High Pressure Sodium Grow Lights

By Susan Slobac

If you are new to hydroponic gardening, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the different kinds of grow lights that are available. Each light can be best suited for specific purposes, such as helping plants grow at different stages of maturity. Ones that you might have heard about are high pressure sodium grow lights. This type of grow light produces light when sodium becomes excited, and provides a good light by which to grow plants.




HPS grow lights are also gas-discharge lights. This means that your high-pressure sodium lights give off light by sending an electrical current through a plasma, or an ionized gas. HPS lights typically use the noble gas Xenon to get things started in terms of producing light because it doesn't get in the way of the chemical reactions occurring in the arc tube.

A combination of mercury and sodium lies in an arc tube made out of a product called Alumina. Alumina is made out of aluminum oxide, which allows light to pass through it diffusely. This material is used for the tube because it withstands the substantial chemical activity caused by sodium arc at high pressure. Electrodes are attached to either end of the arc tube, and a/c voltage is used to power the device. The voltage flows to the electrodes, which excites the sodium, causing it to produce light. If the power switch is flipped to the on position, pure uncontrolled voltage would cause the bulb to explode. In order to stop this from happening, high pressure sodium lights are always used in conjunction with a ballast. A ballast is used to regulate the amount of current flowing through the arc. The stabilizing effect of the ballast on the current allows HPS lamps to operate in a steady rather than erratic manner.

HPS lights can last more than 20,000 hours. When they are ready to burn out, they start cycling. The lamp can be started at a low voltage and they heat up while operating. That heat increases the gas pressure in the arc tube, and it takes greater amounts of voltage to maintain the electric arc. As the bulb gets old, it takes more and more voltage to compensate for the high pressure of the gas, and eventually that amount of voltage will exceed what the ballast can supply safely, so the ballast shuts down the arc. This cools down the arc tube, which reduces the pressure of the gas inside the tube, and once it reaches a safe temperature the bulb will come back on again because the ballast will reactivate when the temperature is correct. So the grow light will go on and off several times. When this starts happening, you know that it will soon be time to replace those HPS lamps.

Susan Slobac has used many types of grow lights in her hydroponics garden and has a great deal of experience to share. One of the most popular choices are HPS grow lights and in this article she details the way that high pressure sodium grow lights work and what types of benefit they offer the indoor gardener.

Hydroponics as a Hobby

By Susan Slobac

If you love gardening, it can really be a drag when winter approaches and puts a chilly end to your outdoor activities. But you don't have to stop gardening if you would like to try hydroponics gardening. You need no soil for this type of gardening, but instead you grow your plants in mineral nutrient solutions. It is pretty easy to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers indoors even in the depth of a bitter winter when you choose hydroponics gardening as a hobby.




You might find it easiest to start in with this style of gardening by purchasing what you need in kits. All plants require adequate light in order for them to thrive and grow well, so grow lights are an important part of your hydroponics system. Grow light kits are available, including all the parts you will need, including the grow lights, digital ballast, and reflectors. Many gardening enthusiasts like to use LED grow lights, because they are small but don't overheat. They also produce a tremendous amount of light efficiently in the light color spectrums you will need in order for your plants to flourish.

There are several different ways to go about hydroponics gardening. Static solution culture is one method used. The plants are grown in solution in some kind of container to hold the liquid, such as a jar, plastic tank, tub or bucket. You can cut a hole in the lid of the container to hold the plant out of the liquid, but allow the roots into the solution so they can take up the nutrients they need. Roots also need oxygen, which is why many gardeners use some type of aquarium aerator to get adequate oxygen to the plant roots. As solution is depleted by the plant roots, the gardener replenishes the supply on a regular basis.

Some methods of hydroponics require the use of a growing medium. This soilless product can be gravel, perlite, vermiculite, rockwool, or clay granules. Passive subirrigation allows plants to sit in the growing medium, which brings the nutrients and water to the roots from the bottom of the growing medium. Because the growing medium is coarse, oxygen also has easy access to the roots as well. The container that holds the plants can sit in nutrient solution or on top of a mat that is saturated with the solution. This easy method is fairly low maintenance, because you only need to occasionally refill the nutrient and wash out the system to get rid of salt buildup, which can kill plants.

