March 2019 - 23

PRODUCTION
CHOOSE THE RIGHT
GROWING MEDIUM
The absence of soil in a hydroponic
system means there must be
something that the plants can be
propagated in and supported by for
the nutrient solution to flow effectively
through. The determination of a
good growing medium is one that
allows a good balance of oxygen and
moisture to be absorbed by the roots
of the plants.
The combination of clay pebbles and
coco coir is often used in hydroponic
systems because the combination
retains oxygen and moisture at an elite
level. Clay pebbles are clay pellets
that are inexpensive and known
for retaining oxygen at a high level
and coco coir is made from coconut
husks that can easily stand alone as
a good medium in both areas, but is
expensive. Therefore, mixing it with
grow rocks is often done to keep
down costs.
Rockwool is another medium that
is used frequently because it is like
coco coir. It is great at retaining
both oxygen and moisture and is
manufactured in cubes allowing
plants to be easily placed in rows.
The downfall is that it must be
thrown out after just one use.
CLEAN THE SYSTEM
REGULARLY
Lastly, all these tips can be
done perfectly, but if the system
is dirty and contaminated it won't
matter. Cleaning a hydroponic
system regularly is a crucial part of
maintaining a successful operation
because it keeps a system free of
pests and diseases.
After completely sterilizing the
entire grow room growers should
clean the nutrient solution reservoir.
It is done by emptying the reservoir,
filling it back up halfway and using
a deluded bleach solution for an
effective clean, ensuring there is
no solid material buildup in the
tubing. Reservoir cleaning is usually
done every two to three weeks, but
cleaning frequency depends on how
busy an operation is. Clogging can
also be avoided by opening the valves
for a few seconds once a week.
Scrubbing down the buckets or grow
trays also is important in the cleaning
process to avoid pathogen buildup.
The
This process is simple and can be
done by using a scrubby and 10
percent bleach solution. A grower
would apply the bleach and scrub
until they are spotless and then rinse
them out to finalize the process. This
is usually done after each growing
season or after every harvest.
There it is, a few helpful tips
that any grower can use to run a
successful hydroponic growing
system. Maintain a healthy
growing environment, ensure
good water quality, implement
a fertigation system, choose an
effective growing medium, clean
the system regularly, and you'll
find your operation set up for
success.
Dean St. Laurent is a content writer
for GrowSpan (www.growspan.com),
which specializes in greenhouses and
growing solutions.
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March 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2019
