending on the species, it can be around 5 inches in length.

An important thing to remember is that even if you provide the cloned plant with the perfect conditions inside your hydroponics system, it may still not survive. Sometimes clones simply don’t make it into standalone plants and that’s why you will need to have larger amounts of cuttings to produce results.  Just make it a habit to cut extra clones as the survival rate varies and you sure to lose a couple.

It’s worth noting that cuttings are not the only cloning method used in hydroponics systems.  There are other methods such as layering, division, budding, grafting and tissue culture are all viable methods of cloning and some work better than others with specific plants. Taking cuttings is the most standard and popular means of cloning and it’s usually given the most attention in hydroponic cloning articles, but it’s a good thing to know that you may have other options in case this method proves not to be very effective with the plant you’re trying to clone.

Some plants have specific cloning methods that work best with them however in general most plants can be cloned with typical cloning processes. The only thing that separates them is the difficulty of the cloning process. Some of the more clone-friendly plants will be very receptive to cuttings, while others will require you to try out several other methods.
In closing if you’re going with the cutting method for your hydroponic system, here are a few tips worth taking into account: always use a sterile, clean razor to cut off the stem and leaves, the cut should be swift and clean and it should be done at a 45 degrees angle,  soak some growth media in nutrient solution, then dip the cutting in growth hormones before planting it half-way deep into the media,  make sure you don’t bend the stems when inserting the cutting in the growth media.

Grodan Stonewool

Growers have several types of mediums to work with when it comes to planting seeds or cutting. One of the major types of mediums is Grodan Stonewool. It is made up of a mineral wool which is used for its ability to hold large quantities of water and at the same time maintain a high percentage of air as well. The air helps aids root growth and nutrient uptake. The fibrous nature of mineral wool also provides a good mechanical structure to hold the plant stable.  Developed in Denmark in the early 1970′s it is a major medium used in hydroponic gardening from major greenhouse growers to you small individual growers. They come in all sizes from small 1.5” seedling cubes to large6” cubes as well as loose fill and slabs for hydroponic trays.

Grodan holds 80-90% of its volume in water. It is wrapped in biodegradable plastic and the stonewool can be re-used in your garden to improve the aeration and water holding capacity. Green is in with Grodan especially since they started pro-duceing it from recycled Grodan. Grodan is a great medium to try whether you are growing hydroponically or in soil your plants will love it.

Hydroponics Indoor Grow Rooms

Hydroponics Indoor Grow Rooms are rooms specifically constructed with all the facilities that support hydroponics gardening. It helps an individual to grow plants indoor and control their growth indoor. It helps in the growth of hydroponics which are plants that are grown in nutrient solution rather than using soil. The rooms have certain characteristics that support the growth of plants that are grown under hydroponics gardening.

Just like plants that are grown under the soil, hydroponics requires nutrients and water . Since the plants are grown in a nutrition solution, the nutrients that the plant needs have to be provided in the solution by the gardener. These nutrients are the same nutrients that a plant would obtain in the soil such as the calcium, ammonium, phosphate, etc. These nutrients can be provided in the solution using liquid mixtures found in shops. The nutrients are provided in some liquid so that the plant can easily absorb them. The hydroponics indoor grow room should be constructed in a way that they support free movement of water and other nutrients in the system.

Plants need light in order to grow in a healthy way. The light helps plants in photosynthesis so that it can make its food easily. The hydroponics indoor grow rooms should be constructed in such a way that they allow the access of light to the plants that are planted in the rooms. Transparent material can be used that will allow sunlight to penetrate and help in photosynthesis.

Hydroponics Indoor Grow Rooms are a solution to dry areas during the dry season. The rooms are used to grow hydroponics which are plants that are grown in a nutrition solution instead of using soil. The nutrients are provided to the plants using a mixture of the nutrients that are dissolved in water. The rooms should be well ventilated so as to allow entry of light.

Germinating Seedlings

One way that growers choose to grow plants from are from seedlings. When germinating seeds it is recommended to start with seeds that are less than 2 years old, a soilless medium of some kind and a container that can help hold moisture in. By using a soilless medium one insures that seedlings are not killed by too much salt found in soil. Soilless seed starting medium can bought at your local Hydroponic gardening store or you may use a folded paper towel if on a budget. If you choose to use a paper towel, you will need to move the germinated seeds to soil or another growing medium after they have sprouted. The container that you use should be able to hold in moisture some choose a Zip lock bag or a Tupperware container.

