Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

I am seriously interested in this topic. Most people live in suburban areas so they don't have large plots of land to grow food. I think hydroponics is the solution to this. Have more plants growing inside a greenhouse with optimum growing conditions. Higher yields, no pesticides, less water usage, less fertilizers. Likewise, I personally believe that hydroponics is the future of farming and has the potential to produce a heck of alot of food compared to the resources it consumes.

Anyone growing hydroponically????

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

How is growing hydroponically going to result in less water and less fertilizer use?

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

by using it more efficiently? Traditional farming pumps tons of water onto a field to irrigate it. Lots of the water flows back into the soil and some gets evaporated away. Very little of the water pumped goes to the plant. The same method is used with fertilizer. Dump tons of fertilizer/pesticides on large plots of land.

With hydroponics the nutrients are placed into the water. The water is then send down a tube to the plant. The plant takes the water it needs plus the nutrients it needs from the water. Excess water flows into a collection tank, where it gets reused. The only water loss is from transpiration or evaporation (which is very low).

Hydroponically grown plants can also be grown vertically, at higher densities. Climate can be controlled, lights can be used to provide more light. However, that does require energy. I was thinking of taking the old leftover plant material and anaerobically digesting it to produce methane, which can be combusted to produce electricity and c02 (which would go to the greenhouse).

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

On the water issue, it isn't a fair comparison as you are comparing growing on large plots of land vs. relatively small amounts hydroponically. A fair comparison would be growing in containers like you would with hydroponics you would probably end up using less water or the same amount of water.

Fertilizer, there is no way possible for hydro to use less fertilizer as all nutrients are coming from your additives, while soil grows have nutrients in the soil.

Then there is the energy usage, electricity for the lights but also for the pumps for the water flow.

BTW, I do agree that is is the "future" for many urban areas. Personally I like the hyrbid setup where you have a soil grow, plus a resevoir at the bottom.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

There have been some good threads on this. I learned a lot about aquaponics/hydroponics in a thread here last year I believe it was.

I'll do some snooping.

*lot of info in this thread:

http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18158

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Love it - won't ever use soil for various plants again.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

We have locally grown tomatos grown this way (year round) by disabled and mildly retarded people. Gives them a job, some income and really good tomatos. You can get them at the local grocers and whole foods. Way better than the regular store tomato that usually tastes like nothing. Bay Produce is the name of their operation.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

This is a great idea. We have a few disabled employers here. They do all sorts of work. Mostly it is assembly work for marketing material or building components and materials. I haven't come across a gardening one yet. I have visited a few of these business and I think they are great. Everyone really enjoys going there. It is pretty structed though, a little like a school but quite a lot of them need the routine to be able to get things done so it gives them that. And they are very dilligent. I am sure there are those tough moments but still its a kind of win win for everyone.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Well on the water issue, I think its from a plant basis. How much water is being pumped per plant per sqft of land. Hydroponics uses less water. Read up on it.

As for the fertilizer, I am sure when you look at the amount of fertilizer used per plant and compare it to the amount being used per plant in hydroponics, it will be less. You need to factor in that its very difficult in traditional farming to perfectly apply the exact amount of fertilizers to the soil. Compared to hydroponics where the nutrients/fertilizers are monitored very
closely.

Also no need to use pesticides/herbicides. There are no pests in the greenhouse.

as for the energy issue, yes that is true. Depending on your setup the energy usage can be quite high. However, I do believe there are innovations that can be achieved to lower the energy usage. Like I said before, I thought it would be a good idea to anaerobically digest the waste plant material to produce methane. The methane would be combusted to produce electricity and the c02 would be piped to the greenhouse. There are a bunch of ways to reduce the energy consumption.

yea tomatos are a popular hydroponic plant to grow because they can be grown vertically with relative ease. I am sure eventually most small garden plants would be grown hydroponically. In arizona there is a farm called eurofresh farms and they have 300+ acres under greenhouse. They produce tomatos, cucumbers, and bellpepers. They produce 2 million pounds tomatos PER WEEK. The ironic part is that they are in the middle of a desert. No use for desert land, right?

http://welikecycling.com/20070915wil...reenhouses.jpg

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

A friend of mine who has a hydroponics store knows a fellow who grows zucchini in his rain gutters. With a water cycling system from a rain barrel, he grew so many he had to reinforce the gutters.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

I do hydroponics both inside and outside. I have seen improved growth rates and yeilds in medicinal herbs, and the occasional tomato.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

make sure you get some real good clones started . and rent a house in someone else name and make sure it have a fireplace in it so you can cover the smell with smoke that way you can grow more in the winter and vent it up though the roof . just kidding

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Any samples????:clap2:


Or whatever??:beer:





:biggrin:

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Sure, come by the house and ill roll you one up..........

:signs1:

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Thanks!!

But methinks it may be too far to drive!

Nice not having to worry about piss tests!

Sorry about going off topic...

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

jeez -

Skip the small veggie stuff.

Move right on ahead to Soylent Green!

