FEATURESTORY
by Eric Gibs
Troubleshooting Hydroponic Systems Problems
T
roubleshooting a
hydroponic garden
can be a tough task,
especially when
you come across something
strange, or downright de-
structive in your previously
healthy hydroponic system.
Unfortunately most grow-
ers encounter problems in a
hydroponic garden. Discov-
ering something strange or
downright destructive in a
previously healthy crop frus-
trates many experienced and
novice hydroponic garden-
ers. Troubleshooting these
problems can be difficult,
especially when there are
multiple causes for a single
set of symptoms or when
more than one issue exists at
the same time. The following
are some of the common hy-
droponic problems together
with their solutions.
Ethylene, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and
Sulphur Dioxide
It’s a common and severe problem for an indoor
garden. The enrichment of Carbon Dioxide is a use-
ful method of boosting the growth and development
of plants. However, overdoing it does not increase
yields. The typical dose of Carbon Dioxide is based
on several factors including species, previous expo-
PROTECT YOUR PLANTS
Hard-working Insect and Animal
Repellents that also provide
moisture loss protection.
800 627 6840
20
sure and plant maturity. CO 2
toxicity in most indoor gar-
dens is caused by either bro-
ken or inaccurate monitoring
equipment. The most com-
mon and of course, the first
sign of CO 2 toxicity can be
mistaken for other problems.
It involves leaf damage like
yellowing (Chlorosis), curl-
ing leaves and necrosis. In
some cases, stunted growth
is caused by high levels of
Carbon Dioxide. It can occur
without any other visible in-
juries or damage symptoms.
Hydroponic-Simplified.com
indicates that Ethylene and
sulphur dioxide, a damag-
ing plant by-product, are
generated CO 2 that occurs
through burning of a par-
ticular fuel is used.
It’s advisable you use
proper maintenance of CO 2
monitoring equipment like using backup testing tech-
niques. Also, use clean sources of Carbon Dioxide
and a reasonable level of ventilation to assist in the
prevention of ethylene-induced growth problems.
Resistance and Super Bugs
Another common issue associated with the use
of diseases and insect pests controlling sprays is the
establishment of resistant disease and super bugs.
Most gardeners may discover a particular spray or
compound they applied to eliminate insect pests may
not be sufficient. As a result, there is an explosion in
pest populations. Any compounds that are applied
for plant protection should not be used more than
two times during a growing season. Repeated use of
a similar class of pest and disease control compounds
may cause disease and insects developing a genetic
resistance to a particular compound and even help
develop a new strain of superbug. In fact, as it was
stated by Dr. Lynette Morgan from Massey University,
New Zealand, most highly effective fungicides and
pesticides compounds have been over applied to an
extent where they are not effective at all. This leaves
hotpepperwax.com
www.GardenandGreenhouse.net
(Continued on page 24)
August 2017