beginner's corner
Key to Uptake is a Living Grow Media
With either of these two techniques, there are some very critical
parameters that will determine plant taste and human nutrition
quality, in addition to plant vigor and health. A “living soil” is
essential to obtaining the best results from our soil garden. The
beneficial microbes, fungi, and bacteria that multiply and work
in our garden are essential to plant nutritional uptake, and hence
flavor, as well as nutritional output. The same is true of DWC—
we need liquid nutrients continuously flowing past the root
system to be alive with beneficial microbial life to assist in the
development and uptake of vital plant nutrients.
Mycorrhizae fungi are an essential part of a root system’s
ability to take up more nutrients from whatever grow media
the roots live in. Bacteria are required to convert many nutri-
ents into an available form. Within water culture, these fungi
can be introduced but until they have attached to actual roots
they do not increase in biomass. These microbes also require
a consistent and adequate supply of available oxygen to
survive. It does not take long for the vital microbial life to die
off in the absence of oxygen.
Though flavor is to a great degree inescapably subjective,
there is a science behind what impacts it. Tissue samplings
can verify the nutritional content of a vegetable, remov-
ing the subjectivity aspect for the health aspect. Nutritional
content within the plant root system will be directly related
to the nutritional content of the plant tissue.
Taste
If we are to review the “taste” aspect of the soil versus
hydroponic question, we will need to look at just what
makes the fruit or leaf of a garden crop taste good. What
nutrients within a leaf, fruit, or root create the desirable
flavors that most people want? We need to consider that
the senses of taste and smell are subjective.
The primary flavor categories are: astringent,
bitter, pungent, salty, sour, and sweet. The aspect
of sweetness is easily measured within the
roots or leaves of a plant. The rating factor for
the level of these sugars, called brix, can be
measured by a refractrometer.
Among the some of the other aspects of
flavour is pungency or “how hot and spicy.”
With peppers this is a major point, and to
measure this, we look at capsaicin content.
For this factor, a high-performance liquid
chromatography measurement is taken
and rated in Scoville heat units (SHU).
“THE BENEFICIAL microbes,
fungi, and bacteria that
multiply and work in our garden
are essential to plant nutritional
uptake, and hence flavor, as
well as nutritional output.”
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grow cycle