There are many advantages to hydroponics, including no weeding. Diseases that lurk in the soil are not an issue in this soilless gardening form. This also means that you will not need to use a lot of pesticide to control diseases. Less water is used for hydroponic gardening than for crops grown in soil outdoors. So try a new winter hobby: hydroponics gardening.

Susan Slobac works at a Hydroponics supply store and is knowledgeable about hydroponics systems. She enjoys assisting people who want to get started with hydroponics gardening. From choosing the right grow light kit to deciding which hydroponics system is best for you, Susan has advice you can use.

Main Types of Hydroponic Systems

By Nicu Zara

A few centuries ago, the only way you could grow a plant without a soilless base was to suspend it over a pool of water mixed with nutrients, that would act as the feeding grounds replacing the earth's diet. Nowadays, we have wick systems, ebb and flows, drips, aeroponics, the nutrient film technique and many more, which only shows how far in this field we have gone. And because the offer is often so varied, it's confusing for the newcomer hydroponic gardener.




Picking the right hydroponic systems is a tough job, so here are a little tips to help you know the difference:

Wick Hydroponic Systems
The wick system operates under very simple parameters, in that it's passive, with no moving parts attached to it. A wick is used to draw nutrients from the reservoir and into the growth tray and it's a fully automated procedure that takes little effort from you.

Water Culture Hydroponic Systems
Like I said in the introduction, the water culture was the first type of system invented in hydroponics. It stands on fairly straightforward principles: a reservoir filled with nutrient solution, atop of which the gardener places a floating platform that can hold several planters (or cups, or something similar). The roots of the plant that you "install" will be drowned in the nutrient solution, with the rest of the plant being held by the planters.

Drip and Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Systems
Ebb and flow hydroponic systems can be found everywhere and together with their younger brother, the drip system, they make up the majority of hydroponic gardens in the World. Both types of systems work on basically the same principles: a growth tray is attached atop a nutrient container. Nutrients are flooded into the growth tray by a pump, they are absorbed by the plants and the excess solution that couldn't be absorbed is drained down into the nutrient container, recycling it for future use.

Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponic Systems
Another popular hydroponic system, the NFT uses a constant flow of nutrients to wash out the plants' roots, feeding them in the process. Because this system uses no growth media for the roots, it allows for better oxygenation and it has low maintenance costs in the long run. Just like the ebb and flow or drip systems, the nutrient film technique floods the growth tray (where the plants' roots are dangling in) then drains the excess back to the reservoir. Like with the above mentioned hydroponic systems, this kind of nutrient recycling is a great way to save nutrients, but unfortunately it also creates pH instability in the reservoir, which leads to more complicated problems later on.

Aeroponic Systems
Although not hydroponic systems per se, aeroponics use some of the basic principles in water-based soilless plant growth, but use air vapors instead. Plants are usually suspended on top of a reservoir in aeroponic systems, with the container being tightly sealed. A mechanism creates vapors out of nutrient solution and sprays the result in the reservoir, engulfing the dangling plant roots. This helps them acquire nutrients faster but also allows for some great oxygenation capabilities, which cause your plant to grow heavily.

For more information visit Hydroponics for beginners and intermediates

Grow Organic Vegetables

Don't Have A Garden To Grow Organic Vegetables? - Try Hydroponics
By Julie Williams

So what does "hydroponics" mean? Essentially it means the cultivation of plants, by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil - so, soil-less growth of plants.




Plants are grown in a bed or pots of sterile material such as perlite, vermiculite, rock-wool, or even lava rocks. This growing medium provides the physical support for the plants root system. Plant nutrients are fed into the water mix at set intervals so that the roots can absorb all the nutrients which they would normally find from soil.

For those of us who don't have access to the wondrous mother earth, we can still grow some (or most) of our own vegetables using an organic hydroponic system. Now this may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it is possible to provide all the organic nutrients that our vegetables need via their water/food uptake, without having to resort to harsh chemicals.

