Easy Hydroponics---Scorpion Juice

One of the main problems with growing delicate flowers, like roses, in a hydroponic setting is the onslaught of infestations like Black Spot or spider mites. In order to inoculate your plants against any kind of pests or diseases, apply Scorpion Juice as a foliar spray, or pour it into your reservoir. It imparts acquired systemic resistance, and results in more robust, healthier plants, and bigger yields!

Home Hydroponics—Pruning the Correct Way

In any garden, whether traditional or hydroponic, it is essential to prune plants to keep them both healthy and looking nice. Pruning is not merely grabbing a pair of scissors and chopping away at your plant. There is actually a correct way to do this—one that won’t damage your plants. There are also several different kinds of pruning, depending on what part of the plant is being pruned and why. Below we will explore both the different types of pruning and the correct way to prune plants in your home hydroponics garden.

The three most frequent types of pruning are sucker pruning, cluster pruning and leaf pruning. Many plants develop “suckers” or branching growths from the main stem. These will develop into their own stem with branches. In order to keep the main plant strong, removal of these suckers is necessary. This also helps keep your plant from spreading too much horizontally.

Cluster pruning involves the flower or fruit of your plant. Plants do not bloom evenly. This can cause a plant to look lopsided and can cause the plant to utilize nutrients unevenly. Home hydroponics gardeners often take time to remove smaller or less healthy blooms in order to enable the healthier ones to grow larger. This also enables the gardener to control how evenly the blooms are spread out on each plant.

Leaf pruning serves two purposes. The home hydroponic gardener removes dead or dying leaves to enable more nutrients to get to healthy parts of the plants. By leaving these dead leaves attached, you not only have a plant that looks unhealthy, you risk having a plant that is actually unhealthy. Another reason for leaf pruning is to prune off lower leaves of the plant. This enables more light to reach the lower branches, thus creating a stronger base.

The first step in pruning is to remove any dead or dying leaves. This can normally be accomplished by simply pinching where they are connected to the plant. Next, look for any dead branches that you can remove. There is no need to allow them to remain on the plant when they have no purpose. Using pruning scissors cut these branches off as close to the main plant as possible without cutting into the good plant material. Once the dead parts are removed, check for any sickly leaves or branches and gently remove them. By doing so, you allow the nutrients to work harder at feeding the healthy parts of the plant.

Now it is time to consider how you want your plant to look. Remove any lower leaves that are cutting off needed light and any suckers. If you want your plant fuller, removing stray branches will enable those left intact to grow. Oftentimes, a plant will create to smaller branches where one is removed, thus creating a fuller plant.

Home hydroponics gardening is increasing in popularity, especially with the rising costs of gas and food. Making sure your plants are as healthy as possible will help save you money in the long run. For more information on creating the best possible home hydroponics garden you can, visit http://www.advancednutrients.com/artcats.php?catID=1

and discover the secrets of high yield hydroponics.

Hydroponic Gardening - Soybeans

Soybeans are one of the most versatile of crops. While they have been grown for some time as a possible alternative fuel source, they are finally being recognized for their nutritional value. As meat prices continue to rise, alternative sources of protein-rich food are being turned to—and soybeans fit the bill. Let’s explore some of the special growing conditions needed for soybeans in your hydroponic garden.

One of the first things necessary when growing soybeans is to inoculate them with special nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This is used to allow the beans to absorb nitrogen more readily. You dust the seeds with this special solution before planting. These inoculates come in both powder and liquid form. Fungicide treatments applied to seed before planting are designed to protect the plants from root rot diseases. Many fungicide treatments can be mixed with inoculation materials and applied at the same time.

Soybeans grow like many other beans, vining and needing some sort of structure to support them. Construct a support system in your hydroponic growing area by running a line from one end of the area to another. When this is done, provide lines from each plant upward to the main line. This will enable your soybeans to grow upward, providing more space for plants and allowing bottom growth to obtain enough light. Soybeans need a great deal of light to produce flowers, which will then become your soybeans. Without enough light, your plants will not flower.

While soybeans need a great deal of light, they do not like either high temperatures or great humidity. The growing environment would be ideal if it stays around sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Humidity in the hydroponic growing area also needs to be kept low to prevent causing your soybeans to rot.

A growing medium such as a peat/vermiculite blend is best for your soybean crop. You may also want to consider placing pebbles at the bottom of your growing container, as they prefer a well-drained medium that allows the roots plenty of room to breath.

Soybeans are an excellent choice for the hydroponic gardener. Provide them with a growing medium that drains well, plenty of light and a pre-treatment with a special nitrogen-fixing inoculate and you will soon have one of the most versatile crops available.

