Hydroponics Made Easy
Chapter 1 What is Hydroponics ? Home hydroponic is easy. Very easy. This book will show you just how easy and effective the Autopot System can make it. Almost anything that can be grown in nature can be grown in your Autopot home hydro ponic system.
Examples Oriental vegetables growing healthily in the Autopot System.
Home hydroponic is a source of endless fascination. Even experts in the field are constantly surprised at the results that are achieved with the controlled growing systems provided by hydroponic. And probably most important to you, home hydroponic is not only easy but is available to everyone.
Hydroponic Hydroponic defined Simply enough, hydroponic, sometimes referred to as hydroculture, is the process of growing plants without soil. It applies to flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables and grains. Under that broad definition there are many variations of hydroponic practice in existence. As a general rule, more hydroponic growing is done indoors than outdoors, but this is because the main use of hydroponic to this stage have been commercial. There are few reasons why you should not use hydroponic outdoors if you wish and if you use the Autopot System, and even those few reasons can be overcome or made much less of a problem. From the outset, we bring to your attention that this book, while it will talk about the full range of hydroponic, is written under the direction of Jim Fah, the inventor of the Autopot System and principal of the com pany that markets the Autopot range of products. The book is written because conventional conventional hydroponic has tended to be both technical and complex, whereas the Autopot System is extremely simple and in so many ways different to conventional practice that very few of the many books on hydroponic that are available have been of assistance to Autopot owners. Quite often the reverse has been the case.
Conventional beliefs about plant culture A common belief is that plants will only grow in soil. Not so ! Even in nature there are ample examples of plants t hat grow in a soil limited or soil free environment. Bromeliads and orchids grow naturally in damp spots in trees. And you have seen all sorts of examples of trees scratching out a living in crevices in rock cliffs. All sorts of plants grow under water. Various plants grow in sand. In the Amazon jungles there 1
Understanding Soil In nature, soils provide provide four basic conditions for plant growth. These are:1) Nutrients 2) Water 3) Aeration 4) Anchorage All four essential items can be provided artificially, which also means plants can be grown successfully successfully without soil.
Hydroponics Made Easy
are two separate yet associated eco systems. One grows from the grown level upwards and another level of growth exists in the canopy of the trees, grown in leaf humus and other organic material that has built up into a fairly solid layer over the years. The list goes on. Plants can be made to grow in sand, sawdust, rocks, pebbles, natural and synthetic fibres and all sorts of unlikely sounding media provided that the plants have the availability of water, nutrition and light. Not all media and conditions will necessarily give the best result. The term media in this book refers to the material in which plants grow. There may be good environmental reasons why your hydroponic system will not produce fabulous results every time with every crop. For instance some areas simply cannot get water that is as good as the supply in other areas, but even relatively poor water is better than none, and the flexibility and versatility of the Autopot System allows you to produce in areas where conventional gardens or conventional hydroponic simply will not work. This book will help you do just that. Hydroponic is not a gimmick. It is a sound, widely practiced and rapidly expanding method of growing a wide variety of plant life.
Converting a wall to a highly productive vegetable growing facility. Nutrient Tank.
A fully functional Autopot Autopot System growing lettuces. No power power is required as it works by gravity.
The underlying principles of hydroponic hydroponic The basic attribute of hydroponic is to t o provide root systems with water and food. Most hydroponic systems also provide the root systems with a means of anchorage in the form of one of the hydroponic media. It is possible to grow plants plants in nothing but the nutrient nutrient solution without any form of media, but for the most part, this is somewhat less forgiving. forgiving. It’s a lot easier to use a growing medium.
Autopot window window boxes are mounted mounted against a wooden panel. You can grow lettuces, herbs and and any other shallow rooting vegetables for home consumption with very little effort.
Advantages of hydroponic There are many significant advantages of growing hydroponically. The following 14 are listed in no particular order, as their t heir importance could well vary depending on importance to individuals or importance in particular areas. Assuming proper hydroponic principles are applied you should get: 1. High yield . We have found that the yield per plant is some two to three times that of conventionally grown plants 2. Good productivity by eliminating digging, ploughing or other mechanical cultivation manual watering manual and chemical weed control manual or mechanical feeding or fertilising f ertilising manual or mechanical soil conditioning 3. Greater choice of growing locations. All sorts of growing locations that are not available to conventional growing apply to hydroponic, including: poor soil areas on rooftops inside house, factory or warehouse either naturally in good light conditions or under lights where necessary In attics or other unused areas • •
You can extend the lifespan of the lettuce crop by picking the leaves when needed.
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You will be surprised how much you can get out of a simple growing facility.