It is a far more precise way of gardening and has to be monitored fairly closely or you can expect failures, but it is an interesting and alternative method to gardening with the soil. Some things you must be particularly mindful of when growing hydroponically are pH levels, right nutrients for the right part of the growth cycle and hygiene.

Now you don't need a fancy glasshouse. Some people don't have any space outside at all, so they use a dedicated indoors room. But this means they must use powerful lights to emulate the sun which is expensive to run, harmful to the environment and adds many hundreds of dollars to your set-up costs.

If you live in a temperate climate you can grow all year round in a glasshouse. If you live in a tropical or sub-tropical climate you don't even need a glasshouse.

Hydroponic gardening is a great way to grow some of your own food if you only have a balcony, rooftop space, or you live in an apartment with a bit of space. It is also ideal if you are renting, as you can just dismantle your system and take it with you.

It also has the benefit of being lightweight, so you're not having to bring home vast amounts of heavy potting mix. There's no soil to turn over and no weeding to do. You can also design a big or small a system - depending on your own needs. Then you can add to it later if you want to. So all in all, there are quite a few advantages to growing hydroponically.

Growing vegetables hydroponically is a great alternative if you don't have access to garden beds, or even if you want to prolong your growing season or even grow out of season.

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments.

Beginners to Organic Gardening take a look here. For more organic gardening info click here.
Happy gardening, healthy living...Julie Williamshttp://www.1stoporganicgardening.com/

The Benefits Of Hydroponic Gardening

By Steven Harrison

For anyone interested in growing their own healthy produce but have been put off the idea because of all the hard work involved in running a successful garden, this is for you. I came across this fascinating subject which allows anyone to grow the most amazing plants indoors using hydroponic gardening.




You no longer need to dig in the soil, plant the seeds, water them, weed them and generally spend hour upon hour looking after your plants. Hydroponic gardening allows you to do all this by an ingenious method of allowing he seeds to germinate and grow in special hydroponic systems that use water instead of soil to hold and nourish the plants.

All plants need a plentiful supply of nutrients to sustain a healthy growing cycle and hydroponic gardening does this by adding nutrients directly to the water. This means that the plant roots no longer need to grow far and wide in search of these nutrients and so hydroponic plants do not need the same amount of room to grow in as the plants grown outside in an ordinary garden might need.

You may say that's ok but what about sunlight, most plants need plenty of sun to grow and thrive. That's very true but in hydroponic gardening the needed sunlight is provided by special bulbs that usually come on and off by setting a timer. Some of the more expensive hydroponic systems provide the gardener with everything needed for healthy plant growth almost completely automatically. Being able to have the peace of mind that you can never over water or over feed your plants again is one of the joy's of hydroponic gardening.

Imagine how much time and money you could save by not having to go to the store for your tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, peppers and all the other fresh veggies you love to eat. How many times have you purchased fresh herbs and ended up throwing them away because they have wilted and lost their freshness? Hydroponic gardening allows you to pick as much or as little off the plant whenever you like. Fresh home grown tomatoes are so delicious that once you taste them I'm sure you will never buy another tomato in your life.

Steve Harrison is the author and CEO of http://www.hydroponicgardens.net/ If like me you find this a fascinating subject why not visit my hydroponic gardening site and learn all about Hydroponic Gardening You may even find yourself a great bargain in the shop area so come visit us now.

Hydroponic Gardening - Popular, Not New

By Kent Higgins

Hydroponic gardening is not a new invention, but its popularity is currently increasing drastically. People are now using this process of growing plants, flowers, and vegetables without soil in their homes, where previously it was mostly used just by professional gardeners.




Because of the 'hydro' in the name, it is a common misconception that the plants are being grown in water instead of soil. They are in fact grown in liquid, but it is a mineral nutrient solution, not water. It is also possible to use clay, sand, gravel, or vermiculite in hydroponics.

In hydroponic gardening, plants have a constant access to water and the nutrients that they need. You can give them exactly what they need when they need it. You don't have to worry about watering too much or too little, or not giving enough nutrients, since the plants absorb everything that they need at the right time.