Finally, to help ensure your soybeans get the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - Leeks

Leeks are part of the onion family. They have a milder flavor, however, and are often preferred to their stronger tasting cousin. This vegetable is very versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked and both leaves and stems are edible. In addition, this cold-weather crop is so easy to grow, it is almost a must in any hydroponic garden.

Leeks do best in a perlite growing material. This allows the roots plenty of air by providing adequate drainage. The roots of the leeks are the most wanted part and you do not want to keep them too moist or you can cause root rot. An ebb and flow system will work perfectly while growing hydroponic leeks as it will enable the gardener to control how moist the growing medium remains between feedings. Leeks prefer a pH of between 6.5 and 7.0 for optimal growth and will benefit tremendously from added nitrogen.

One of the most preferred methods of feeding leeks is the drip irrigation method. This method allows for adjustments to be made easily should it be necessary. You want to keep the roots slightly moist, but allowing them to remain wet for too long can cause rot. The adjustment valves on the drip irrigation system are easier to maintain than some other hydroponic methods.

Leeks have very few problems with insects. Having your hydroponic garden inside either your home or a greenhouse should eliminate this pest problem completely. It is important to remember that commercial pest solutions are highly discouraged in the hydroponic garden. If absolutely necessary, visit your local hydroponic supply store and obtain a pest product specially formulated for hydroponics. These are developed to cause the least amount of damage possible to your leeks and other plants.

Being cold weather crops, your growing area temperature can be as low as twenty-four degrees Fahrenheit, but you really don’t want to allow this low of temperature for too long. During germination, set temperature at seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit and provide as much light as possible. Once your plants have become as big around as an average pencil, they will be ready to plant in their final growing area. At this point, the temperature in the growing area needs to remain between fifty-five and seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, preferably at the lower end of this spectrum. Temperatures above seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit will jeopardize the growth of your leeks.

Finally, if you want to give your leeks the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Greenhouses - Glass versus polyethylene

Once you have had a taste of hydroponic gardening, you may find yourself wanting to expand your efforts to a scale that is bigger than what can fit in the corner of your living room. It is time to start looking into a greenhouse. There are so many kinds of greenhouses on the market today, that it can often be confusing deciding which is best for your particular needs. Let’s explore two of the most common types of greenhouse coverings, glass and polyethylene film. Hopefully, this will make your choice a little bit easier.

When deciding between glass panels and polyethylene film covering, there are several factors you need to take into consideration. These factors include how much you can afford to or are willing to spend; environmental factors required for the hydroponic plants you are growing; and how permanent, or temporary, you want your greenhouse to be.

Glass is the most expensive covering for a greenhouse, costing on average six times more than polyethylene film. The framework of your greenhouse will also be more expensive, as glass is heavy and needs a stronger framework. Glass, however, can withstand extremes in temperature better and will not need to be replaced as often as polyethylene film. This being the case, within twenty-five years, you are looking at the same general cost for covering and the difference comes in the amount spent on the framework. If you are unsure about how long you plan on maintaining a hydroponic garden, you may wish to go with the less initial outlay.

Glass covering is the best choice for allowing sunlight to reach your plants. It allows more of the rays to reach your garden; however, you may need to look into some type of coating on the glass to help diffuse the sunlight and allow it to reach more of the leaves. For insulation against extreme temperatures, polyethylene film works better than glass. Polyethylene film, however, can “sweat”, dripping onto the plants inside and increasing the overall humidity level of the interior. Some of these films are now being made with a coating that helps alleviate this problem.

Glass greenhouses last longer than those covered with polyethylene film. Glass can weather well for over twenty-five years. If you are planning a long-term venture, this may be your best choice. Keep in mind, however, that glass can’t stand impacts as well as polyethylene film and you may find yourself replacing panels more often. If you are merely leasing your property or are not sure how long you may continue with hydroponic gardening, you may consider polyethylene film coverings. Many inflatable structures are made of this and are easy to assemble or disassemble, making it easy to re-locate or eliminate the greenhouse.

Finally, the greenhouse is only a starting point for a productive hydroponic garden. To help ensure your plants get the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Easy Hydroponics--Humic and Fulvic Acids

http://www.advancednutrients.com/h2--visit this url to read all about a magic ingredient that boosts plant performance and watch this video to see how you can increase your yields even more!

Easy Hydroponics--Piranha, Tarantula, Voodoo Juice

Hydroponic Gardening - Peas

When I was young, I was like most kids and would not eat peas—until my mother came up with calling them “nice, green peas”. I ate them like there was no tomorrow. With hydroponics, you can turn all your peas into “nice, green peas” that are full of nutrition and taste unlike traditionally grown peas.