Hydroponics Made Easy
In soil contaminated contaminated areas 4. In Small Areas. Any small area that has light and space can be utilised. Just 100 square feet (10 square metres) with proper preparation can grow enough vegetables for a family of four. The space does not need to be all in the one spot. 5. Faster Growth. When you eliminate the limiting factors of natural watering and available nutrition you can grow faster. This means that you will get more crops in a given period. 6. Better Flavour . The richness of nutrient used in hydroponic produces intense flavours 7. Freedom From Pollution. Most market garden soils are contaminated from airborne or applied chemicals. Even petrol and diesel fumes settle into soils. Hydroponic growing is as close to pollution free as you can can get in this modern modern world. 8. Controlled Growing Conditions. Hydroponic gives you a degree of control unmatched in other methods. Control of watering, control of nitrogen and potassium levels. 9. Healthier Plants. You get healthier plants from good watering and feeding and plants are far less prone to disease or insect attack.. 10. Water Efficiency. Use far less water. 11. Easily Removed. Plant in the wrong position ? No problem ! No heavy lifting either. The hydroponic media is in most cases very lightweight. Wait until the plant is almost dry and it is even lighter. 12. Convenient Growing. Particularly for elderly or disabled. Your hydroponic system can be place on a table or bench to allow easy access without bending or to allow convenient wheel chair access. 13. More Produce. Year round production becomes a reality with sim ple heating and/or lighting. 14. Cleanliness & Hygienic. Hydroponic is an all round cleaner and less polluting method of production. •
Where can you install a hydroponic system ? Once you remove the need for good quality topsoil as a prerequisite for plant growth, you open up an enormous range of possibilities. Both rooftops and concrete pavements are perfectly acceptable locations. Inside the house. Inside a factory, and even under the house if you want to use lights or to grow mushrooms in the dark. Hydroponic systems have already been used in space on the USA’s NASA space shuttle.
Stands with multiple multiple shelves are ideal for growing vegetables such as cabbages, chillies, capsicum and herbs in confined places. Other advantages with the stands are:- they can be m oved around easily when mounted with castors - you do not have to perform backbreaking tasks tasks eg weeding - you will have less problems with slugs and snails
Consumers are willing to pay a premium price for hydroponic hydroponic tomatoes due to better flavour. With field grown tomatoes, they they are generally regarded by most consumers as “tasteless”.
Future trends 1. With global population in increasing and arable land decreasing decreasing the demand for all forms of accelerated agriculture seems certain. Hydroponic tomatoes tomatoes are carefully nurtured, harvested and packaged to ensure quality is maintained to the point of sale.
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Hydroponics Made Easy
One of the more obvious potential uses seems to be in the many third world countries where there is growing population ample sunshine, limited water and limited good topsoil. Hydroponic removes the need for topsoil. Hydroponic in general and the Autopot System in particular are extremely water conservative. Even if bulk supplies of water have to be transported by road or rail, compared to the cost of transporting by pipeline or irrigation ditch and compared to the human cost in the tragedy of failed crops and mass starvation, hydroponic cultivation is a practical (even (even if not yet well understood) understood) alternative. The two leading nations in hydroponic are Holland, where the leading edge of hydroponic really flourishes and Israel, and in both countries there are many major and important research and development projects under way. Maldives is one of the latest growing number of countries to be importing Autopot products and technology from Australia.
The Autopot System is extremely water efficient. With no run-off and no nutrient dumping, the Autopot System is among the most, if not the most, water efficient hydroponic system in the world. Most of the water that is delivered through the Autopot System is taken up by the plant and the balance is lost through evaporation from the surface of the growing medium. Zero run-off is environmentally friendly. There is increasing pressure in many countries, such as Holland, to stop the existing practice of dumping nutrients into the environment.
Think also of the vast areas of Australia that have unparalleled levels of sunshine and ample supplies of artesian water but soil structures that are totally unsuited to normal agriculture. Conventional hydroponic would have difficulty with such water, as well as using more water than the Autopot System. The Autopot System on the other hand is able to produce good result with many of the artesian supplies, even totally untreated.
Common myths about hydroponic Too complicated. complicated. Too technical. Too much trouble. Unsafe to eat. There have been a lot of common misconceptions about the subject. And when you consider the equipment and technology that has been necessary to start and maintain many conventional commercial hydroponic installations, it has not been all myth myth either. Autopot has changed much of that. Kindergarten age children, ninety year old grannies and disabled people who up till now have found the pleasures of gardening gardening to be either either impossible or at the very least, least, inconvenient, are among the people who enjoy the fun and fascination of growing plants in the Autopot System. And as for the safety consideration, plants grown in the Autopot System get a more balanced supply of nutrition and far less residual chemical contaminants than market garden grown produce. In fact the intensive production methods of most commercial conventional conventional growers lead to all sorts of soil exhaustion problems most of which are chemically adjusted, whereas whereas hydro ponically grown produce produce is able to claim and get get a premium premium price in the retail shops.
