Semi Hydroponics

Semi-hydroponics, Passive hydroponics or passive subirrigation is a method of growing plants without soil, peat moss, or bark. Instead an inert porous medium transports water and fertilizer to the roots by capillary action. Water and fertilizer are held in a reservoir and conducted to the roots as necessary, reducing labor and providing a constant supply of water to the roots.


Photo: orchidboard.com

Passive hydroponics does away with the need for water or air pumps, by depending on the capillary action of the plant's own roots to transport water and nutrients to it. It essentially involves growing the plant in a porous container with a reservoir containing water and hydroponic nutrients. This system allows the plant to take in only the specific amount of nutrition it needs. The most basic passive hydroponics system consists of a pot placed in a nutrient solution or a capillary mat saturated with nutrient solution.

In the simplest method, the pot sits in a shallow solution of fertilizer and water or on a capillary mat saturated with nutrient solution. Since routine maintenance is much simplified, passive hydroponics can reduce the labor required to maintain a large collection of plants.

Passive hydroponics, and other hydroponic techniques, offer many advantages over traditional methods of horticulture. Firstly, since a sterile medium is used instead of soil, the plant is protected against soil-borne diseases. Secondly, plants grown using hydroponics take up much less space than those grown in soil, which makes hydroponics the perfect choice for hobby horticulturists.


Photo: suretogrow

The various hydroponic media available contain more air space than more traditional potting mixes, delivering increased oxygen to the roots. Allowing air to reach the roots is particularly important in preventing root rot in epiphytic plants such as orchids and bromeliads, whose roots are exposed to the air in nature. Passive hydroponics also may add additional ambient humidity through evaporation. It is important in passive subirrigation to wash out the system from time to time to remove salt accumulation. Plants that require drying between waterings or a dry dormant period may fail to thrive under the constant moisture of passive hydroponics.

Sources: hydroasis.com, wikipedia.org

Organopónicos - Urban Agriculture

The original hydroponic units, long cement planting troughs and raised metal containers, were filled with composted sugar waste and hydroponicos became organopónicos.


Photo: organoponico.com

Organopónicos are a system of urban organic gardens in Cuba. They often consist of low-level concrete walls filled with organic matter and soil, with lines of drip irrigation laid on the surface of the growing media. Organopónicos provide access to job opportunities, a fresh food supply to the community, neighborhood improvement and beautification of urban areas.

The rapid expansion of urban agriculture in the early 1990s included the colonisation of vacant land both by community and commercial groups. The basic principle of raised bed gardening was applied to the construction of new 'organopónicos'. The most common materials used were the fossilised coral substrate, and asbestos sheets. In Havana, organopónicos are found in vacant lots, old parking lots, abandoned building sites, spaces between roads.

Organopónicos first arose as a community response to lack of food security after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access and management, but heavily subsidized and supported by the Cuban government.


Photo: AndyGoodwin

Organopónico buried its hydroponic roots and came to mean an urban and organic market garden. Some are run by Minagri employees, some are co-operatives. Most organopónicos are state-owned, but very small ones may be private. Yvonne Otero Cruz has packed the patio of her substantial colonial-style house in Santa Clara with exotic plants for interior decoration. She also creates a marvellous variety of decorations from dried flowers in a cramped attic. The very existence of any market for her products underlines the fact that happier days have returned to the town.

An organopónico is very efficient in getting food to the people who need it by avoiding transportation from the countryside farms. These producers sell their products in the same place where they produce them, avoiding taxes so in general their prices are lower, and in fact allowing producers to make a good income growing.

Sources: wikipedia.org, cubasupport.com

Growing Bush Beans

Growing beans are a simple crop to grow and provide a many meals of beans from a small area. Bush beans are a warm weather vegetable that grows best with Hydroponic system. We choose to grow bush beans rather than pole beans. I cannot make up my mind whether or not this is from sheer laziness.