Before setting up to grow your peas, you will need to select the variety you prefer, bush or vining. This will help determine how much space you will need, as well as whether or not some type of support will be necessary. Peas grow best in cooler temperatures and require growing material, such as perlite, that does not hold moisture too long. One of the most important things to monitor when you grow your peas is the pH balance, as pea plants are very sensitive to acidity levels. Finally, you will need some type of lighting to keep your peas healthy.

Bush peas can be trimmed back when between six and eight inches high. By trimming the tip and first set of leaves, two branches will sprout. This encourages the plant to grow outward instead of just upward. For vining varieties of peas, you will need to have some type of support in place. An ideal solution to this is to have a rope hanging from one end of the growing area to the other. Each plant then has a string leading upward from the plant. This enables the pea plant to be wrapped around the rising line as it grows. This not only allows for less space being needed per plant, but also enables the available light to evenly fall on the upper and lower leaves.

Temperatures in your hydroponic growing environment need to be on the rather cool side for growing peas. While peas can withstand temperatures as low as twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal growing temperature is between fifty-five and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature falls too low, the flowers will become sterile. Acidity needs to be constantly monitored. Peas grow best when the pH level is between 6.0 and 7.0. If it falls below this level, calcium uptake by your peas will be jeopardized.

Either high-pressure sodium light or low-pressure sodium light can be used as supplementary lighting in your hydroponic growing area. Make sure the lamps are positioned so that the lower parts of your pea plants receive an adequate amount of light. When there is insufficient light, the plants grow taller and spindlier, reducing their strength.

Finally, to help ensure your peas get the best nutrition possible and become “nice, green peas” instead of plain old peas, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - TIPS

When it comes to hydroponic gardening, you can find a great deal of information available for reading. Often, however, there are tips that don’t warrant an entire article, yet they are of importance if you want to grow the best fruits, vegetables and flowers possible. Read on to learn of five important tips that can help make a difference in your hydroponic adventure.

Tip #1 In the trickle irrigation system, you need to take special care in making sure your gravel is the correct size. Lateral movement of the solution along the roots is necessary. For this reason, any gravel that is larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter is not recommended, as it will inhibit this flow. The idea size of gravel is anywhere between one-eighth and one-fourth inch in diameter.

Tip #2 If you are fairly new to hydroponic gardening you may still be searching for the growing method that suits your needs best. One method that does not get mentioned often is called “sack culture”. With this method, you poke holes in a thin bag made of polyethylene. This bag is approximately six inches. You fill this sack with a mixture of vermiculite and peat. Once the ends are sealed, the bag is hung up. Plants are placed in the evenly spaced holes you made previously. A hydroponic solution is introduced into the top of the bag and allowed to make its way down through the planting medium within the sack. Excess solution drains from the bottom.

Tip #3 You may find it desirable to add calcium, nitrogen or sulfur to your hydroponic garden to help it produce better. Calcium nitrate will provide both calcium and nitrate nitrogen in the best forms for your fruits and vegetables. Products such as http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/sensi_cal_grow_landing.html are specially formulated to provide added calcium without damaging your plants. If you still need extra nitrogen, provide it through the use of potassium nitrate or potassium sulfate, which will also add any needed sulfur. Magnesium sulfate can also be used if necessary.

Tip #4 Germination of seeds can be a tricky time in your hydroponic gardening experience. To help your seeds shed their shells during germination, you need to keep them moist. Using coarse vermiculite to cover the cubes you germinate your seeds in can do this. Use plain water until germination and then a diluted hydroponic nutrient solution until the leaves develop. It is then important to make sure your water is at the proper pH balance. This can be accomplished by using http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/ph_up_landing.html or http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/ph_down_landing.html depending on whether you need more or less pH. Pre-treating your water with hydrogen peroxide will help if Reverse Osmosis water is not readily available.

Tip #5 Running your hydroponic solution through an ultraviolet sterilizer will help rid it of bacteria, fungi and some viruses that can damage your plants. Unfortunately, this can also harm chelates in your nutrient solution. What this means is that elements such as iron may end up being reduced. This will cause harm to your fruits, vegetables and flowers because they won’t be getting the complete nutrition they need. By adding specially formulated products that include the chelated nutrients, you will be able to combat this problem.

Hydroponic Gardening - pak choi

With oriental cuisine becoming more and more popular, pak choi makes a wonderful addition to your hydroponic garden. This leafy plant, a type of Chinese cabbage, grows quickly, is fairly simple to keep happy and is not prone to insect infestations when grown in a greenhouse. Two of the most important components in pak choi production are light and ventilation. Read on to find out how you can successfully grow pak choi in your hydroponic garden.

