Indoor Gardening

Intro to Hydroponics

I’ve never fashioned myself much of a salesman, so I promise this article is not a sales pitch! You won’t find me knocking on doors asking, “have you heard what hydroponics can do for you?” My passion instead lies in problem solving…particularly when it relates to growing plants indoors. In many cases, that requires raising awareness about the tools at our disposal. Whatever the resource limitation (i.e., space to grow, time to water your plants, lack of sufficient lighting, etc.), there’s most likely a method or product available that can overcome it. Enter hydroponics. It may sound scary and sophisticated compared to growing tomatoes in a raised bed in the backyard, but hydroponics is really just an opportunity to grow in a different manner, especially when growing in soil may be either impossible or undesirable.

By definition, hydroponics is simply growing plants using nutrient-water solutions without the benefit of the minerals and organic matter found in soil. It’s a concept that’s been around for thousands of years, and it might even be something you’re already doing unconsciously today with your houseplants. Roots may be suspended in an inert media such as coco coir or clay pebbles, but they may also hang freely in the air or water.

Let’s look at a few of the most common methods for hydroponic growing.

Drip Irrigation

This method is likely the most familiar to traditional soil growers. Rather than soil, though, plants are suspended in an inert grow media such as coco coir or sphagnum peat moss, often mixed with perlite or vermiculite. Nutrient/water solution is delivered through irrigation lines and distribution drippers to the grow media, utilizing either an electric water pump and timer or a gravity-feed system. Any run-off that passes through the grow media without being absorbed is recycled back into a reservoir to be re-used during the next watering.

Ebb and Flow

Ebb and flow (also referred to as fill/flood and drain) systems can be setup in a variety of ways using many different types of materials, but the main principle remains the same – plant roots are suspended in a neutral grow media such as Rockwool, clay pebbles or coco coir. On a periodic basis, a solution of water and nutrients floods the grow media, contacting the plants’ roots. The solution is then drained into a reservoir, allowing the media to dry before the cycle repeats. Typically, each plant is placed in its own container on top of a flood tray or table, directly above the reservoir. This allows the process of drainage back down to the reservoir to be completely gravity-based.

Wicking

Almost the opposite of every other hydroponic system, rather than pushing water to the plant’s roots, water and nutrients are pulled to the plant through a process known as capillary action. This is the ability for water to move across a porous surface, even in defiance of gravity. Picture a paper towel roll that gets wet at the very bottom. Within a few seconds, it’s wet an inch above where it contacted the water. Within a few minutes, the moisture has made it up another inch, and so on. The key to this system is that the plant is placed in a grow media that possesses this capillary action such as coco coir or peat moss. One end of a rope with similar properties is then inserted into the grow media, with the other end extending downwards into a reservoir of nutrient/water solution. As the grow media dries out, the capillary action will “wick” solution up through the rope to the plant’s roots.

Deep Water Culture (DWC)

Plant roots are suspended in a solution of water, nutrients and oxygen, rather than soil. A net pot filled with clay pebbles or neoprene collar holds the stem in place while roots grow down into a bucket or tote filled with the nutrient/ water solution. An air pump and air stone continuously force fresh oxygen into the water, ensuring that it’s properly aerated and preventing root rot. As the nutrient solution is used up, it can easily be topped off or replaced entirely.

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Nutrient solution is stored in a reservoir beneath a horizontal channel or series of channels. A pump, running continuously, sends water up through one end of the channel, creating a small stream flowing downhill to the other end. A vertical tube, placed at the low-end of the channel, allows the stream of nutrient solution to drain back down into the reservoir. Plant roots, suspended along the channel, grow into the shallow stream, providing them access to necessary nutrition. This method is sometimes referred to as “continuous flow.”

Aeroponics and Fogponics

With both aeroponics and fogponics, plant roots hang suspended in the air without the need for any grow medium. A nutrient/water solution is sprayed, misted or dripped along the roots to provide required nutrition. In fogponics, particles of the solution are reduced almost to the point of becoming a vapor, making them easier for the plant to absorb. By eliminating soil or other grow medium from the equation, bulky pots and containers also become unnecessary, freeing up design options unavailable through other growing methodologies.

