Aeroponic Technology Versus Premium Organic Soil Cultivation Part IV: Habanero Chile
W13
The aeroponic plant in week
12 is stable and healthy
showing lush, green growth.
Week Thirteen
It is physically impossible to scan some parts of the garden for
bugs where the canopy is densest without possibly harming
the plants themselves. Based on the foliage I can check
closely, signs of crop infesting swarms are nowhere present.
Sticky traps reveal there are fungus gnats on both sides of the
garden, which doesn’t come as a surprise; personally, I’ve never
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MAXIMUM YIELD USA - March 2009
been able to avoid them in most scenarios. Steinernema and
heterorhabditis, two different species of predatory nematodes
(beneficial bugs), are added to the soil and aeroponic chamber
in hopes of eradicating the majority of the fungus gnats and any
media dwelling insects injurious to the garden. To maximize
the effectiveness of the nematodes, additional applications are
recommended to ensure larvae and eggs will not survive. All in
all, it is a great way to control media-born pests.
Proven to have powerful effects and response on most types
of plants, foliar feeding is an art that I have not included thus
far in the trial. My personal preference on the method is not to
apply it regularly, unless pests find their way into your garden.
Foliar feeds are an excellent approach to virtually instantaneous
nutritional delivery, especially if plants are refusing nutrient
uptake through the root zone. If gardening under high-intensity
discharge lighting, foliar applications are best utilized when
the lights are off to avoid burning the plants under the direct
influence of magnification through the water. Certain elements
are also more penetrating to plants than others, it takes a great
deal of trial and error to fine tune foliar fertilizer regiments on
specific crops. Many gardeners are also unaware that the stomata
and other pores on leaves that contribute to foliar absorption
have the highest concentrations on the undersides, not on the
top surfaces. Newer leaves and growth shoots are also thought to