Growing pak choi takes approximately thirty-five days from planting to harvest. This allows growers to produce several crops per year. The growing cycle is divided into two parts, with the germination period being ten days in length and then re-locating the seedlings to grow to full size. During the germination period, light is provided to the plants for twenty-four hours a day. It is not recommended that a gardener use incandescent lamps during this stage, but instead use fluorescent lighting. This does serve a major purpose. Incandescent lights emit red waves, which can cause the plants to grow tall and spindly. Fluorescent lights, which emit blue light, will help stalks develop shorter and thicker, providing a strong base.

The nutrient film technique (NFT) is the most popular used for growing pak choi once it has been moved to its final growing area. The proper amount of overall, even light is necessary for the growth of plants. High-pressure sodium lamps are the recommended grow lights for this final growing stage. These bulbs not only put forth the correct color of light, they enable an even distribution of light.

The proper rate of plant transpiration is necessary to prevent tipburn. This is when the tips of the leaves turn brown because they are not getting the proper amount of calcium to the leaves from the roots. This is easily prevented. The best way to help pak choi achieve the proper transpiration rate is to outfit your greenhouse with some type of turbulator fan. This will work with the lighting to allow the hydroponic nutrient solution to move upwards from the roots and through the leaves at a rate that will keep your pak choi healthy.

Hydroponic gardening eliminates nearly all pests in a hydroponic garden. The quick rate at which pak choi matures and is ready for harvest, on average thirty-five days, is not long enough for any pests that may get into the greenhouse to set up colonies of any significance. If you are growing other crops in the same environment and find pest control necessary, using traditional pesticides may end up damaging all your plants. If absolutely necessary, hydroponic supply stores offer specially-formulated pest control products that are much safer.

Finally, to help ensure your pak choi gets the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - Cilantro

Cilantro is a parsley-type herb. When grown for leaves only, it is called cilantro but if allowed to continue growing to seed, it becomes what is called coriander. In this article, we will discuss cilantro. Cilantro grown hydroponically does well with the drip irrigation method, somewhat less light than some other crops and a wide variety of pH conditions. This plant is easy to grow, takes up fairly little space and is often ready for harvest in six weeks time.

Cilantro does not relocate well, so it is often best to plant seeds directly into the growing medium you will be using. This plant grows equally well in perlite, vermiculite, coco peat, rock wool or Oasis foam. The main consideration is that the medium allow for proper drainage so your plant does not become over-watered. Using a drip irrigation method will allow better control over the amount of hydroponic nutrient solution your cilantro receives.

Cilantro prefers a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, but is tolerant of some variation in regards to this. Plants need to be started nine to twelve inches apart, but this distance can be reduced to a mere six inches once leaves start maturing. It takes an average of a week to ten days for seeds to germinate and the leaves are ready to harvest in as little as six weeks. Cilantro grows quickly and is ideal for herb sellers because of this quick turn-around. Each plant can grow to anywhere between eighteen and twenty-four inches in height.

Lighting requirements for cilantro are versatile and the plants can grow under standard fluorescent, high output fluorescent or HID grow lights. As with any use of grow lights, you will need to make sure they are placed at the proper distance to provide enough light, yet not burn the leaves. Standard fluorescents can be as close as two to four inches, but you will need to place other fluorescent bulbs at least a foot above the plants. HID (high intensity discharge) grow lights need to be placed even further away. Ideally, they will be two to four feet above the tops of the plants. With HID grow lights, you will also want to have a fan circulate air and cause the plant leaves to move to prevent over-heating.

Cilantro is a hardy plant that can withstand low temperatures. It needs light but cooler temperatures to remain as cilantro longer. The higher the heat, the quicker this herb flowers. Once this happens, the plant becomes bitter and the flowers need to be left to go to seed, becoming coriander. This plant self-pollinates very well so does not need help. Any pest problems can be virtually eliminated by growing your cilantro hydroponically inside a greenhouse.

Finally, to help ensure your cilantro gets the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponics Cats 2--Organic Iguana Juice

Hydroponic Gardening - Systems - CO2 generation

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is necessary for plants to enable photosynthesis. Without CO2, or without enough, plants will not be able to thrive. Many hydroponic gardeners find it helps plant growth to provide an extra amount of CO2. This can be done in a variety of different ways. The two most common ways to increase the amount of CO2 in your hydroponic garden is by utilizing bottled CO2 or by purchasing a CO2 generator.