Once you have all the items moisten the medium place in the container and insert your seedling. Close the container to ensure that the seeds continuously receive the appropriate amount of moisture.  Once the container is closed the seedlings will need warmth to activate germination. Hydroponic Gardening stores sell heat pads to assist you in this or some growers use the top of the refrigerator. Check your seedling often to see if they sprouted germination time varies on the plant.

Hydroponic Indoor Gardens – The most effective ways of combating odors with the use of Carbon filter.

Carbon filtering is a method of filtering that uses a piece of activated carbon to remove impurities from the air and water. The filtering takes place using a chemical adsorption process. Each piece of carbon is designed to provide a large section of surface area, in order to allow contaminants the most possible exposure to the filter media. For example, one pound (454g) of activated carbon contains a surface area of approximately 100 acres. For your hydroponic indoor garden’s carbon filter is generally activated with a positive charge and is designed to attract negatively charged air and water impurities. Carbon filtering can be used for water as well as air purification.

While carbon filters are not effective for removing minerals and dissolved inorganic compounds from water, the hydroponic indoor gardener will find that the use of a carbon filter as a air purification system indispensible. Carbon filters are the ideal air filtration solution for hydroponics gardens. Carbon filter are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and effective. Thus, carbon filters serve a dual purpose of improving air circulation and keeping the area odor-free.

For more odor control and higher air quality. Hydroterra recommends the use of a carbon filter in conjunction with Ona gel. Ona is a complex formula using essential technology to destroy a wide spectrum of organic and non-organic odors. It is environmentally safe. Ona uses the latest technology to create the most efficient distribution and dispersion systems for their products.

The combination of a carbon filter in conjunction with Ona nearly eradicates all unwanted odor from the hydroponic growing environment. The uses of these two components will systematically purifying the area creating the ideal growing environment.

Hydroponic Gardening

Hydroponic Gardening is a method of growing plants in a fertilized water solution instead of soil. Hydroponics, which comes from the Greek words hydro (water) and phonos (labor), was discovered in the 19^th century.

In general, hydroponic gardening uses shallow containers filled with water that contains nutrients needed by plants such as nitrogen, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. In some cases, however, several hydroponics farmers opt to use other type materials instead of just using a shallow container.  Some would prefer to use gravels, bricks or sand together with the water saturated with organic elements and other nutrients.

After several researchers for Hydroponic gardening has learned that plants can grow without being planted in the soil as long as they can get all the nutrients that they need. Plants can acquire these nutrients from other medium such as water and air.

Hydroponics is a subset of soilless culture. Many types of soilless culture do not use the mineral nutrient solutions required for hydroponics. Hydroponic gardening is starting to become a popular type of gardening worldwide since it does not involve the usual messy ‘soil cultivation’ process. In addition to that, this indoor gardening activity usually yields more than the usual amount of output from the normal agricultural gardening.

Hydroponic supplies are also easily available online. This usually includes several equipment as well as the nutrients that the plants needed in order to grow.

Anybody could start a hydroponic garden and grow their own organic products inside their houses. Construction of greenhouses can also be efficient if an individual aims to commercialize his or her hydroponic crops. Usual commercialized hydroponic crops include cucumbers, spinach, herd and tomatoes.

The Hydroponic Gardener

The Hydroponic Gardener

Stress Related to Plants

Stress Plants grow best and produce heaviest when given a stable environment.  Stressed plants produce less than unstressed plants. Maintaining an ideal environment is a challenge for the hydroponic grower. Stress–induced traumas include withholding water, photoperiod fluctuation, low light intensity, ultraviolet light, nutrient toxicities and deficiencies, cold and hot soil, ambient temperatures, and mutilation.  In addition, any overt applications of growth hormones such as B9 hormone, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, etc, cause stress.

Removing large green shade leaves allows more light to shine on smaller leaves, but it also causes growth to slow and harvest to diminish.  Remove only leaves that are more than half damaged by pest or diseases.  Often, partially yellow leaves green up once stress is eliminated.  Removing spindly, dimly lit lower branches stresses plants much less than removing leaves to speed growth of upper foliage.

Mutilating plants by breaking the trunk, driving a stake through the trunk torturing or slapping them around might increase production, but most often the stress retards the growth and causes other problems.  Withholding water may also impair growth and diminish leaf stem, and flower production.  Water stress slows or stops cuttings from rooting.  If cuttings have too many leaves and are too busy transpiring, root growth is very slow.  Conversely, waterlogged rooting mediums harbor no air, and rooting is slowed to a crawl.