The following information will explain other advantages to hydroponic gardening. First of all, you don't have to worry about what type or quality of soil to use, since you use no soil.

If you have poor local soil, there is no longer a need to worry about how you can grow healthy vegetables. Since the fruits and vegetables will be receiving more nutrients, you will also receive more nutrients by eating them.

Also, you won't have to worry about weeds or infestations that arise from planting in soil.

If you live in a dry, desert, or rocky area, you would normally have to bring in soil to plant a garden. Hydroponic gardening eliminates this problem. NASA even works with hydroponics in case anything needs to be planted on the moon in the future, where there is no soil or nutrients for the plants.

When plants grown hydroponically are removed from their growth system, they continue to live and grow. This is great for fruits and vegetables that are being shipped off to stores to be sold and eaten. Plants that grow in soil die when they are removed. Produce is therefore more fresh when it is grown hydroponically.

There are a few negative aspects of hydroponic gardening as well, however. It is much more technically involved to be successful in growing. You will need special tanks, lights, pumps, and other expensive equipment - but you can also use sub irrigation planters for houseplants making the process easy. There are a lot of aspects that are important in the success of the plant's growth. If one part of it fails, it is likely that the plant will die.

If any of the advantages of hydroponic gardening would greatly help you, you should research it further to see how feasible it is for you to begin growing in this unique way.

Surprisingly enough sub irrigation planters let you enjoy the benefits without much expense. In fact, I make planters by recycling. Visit http://www.plant-care.com/subirrigation-indoor-plants.html to learn more on self watering planters.

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THE EIN GEDI TECHNIQUE

Keep your eyes open: the Ein Gedi technique is coming your way.

And for good reason. There's no waste of nutrient with Ein Gedi. Derivations such as "aeroponics" (which is discussed in my book at http://www.mayhillpress.com) and "aero-hydroponics" are popping up all over the horizon.

Though the technique works amazingly well, the expense of setting it up and getting it into action has deterred many growers. But after looking at the many advantages this technique offers, many growers are beginning to have second thoughts.



Photo from : www.astrogrow.com

You see, the Ein Gedi (or aeroponics, etc) method recirculates its nutrient in a misty spray which is aimed at the air roots of a plant. Let me explain. A plant has three major growth sections: the top or "above-ground" section, the air root section, and the root section. A grower has to pay attention to all three.

In the Ein Gedi (read "aeroponics, etc.") technique, plants are plugged into holes at the top of an enclosed chamber. Their roots are allowed to dangle in the dark below and rest in a nutrient solution. BUT between the roots near the bottom of the chamber and the plant hole at the top you will find the air roots of the plant.

The aeroponics method has the same setup as does aero-hydroponics. But the last two have deeper nutrient streams below. All three methods use a misting device to spray oxygenated nutrient onto the air roots. The Ein Gedi method uses a spinner close to the surface of the nutrient pool below. As the spinner spins, nutrient runs up the shaft and sprays out into the chamber.

Aeroponics has a spinner suspended between the top of the chamber and the nutrient pool below. The nutrient spray is spun out from that spinner. Aero-hydroponics goes one step further. Although it too has a device for spraying dissolved oxygen upon the air roots, this method relies more heavily in having more dissolved oxygen in the nutrient pool at the bottom of the chamber.

But mainly, it's the air roots with which these methods are concerned. These roots are constantly sprayed with a mist of nutrient and oxygen which gives the plant the energy it needs. The nutrient below also becomes infused with oxygen so the entire root becomes energized. And the plant grows faster and produces a larger crop.

There is no nutrient waste because the nutrient spray is recirculated after it hits the air roots and then falls to the bottom of the chamber to be recirculated and sprayed again. There is little waste of any other kind, making this technique very desirable to any grower.

The initial investment is quite large as compared to other techniques. You need the long chambers which hold the plants, you need a sprayer setup to accommodate all the roots hanging down inside each chamber. But once the system is setup, the savings can go on forever. No more media to buy, less and less nutrient to supply, and so forth.

