organic hydroponics
Many worm juices on the market are highly diluted
and often not balanced enough to use as a stand-alone
nutrient solution. Second, the quality of the raw materials
going into the vermicast system will determine how
balanced the final nutrient will be. High-mineral sources,
such as fish, blood and bone meal are often dried and
ground into products, while food scraps, weeds and
vegetation contain only low levels of minerals and will not
make a nutrient solution concentrated enough for most
hydroponic systems.
disease control. Synthetic or chemical pesticides and
fungicides are not considered organic, which eliminates
some of the highly effective controls many hydroponic
growers depend on. With organic production,
prevention of pest and disease problems becomes even
more essential. The use of screening vents, double-door
entries, close inspection of planting material entering
the growing area, sticky indicator traps and careful
monitoring of plant health are essential in preventing
or catching infestations early on.
Among the organically
allowable pest control products,
many indoor gardeners are
already familiar with neem oil
and extracts, which are derived
from the Indian neem tree.
it can be difficult to get a balanced and
suitably high ratio of all of the essential minerals from
organic sources alone, so experimentation
with different products is helpful.”
Organic growing mixes are available for starting seedlings
and growing potted plants.
Organically grown, hydroponic heirloom tomatoes can be technically
challenging, but they are worth the end result.
One of the main problems with organic nutrients is
concentration. Most organic liquid products are not as
concentrated as standard, salt-based fertilizer formulations,
so plants may become weak, stretched and more prone to
disease. Growers need to be aware of what underfed plants
look like and boost nutrient concentrations as soon as these
conditions are detected. Nutrient additives and boosters,
such as humic and fulvic acid, are a good addition to organic
systems as they help facilitate nutrient uptake and are
generally considered organic.
Pest and Disease Control
Once growers have established a healthy root zone and
are feeding plants a suitable organic blend of nutrients,
the next step in organic production tends to be pest and
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Maximum Yield USA | January 2015
Many neem spray products are considered organic
and help control a wide range of insect pests.
Beneficial and predator insects as part of an
integrated pest management program are also
widely used by organic growers, and there are a range of
microbial spray products on the market such as BT for
caterpillars. Disease control can be little more complicated.
Fortunately, biological controls like Beauveria spp and
other non-synthetic fungicides based on microbial species
are available. Local hydro shops will have more information
on all of these options.
Running a successful organic hydroponic system involves
some trial and error. What works for one grower may not
work for another. There is a lot more to the biological side
of organic plant nutrition than we understand, much of it to
do with microbial balance and populations in the root zone
and nutrient solution. Overall, being successful in organic
production is an exciting achievement and is one more
growers are experimenting with.