The most popular method of introducing added CO2 is the bottled CO2 method. This involves a system that includes a CO2 tank, a flow meter, a pressure gauge and a valve. The tank itself holds the CO2 gas. This gas is released through the valve, which must have some type of timer attached to it to help regulate the use of the CO2. Both the flow meter and pressure gauges help the hydroponic gardener judge whether the level of CO2 is appropriate for his or her needs. It is important to note here that, while increasing CO2 levels can help plants grow, allowing too much CO2 into the growing environment will have the opposite effect and your plants will perish. Hydroponic gardeners need to research in advance to see what level of CO2 is recommended for the crop being grown.

Using a CO2 generator is more cost effective and somewhat easier. However, this method also has the added element of increased heat that will need to be taken into account and compensated for by including an air-cooling system of some type in your growing environment. CO2 generators work to produce CO2 by burning either propane or natural gas. Most systems are placed on a timer that releases the burned fuel at a regulated time. The biggest hazard possible with a CO2 generator is that it is essential you keep it in perfect working order. Defective units will produce carbon monoxide instead of CO2 if they are not working properly. This will not only kill your plants, but may very well kill any humans who enter the growing environment.

One more expensive way of producing additional carbon dioxide in your greenhouse is by the use of dry ice. Dry ice is actually a solid form of CO2. When allowed to “melt” it returns to its gaseous state. This method should really only be used in a pinch. There is almost no control over the amount of gas released into the air or at what rate the dry ice will become gas. There is a lot of room for potential danger to plants using this method.

Adding extra CO2 will not, however, help increase plant growth unless light and temperature are also at optimum levels. Proper nutrition and water are also essential factors in optimal growth. All these factors must be strong and be working together for best results. To help ensure your plants get the best nutrition possible, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - HID lighting

Hydroponic gardeners often find it necessary to supplement the available light in their growing area. This is especially true when the growing area is inside the home. Greenhouses offer more light, but this is not always enough to produce healthy fruits, vegetables or flowers. Grow lights take care of this need for added light. It can be difficult for hydroponic gardeners to decide between the many options available in the way of grow lights. Let’s explore HID lights here and see what they have to offer.

The letters HID stands for “high intensity discharge”. These lights operate with a properly matched transformer, capacitor and lamp, which consist of an inner arc tube possessing a chemical mixture. Working together, these elements help provide a very long-lasting grow light for any hydroponic garden. There are two kinds of HID lights that I’d like to talk about today. These are sodium and metal halide. These two offer different benefits to the hydroponic gardener.

Metal halide HID lights emit a wider spectrum of light and include more of the blue and violet rays needed by plants that do not get enough sunlight. These lights are most useful during the vegetative stage of growth. Plants grown under metal halide HID lights tend to grow shorter and stockier, this makes for a stronger plant. Metal halide lights are also used more frequently in foliage-only growing. An added advantage of the wider light spectrum is that gardeners growing crops such as flowers are more likely to use metal halide lights because the resulting colors of the flowers appear more natural in the less harsh light.

Sodium HID lights emit more red, orange and yellow rays, which, when used alone can cause plants to grow tall and spindly. These lights are used mainly when there is enough natural sunlight present to produce the necessary blue and violet rays needed by plants. Many hydroponic gardeners do prefer sodium lamps to metal halide because sodium lights are more energy efficient and often last longer.

Many growers use Metal Halide (MH) for vegetative growth, and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) for budding and flowering. Only rich growers can afford to run the two systems with their own shades and ballasts, independently. Most growers use conversion bulbs, which very conveniently use the corresponding system’s fixtures. So if you have a Metal Halide system, use it for vegging, then put in HPS conversion bulbs into the same system, for flowering.

What often works best in regards to healthier fruits, vegetables and flowers is to use some combination of metal halide and sodium HID lights. The combination provides adequate amounts of both red and blue spectrum colors, both of which are needed for healthy plant growth. Using a combination of the two will provide your hydroponic garden with the best that both have to over. This will translate into healthier plants and a more productive growing season.

Lights alone won’t guarantee bumper crops, but work in conjunction with factors such as temperature and nutrition. With this in mind, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - LED lighting

As much as we’d like to depend completely on the sun to provide all the necessary light for our hydroponic gardens, that is not possible. The majority of hydroponic gardens are inside, whether inside a greenhouse or our homes. Greenhouses offer more light than having your hydroponic garden in your home, but this is often still not enough to produce adequate light for growing fruits, vegetables and flowers. This lack of natural sunlight makes it necessary to supplement with grow lights. There are many types of grow lights available to hydroponic gardeners, but let’s focus on LED lights for now.

LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode. This is one of the most popular types of grow lights. The heat given off by these is not as intense as with other types of grow lights. There is also the ability to provide different color of lights with LED lighting, which is helpful for increasing growth at various stages of a plant’s life. Younger seedlings do better with blue light. More mature plants prefer red or orange.

With LED lighting, it is easy to change the light color to accommodate whichever growing stage your garden plants are currently in. Additional benefits of LED grow lights are the decrease in power consumption, less heat is produced and bulbs often last longer than other types of grow lights. In addition, light can be focused on a smaller area because of the reduced heat. This allows gardeners to provide extra light where it may be needed without producing too much light for other plants in the area.

LED lights require an increased initial investment, but they are less expensive in the long run. LED lights are energy efficient, using less power to run than standard bulbs. These bulbs also tend to last for a longer period of time, making it unnecessary to replace the bulbs as frequently as other types of grow lights. The added length of time can amount to seven to ten years under the right circumstances.

If you are switching to LED grow lights from another method, you may need to make some adjustments in other factors of your growing environment. The lower heat output of these lights makes it unnecessary to use air-cooling equipment as much as other lights. In addition, the cooler environment will cause less evaporation and will lower the amount of water and hydroponic nutrient you require. This in itself will help lower production costs.

Finally, to help insure your plants get the best chance to grow to their maximum potential, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - Systems - Air Cooling

While many plants thrive in high temperatures, there is a limit to the amount of heat any particular plant can tolerate before it begins to wilt and die. The very nature of hydroponic gardening, from grow lights to enclosed greenhouses, makes it necessary to provide a system of air-cooling for your fruits, vegetables or flowers. Let’s explore what can raise the temperatures in your growing area and how to effectively initiate air-cooling.

The very structure of a greenhouse allows for heat to build up. The sun coming through glass or plastic can heat an enclosed area quickly. By providing vents throughout the greenhouse, and fans that blow the heat toward the vents, you can help cool the air inside. Warm air rises, so having vents placed near the roof on either end of the greenhouse will
Help alleviate excessive heat.

The use of CO2 can increase both the heat and the humidity within the greenhouse. The best way to help combat this is to set up vent fans. Placing these on a timer will enable the hydroponic gardener to periodically blow out hot, humid air, allowing fresh, cooler air to take its place. Adding a dehumidifier to the growing area will additionally help with the high humidity that often accompanies the use of CO2.

The biggest heat creators, by far, are grow lights. The heat given off by the grow lights can cause damage to plants if it is not decreased considerably. Many lights used in hydroponic gardening come with a fan system meant for air-cooling already incorporated in their design. If you are using a lighting system that does not come with such fans, it is advisable to set up some fans to help keep the air around the plants circulating and cooler. One powerful enough to cause the plants to move slightly is preferable, as this will also help prevent light landing only on one spot of the plant leaves, causing them to burn.

There are many systems available solely for the purpose of air-cooling in your hydroponic growing area. Some of these consist of fans and vents; others include a cooling pad and baffles. Baffles are installed to help keep cooler air at plant level. These are not essential, but are nice to have to help keep your fruits, vegetables and flowers cool and happy.

Once you have taken care that your plants are cool enough to grow well, you will want to do all you can to keep your hydroponic garden healthy. With this goal in mind, you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics and subscribe to the Advanced Nutrients newsletter at http://www.advancednutrients.com/newsletter/. Advanced Nutrients is the world’s foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Easy Hydroponics--Big Bud Bloom Booster

Hydroponic Gardening - Tomatoes

For those just venturing into the world of hydroponic gardening, tomatoes make an excellent first choice. Tomatoes grow well in a greenhouse when the three most important elements are present. Let’s explore the ideal environmental conditions, nutrition and pest control factors that will enable you to grow a successful crop of tomatoes.

The correct balance of light, nutrients and humidity are essential components in hydroponic vegetable gardening. Natural light for indoor gardening can’t always be relied upon to provide adequate photosynthesis. Lacking enough light, tomato plants do not produce enough sugar. By positioning both the greenhouse and the plants so that the natural light flows north and south, the plants can be evenly lit. In addition, the use of grow lights within the greenhouse can provide the extra light necessary for optimal growth. Unless you’re in a glass greenhouse, by covering floors and walls with white paint, hydroponic growers can help increase the reflection of light onto the tomatoes. For tomatoes, the perfect humidity level in the greenhouse should be between 65 and 70 percent. Temperatures should not vary too much, although tomatoes do well when the nighttime temperature is ten degrees below that of the daytime Ideally, temperatures should be seventy-three degrees during the day and sixty-three during the night.