Dutch growers who up until now have relied upon rockwool for their growing needs have begun to look at other techniques. With rockwool the Dutch growers could let the nutrient go through on a one-way trip, that is until their government told them they had to stop polluting the ground water with excess nutrient.

So let's look at it again: the Ein Gedi method as well as aeroponics are pretty much the same. Both use the misting method for the roots section of a plant to give the plant the dissolved oxygen it needs. These two methods don't rely as much on the plant roots being immersed in the nutrient solution. Whereas aero-hydroponics gets most of its success from root immersion.

The other variation, known as aero-hydroponics, was developed by Dr. Hillel Soffer who has been associated with the Ein Gedi methods first developed in Israel. This is the method which uses both the spray for the air roots and nutrient immersed roots. His method is getting quite a lot of attention. Aero-hydroponics is very useful for propagating various plants, particularly plants which heretofore have been difficult to propagate.

For more information on this last method, contact General Hydroponics, P O Box 1576, Sebastapol, CA 95473-1576 1-800-374-9376 mailto:info@genhydro.com

Grow Lights Guide

By Susan Slobac

If you are starting out with indoor gardening, there is a lot to learn. One of the important environmental factors that you will need to provide for your plants is appropriate light. Plants need light for photosynthesis. Plants have the amazing ability to change light energy through photosynthesis into glucose and oxygen, which they need to thrive and grow. You will want to consider the grow lights you use in your indoor growing area very carefully, because it is a major aspect that will affect the success of your gardening venture. There are several new grow lights, and very popular ones include HID lights, HPS grow lights, LED grow lights, and MH grow lights. These are all hydroponic gardening grow lights, and all can be used with plants grown in soil as well.



Photo: plantlightinghydroponics.com

HID lights go by the full name of high-intensity discharge lights. MH grow lights and HPS grow lights are also high-intensity discharge lamps. HID lights produce a great deal of light that more closely resembles sunlight than the light produced by either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, which is better for plant growth and reproduction. The way light is produced by HID lamps is when you turn the electricity on, the current runs through a ballast, which regulates the electrical flow to the electrodes, which are inside an arc tube, along with various gases and metals. When an electrical arc is produced, the gas in the tube helps start the light bulb, and the metals, once they reach the appropriate temperature, evaporate and produce the light that you see.

HPS grow lights make excellent hydroponic lights. HPS stands for high-pressure sodium, and these are used by professional growers to produce vegetables and flowers indoors commercially. HPS lamps use mercury in the arc tube, as well as sodium, and this makes for good color rendering, or colors showing up accurately when lit by the bulb. The spectrum color that a bulb gives off is important, because plants thrive under different colors depending on their stage of maturity. If you are trying to grow lettuce, for example, you will want to use the blue light spectrum under which it thrives. If you have mature tomato plants that you want to produce fruit and flowers, then you will want to use a red/orange spectrum to induce the plant to behave appropriately.

LED grow lights are called this due to a light-emitting diode that allows the lamp to produce light. These lights are handy because they come in an array of colors used in growing plants, and they produce a lot of light that is easily focused where you need it. They have a very long life as well.

MH grow lights are metal halide lamps. The arc tubes of these compact and efficient bulbs contain argon gas, mercury and a mix of metal halides. Like other HID lights, these lights require the use of a ballast in order to function properly.

Susan Slobac works at a Hydroponics supply store and is knowledgeable about grow lights. She has been taught by industry professionals about the details of hydroponic lights and shares her insights on the many varieties of grow lights for indoor gardening.

The Essentials of Indoor Gardening

By Jonathan Ya'akobi

Although the art of indoor gardening is not dry climate specific, the subject is particularly relevant to us arid country gardeners, as there's often greater scope for "going to town" in doors, than out. Growing plants indoors requires adopting a number of techniques which are different from those the home gardener may be used to when working in the outdoor garden, although there are things in common between the two. So here are some general points on the subject.




The principles of good design are the same whether indoors or out. Simplicity, variety, scale, balance, unity and emphasis, are issues that have to be addressed. Just as landscaping elements such as raised beds or water features are as an integral part of the outdoor garden as ornamental plants, so are the pots and containers one uses in the sitting room. Try to invest in decent looking pots and don't save money by buying plastic containers. Would you buy a plastic table for the sitting room for instance?

