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What does pH stand for?

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by: Charlene Rennick

Have you ever wondered why the “p” in “pH” is a lower-case letter while the “H” is capitalized?  What does it mean?

The “p” stands for potential and the “H” stands for Hydrogen.  Okay, so that makes it as clear as mud.  What is potential Hydrogen?   A scientific explanation would state that pH refers to the plant’s ability to attract hydrogen ions.  A less scientific explanation says pH is the acid/alkaline balance. 

Translated into a language those of us without the Ph D can understand, pH level refers to the amount of acid and alkaline contained inside of both the water and the growing medium or soil.  If the environment is too acidic, that means the plant will not attract enough hydrogen, while an environment that is too alkaline will attract too much hydrogen.  An environment that continually fluctuates from one extreme on the pH scale to the other is unhealthy for the plant.

Hydrogen is one of four elements any living plant needs to survive.  Without hydrogen, the plant would wilt and not be able to take in nutrients.  Because the plant contains hydrogen, it continues to absorb hydrogen through the water via a process called osmosis.  This hydrogen-osmosis cycle is what keeps the nutrients traveling from the water into the plant.  Once a plant has died due to lack of water, there is no amount of water that can be added to it that will cause the plant to be revived.

The level of pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 with 0 representing the highest concentration of acid and 14 representative of the most alkaline.   Seven is the magic figure for pH because it means that there is a balance of acid and alkaline in the solution and is often referred to as pH neutral.  It is usually sufficient to say that a pH neutral environment is perfect for most plants, but some vegetation requires water or a growing medium that is more acidic than alkaline in order to flourish or have the right colour of blossoms, while other plants prefer the opposite.  Testing strips for pH can be purchased to determine exactly what the acid/alkaline balance is in your water, growing medium or soil.  This makes it easy to adjust the level for home gardeners or for mixing nutrients for your own hydroponic garden.

How Can Water be Recycled?

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by: Charlene Rennick

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Reverse Osmosis is a method of removing pathogens, or disease-carrying organisms from water, especially in geographical areas where safe drinking water is scarce.  It is used in hydroponic gardening systems when rain water is collected and then filtered using reverse osmosis to make it clean and safe for agricultural use.  Hydroponic systems collect the water used by the plants, filter it through reverse osmosis and then add nutrients to make it a nutritious plant food again; thus, the only water lost is what the plant absorbs and the small amount that evaporates.

What is osmosis and how can it be reversed?  Osmosis is the name given to the process by which molecules, naturally and without any scientific intervention, move from a weaker solution to a stronger solution through any porous (permeable) membrane. 

Reverse osmosis is contrived.  That means it is not a naturally occurring phenomena.  Pressure is used to reverse the flow of water back through a permeable membrane from a stronger, more concentrated area of mineral content to a weaker one.  This forcibly removes salt and other minerals from sea water or very hard water that has a high calcium or magnesium content. 

The process of reverse osmosis uses a fine membrane as a filter to remove salt and minerals from water in addition to larger pieces of dirt and pollens.  It works because the molecules in salt, minerals and some pathogens are larger than water molecules.  It doesn’t remove all harmful substances, though.  Some contaminants and pollutants have particles that are so tiny that they slip through the membrane, so reverse osmosis is usually combined with a carbon filter to purify it and make it safe for drinking.

Because reverse osmosis strips most of the minerals from water, it becomes void of nutrients.  In order to make it healthy for use in hydroponic gardens, nutrients have to be added for the plants. Neglecting to add nutrients to water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis, would strip the plant of its own nutrients because osmosis would occur!!

Rooftop Hydroponic Gardening

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by: Charlene Rennick
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Did you know that if the city of New York uses only the space from the rooftops of their sky-scraping, high-rise buildings, that they could hydroponically cultivate enough fresh produce to feed the entire city?

