Gonna give this a shot

GardenRN · Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:51 pm

ok....I've been looking a bit, and I'd like to give hydroponics a try. Just to see what happens. There's one thing I'm not sure about though. How the heck do you get the seeds started in those fired clay balls, or pea gravel? Or do the seeds need to be started elsewhere?

And one more question. The nutrients that you add to the water...is there a way to do this organically?

csvd87 · Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:14 pm

There are a few Organic hydroponic nutrients out there like Iguana Juice by Advanced Nutrients, I tried it, It stunk and I didn't have much luck with it, slow growth and root rot were issues, I then switch to what smelled like pool chemicals (General Hydroponics MaxiGro) and the growth took off, and the roots seemed happier.

cynthia_h · Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:23 pm

GardenRN wrote:ok....I've been looking a bit, and I'd like to give hydroponics a try. Just to see what happens. ... The nutrients that you add to the water...is there a way to do this organically?

Every now and then I read threads here at THG on hydroponics, and it seems to me that Hydroponics is East and Organics is West, and never the twain shall meet.

I could be wrong, but almost *all* of the hydroponics discussions center on chemical/high-tech stuff, with very little mention of organic anything at all.

Is that what you were asking?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

wordwiz · Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:17 pm

IMO, so take it at what it is worth, the best nuit you can use in a hdro grow system is Tomato-tone or one of its relatives based on what you are growing. Four pounds cost about six bucks and will make about 300 gallons of solution. Organic, but a bit low in nitrogen and needs to be dissolved in water - I use a air pump to do it. You can always add fish emulsion to the mix.

What kind of hydro system are you thinking about doing?

Mike

Hydroponics · Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:23 am

Every now and then I read threads here at THG on hydroponics, and it seems to me that Hydroponics is East and Organics is West, and never the twain shall meet.

I could be wrong, but almost *all* of the hydroponics discussions center on chemical/high-tech stuff, with very little mention of organic anything at all.

That is very far from the truth. Hydroponics can use organic fertiilzers. You can even use the same nutrients you feed your soil plants if you know how to prepare it. The point of hydroponics is controlling your feeding schedule. You can even make your own nutrient composition from base organic materials so there are no impurities.

Aeroponics is actually the cleanest form of gardening available and it uses no growing medium at all.

*To answer the OP's question about starting seeds*
You need to scratch your seeds very softly with something like a nail file. Get a wet paper towel and let the seeds soak in the paper towels. Put the paper towels in an air tight ziploc bag and open twice a day to exchange the air. Make sure the towel stays damp. Put the whole bag under a plate where it will stay dark.

Above the refrigerator is a good place to store the seeds while the germinate. After a few days some of the seeds will start to sprout a root. That is when they are ready to plant into the rockwool cubes.

If you need more help feel free to post again.

hydroguy · Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:01 am

GardenRN wrote:ok....I've been looking a bit, and I'd like to give hydroponics a try. Just to see what happens. There's one thing I'm not sure about though. How the heck do you get the seeds started in those fired clay balls, or pea gravel? Or do the seeds need to be started elsewhere?

And one more question. The nutrients that you add to the water...is there a way to do this organically?

Here is a picture of 2 types of growth mediums to start seedlings, the one on the left is called Sure To Grow, relatively new to the market and I'll be trying it for the first time here in a couple of days. The one on the right is rockwool, been around for years and is a tried and true medium used by many gardners. Every gardner has their own method, personally I just drop a seed in the cube keep the cube wet and cover with a humidity dome. Something like the second pic.

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Lettuce/0111111546-02.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/hydroguy/Chairties%20Herb%20Garden/0210111813-01.jpg[/img]

cynthia_h wrote:
GardenRN wrote:ok....I've been looking a bit, and I'd like to give hydroponics a try. Just to see what happens. ... The nutrients that you add to the water...is there a way to do this organically?
Every now and then I read threads here at THG on hydroponics, and it seems to me that Hydroponics is East and Organics is West, and never the twain shall meet.

I could be wrong, but almost *all* of the hydroponics discussions center on chemical/high-tech stuff, with very little mention of organic anything at all.

Is that what you were asking?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

There is an entire market (and a huge market at that) aimed solely at organic hydroponics. The nutrient company I use has a product line called Pure Vida from Technaflora, most all the major companies carry an organic line of nutrients. And just like hydroponics said, you can make your own. There's really nothing "high-tech" about NPK and the micro nutrients. Hydroponic growers just have to make sure it's all there since we don't rely on the soil to provide those for us.

Hydroponics can be as simple as you want to make it and just like soil gardens, some can be a bit more involved.

hydroguy

cynthia_h · Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:49 pm

hydroguy wrote:
cynthia_h wrote:
GardenRN wrote:ok....I've been looking a bit, and I'd like to give hydroponics a try. Just to see what happens. ... The nutrients that you add to the water...is there a way to do this organically?
Every now and then I read threads here at THG on hydroponics, and it seems to me that Hydroponics is East and Organics is West, and never the twain shall meet.

I could be wrong, but almost *all* of the hydroponics discussions center on chemical/high-tech stuff, with very little mention of organic anything at all.

Is that what you were asking?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
There is an entire market (and a huge market at that) aimed solely at organic hydroponics. The nutrient company I use has a product line called Pure Vida from Technaflora, most all the major companies carry an organic line of nutrients. And just like hydroponics said, you can make your own. There's really nothing "high-tech" about NPK and the micro nutrients. Hydroponic growers just have to make sure it's all there since we don't rely on the soil to provide those for us.

Hydroponics can be as simple as you want to make it and just like soil gardens, some can be a bit more involved.

hydroguy

Thank you! Good to know.

Cynthia

DoubleDogFarm · Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:55 pm

Every now and then I read threads here at THG on hydroponics, and it seems to me that Hydroponics is East and Organics is West, and never the twain shall meet.

I could be wrong, but almost *all* of the hydroponics discussions center on chemical/high-tech stuff, with very little mention of organic anything at all.

The question that comes to mine, what is the definition of organic? Can it be organic and not include soil?

I like Will Allen's approach. Aquaponics, growing produce with fish waste. My question here, is it organic if the fish pellets are not?

Much to learn.

Eric

hydroguy · Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:22 pm

DoubleDogFarm wrote: The question that comes to mine, what is the definition of organic? Can it be organic and not include soil?

Eric

Simple answer is yes, and here's why I say that. As with soil a truely organic hydroponic system is alive with organisms that break down the nutrients in the water to make them available to the plants. Those nutrients would otherwise be unavailable and the plants would not thrive.

The nutrient line I use is made from bat poo, seaweed and a host of other "organic" things but the process that breaks those nutrients down to where they are made readily available to the plants does not qualify as being "organic". Hence people call these fertilizers "chemical fertilizers". To me they are not but at the same time my systems are not orgainc because I do not rely on that added level of living organisms to break down and make available the nutrients.

This is a topic that is open to wide interpretation and I am sure there are folks that do not agree with me, thats fine. Let there be peace in the garden.

hydroguy

Hydroponics · Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:54 pm

I don't think there is a dispute, it is just a matter of preference, and how far are you willing to take it.

You can also get the living organisms from your local hydroponics shop. The containers must be constantly aerated to stay alive. Some hydropnics gardeners will keep an extra air pump and reservoir aerated of the living organisms, or beneficial bacteria. I'm not exactly sure what they are called. If you are defining organic as the natural, organic bacteria breaking down the nutrients for the roots to intake, I would say thats very possible in hydroponics. Some people add those [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza]Mycorrhiza[/url]. Is that what you are referring to hydroguy?