by Grubbycup
Many new hydroponic growers get so caught up in figuring out which brand of lights to use and which nutrients to use , they neglect some important steps when it comes to growing great plants and crops .
Here are five key things newbie hydroponic growers tend to overlook when starting out :
1
Before buying equipment , ensure there is enough electricity available to run it
As an example , in Australia , a circuit supplying electricity to a room might be 10 amps at 230 volts , or 2,300W ( or it might be something entirely different , check the actual specifics of the space ). Only 80 percent of that should be used for long periods , so only 1,840W would be available for the garden . The conversion for watts is : amps x volts x 0.8 = maximum available watts for equipment . This is important information to know before spending money on a lot of equipment . A single 1,000W light with a 200W fan will use 1,200W . In the example above , that leaves only 240W for other things . If an indoor gardener had already bought four 1,000W lights for the space , they wouldn ’ t be able to use three of them . Depending on the situation , it may be more effective to only buy two lights and use the money saved from the other two lights toward installing a second circuit ( or better ) into the room , allowing two ( or more ) lights to be run in the space .
2
Plan on spills before they happen
Plants need water to grow . Anytime there is water present , there is a chance for spills . Gardening over a carpeted area can lead to a horrendous mess if water gets into the carpet , especially if it isn ’ t allowed to completely dry and develops mold . It is considered a best practice to remove any carpeting before the garden is in place to avoid such complications . Removing dry , clean carpeting may not be fun , but having to remove wet mouldy carpet is much worse . Another often overlooked safety measure is to use “ drip loops ” on any hanging cords . Hydroponic nutrient solutions often contain salts , allowing the solution to conduct electricity . This is the same principle that allows EC meters to estimate the nutrient content of a solution . A drip loop is simply a loop in the cord , fastened in place so any moisture that collects on the cord runs down the loop and off the cord and can ’ t follow the cord back to the outlet .
3
Supplemental carbon dioxide doesn ’ t have to be expensive
Carbon dioxide is needed for photosynthesis ; plants do better when there enough present . With the increase of CO 2 as a pollutant in the atmosphere , the levels of CO 2 have risen to more than 400 ppm . For the indoor gardener , this means that by just bringing in outside air , the plants can receive all the CO 2 they need for growth . However , if all other plant needs are being met exceptionally well , then plants can benefit from CO 2 levels that are even higher .
An often-overlooked CO 2 generator is the gardener . Humans are fairly large mammals who use respiration to breathe in oxygen and exhale a quantity of CO 2 . This pairs well with plants that use photosynthesis to take in CO 2 and release oxygen during photosynthesis ( plants also have respiration , but photosynthesis uses more CO 2 and releases more oxygen than the plant releases CO 2 through respiration ). A single person in a closed garden releases about one kilogram of CO 2 a day , which is about 36 grams per hour . Talking to plants does help them , as the speaker ’ s exhale has CO 2 in it . Singing to them is even better .
4
Indoor gardening is a marathon , not a sprint .
Checking on a garden once a day for 10 days will serve the garden better than checking on it 10 times in one day . In addition to regularly checking the garden , use patience when changing nutrient solutions or correcting garden issues . Many things take time to develop in a plant , and recovery is rarely immediate . Nutrient deficiencies and such don ’ t generally respond within minutes of correction , sometimes they can take days for changes to take full effect . Constantly changing the solution too often to increase a noticed deficiency can lead to an over application that may not be noticeable until the plant has had time to react .
“ Slow and steady will lead to a better harvest than rushed and frenzied .”
Overwatering is another way neophyte gardeners can overuse a needed resource . Roots need access to both water and air . Keeping the growing medium too moist by watering too often can restrict root access to air . Alternating periods of wet and dry allows the plants access to both moisture and air . Another method used in hydroponics is the use of air pumped into the nutrient solution so the plant has access to both at the same time . Beginner growers also tend to fret over the sex of a flower at the first sign of development when with a little patience , it will become apparent enough after a few days . Male flowers won ’ t release pollen until they are mature enough to do so , and their sex becomes obvious before then . Drastic changes in the environment can stall or shock a plant into doing little to nothing for a couple of weeks . Slow and steady will lead to a better harvest than rushed and frenzied .
5
A harvest doesn ’ t have to be blue ribbon award winning to be worthwhile
Growing the best produce that one can is a noble effort . However , many folks get so tied up with growing the perfect harvest that they lose sight of how wonderful it can be to grow your own even if it isn ’ t State Fair Blue Ribbon worthy . A tomato that cost a little too much to grow , and isn ’ t as pretty as it might be , and isn ’ t as big as one hoped it would be , can still make for a delightful sandwich that tastes better and is more satisfying than a store-bought one .
Some of the best benefits of gardening have little to do with the end result ( although that is nice too ), and have more to do with the journey on the way to it . Connecting with life , nature , self-reliance , and peace are often underrated benefits of having a garden .
Maximum Yield 43