Greenhouse growers using climate control equipment can find a lot of value in recapturing water content in their environment. The hydrologic automated reclaimed condensate system (ARCS) does exactly that, by capturing the water typically discharged through condensate drains. This reclaimed water is free of contaminants and it is also pH balanced. In an efficiently sealed growing environment … [Read more...]

Plants don't actually need soil. What they need are nutrients, and hydroponics enables plants to gather nutrients from liquid solutions rather soil. A neutral medium (e.g., gravel) is used to support the plants, and either an active (pump) or passive (wicking) system draws the nutrients to the plant roots. Because the plants don't have to search through soil for nutrients, the roots don't grow as … [Read more...]

Climate change will affect the costs of production for our crops but hydroponics may be the answer. Having to grow the same crops in conditions that are going to change to less than ideal will require more water and more fertilizer. Poor weather will also make it more difficult to transport the food to where it's needed. All this will drive up the cost to the consumer. A move towards hydroponics … [Read more...]

Climate change is a threat to our food supply, as shown by projections for various emission scenarios. Climate change could bring about water scarcity, as well as extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. There may be a decline in the amount of land suitable for agriculture. Harm to crop yields directly affects livestock, which needs crops for feed. Meanwhile, mitigation efforts could … [Read more...]

In hybrid situations, seeds are bred in order to make sure they are used for a specific purpose, like if you want the vegetables or fruits to turn out a certain way, or look a certain way, you can even improve the flavor. You can also take your own seeds out of fruits and reuse them to have a more cost effective way of growing your own garden. There is nothing in particular that could go wrong … [Read more...]

Hydroponics is nothing new, it has been around for hundreds of years. It wasn't taken seriously at first as a legitimate way to grow your own garden and/or turn a profit from the growing that you are doing, but today it is a whole industry in itself. There was little to know about it back in those days, but all it means is that water is used to grow plants. Today it is a booming industry, now that … [Read more...]

Indoor grow rooms should recreate the conditions of the outdoors so that plants will thrive. One aspect of this regulation is temperature. All plants have different "sweet spot" temperatures for optimal growth, so it's important to understand the plant itself. As a rule of thumb, hotter temperatures may stunt growth while colder temperatures may slow down photosynthesis. To monitor this … [Read more...]

Understanding a plants life cycle will help you tend and nourish your garden so that it achieves its full potential. There are three stages: propagation, vegetative, and flower. In propagation, seedlings or cuttings spend their time in makeshift plastic greenhouse at high humidity. In the vegetative stage, plants begin to grow and gain substance in preparation for the flowering phase. Finally, in … [Read more...]

Neem oil is a very popular oil used to prevent pests and mites from infesting plants. It is a oil that is extracted from seed kernels from the Neem tree. It also is used on humans sometimes to help deal with the symptoms of skin conditions such as eczema and dandruff. You can get Neem Oil in many different forms such as powders, concentrates and pre-made solutions. This oil is a deterrent for … [Read more...]