Home Improvement

Soil less Mixtures

There is a fantastic amount of soil less mixtures available, which contain different ingredients. Sphagnum moss, perlite, and vermiculite are the most widely spread hydroponics components, used in such mixtures.

Being organic, soil less growing media are usually used for container gardening wick systems or on-recovery drip systems. It is also possible to use soil less mixtures in recovery systems, but, it is necessary to remember that because of very fine particles in such mixtures, they can clog tubes, pumps and drip emitters, when used without a excellent filtration system. By the way, according to the urban gardeners, one can use panty hose as a filter: just fit it to the return line and to the pump inlet, and all the tiny particles will be filtered out.

Most soil less mixes form a excellent growing medium for multiple hydroponic and organic gardens, because they can hold water well, have fantastic wicking action, and, at the same time, they provide a reasonable amount of air to the roots of growing plants.

 

Coconut Fiber

The popularity of coconut fiber as growing medium increases rapidly around the world. Being the first really organic growing medium, providing highest performance for hydroponic systems, coconut fiber may soon become the most well loved growing medium ever. It is fascinating to note that coconut fiber is, really, a waste product, which contains the powdered husks of coconuts.

In comparison to rockwool, coconut fiber is characterized with higher oxygen capacity and water retaining. These features are vital advantages for hydroponic systems with intermittent watering cycles.

Coconut fiber also contains a lot of root stimulating hormones, thus offering some protection against fungus infestation and other root diseases. The mixture of 50% coconut fiber and 50% expanded clay pellets is considered to be the perfect growing medium.

But, it is necessary to underline one precaution when buying coconut fiber. Avoid purchasing a low grade coconut fiber, which is very fine grained and contains a high level of sea-salts. Such coconut fiber will have negative and disappointing effect on hydroponic system.

The most widely-spread growing medium is, perhaps, rockwool. Originally used for insulation purposes and also known as mineral insulation, rockwool was first used as growing medium by Dane gardeners. Now, it is frequently used for drip-style indoor gardens around the globe.

Rockwool is produced by a process similar to making cotton candy: a particular mixture of sand and rock is melted and then turned into fibers by spinning the mixture to form products of multiple shapes and dimensions, from 1″ starter cubes and up to large slabs of  3″x12″x36″ in size. The variety of available forms and sizes turns rockwool into one of the most widely-used growing mediums.

Key advantages, as well as disadvantages, of this well loved growing medium are listed below.

Rockwool’s Strong Points

HOLDING WATeR – rockwool as a growing medium in hydroponics systems is capable of holding a large amount of water. This makes an additional protection for situations, when water is not supplied because of power outages or failures in pumping or other gardening equipment.

ACCUMULATING AIR – up to 18 % of air are constantly kept by rockwool. Due to this capability, there is a very small risk to over water rockwool; besides, the plants are always supplied with enough amount of oxygen.

MULTIPLE SHAPES AND SIZES AVAILABLE – whether it is a small 1″ cube for seeds propagation or a large 3x12x36 inches slab for huge plant, rockwool offers a wide variety of shapes and sizes to choose from. Besides, loose rockwool is also available, designed for filling different plant containers.

NO DUST AND EASY TO USE – since rockwool maintains its form nearly perfectly, it cannot be scattered accidentally. Besides, usually packed into plastic rockwool is a very clean material that is easy and comfortable to work with.

Rockwool’s Weak Points

NOT A “GREEN” MATERIAL – rockwool is claimed to be not environment-friendly material, because of its nearly indefinite time of breakdown.

HEALTH HAZARDS – rockwool particles and fibers pose serious health danger, especially for human lungs. That is why it is necessary to wear a protective dust mask, while working with rockwoll.

pH PROBLEMS – because of rockwool’s high pH level, it is necessary to balance pH level in the nutrient solution properly and make it suitable for the plants, you are growing. In general, the use of rockwool requires more routine work to keep pH level of your nutrient solution at steady level.

LONG PRE-SOAK PERIOD – before rockwool can be used in the hydroponic system, it should be soaked for at least 24 hours beforehand. Other growing media usually do not require pre-soaking, it is enough just to well-water them.

Gardening and caring for the different rose types

WATERING

Roses are deep rooted and once they are well established are more capable than most plants of surviving mild drought spells. The first spring and summer directly after planting your rose is very vital. During this period if the soil around your rose seems to be drying out give your roses a excellent soaking. Each rose could get about 2 gallons of water. In following years you will only need to water them if drought seems iminent.

FEEDING YOUR ROSES

As with all plants that provide us with gorgeous blooms they need plenty of the right nutrients. Give roses a excellent helping of blood, bone and fishmeal in early April, about two handfuls to each rose. In June a handful of specially prepared rose fertilizer will give your roses a huge lift. The magnesium and potash gives the rose a fantastic kick. Just work the fertilizer in gently around the soil at the base of the plant.

MULCHING YOUR ROSES.