Acre by acre, our most nutrient-rich farmland is lost through purchase from industrial and commercial developers.  In Ontario, the province that contains over half of the best agricultural land for the entire country of Canada, the acreage of fertile farmland has been reduced by half since the 1950s (University of Guelph). The remaining farmland is dependent on irrigation systems to sustain it which puts more strain on our diminishing supply of fresh water and contributes to the depletion of nutrients in the earth through run-off.  The global supply of fresh water supply is endangered.  Bans on watering are in effect by June in some countries like Canada, where a focus on the conservation of natural resources is evident. 

More and more of our produce is imported and domestic crops will soon be a term as archaic as a dial-up internet connection (what is a busy signal?) or a record album (look at the giant CD!).

Hydroponic gardens are the growing medium of the future.  They do not require farmland, irrigation systems dependent on fresh water or natural light.  Greenhouse-style hydroponic systems have the potential to produce all the fresh produce that we need under the limited geographical conditions that we will soon face.

Hydroponically grown food takes seven times less land and four times less water to produce than field grown food. The lifespan of the typical, garden variety tomato uses .7 square feet of soil, 8 gallons of water, ½ an ounce of bio-diesel fuel, 300 milligrams of pesticide and emits ¾ of a pound of carbon monoxide to produce.  A hydroponically grown tomato uses only .1 square feet of reusable growing medium, 2 gallons of recyclable water, and is pesticide and carbon monoxide-free to produce.

The Science barge is a floating greenhouse completely operated by energy created in solar panels and by wind generators.  The barge is located on the mouth of the Hudson River in the state of New York.  The hydroponic system uses only rain water or recycled river water to sustain plant growth.  The river water is renewed by a process called, reverse osmosis which generates 300 gallons of usable water per day.  These renewable energy systems are an example of the kind of agriculture and energy alternatives that we will have to utilize in the future. 

It is this category of proactive thinking that will save our natural resources from extinction and preserve our opportunity to eat fresh, home-grown produce.

If I Can’t Use Soil, What Else is There?

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by: Charlene Rennick

Soil-based gardens support plant growth because the nutrients present in the ground are absorbed by the root system inside a vehicle called water.  Without water, the dry compound is ineffective in transporting food to and throughout the network of roots. 

Because hydroponic systems do not use soil, the growing mediums have to be able to mimic the same process by which the plant absorbs nutrients.  The growing medium for hydroponic gardens has to be porous in order to leave spaces for water and nutrients to collect. 

Aerogarden Kitchen Herb Garden

The key to success is to achieve a balance between too little space and too much space.  If the pores are too large, the air and water will slip through too quickly and deprive the plant the opportunity to absorb the nutrients they need for growth.  If the pores are too small, there are no basins in which water can be collected.

The growing medium used in hydroponic gardening is not an organic soil.  The most popular alternatives used in hydroponic gardens are:

  • Coir
    This is the fibre from the husk of the coconut fruit. It comes in bricks which expand in size after soaking in water.  It is sterile, clean and protects the plant from root disease and fungus.  The colour does not transfer and does not stain clothes, carpets or any other surface.
  • Perlite
    These are tiny, light-weight, fluffy spheres of volcanic glass with a relatively high water content. They are clean and sterile, but are too light to be used in large-scale hydroponic plantations.  They are prone to disappearing inside the water run-off and need to be replaced often.
  • Clay pellets
    These are PH neutral and reusable, but can stain clothes or furniture and are dusty when dry.
  • Pea gravel
    This convention small, round stone is clean and reusable but might be too heavy for personal, indoor hydroponic gardens.
  • Rockwool
    This compound is spun from molten lava into long spindly fibres. It has declined in hydroponic popularity because of the environmentally harmful emissions it produces during manufacturing.
  • Perfect Starts
    These cubes are a newcomer in the hydroponic market as a starter medium made from organic compost and polymer to bind it together in a malleable form.  It can be used as a starting sponge to sprout seeds.

