Article 4-3 Cloudy Reservoir

For containerized plants, add about 15ml (one tablespoon) per 3.785 L (one US gallon) of growing medium. So, one tablespoon per gallon size of pot: three gallon pot requires three tablespoons. It is best applied when transplanting to a larger sized container. So use once from clone to grow, and once from grow to bloom. After plants have initiated flowering, you should refrain from transplanting, as results will suffer from the shock induced. Do not mix directly with dry, granular fertilizers with phosphates or sulfates, as they may react with the calcium peroxygen. Sincerely, Erik Biksa

Have you heard of the combination hydroponics Aeroponic systems? If you have any info on these I would like to hear about them, (where to get one, maybe plans to build one, prices etc.). Thank you.

Yes, The type of systems you mention are used by hobby growers, and to some extent commercial growers. The systems can be purchased complete, for different types se the ads in Max Yield or other publications. If you have little experience with this type of system I recommend purchasing a complete unit before updating the design to construct your own. Components to construct your own are available from retail hydroponic stores. Most Aeroponic systems are either constructed from tubes, troughs with lids, or from modified ebb and flow tables. For nutrient injection, the nutrient solution is delivered under great pressure via small holes, microjets, spray nozzles, and micro sprinklers. You do not need to buy specialty sprayers.

The basic principle is that if the nutrient solution is delivered under high pressure via tiny holes in a line and sprayed against the wall of the tube, trough, or table the spray will diffuse into many tiny droplets creating a fine mist for maximum absorption of oxygen and nutrients. Also, by avoiding spray nozzles, etc. clogs are less likely to occur, although adequate filtration is a must. For some diagrams and more details please visit my website at: www.cangroinc.com.
Sincerely, Erik Biksa

We have a container garden of about 40 plants of different variety flowers, mostly perennials, two trees-a lilac and a small maple, also in pots. Last year we watered with a hose, sprinkling the leaves as well as watering the dirt and roots. We seemed to have a lush garden.

Could the lack of the leaves ever getting any water be the reason for such a weak looking growth on all the plants. The sun seems also to burn the plant leaves faster. What are we doing wrong and what can we do better. Thank you.

Sounds like the might be time to repot the specimens into larger containers. Also, when conserving water, growers may experience some salt build up in the root zone, as excess salts are not being leeched away. The results are often the symptoms you describe. Make sure that a good volume of water (i.e >15%) of the container volume is allowed to run off.

Also, if using slow release fertilizers containing urea, the chances of toxicity also increase. Be sure to check the soil pH. Adding plant available silicate to the irrigation water will help reduce plant transpiration, thus conserving moisture and increasing resistance to insects and disease.

In my opinion, the only reason you may need to sprinkle the leaves with water is to clear dust away from the stomata (tiny holes in the plant's leaves for gas exchange). However, you can count on an occasional rainfall to do this for you. Hydroponic plants make much more efficient use of water and nutrients and also offer a higher level of control.

Cheers, and thanks for doing your part to conserve our water.
Erik Biksa

Can you give me some insight and tips on watering. I just started using five" vacroc cubes in a top feed system. Is there a rule of thumb, or is it something you just have to trial and error?

Any advice you have on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Also is there any brand of nutrients you recommend over the rest. I'm currently using Ionic. Thank you for your time and wisdom.

I don't think it would be appropriate of me to recommend one brand of fertilizer over another to you. What I will say is that I personally prefer having a greater degree of flexibility with a nutrient program. Always make sure that any fertilizers to be used hydroponically contain all the necessary elements for plant growth: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Molybdenum, Boron, Copper, and in some instances silicate (for resistance to wilt and disease), cobalt and nickel (for plant B6 and B12 synthesis-stress relief). If using high quality water, especially for use with rockwool, make sure that there are adequate levels of calcium.

For irrigation, use lower nutrient EC or TDS levels in hot, sunny weather and higher values in winter months (lower light, shorter days). If draining to waste allow at least 15% run-off with each irrigation to leech away excess salts and prevent the root zone from becoming toxic. You don't want to keep the cubes soaking wet, but you must not allow them to dry out as rewetting can be difficult with rockwool and pH values tend to climb higher than considered optimal. In rockwool, I maintain a pH of 5.5 in the nutrient solution which typically results in a pH of 6.3 in the root zone. You will not likely need to irrigate during the dark cycle. To simplify things try irrigating for 30 seconds every 15 minutes during the light cycle. Maintain this as constant, but install a flow control valve in the mainline or use emitters rated for different volumes to vary the amount of water supplied as required through out different growth stages.

It would seem that when plants are smaller they would require less water. In a way, this is true, but there is less foliage covering the media and increased evapotranspiration from the exposed media can result in significant water consumption (much to the surprise of many growers).