Mulching is a very simple task with fantastic benefits. Mulching retains moisture, smothers weeds and generally boosts the health of your roses. Well rotted manure is best but garden compost or bark mulch can also be used.

DEADHEADING YOUR ROSES.

Deadheading spent blooms not only tidys up the rose but really saves the plants energy and thereby encourages more bloom flushes. A light pruning of hybrid teas will encourage a second flush.

WATCH OUT FOR ROSE SUCKERS.

Shoots that emerge from rootstocks are known as suckers. These will be different in coloring and often by the amount of leaves, than what grows from the stems over ground. Gently scrape away the soil until you can see where the sucker is growing from the rootstock, tear the sucker away cleanly.

CONTROL OF WEEDS.

Mulching is the most effective method of controlling weeds and also the less back breaking.

Hoeing is not as effective and you must take care not to hurt the stems.

Sowing other plants underneath the rose is also an option. The least favored option is the application of a rose-bed weedkiller. This will eventually hurt the soil and thus your rose.

ROSE DISEASES AND PESTS.

This is an area that turns people off growing roses and really it shouldn’t. Roses have diseases and pests particular to them and as such regular treatment is very effective. The main problems are greenfly, mildew and blackspot.

There are plenty of products that treat these main three problems in one treatment. Performing a regular maintenance schedule starting in April will leave you with very few problems. Do make sure to follow exactly the manufacturers recommendations.

Your roses will respond brilliantly to a small regular maintenance and once you have started your routine there will be very small work attached. Issues will only arise once you neglect your routine and this is what often deters people from growing roses.

 

Along with water, hydroponics plant nutrients, CO2 and oxygen, grow lights is the key basic component, required by plants to live. Providing additional light is necessary for indoor gardening. Furthermore, light should resemble the sunlight as much as possible. The major concern with other types of lights is that they do not produce light in the appropriate spectrum, required by plants.

Being the most efficient bulbs, HPS bulbs are commonly used by gardeners. Producing light in red and yellow spectrum, light generated by high pressure sodium lamps resembles the natural sunlight during autumn. Due to this peculiarity, HPS light is the best for promoting plants blooming. But, some plants may react negatively to this type of light, growing with oblong stem, etc. To address that issue, new HPS bulbs with color correction have been developed. For example, Son Argo feature properly balanced light spectrum, which suits perfectly for the needs of indoor gardening.

High pressure sodium grow lamps are made of a semi-transparent ceramic arc tube, filled with a mixture of sodium, mercury, and xenon. The arc tube is placed into the protective outer glass shield, similarly to metal halide bulbs. The power ranges of HPS bulbs vary from 35w to 1000w, while the most well loved are 250w, 400w, 600w and 1000w.

HPS bulbs are more durable in comparison with MH bulbs: they can be replaced once every 24 months. Though HPS grow lights lose their brightness slowly, in order to keep the brightness at the steady level, it is still recommended to replace the bulb within the specified period.

Among the groundbreaking new types of grow lights are sulfur lights, which are said to feature extremely high brightness and effectiveness. But, these bulbs are still rare on the market in view of the high price, so it is early to evaluate their practical value for those gardeners, for whom indoor hydroponics growing remains a leisure activity.

Would you like a more natural alternative to using those plastic planter containers? Well, here is a project for you, where you can have an fascinating planter during the growing season, then throw the container out in the garden for mulch, without having to add to the world’s landfill problems.

These planters can be used and grown anywhere you can provide excellent plant growing conditions, including on a patio, pathway or even a roof top. The main criteria being enough sunlight for the plants chosen, easy access to water and an ease of access to maintain the planter/s.

Just follow the steps below.

What you will need

· One or more rectangular bales of hay, (One per planter).

· 4 to 8 seedlings or small plants per planter.

· One to two excellent handfuls of soil/compost/potting mix per plant.

· Small garden handtools.

· Hose/watering can.

· Liquid fertilizer.

· Area chosen to provide enough light for growing conditions required by plants selected.

Steps

Take one rectangular bale of hay; flip it on its side so that the straps are around the sides not over the top and bottom.

Moisten the hay bale thoroughly with a hose or watering can.

Using the handle of a hand tool, dig four to eight holes in the new upper surface of the hay bale, these holes have to be huge enough to hold a excellent handful of soil.

Into each hole, place a handful or two of compost, soil or potting mix.

Plant up your choice of annuals, herbs or small-lived perennials.

· Water the plants in well and fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer.

· Because of the air gaps in the hay, this type of planter can dry out more quickly than a normal planter, so regular watering is essential.

· Also remember that your planter is really decomposing while you are using it so remember to regularly fertilize the plants growing in it. Because nutrients may become temporarily unavailable during the decomposition process.

After you have finished growing your plants, go it out to the garden, take the straps off the bale, and use it to mulch/fertilize a part of your garden. You will find that the centre of the bale has decomposed into compost nicely by this stage.