One thing I always keep in mind is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to gardening – indoors, outdoors, soil, hydroponics or otherwise. It’s all a matter of preference and necessity. The question isn’t, “do you want to buy a hydroponic system today?” Instead, it’s more a matter of, “are there aspects of a hydroponic system that could be incorporated to help improve your ability to grow food all yearround?”

JASON MISPAGEL Indoor Gardener

Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden, a grower’s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016. To contact Jason, call 816-216-6917 or jason@year-roundgarden.com.

Luscious Lettuce, Crisp Kale: What to Grow for a Flavorful Fall Veggie Garden

Summer’s sultry days may find you melting in the garden, but heavenly homegrown tomatoes and scrumptious sweet corn makes every drop of sweat and mosquito bite worth it. While you’re indulging in tasty homegrown treats, late summer means it’s time to plan for fall feasts.

After all, summer’s waning days shouldn’t mean the end of gardento-table meals. Instead, it’s time to plan and plant the fall vegetable garden to extend your healthy harvests into crisp, cool autumn days…and beyond! Why Plant a Fall Veggie Garden?

After picking bugs, staking too-tall tomatoes, and dragging hoses out on 98-degree days, you might think that growing a fall veggie garden sounds exhausting. But guess what? In many ways, it’s actually easier to grow a fall vegetable garden than summer crops. Less Watering Needed

While cooler fall temperatures make it more pleasant to spend time in the garden, the reduced heat also means you’ll spend less time watering. As temperatures cool and days shorten, less moisture is lost through evaporation. Add a layer of mulch around your plant’s roots, and you’ll reduce watering needs even more, as the mulch helps keep roots cool and soil moist.

Of course, you’ll still need to water, especially as young plants establish roots, as well as during periods of drought. But dragging hoses through the garden on 60-degree days isn’t quite as trying as when the thermometer shows nearly triple digits.

Also, consider installing drip irrigation now, while cooler temperatures make garden chores less taxing. Drip irrigation saves water by targeting the plants’ roots. Plus, turning on the facet and walking away while the drip line soaks the soil saves time – and your sanity. No tangled hoses to battle for you! Harbor Fewer Pests Did you spend the summer battling bugs? Pest control can be frustrating, especially when you want to garden organically. The good news is that

Beginner Tip fall gardens tend to harbor fewer pests. The main

Just like summer crops, critters you’ll fall veggies need the right face are cabamount of light, great soil, bage worms – consistent water, good which are actudrainage, and rich nutrients ally caterpillars to thrive and produce a – which love to bountiful harvest. snack on veggies in the brassica family. Keep an eye out for cabbage white butterflies, which lay eggs on the veggies. Check the underside of leaves for eggs or caterpillars. Or place a row cover over your brassicas to protect them from a cabbage worm infestation. The light, porous cover allows sunlight and water to reach the plants – but not pests. Many Crops Taste Better in Cooler Weather Cooler temperatures not only reduce watering and pests, but many fall crops taste best when kissed by frost. Some crops, like arugula, taste bitter and bolt when temperatures rise and daylight lengthens, but these same veggies taste sweetly savory during chilly autumn days. Kale and Brussels sprouts actually taste the sweetest with a frosty coating. Always check the growing information on your seed packets or plant tages to see what temperatures your veggies tolerate. Article courtesy of National Garden Bureau, ngb.org.

SPEAKERS’ BUREAU

Need a speaker for your church, civic group or garden club? The Johnson County Extension Speakers’ Bureau have the speakers you are looking for on just about any topic like environmentally safe lawn care, or perennial flower gardening.

We can adapt to meet your group’s needs, from a short 20minute presentation to a longer format, if needed. While there are no fees for a volunteer speaker, a donation to Extension or the chosen volunteer organization is appreciated.

To schedule a speaker for your group, please contact the office. For more information on this service, call 913-715-7000.

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