No hydroponics, except for a final washdown, required.


scyth

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

I thought about setting up a GIANT hydroponic grow room. Huge Son Agro 400 watt HPS bulbs, lots of noisy fans, light cracks coming from all windows 24 hours a day making the neighbors suspicious. Electric company tipping off the feds to the electricity usage, infra red helicopters finding the grow room, debit card transactions for rock-wool, growing media, fertilizer, etc, etc.

Then when the DEA eventually comes busting in, they'll find out I was just growing really AWESOME tomatoes. I get a booking on the Montel Williams show, or John Stossel. Then I sue the feds, and buy really some good hydroponic sensi with the proceeds.

Whaddya guys think?

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Here is a link to a guy's setup that is pretty neat.

He goes in detail with how he did everything, what plants work, and how much it cost.

http://www.whenshtf.com/showthread.p...ct-(Aquaponics)

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

The best way is to set up a flood and drain system, the root structure becomes super oxygenated and this help to keep it in an aerobic state, if you allow nitrobacters to grow in the growing medium you can use a fish pond as your reservoir, and the ammoniates get converted to soluble nitrates for the plant.

NFT, or nitrogen film technique is less efficient as oxygen levels at the root are lower, adding soluble fertilisers instead of fish waste costs more and you don't get the benefit of fish meat...

:bear_rolleyes:

It is because of the oxygen increase at the root that you obtain better growth rates and hence, use less water.

:bear_thumb:

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

First off, you're using the wrong sized light system. High pressure sodiums rated at 600 watts gives the best bang for the buck; the most amount of lumens per watt.

Second Rockwool is so stone age. You're lucky to get two crops from it. Use expended clay pebbles, they can be reused thousands of times.

Third, when the DEA comes bustin' in they'll shoot you dead and then photo-shop photos of you tending your "$100 million grow operation." All released to the obedient msm without you there to counter what they say because you're dead. End of story.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Well I thought I'd give it a shot. I do kind of like the direction lighting has taken recently in regards to LED lights. Maybe I'll bypass the HPS lamps all together and go for some nice UFO lights. Hey, I wanna reduce my carbon footprint after all.

http://www.homegrownlights.com/siteb...sm-548x408.jpg

Maybe instead of shooting me, they'll just taze me, and I'll have a heart attack.

Something weird about growing plants under purple light though, that just reeks of criminal behavior.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

I have been growing hydro for 10 years now strictly for Prop 215. Prosepublico is correct on the 600W being the best bang for the buck I just got 2 new CAP next-gen 400MH/600 hps combo ballasts they are great all you do is flip a switch and change the bulbs. But there is more than just lighting you need to control your environment I use the CAP xgc-1e it is a great unit and it controls everything from your pumps to lights and Co2 I highly recommend all the cap products we have been using them for years. ebb and flow is the easiest way to start and remember that PH is the key to it all keep it between 5.3-5.8 or you will block out your nutrients. as for nutrients we use Dutch Masters Gold for the last year PH is stable and never had a deficiency yet with them.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Don't do it.

I had a buddy try those they Don't work your plants will stretch

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

If you can grow for medical purposes, why grow inside? Are there laws in place to restrict your grow to the inside?

Nothin beats God's flashlight.

Even the lawmakers have got to know that.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Location prevents me from growing outdoors But I hope that will be changing soon.:smile:

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Good stuff man, www.farmtek.com sells lots of frames and covers to keep your meds dry.

The sun is free, until the govt finds a way to tax it........:rofl:

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

You think the deer eating your veggies in your garden are bad? Try teenagers with a taste for the greens.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Unless you can completely seal your greenhouses with screening and air locks, bugs will get in. They love the warm, moist environment with all the food they can eat. Fungus will also wreak havoc. We did hydroponic tomatoes for five years, before we figured out there was not enough money to make it worth the sixty hours a week labor, the expenses involved in maintaining the structures, supplies, fuel, and equipment. We changed our crop to ornamental plants (hanging baskets), and profits went up 50%. It still wasn't worth it to me, so I closed my greenhouse range 10 years ago.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Have you seen this guy? Looks kinda legit, but I'd be kind of freaked out by the fact I posted my online doings with such a unique 1970s custom Chevy truck.

It's a pretty good "miniseries" for those who want to do the whole johnny appleseed thing.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

Killer have you actually ever grown anything in the soil?

Just wondering. It seems like a lot of people who rant about hydroponic and aquaponics and vertical gardening have never had any serious experience with growing food. These systems look promising and might have their place but to claim it is the future of farming is ridiculous.

Re: Who here is growing hydroponically?
 

if you area soil grower but want to try hydro, there is a very simple 'hand water' hydro method that works amazing, produces impressive roots:

Take a 5 gal (or whatever size) bucket, drill a 1/2" hole about 2" up from the bottom. cover hole with a screen. fill bucket with 70% perlite and 30% vermiculite and grow. you basically water until water comes out of the hole (meaning the 2" base reservoir is full). water every 2 or 3 days (once fully rooted). while still seedling/small you need to water every day to keep it moist so the roots can grow down to the reservoir.

google 'hempy bucket' if you need pics - it works great for everything - tomatoes, cucumbers, medicine, etc.