What are the differences then? These become apparent when one examines what plants need for healthy growth. Plants require adequate light in order to perform the most basic, energy creating function of photosynthesis. Plants that can be grown indoors are those that can tolerate low-level light intensity. There's no point trying to grow a rose bush in your living room! Therefore, the placing of your plants is crucial. Remember that the light levels drop exponentially the further the plant is from the window. In places without natural light, it's necessary to provide at the very least, the light of two 150 Watt bulbs.

All plants require water of course. Less obvious but no less crucial is the fact that the roots also require adequate oxygen for respiration. There are two main factors which determine whether the plant has access to the right balance between the two: One is the potting soil in which the plant grows and the other is the way the plants are watered. Never use ordinary soil in a pot. Always use an artificial potting medium. They are readily available at plant nurseries. Secondly, irrigate till excess water flows out of the drainage hole and then wait until the top 2 cm or so of "soil" have dried out before the next watering. The term "over watering" does not refer to excess water draining away, rather to a state whereby the potting mixture is perpetually saturated because of over frequent irrigating. Furthermore, watering to excess prevents an unhealthy salt build up in the soil, by the periodic leaching of the salts. This rule of thumb method holds good for most plants.

Plants grown in pots are absolutely dependent on fertilizer as a source of the mineral nutrient essential for their development. Excluding flowering plants perhaps, (which are not easy to grow indoors anyway) an annual feed with a 12 month slow release fertilizer is often enough.

So what plants are worth buying? The range of flowering plants is very restricted. African Violets are difficult to maintain beyond a year or two. Poinsettas are reasonably easy to grow. In my opinion, its better to create form and color interest by use of foliage plants such as Epiremnum Shefflera, Dracaena, Spathipyllum (also provides white flowers) and Aglaonema. For vertical emphasis one can try Ficus benjamina,(never to be planted out doors because of its aggressive roots) and palms such as Chamaedorea. Ferns, such as the mainstay Nephrolepis are effective when massed. They are particularly sensitive to the lack of humidity caused by heaters and air conditioners, so remember to spray them with water regularly.

An alternative method to ordinary containers (i.e. containers which allow water to drain out) is the hydroponic method, where the plants are grown in a sealed container. A specific water level is maintained in order to create the necessary balance between air and water. The primary drawback of hydroponics is the initial expense involved. However the ease of maintenance, especially regarding watering and feeding is such, that growing indoor plants hydroponically is well worth considering.

About the author - Jonathan Ya'akobi.

I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984. I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners. I also teach horticulture to students on training courses. I'd love to share my knowledge and experience with you.

So you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com/

HYDROPONIC HAY

A dairy farmer at Dowlingville in South Australia knows how to keep his dairy herd well fed during the summer months when rain and feed are scarce. He uses barley grown hydroponically as a supplemental feed. This not only keeps his herd healthy but also gives him premium prices from higher grades of butter fat in the milk he sells. Why barley as opposed to other grains? The farmer thinks this grain germinates better than other grains and is easier to grow with hydroponics. His favorite brand of seed is called Schooner. The barley seed is first soaked in water for twelve hours. Then the grain is moved to polystyrene trays which measure 35.5 inches by 12 inches by 4 inches. The farmer uses sixty trays a day to feed 55 cows. Each tray stays in his hydroponic shed for seven days.




The process is somewhat like growing alfalfa sprouts which are sold in supermarkets in the United States. Requirements for growing the barley are a temperature of 45 degrees F and a humidity level of 75%. Barley does best with 16 hours of light. For awhile the farmer used supplemental lighting but he doubts the extra lighting is worth the added cost.

Problems with summer heat (when the fodder is needed most) are overcome with a sprinkler system which sprays the walls and the ceiling on the outside. Also a wet pad cooling system helps to keep the temperature down. While in the trays, the barley gets watered three times a day, with nutrient mix the first four days and water thereafter. This combination of feeding and watering gives the highest level of protein available in the grass feed. The hydroponic fertilizer mix consists of the following: a total of 1200 Grams which includes 100 grams of chelated iron and 800 grams of calcium nitrate. This is all mixed together in a 600 gallon tank. The mixture lasts for a little over two months.