Proper nutrition is essential for optimum growth of your tomatoes. Unlike soil-grown vegetables, those grown by the hydroponic method have a great advantage in that the ideal nutritional needs of the plants can be met easily. Many commercial formulas are available. These hydroponic nutrients have been formulated after a great deal of research to provide your fruits, vegetables and flowers with the exact combination they require. By simply following the directions included, your tomato plants’ nutritional needs will be met.

Pest control is much easier when dealing with hydroponics. The elimination of the soil helps to get rid of quite a number of threats. It is not recommended that commercial insecticides be used on hydroponically grown tomatoes. These products can damage the plant. For some infestations, adding a natural predator to your greenhouse is ideal. These, however, have short life spans and have to be replaced often. If there are no such natural predators, or you prefer not to go this route, there are specially formulated pest control formulas, such as Scorpion Juice and Barricade made by Advanced Nutrients that can provide the protection from pests without harming your tomatoes.

Once you have provided the ideal growing environment, proper nutrition and effective pest control, you should soon find yourself with some of the healthiest tomatoes there are. Indoors gardening the hydroponics way will soon become your preferred method of growing all your fruits and vegetables. Finally, if you want to harvest robust, abundant fruits and vegetables you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics at http://www.advancednutrients.com/freereport/ Advanced Nutrients is the world's foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - Sweet Peppers

Sweet peppers (also known as Capsicums) come in a variety of colors. This variety makes them appealing to many hydroponic gardeners. Sweet peppers are more difficult to grow than tomatoes, but with attention to their special requirement, greenhouse production can be very successful. Other than correct hydroponic nutrients, which are essential in all hydroponic gardening, light and temperature play a large part in the success or failure of your crop. Pollination and pest control follow closely behind. A final, yet extremely important factor in success requires knowing how much fruit each plant can produce without over-taxing it. Let’s look at the physical environment first.

Temperatures in the greenhouse where you have planted your hydroponic garden need to stay between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the growing stages of the sweet peppers. Higher temperatures will see your peppers growing faster, but the fruit will be smaller and of poorer quality. Anything lower can result in losing flowers before they have had a chance to mature. Sweet peppers love light. This is a crop where good quality grow lights are almost essential. Depending on natural lighting will see your crops failing while attempting indoor gardening. Air humidity should remain below eighty percent.

Some hydroponic vegetable gardening sees plants self-pollinating. This is not the case with sweet peppers. It is possible to manually pollinate your plants using a small paintbrush or cotton swab and gently rubbing it across the center of each flower. Commercial pesticides are never recommended for hydroponic gardens. If the need arises, however, relying on products found at hydroponic supply places such as
will be safer for both your plants and you.

It is tempting to allow your sweet peppers to produce as much fruit as they will, but this can result in poor quality fruit and unhealthy plants. The first flower on each plant needs to be removed. This creates stronger fruit in successive blooms. Often the plant itself will shed this flower, but manual removal may be necessary. When a plant is expected to support too many fruits, the roots can begin to rot and leave the plants susceptible to disease. For this reason, it is necessary to prune excess fruit as it starts to grow. Younger plants can’t handle as much fruit as older ones. A suggested rule of thumb in hydroponics is to limit the fruit on each plant to between twelve and twenty on young plants and no more than forty on older ones. The earlier the hydroponic gardener removes the excess fruit, the healthier the plant will remain.

By taking the time to stock your greenhouse with the correct hydroponic nutrients, an adequate number of grow lights and proper pollination, you will help your indoor garden of sweet peppers succeed. It is well worth the effort and will make your hydroponic vegetable gardening a pleasurable experience. Finally, if you want to harvest robust, abundant fruits and vegetables you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics at http://www.advancednutrients.com/freereport/.
Advanced Nutrients is the world's foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere.

Hydroponic Gardening - Strawberries

Strawberries are a fairly easy plant to start with if you are just beginning to explore the world of hydroponics. Indoor gardening is perfect for these plants and they will grow equally well inside your living quarters or in a greenhouse or enclosed porch. Your choice of place will depend on how large a crop you want to cultivate. Strawberries do well in a planting mixture of perlite and bark. It is easy to pollinate smaller crops by hand, but adding specially bred bumblebees to your growing area can easily pollinate larger crops.

Start your strawberry crop by clipping “runners” from a grown plant or purchasing some from a garden center. Rooting can easily be done by placing the cuttings in perlite and covering with plastic to keep moisture and humidity in. Once rooted, you will need to place your clippings in a cold area for approximately three months. This will simulate the winter that strawberries need in order to begin growing. This done, your plants can be moved to a permanent container. The container will need to provide a way to allow the hydroponic nutrients to flow freely past the roots as well as provide needed air for the roots.