Photo: members.mailaka.net

In a city backyard the tall varieties might perhaps be a problem since it would be difficult to get poles. But these running beans can be trained along old fences and with little urging will run up the stalks of the tallest sunflowers. So that settles the pole question. There is an ornamental side to the bean question. Suppose you plant these tall beans at the extreme rear end of each vegetable row. Make arches with supple tree limbs, binding them over to form the arch. Train the beans over these.

Beans never does to plant beans before the world has warmed up from its spring chills. There is another advantage in early digging of soil. It brings to the surface eggs and larvae of insects. The birds eager for food will even follow the plough to pick from the soil these choice morsels. A little lime worked in with the soil is helpful in the cultivation of beans.

Bush beans are planted in drills about eighteen inches apart, while the pole-bean rows should be three feet apart. The drills for the bush limas should be further apart than those for the other dwarf beans say three feet. This amount of space gives opportunity for cultivation with the hoe.
If the running beans climb too high just pinch off the growing extreme end and this will hold back the upward growth.


Photo: pietroamoroso

Among bush beans are the dwarf, snap or string beans, the wax beans, the bush limas, one variety of which is known as brittle beans. Among the pole beans are the pole limas, wax and scarlet runner. The scarlet runner is a beauty for decorative effects. The flowers are scarlet and are fine against an old fence. These are quite lovely in the flower garden. Where one wishes a vine, this is good to plant for one gets both a vegetable, bright flowers and a screen from the one plant.

Indoor Pests Control By Organic Method

The infestation by insects or other is unavoidable, finding its way to its facilities at a time or another. In the case of pests in the indoor garden you should find a natural way to remove, especially if you have small children or pets in the house. There are ways to do it and most of them require that the ingredients can be found in the supermarket or plant store.



If you find insects or another disease that is making your plant sick. Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the problem spreading to the other plants inside your house. Depending on the type of problem the solution will be different.

If the plants are eaten by mites, the problem may be with a solution of water and buttermilk. Put the solution into a spray bottle, the work in the bathrooms and a depth of more than once. A mixture of 50-50 is recommended that you see too thick for use with the spray, nothing more water to thin consistency.

You could Possessions for the control of aphids with a deep cleaning of the leaves of plants with water. Another recommendation is to kill a few aphids and remain at the bottom of the pot. Then launch a perfume, the other to know that the aphid is threatened to leave and in the vicinity of the plant. If this method is used, so that I can not find another house that is in you.

Biologique the natural and the variety of problems that the factory or find it to numerous to list. These are the two most common pests, but the research is a natural solution for many insects or diseases that affect the health of the plant

Hydroponics System for Home Indoor Gardens

In hydroponics system, the nutrients the plant would get from the soil are replaced by a growing medium that can be purchased at gardening supply stores. The requirements for plants are the same whether you are growing a garden traditionally or with a hydroponics method. The need for water and light is still just as important though. Light can come from a natural source, an artificial source or a combination of the two. Depending on the type of hydroponics system the method that your plant gets water will differ too.


Photo: myhydroponicgardening.com

If you want to get the best results from your home-based hydroponics garden, find a south-facing window to give the plants the best natural light. If this isn’t possible, you can purchase special lights that are specifically designed for plants. Instead of using a fluorescent light, buy what is known as a discharge light. This imitates the light the plants would naturally get from the sun and will produce healthier and hardier plants.

The water that the root system is growing in needs to be healthy water full of nutrients and this can be determined by checking the pH level which should be a pH level of 6. The pH level should be checked on a regular basis to ensure it is not too acidic or alkaline. If the reading is too high, add small amounts of vinegar and keep re-testing until you can the reading you want. If the water reading has a pH level that is too low, use the same procedure to raise the pH level except use baking soda instead of vinegar.

Anyway, for growing your indoor plants with hydroponics, you will see faster and more abundant growth. The method that the plants get their nutrients is more efficient and results in robust and prolific plants. Whether they are houseplants, vegetable plants or herbs.