The shed in which the farmer places the trays measures 40 ft by 15 ft by 9 ft. The trays are placed on racks about 30 feet long and seven tiers high. When the grass is ready to be fed to the cows, the trays are taken outside and tipped over into the feed bin. The farmer is thinking about setting up this operation on a conveyor belt. Seed at one end and feed at the other!

According to the information we have, the shed has walls and a ceiling which are coated with 50 mm of sprayed polurethane which is designed to keep the temperature around 45 degrees F. Evidently light comes through windows and/or skylights. Otherwise the barley wouldn't grow. This idea might work well in the United States and Canada - if you experimented with shade cloth to get the proper amount of light. You might have a difficult time getting the temperature down in the average greenhouse - especially in the summer.



Photo : Brendan Hopkins

But you could still grow the other three seasons and supplement with other feed you might have on hand. This idea would preserve the other feed you have and hold it for the months when you wouldn't be able to meet the temperature requirements. Perhaps if you used tier shelving you would be better off doing it like an A-frame in order for all the plants to get light.

If you're interested in getting more involved with this subject, contact THE FODDER FACTORY at (http://www.midcoast.com.au/users/fodderpr/factory.html)

Seniors - Gardening Through the Seasons of Life

By Raymond Degg

Your first gardening experience as a child can be very exciting. Children establish a great connection to the earth when they're raised around fruit trees, flowers, fresh-grown tomatoes, and zesty herbs in the yard. This love for gardening continues throughout one's life, and even becomes stronger as we age.




A garden can be a place of respite and peace in our retirement years. "Grandma's Garden" is a classic symbol of tranquility, life, and love. Few realize that gardening reaps tremendous benefits for our health.

One of the best is exercise. The medical community is starting to recognize the power of everyday activities and hobbies to provide low-exertion exercise for the body. Moving your muscles and joints, bending down, standing up, carrying, and digging are all important movements for us as we age. Add to that the fresh air and sunshine, and you have a tremendous health-promoting activity.

Building and maintaining a garden takes strength, and for many seniors adjustments need to be made for gardening to be a more accessible past time.

Design or redesign your garden to meet your physical needs. Can you not crouch down? Try hanging pots instead. Can you not handle too much work in the garden each day? Create a very small garden, and use plants and flowers that require less upkeep.

Find tools that are designed to make it easier for you to do your work, like lightweight ones with comfortable handles.

Use some light warm-up exercises before beginning in the garden to ensure that you won't damage any muscles or joints. Gently roll your neck from side to side, then try rolling your wrists, and bending your knees a few times. Do what feels comfortable, but do not push yourself.

Muscle-toning, Cardio, and Flexibility

Gardening has wonderful benefits for the muscles. When carrying bags of soil, flats of flowers, or tools, make sure that they're not too heavy for you. Lift things in separate shifts if need be, but carrying the right amount of weight at a time is great for bone density and muscle toning.

Keeping up a garden also requires walking, digging, and planting. All of these actions promote cardiovascular health by slightly elevating the heart rate and deepening the breath. This improves circulation, lung capacity, and overall health. Again, only do as much as feels comfortable and invigorating.

Swatting, kneeling, turning and twisting are great for your joints. When it comes to flexibility, you really need to use it or lose it. While gardening, focus on the subtle movements, and how the various actions are keeping your muscles and joints alive and well.

Gardening can also be great for you emotional health as well as physical health. Relax and take deep breaths while gardening. Admire all the colors and scents, have picnics in your garden, or maybe your first cup of coffee in the morning. There's no greater fulfillment than admiring the natural beauty around you that has been nurtured by your own hard work.