And some common problems 4
Clean and hygienic hydroponic farm in Maldives.
Hydroponics Made Easy
One of the features of the Autopot System is that it is significantly different to conventional hydroponic. People who have a little or even a lot of knowledge about conventional hydroponic will tell you that you must do this and must not do that. We must stress that the Autopot System gives you a great deal of tolerance that does not apply to other systems and that many of the very basic beliefs do not apply. One of the biggest problem facing Autopot System is the acceptance by the hydroponic fraternity that it is a viable commercial commercial hydroponic system. It is it’s biggest attribute, simplicity, that makes it difficult for the hydroponic experts to accept Autopot System as an effective commercial hydroponic system. Most of these experts are too quick to rule out Autopot System even even without trying. . In fact, in many aspects, aspects, the Autopot System is superior than the conventional hydroponic systems. systems. The picture below shows shows the result of a fair trial of Autopot System when compared to the state of the art commercial hydroponic system, system, drip to waste at Elmac hydroponic farm, Warrnambool, Warrnambool, Victoria in Australia.
Facts about the Autopot System - plants can be grown through their entire production cycle without need for flushing - with correct usage of t he Autopot System, salt does not build build up in the root zone to a toxic level - you do not need to programme the watering cycles for Autopot System. The system is totally plant driven - very little nutrient analysis is requird other than for EC levels. - no run-off means no pollution
No one system of hydroponic is universally effective, but we believe that the Autopot System gives a better result over a greater range of applications than any other current system.
Where is the value in new hydroponic development ? Huge efforts go toward finding new solutions to increasing plant yield when all too often the increased yield will do little more than to cover the development cost. And the more sophisticated the technology, the less likely it is to be of use where it is really needed. Increased technology amounts to increased capital cost and requires an increased level of expertise to maintain and service. Yet the parts of the world where increased food production is a matter of life and death, all too often do not even have the capacity to supply electricity, much less to afford it.
We believe that the Autopot System could well be the answer! A poor quality of water may limit the final yield of plants in the system, but this t his could well be compensated by an improved method of growing so the final result is a good balance of reasonable yield at low cost of production. It is an integral part of the Autopot philosophy that living with limitations and making the best of what is available is nearly always the most satisfactory way to grow. ***** The Autopot System is a patented technique of hydroponic that differs from conventional methods in a number of respects that make it versatile, effective 5
The picture below shows the progress of a trial comparing two growing systems. On the left is the Autopot System and on the right the drip to waste system. Elmac Hydro ponics, Warrnambool, Victoria Australia Nov. 1999.
Hydroponics • InMade soil Easy contaminated contaminated areas
4. In Small Areas. Any small area that has light and space can be utilised. Just 100 square feet (10 square metres) with proper preparation can grow enough vegetables for a family of four. The space does not need to be all in the one spot. 5. Faster Growth. When you eliminate the limiting factors of natural watering and available nutrition you can grow faster. This means that you will get more crops in a given period. 6. Better Flavour . The richness of nutrient used in hydroponic produces intense flavours 7. Freedom From Pollution. Most market garden soils are contaminated from airborne or applied chemicals. Even petrol and diesel fumes settle into soils. Hydroponic growing is as close to pollution free as you can can get in this modern modern world. 8. Controlled Growing Conditions. Hydroponic gives you a degree of control unmatched in other methods. Control of watering, control of nitrogen and potassium levels. 9. Healthier Plants. You get healthier plants from good watering and feeding and plants are far less prone to disease or insect attack.. 10. Water Efficiency. Use far less water. 11. Easily Removed. Plant in the wrong position ? No problem ! No heavy lifting either. The hydroponic media is in most cases very lightweight. Wait until the plant is almost dry and it is even lighter. 12. Convenient Growing. Particularly for elderly or disabled. Your hydroponic system can be place on a table or bench to allow easy access without bending or to allow convenient wheel chair access. 13. More Produce. Year round production becomes a reality with sim ple heating and/or lighting. 14. Cleanliness & Hygienic. Hydroponic is an all round cleaner and less polluting method of production. production.
Where can you install a hydroponic system ? Once you remove the need for good quality topsoil as a prerequisite for plant growth, you open up an enormous range of possibilities. Both rooftops and concrete pavements are perfectly acceptable locations. Inside the house. Inside a factory, and even under the house if you want to use lights or to grow mushrooms in the dark. Hydroponic systems have already been used in space on the USA’s NASA space shuttle.
Future trends 1. With global population in increasing and arable arable land decreasing decreasing the demand for all forms of accelerated agriculture seems certain.
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