calcium-containing materials such as limestone. Growers
who have hard water sources containing
naturally occurring calcium have a
major advantage in this case because
this form of calcium is readily available
for plant uptake.
It is possible to make an organic
nutrient solution completely from raw
materials rather than relying on commercially bottled products. While liquid
bio-digesters that turn raw organic
materials into usable plant nutrients
have been used by some growers, the
more reliable method for smaller systems is vermiculture (worm farming).
Vermiculture is a highly efficient way
of processing high-mineral raw materials, such as manures,
limestone, blood and bone, fish meal, seaweed meal, guano
and others, into usable, mineralized hydroponic nutrient
solutions that also provide the benefits of a diverse population of beneficial microbes.
The successful use of vermiculture to process organic
fertilizers relies on two things. First, the vermicast must be
processed to completion and then extracted into water for
use in a hydroponic system. The extract or liquid draining
from the vermicast system should not be used as a nutrient
solution until the vermicast itself has been fully processed.
Above: Good-quality
coco fiber is a good
growing medium
for an experimental
organic system as
it’s considered a
natural substrate.
Below: Humic and
fulvic acids are good
additives for organic
hydroponic systems
as they assist with
nutrient uptake.
Maximum Yield USA | January 2015
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