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SAUDI ARABIA: HYDROPONICS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

by H L Saffell/Mayhill Press

At Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, an American company and its crew set up an 18 acre greenhouse complex which they continue to service and monitor. Since water is more valuable than oil to the Saudis and since the water they have is of poor quality, the Americans had a difficult problem to overcome. With an average rainfall of 8 inches per year, if the Saudis want to grow vegetables they have to rely on ground water which is loaded with salt.




Naturally, the weather is hot and dry. The average yield for vegetables in the field is about 5 tons for each acre used (85,000 acres in all). Yet in the greenhouse at Riyadh, the American company gets more than 200 tons for each acre planted! No wonder the Saudis are impressed and keep urging the Americans onto higher achievements.


One of the reasons hydroponics is making such a good show for itself in Saudi Arabia is the fact that water goes a lot further inside a greenhouse than out in the field. Most of the water used in the greenhouse is for evaporative cooling. With all these restrictions crops are limited to those which are economical to grow. Basically these crops are tomatoes, some lettuce, peppers and cucumbers.

The complex at Riyadh, known as Ibrahim Abunayan Farms, also grows cut flowers which do quite well in an artificial environment and which are in great demand. The last we heard the complex had been in production for well over a decade. The American company brought in its own 5-gallon upright plastic bags and used a medium composed of peat-lite and sand/gravel obtained from the local area. In order to maintain the complex's profitability, the cooling system had to be more than adequate and everyone had to be on their toes. Picking the right cultivar was another important task. Choosing a plan to schedule plantings, feeding and the how and when of implementing disease and insect control were all delicate matters in the desert climate.

You might not think insects would be a problem. But Middle Eastern countries harbor huge insect populations. Most insects, including whitefly, love dry heat. Whitefly is the most harmful because it carries a virus which infects tomato and cucumber plants. In order to slow down the fly's activities, the American company used a filter which was attached to each cooling pad.

Another problem arose. Evaporative pads don't last long in the desert. They soon become clogged from the salt in the water. The Americans found it more economical to replace these pads instead of using the more expensive water obtained from desalinization. The complex now uses a highly absorbent plastic pad which seems to do the job quite well.

TEN REASONS YOU SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN HYDROPONICS

Hydroponics, the agriculture of tomorrow is here today. And it will grow larger and larger with every passing day. It's a business which already has a solid base and which will rise quickly to higher heights. There is nothing to stop it because it is the only viable alternative to growing food in many places throughout the world.

Hydroponics has the largest basic market possible. Food is indispensable. But soil on which to grow it has been depleted or has run out or in some cases never existed.

Hydroponics can be operated just about anywhere. Even on concrete! One large hydroponic operator from the United States is supervising the operation of a large hydroponicum in Saudi Arabia - in the desert. Hydroponics is carried on in such diverse places as Southern Chile, Guam, and the jungle climates of South America.

Hydroponic vegetables are just as good in taste and nutrition as those grown in soil. Some would say better. I've grown plants both organically and hydroponically. To me the hydroponic are better.

Hydroponic growers have more control. Generally speaking, you don't have to worry about the weather. You control what goes into the plant. There is no feast or famine with hydroponics. Soil often doesn't release the necessary minerals to the plant. With hydroponics you can make certain the plant gets what it needs. Plant energy doesn't have to be wasted on extensive root systems - the food is right at hand.

Hydroponics gives much higher yields. And consequently much profits. Or you can earn the same profit on a smaller parcel of land. In some cases, a tomato plant will yield 15 to 20 times hydroponically over it's neighbor grown in soil. This gives crops which are consistent in size and yield.

Hydroponics doesn't require the use of heavy pesticides. Also pathogens which occur in soil and which cause disease are eliminated.

Hydroponics has lower operation and maintenance costs. Once the hydroponicum is set up, the entire operation can easily be maintained. One of the good things also is you don't need heavy machinery like tractors and plows.

Hydroponics uses less of everything. This includes fertilizer and water. Thus it is easier on the environment. Its efficiency can be maintained indefinitely. You don't even have to fret about crop rotation.

Experts now agree that hydroponics is practical, that is profitable in most situations and that the possibilities for soilless production of crops is endless.

Hydroponics is what the best soil should be but without soil's handicaps.

from: bsaffell@mayhillpress.com