Strawberries need five to six hours of full spectrum light daily and this can be accomplished with the use of grow-lights. This lighting schedule will need changed to twelve hours on/twelve hours off when it is time to fruit. Temperatures should be within the range of 67 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit at all times for optimum growth. Strawberries do well if allowed to hang down. For this reason, you can “layer” your containers to make better use of space.

Your hydroponic strawberry garden will need to be pollinated in order to flower and produce fruit. For one or two plants, manual pollinating will work. This is a matter of simply brushing the centers of the strawberry flowers and using a fan. Most hydroponic gardeners, however, produce crops much larger and it can take a lot of time to manually pollinate. Adding specially bred bumblebees to the area helps to pollinate greenhouse crops. It is not advisable to use any commercial insecticides on your hydroponic garden. Strawberries, however, are not likely to be plagued by many pests. If necessary, a specially formulated product like Barricade, sold at Advanced Nutrients, will help take care of the problem.

There, in a nutshell, is all you need to successfully produce strawberries the hydroponics way. As you can see, the process is much simpler than many hydroponically grown plants. Strawberries are a wonderful way to start your exploration of hydroponics. Little space needed, no soil, room temperature and pre-formulated nutrition. What more could you ask for? Finally, if you want to harvest robust, abundant fruits and vegetables you should check out the seven best-kept secrets of hydroponics at http://www.advancednutrients.com/freereport/ Advanced Nutrients is the world's foremost supplier of hydroponic nutrients to discriminating growers everywhere

Easy Hydroponics--Organic Iguana Juice

The Personal Benefits of Hydroponics Indoor Gardening

Everybody enjoys freshly grown fruits and vegetables; but traditional gardening can be more trouble than most people are willing to endure. A person can put in hours of hard work digging, planting and watering an outdoor garden only to have insects or the weather destroy everything. Venturing into hydroponic growing of fruits and vegetables can eliminate disasters caused by insects and the weather by allowing the gardener greater control at every stage of growth. Fruits and vegetables produced through hydroponic growing are healthier than either store bought or dirt-grown produce. If that isn’t enough, a person can save money in several ways with hydroponics.

Setting up a hydroponic system inside enables the gardener to control nearly every aspect of the growing process. Outside, plants are at the mercy of drought or too much rain. The indoor system allows for manual adjustment of temperature, humidity and amount of light and moisture available to make sure plants get the ideal environment. Soil may not have the ideal mix of nutrients or the correct pH balance needed to produce the best fruits and vegetables. Hydroponic systems help monitor the pH balance so that it can be adjusted properly. By using hydroponic nutrients such as Connoisseur or Nirvana, plants are given the exact combination of nutrients for optimal growth. With the use of special high intensity discharge lights, which mimic the sun, a gardener can guarantee that clouds and poor weather do not rob plants of the necessary amount of sunlight they need to grow strong.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are known to be healthier for everyone. By eliminating soil, hydroponic growing eliminates such impurities as pollution from the air, rain or the neighbor’s cat thinking your garden is his litter box. Diseases that find soil the perfect breeding ground are eliminated completely. Being indoors and within the controlled environment of a hydroponic system, insects can be eliminated from the start. This makes it unnecessary to use pesticides on your fruits and vegetables. This not only makes the produce healthier to eat, but also eliminates the risk of damaging the plants.

Hydroponic growing is economic as well as healthy. The cost of fruits and vegetables varies according to season. By growing your own produce you will be able to save hundreds of dollars a year on the purchase price alone. Hydroponic systems allow for greater yield. Your plants are healthier and larger and the controlling of the environment allows for faster growth, enabling a person to produce a greater number of crops each year. Water usage is lower because the hydroponic system makes it unnecessary to constantly hose down your plants to prevent damage from dry weather and “recycles” the water that it does use. Gardening tools can cost a great deal of money, but an effective hydroponic system can be set up for little cost. Something as simple as a fish tank, with pump, can be a container and grow lights are inexpensive to run. If a gardener opts for LED grow lights, which are just as effective as high intensity discharge lights, the cost can be reduced even further.

For more information on hydroponics, visit the Advanced Nutrients website.
They have informative articles as well as products to help you on your way. The personal benefits of hydroponic growing of fruits and vegetables indoors are numerous. A gardener has greater control over every aspect of the growing process from temperature to number of crops per year, the resulting produce is much healthier for consumption and the cost will appeal to the most frugal of gardeners—and insects, weeds and the neighbor’s cat won’t think your garden is their personal playground!