The hydroponic grower should be aware of these conditions because stressed plants with wounded stems and vegetation grow slower and also invite pest and diseases.  This is counterintuitive to what a high yielding hydroponic garden should and can be with proper knowledge and insight into growing you can take preventative steps to reduse the risk of stress to your plants. 

Problems In The Hydroponic Garden

Problems In The Hydroponic Garden

Fungi, Algae and Disease

Excessive moisture in the air (humidity), on the leaf, and within growing media are the leading causes of fungi and mold outbreaks.  Fungi are spread by spores that are carried aloft in the air.  Spores are present all around us, and can be avoided only by using the strictest air quality standards.  Unfortunately, maintaining this level of air quality standards is practical only in the laboratory with the use of expansive filters and air scrubbers.  For the hydroponic gardener your first line of defense against fungi such as gray mold , powdery mildew, and damping off is to pay close attention to the following conditions that will readily allow spores to colonize.

    Here are some suggestions maintain low humidity around 60-80%.  Insure proper ventilation keep the air in the garden moving.  Remove all dead and dying organic matter this means leaf and stem particles.  And never over-water when growing with media. Additional preventative measures can be taken to avoid fungi outbreaks.  These measures include the use of powdered sulfur and copper; however, their use requires extreme caution because they can rapidly damage new growth if used excessively.  If fungi become persistent problem in your garden, even with preventative maintenance, you essentially have no choice but to employ a fungistat or fungicide.

   Grey mold more commonly known as Botrytis is the most common fungi that plagues garden plants. It’s cause is a combination of over-watering and excessive humidity in the grow rooms and greenhouse.

    Powdery mildew is another common problem it flourishes in cool areas with high humidity, particularly after long periods of rain which make maintaining optimal humidity difficult. Burning sulfur will help since it changes the ph on the leaf surface making it uninhabitable for molds and mildew.

     Algae will grow just about anywhere there is stagnate water, excessive surface moisture, and light.  It will grow inside reservoirs and within growing chambers that allow stray light to enter.  Since algae is a type of plant, it will consume nutrients and continue to grow.  Algae will compete for food and oxygen and will grow on the surface of saturated growing media and should alert the grower to take corrective action when it appears.  Scrape algae to remove it.  As a preventative measure it is always good to flush your hydroponic system between crops with a 10 % bleach solution to prevent the build up of fungi and algae over time.

About the Hydroponic Garden

Hydroponic gardening

The first step in creating the right hydroponic garden for your needs is to create a plan.  First, consider the space you have available for your intended garden.  Don’t forget that if you plan to grow indoors in a tight space, you will also need sufficient room to access your garden and to perform routine maintenance such as pruning and nutrient changes.  For this purpose, leave yourself ample space to work.  Don’t try to fit too much garden in too small of a space.  Remember, a hydroponic garden will give you a significantly higher yield than a soil garden of equal size.  If you plan to grow indoors, you also need to consider access to direct sunlight.  Most plants need a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight and a total of at least 12 to 14 hours of light each day.  Most plants will not benefit from more than 18 hours of light a day.  A south-facing window is a good place to start (assuming you live in the northern hemisphere). To provide supplemental lighting, or if your indoor garden location does not have access to direct sunlight, consider purchasing a High Intensity Discharge lighting system. Call your local hydroponic supply store they should be able to help you choose which light best serves your needs.

If your garden will be located outdoors, you can take advantage of the natural sunlight.  Make sure you consider the effects of the weather on your system, including the path of the sun and the temperature ranges for your area.  Direct sunlight will heat up the nutrient solution in your garden, so make sure you consider this when locating the position of your garden’s components.  You’ll want to maintain the nutrient temperature between 65 and 75 degrees for best results.  Nutrient solution temperatures outside this range will slow the growth of your crop and can be detrimental.   Also note that if rainwater gets into your system, it will cause ph and concentration of your nutrient solution to drift.  So make provisions to keep rainwater out of your hydroponic system.  Rainwater is more of a problem with the planter type designs, such as the Dutch Bucket and the Autopot, because they have large exposed areas of growing medium to receive precipitation.  You can minimize the rainwater problem by cutting skirts from plastic bags and placing them around the stems and over the grow sites.  To protect the reservoir and nutrient solution from excessive heat and strong direct sunlight, consider using Celotex or another type of reflective insulation commonly available at building supply stores or hydroponic  store.  Make sure all your electrical connections are kept dry.  It’s worth mentioning that most timers are not waterproof so plan accordingly.