BIOPONICS: A STRANGE HYBRID
Bio-filters
Trichoderma fungi need to cling to
something to get established. If you use
a substrate with a certain amount of
coco fiber or any other organic material in it, no problem, the trichoderma
will colonize it. But if you are growing
using clay pebbles, stonewool or any
other mineral substrate, you need to
use a bio-filter, which is simply a welloxygenated space containing substrates
on which micro-organisms can grow
and reproduce. You can find bio-filters
in every size and shape in aquarium
shops. They are usually placed on the
tank, where a small pump draws the
solution from the tank, circulates it in
the bio-filter and cascades it back into
the tank. This added circulation on top
of the main pump will be a source of
extra, much-needed oxygen that will
feed the organisms in the filter. Over
time, attracted by food and oxygen,
other beneficial organisms will colonize
the bio-filter, too, as well as the root
zone, making the breakdown of organic
nutrients even more efficient.
pH Levels
Even though pH levels in bioponics are
less critical to a functioning system than
they are in a mineral nutrient solution,
you still have to keep your pH within
the 5-7 range so roots and micro-organisms can thrive. The pH will tend to rise
A small bioponic set-up.
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Maximum Yield USA | October 2015
naturally over time, which will require
you to bring it down slowly to avoid
shocking and damaging the microflora. Plants prefer stability, especially
in the root zone. To lower pH, use
citric acid if you want to stay strictly
organic, but a little phosphoric acid
does not alter the taste or quality of
the final crop. Avoid hydrochloric acid
and acetic acid (vinegar), which are
both harmful for plants. A significant
drop in pH may indicate the death of
a large quantity of micro-organisms.
In this case, it is important to find out
the cause of the drop, treat it and start
over with a new solution and a new
stock of trichoderma.
corresponds to around 2 ml per liter
of nutrients. Raise the EC over the
course of a week to 1 mS. Add more
nutrients if the EC drops below 0.8
mS, but don’t raise it over 1 mS.
You can also determine the optimal
moment to add more nutrients just
by looking carefully at your plants,
their roots and the color and transparency of your nutrient solution.
Bioponics is managed by the eye as
much as with pH and EC meters. This
step is all about balance, as a large
amount of organic matter in the
system might have a counterproductive effect by blocking roots. Just be
careful to give your plants all they
need without going over!
Electro Conductivity
In a bioponic system, you need to
keep the electrical conductivity at a
much lower level than you would for
a mineral solution. This is because
as long as the mineral is not realized
from the organic molecule, it does
not register on your EC meter. In
other words, you have more food in
your bioponic solution than the meter
shows. That being said, do not put
too much fertilizer in your bioponics
tank. A little goes a long way in these
systems. You will notice that not a lot
of nutrients are required to achieve
a nice crop in a bioponic system.
Start with an EC of 0.6-0.7 mS, which
NOT A LOT OF
NUTRIENTS ARE
REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE
A NICE CROP IN A
BIOPONIC SYSTEM.”