Article 4-1 Foundation for Maximum YieldAsk an
experienced grower to describe a perfect crop plant, and this is what he would
say: Each of these
qualities contributes to high crop yields. Healthy plants can produce more crop;
good branch structure supplies the framework to hold the crop, and so on. And
these desirable qualities are inter related ; A sick, bug infested plant can't
use strong foods, and a poorly lit, crowded plant will lose its compact shape as
it stretches for the light. Developing winning qualities in your plants depends
on creating the right combination of growing conditions in the garden. So how do we grow
perfect green plants? Let's look at
each step in this process: 1 . GIVE PLANTS A
SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO GREEN GROWTH Make all changes
in growing conditions gradual. Young plants growing under fluorescent lamps will
face twenty five times as much light when they're moved into a brightly lit
green room. Raise the lights a few feet above the new transplants, and gradually
lower lamps as the transplants show signs of new root and top growth. Gradually
increase food strength, air movement and temperature as new transplants become
established. (For further information on managing this transition, see "Shifting
Gears I.) Sudden changes in
growing conditions can set back and shock your plants, causing all sorts of
problems (leaf bum, water stress, root damage, etc.) Growers who
increase fertilizer strength too quickly during this transition stage can
permanently stunt the root systems of their plants, while forcing excessive new
top growth. At first everything looks great lots of new leaves and stems, and no
sign of problems. However, as the plants grow larger during green growth stage,
the stunted roots are unable to meet the increased water demand of the, top
growth, and the plants wilt, usually during the last few hours of the light
cycle. This problem becomes more severe during production stage, as these plants
attempt to produce crop without enough roots to support the water demand of the
top growth. Even a mild
nutrient solution can turn deadly in a reservoir that lacks proper aeration.
Nutrients can settle to the bottom of the reservoir between watering, and a pump
sitting on the bottom of the reservoir can pump ultra strong nutrients directly
to the roots of the plants. This could result in damaged roots and possible
disease problems, as well as permanent stunting of the root systems, as
described above. Growers using rockwool or potting soil mediums must be sure to
aerate their nutrient solutions well to avoid this problem, since their pumps
are off for longer periods than gardeners using hydro-corn or lava rock mediums. Gradual increases
in light levels, nutrient strength and air movement will help your transplants
make the transition into green growth smoothly and without set backs. 2. PLAN YOUR
GREEN GROWTH STRATEGY First, decide how
long your plants will be in green growth stage. Often, the plants are kept in
green growth until they reach a target height, or until a crop production area
becomes open for them. In either case, the gardener needs an estimate of when his plants will move into crop production stage to plant his green growth strategy. This is because the grower may make changes to his crop management during his last two weeks of green growth. He may withhold growth hormone
A. Short Green
Growth Stage: Two Weeks or Less B. Green Growth
Stage More Than Two Weeks Now's the time to
evaluate the growing conditions in your green growth area. Are plants carefully
spaced to allow room for them to grow? Are light levels good? Temperature? Air
movement? Make improvements where they'll make the biggest difference to your
green plants. Healthy vigorous plants will reward you for your hard work by
reaching "target size" quickly, and they'll fight off disease and pest problems
better, too. When evaluating your garden, consider basic growing conditions first. High light levels are an important requirement for young vigorous plants, powering their growth and building their ability to use strong nutrients, extraC02 and growth hormones. How you use your lamps is just as important as how many you have] Be sure you're lighting your crops efficiently (your retail supply store staff can help) and monitor temperature regularly to avoid heat stress in your plants. Evaluate air movement through the garden. Do you have
enough oscillating fans? Are they located for maximum efficiency? Can your
exhaust fan handle the heat and humidity of the garden? Good air movement cools
overheated plants and helps them take up fertilizers faster. Air flow through
the plants replaces stale, humid air with fresh, C02 rich air, encouraging good
growth while it discourages bugs and disease problems. Evaluate the irrigation
schedule : Do crops get too dry between watering? Do they stay wet? Aim for a
good mix of air and water around the roots. If you can
successfully manage all these growing conditions in your green garden, you've
gained valuable experience you can put to use in your crop production area too! 4. Be Sure Plants
Are Problem Free Got bugs? Kill
them now! We can handle bug problems easily when our plants are small (fewer
hiding places) and still in green growth. Once flowers or crops show on plants,
our choice of pesticides is very limited, since some bug sprays can damage
flowers and contaminate crops. Besides, why bring problems into your crop
production room riding in on pale, half dead plants! Get the bugs out of your
garden and your life now, while your plants are still young. They'll recover
quickly and you'll have a healthy vigorous garden right away. Take advantage of
the new pesticides. They're safer and less damaging to your plants, and they get
the job done. Your local retail supply store can help you choose the right
product and explain the best way to use it. Follow the same
strategy immediate action if signs of disease appear in your garden. Fast
treatment minimizes damage and stops disease problems before they gel.. a firm
hold on your plants. High humidity levels, poor air movement, excess heat, roots too wet or too dry, strong pesticide applications, very strong or weak fertilizer mixes review the recent history of the garden to learn what happened to reduce the natural disease resistance of your plants, and correct garden conditions to help your plants recover and avoid future disease problems. Start using a recommended fungicide at first sign of disease, and use a vitamin based product (Vitamax) to help plants recover quickly.
Once you have
good growing conditions in place, and plants are free of pests and diseases,
it's time to "crank 'em up` to train your plants to use stronger foods, extra
C02 and growth hormones. Building the metabolic rate of your green plants
results in faster green growth while building the ability of the plants to use
all these growth enhancers later in crop production stage. For example, a
grower might gradually increase the food strength of his healthy, established
green plants from 1800 ppm (a standard full strength green growth formula) to
2400 ppm, watching his plants closely for any signs of over feeding. He helps
his plants to use this stronger nutrient solution by applying growth hormones
and extra C02 when he starts increasing his food strength. Without training his
plants during green growth stage, chances are he would not be able to increase
his food strength during his period of crop production. (See Intensive Crop
Production, for more details on managing plants during this growth stage). It
makes good sense to train our green growth plants, since we expect them to "run
a marathon' for us every day, during crop production stage. Now for the good
news : our crop producing plants have been brainwashed by hundreds of millions
of years of intense competition in the wilds, and molded into tireless workers
eager to produce maximum crop yield for you. Careful breeding has produced your
hybrid plant, with its own specialized skills often the ability to produce an
improved quality or quantity of crop. Your garden is on your side, and your
plants want to work for you to produce great crop yields. By recognizing and
understanding the abilities of your plants, you'll understand the benefits of
improving growing conditions and using these crop management techniques. The results will
be : straight ahead gardening with fewer problems, faster growth and maximum
crop yield. And it all starts in the green room! |
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