CROPPING SYSTEMS
Developing and following a cropping system that works for YOU and your PLANTS can be your AceIn-The-Hole for bigger growing gains. Agriculture is like gambling;
it's always risky-but there are systems that work. Cropping Systems allow you to repeat your wins again and againlet's get started.
...it’s all about what fits YOU! A good cropping system shouldn't be complicated. Rather, a proven and repeatable recipe for continued growing success. It's like a good fit; hand in glove. And that's essentially what we are talking about here-one thing fitting into the next. For our growing context, it relates to our cropping cycle and style: How big are your plants at harvest, how many of them will occupy a given area, and how long does it take in each phase? These are the basics, which you should be able to answer before continuing along the chain of thought in de-
veloping a system. Next, either through experience or research, can you identify how big the plants are for upper spacing and root space purposes in each of these distincy grow phases: i.Pre-Veg: to about 10 days after cuttings root ii Veg: from just a few days to months. 2 to 3 weeks is average iii.Pre-Flower: to Harvest: when it comes to feeding, there's sub phases like early peak and ripening, but for spacing plants should usually be in the final spot they will be harvested from; crops don't like getting disturbed too much once bloom starts.
-Illegitimi Non Carborundum-
www.grozine.com
Let's run through an example of a real working hydroponic cropping system model that's relatively easy to replicate or repeat. But lets work backwards, shall we? At harvest, four plants reach maturity in an activecirculation DWC (Deep Water Culture) hydroponics system. This one happens to be a UCXXL by Current Culture. The four plants will finish from 18” to 36” tall, depending on what strain and plant type is grown, amongst other factors. For an efficient garden under lights,
there is little stem or stretch-so a lot of harvestable AAA+ material can be grown from the top of the plant all the way to the bottom. What's the point of growing it bigger, than pruning the bottom off later anyways? Especially true in hydroponics. Just because there is a denser harvest up top; ie more weight in less space doesn't mean there doesn't need to be more space at the bottom-or better yet-more efficient use of root space. With a good depth of travel for roots coupled with more
efficient uptake of water and minerals via super aeration in the UCXXL, the root system is super-charged to support big yields in less space. The entire system occupies about one square meter for a lineal foot print, and about half a meter for root depth, one meter from plant height, than finally an additional meter for lamp clearance and the overhead crop lighting itself. Nothing that you couldn't fit into a decent walk-in sized closet-or replicate to the tune of a warehouse-sized installation. >>>
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