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System types |
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Good system design is vital for producing consistent and reliable
growth. What works best for you will depend on factors such as climate,
plant type, water quality, growing medium availability, maintenance
requirements, set-up costs, and whether you are growing indoors or
outdoors. |
- Recirculating Systems
- Nutrient Film
Technique (NFT)
- Flood
& Drain (Ebb & Flow)
- Aeroponics
- Satellite
Systems
- Run-to-waste Systems (Soil culture) |
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System components |
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System components such as nutrient reservoirs, growing containers, feed
circuit plumbing, pumps and timers are important for ensuring plants are
properly fed. |
- Nutrient Reservoirs
- Growing Containers
- Feed Circuits (Plumbing)
-
Feed Outlets
- Feed Circuit Blockages
- Nutrient Pumps
- Timers |
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Hydroponic media
(substrates) |
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There are important pro’s and con’s to consider when choosing a
hydroponic medium. This is a guide to 5 of the most popular
hydroponic media. |
- NFT (no media)
- Rockwool
- Coconut Fibre (Coir / coco)
- Perlite
- Expanded Clay |
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Artificial lighting |
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If you want to grow all-year-round, in many climates it will be
necessary to grow indoors under artificial lighting. This requires
careful practice because it is difficult to replicate the performance of
sunlight. |
- Lighting Setup
- Lamp Selection
- Optimizing Light Intensity
- Light Cycles
- Hints for Setup & Ongoing Maintenance
- Electricity & Safety |
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Ventilation |
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Ventilation is a key consideration especially when growing indoors under
artificial lighting. The combination of lighting and plants generates
excessive amounts of heat and humidity which will harm plants if not
properly controlled. |
-
Equipment Overview
- Location of Inlet, Exhaust & Oscillating Fans
- Growroom Layout
- Controlling and Optimizing Ventilation Systems
- Humidity (overview)
- Air temperature (overview) |
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Water quality for gardening |
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Poor quality water can cause toxicity problems, disease, pH problems and
the blockage of drippers and plumbing.
Instead of using your regular water supply you may need to find an
alternate source such as rain or bore water, or treat your regular
supply using methods such as reverse osmosis. |
-
Common problems with water
- Water sources
- Long term storage of water |
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Nutrient formulations |
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There is much commercial hype surrounding nutrient brands. Despite this
hype, it is actually quite simple to make a calculated decision when
choosing a brand. |
-
Which nutrient brand is best?
- Plant nutrient needs
- 1, 2 or 3-part nutrients?
- Grow & Bloom nutrients
- Plant nutrient labelling
- Nutrient concentration
- pH buffering capacity
- Nutrient solubility |
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Nutrient additives |
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Nutrient ‘additives’ are necessary for supplying substances that are not
compatible with concentrated nutrient formulations. Additives provide
benefits such as flowering enhancement, disease prevention, root
initiation and increased fruit weight. |
-
Nutrient additives (overview)
- “PK” Flowering additives
- Silica additives
- Humic & Fulvic acids
- Nutrient disinfectants (Sterilizing agents)
- Plant growth regulators (PGR’S)
- Seaweed (kelp) additives
- Calcium, magnesium, iron additives |
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Nutrient management |
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The performance of a nutrient solution is not guaranteed by simply using
a quality brand. This chapter addresses the key procedures required to
obtain maximum nutrient performance. |
- Dosing procedures for
nutrients & additives
- Oxygenation (aeration) of nutrient solution
- Nutrient disinfection
- Minimise exposure of nutrient & roots to light
- Nutrient temperature
- Feed frequency and volume
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pH measurement & control |
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To ensure the long-term stability of nutrient solutions, it is important
to maintain the pH between 5.0 and 6.5. This helps ensure all nutrients
are available for root up-take. It also minimizes the risk of plumbing
blockages. |
-
What is pH?
- Optimum pH of nutrient solutions
- Adjusting nutrient pH
- Measuring pH with 'indicators'
- Measuring pH with pH Meters
- Calibrating pH meters
- pH meter maintenance
- Accuracy problems with pH meters
- Buying a pH meter |
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Conductivity (EC) |
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It is important to control the concentration of your nutrient solution.
Burning of roots or foliage can occur if the concentration is too high.
If the concentration is too low then deficiency symptoms can occur. This
chapter explains how to successfully use conductivity as a tool for
controlling nutrient concentration. |
- What is Conductivity (EC)?
- Units of measure for EC
- Using EC to control nutrient concentration
- Calibrating EC meters
- Maintaining EC electrodes
- Buying a conductivity meter |
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System hygiene |
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Regular up keep of the growing system and surrounding area is necessary
to prevent the accumulation of harmful materials and minimize pest and
disease problems. |
- General hygiene
- Discarding old nutrient solution
- Flushing root zone
- Nutrient disinfection
- System clean-up between crops:
- Disease prevention
- Precipitate removal |
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Pruning & shaping plants |
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To achieve a maximum yield it is essential to maintain a plant's shape
and remove any unnecessary or damaged growth. This is most important
when growing indoors under artificial lights. |
- Pruning & Shaping Plants
- Plant support |
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Pest & disease control |
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Check foliage and roots regularly for signs of pests and diseases.
Problems can multiply rapidly if left unattended.
There are several preventative measures that can be used to minimize the
chances of attack or outbreak. |
- Disease control
- Pest (insect) control |
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Nutrient Deficiency
Symptoms |
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Monitor plants closely for symptoms of nutrient deficiency. These
symptoms can provide a valuable forewarning of serious problems within
the growing system. Be aware that there are many factors that cause
nutrient deficiency symptoms in a plant. The nutrient itself is usually
not the cause. |
- Nutrient deficiency symptoms |
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Foliar Sprays
|
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Foliar sprays are useful for delivering fertilizers, fungicides,
pesticides and PGR’s to plants. |
- Wetting Agents
- Foliar Fertilizers
- Best Practice for Foliar Spraying |
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Cuttings & Seedlings |
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Reproducing your own plants from seeds or cuttings provides control over
the supply and quality of “seedlings”. Although seeds are easier to
plant, cuttings have the capacity to replicate your favourite ‘strain’. |
- Cuttings (clones)
- Seedlings
- Mother (Donor) Plants
- Transplanting cuttings & seedlings
- Media (substrates) for cuttings & seedlings |
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Background information |
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Endeavour to improve your understanding of topics such as plant
processes, temperature and humidity. This will empower you to better
manage your own operation and become a better grower. |
- Plant components
- Plant processes
- Factors affecting the EC value
- Measuring total dissolved salts in solution
- Glossary
- System checklist |