Not only are these choices better for indoor gardening than soil, but they are a conserved natural by-product from other commercial enterprises.  Using the husk from the coconut uses more of the plant.  Small pieces of clay, gravel and volcanic glass recycle some of the left-over substances that might otherwise go to waste.

Advantages of using alternative growing mediums in a hydroponic garden are that they are biodegradable, inexpensive, accessible for anyone to purchase and convenient to work with indoors.  In addition, these hydroponic gardening bases reduce one of the biggest problems for outdoor agriculturalists: disease and pests. 

Vacation-Friendly Houseplants

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by: Charlene Rennick

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How well do you have to know someone to ask them to come in and water your plants for you while you languish for two weeks on the beach?  Does bringing over some junk mail deposited in your mailbox, but addressed to your neighbour, count as acquainted? 

Desperate, you leave the key to your house and all your worldly belongings with a neighbour you barely know.  After two weeks of veritable bliss, you return home.  As you climb over the pile of newspapers to open the front door, your heart rate begins to pick up speed.  You slowly open the front door, afraid that if you open your eyes you will see a bare room. You let out the breath you have been holding as the familiar silhouettes of your antique furniture begin to take shape in the darkness.  As your eyes scan the room, you notice that something is missing from the bay window.  Curious, you try to remember what was there.  Dolefully, you realize that the gap you see used to be filled with the lush greenery of your treasured houseplants.

Oh, what a sight.  Your favourite fauna is a nothing but a yellow twig draped over the side of the pot, stiff as a board and so dead that the roots and the soil have become one unit, merged forever like a cement shoe.  Muttering under your breath, you bid farewell to that relaxed “I just got back from my vacation” feeling, swallow back unshed tears and gently bury the remains of the root system, cemented soil and all, in the back yard clinging to the hope that some of the roots might still be alive.  

This scenario does not have to be the end to your vacation!  You don’t have to choose between a home full of living things, fresh herbs in your grandmother’s recipe for spaghetti sauce or summer holidays complimented by a career that requires travelling. 

Hydroponically grown plants are the less stressful solution.  Because a hydroponics growing system requires no soil and recycles its own clean, nutrient-rich water, they do not need the same kind of constant care that a traditional soil-based plant needs. Hydroponic systems rely on less water and natural light is usually supplemented with grow lights. These systems can be automated with timers. In addition, because  plants grown by hydroponic methods are fed the natural minerals and salts that they need, they are healthier than their soil-based relatives. 

How Can We Stop the Waste of Water?

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by: Charlene Rennick

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Clean water is a resource that is quickly becoming scarce.  Water is a necessity for all forms of organic, animal and human life.  Historically, the bounty of water we have been blessed with has been taken for granted, used as a dumping ground for any type of garbage we don’t want to see, and filled in with soil to increase the available building surface of the Earth.

According to The Council of Canadians, currently in Canada, there are over 80 First Nations communities that do not have fresh tap water that is safe to drink.  All water must be boiled before consuming in order to kill the harmful bacteria.  There are 21 other Canadian communities on the short list for water that is too polluted to drink.

In other parts of the world, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water.  Over 2.5 billion people lack basic hygienic services, water-related sanitation, and indoor plumbing.

The United States is pressuring Canada to export water in bulk. A Washington think tank, called the Global Water and Energy Strategy Team, announced that bulk water exports from Canada will take place, because of our economic need to trade with the U.S., within the next couple of years.

Several American oil extraction industries are steering the Canadian government toward building a freshwater pipeline between Manitoba and Texas, for the purpose of extracting oil from the ground.  This commercial use of freshwater will drain our existing supply of drinking water.

Canada is currently short of water.  Presently, we have a ban on waste water use that forbids our own residents to turn a sprinkler on at night to water our lawns and gardens. 

How can we save water?  Turn the tap off!  Fill up the sink and rinse vegetables or dishes in it with the stopper intact.  Do you leave the water running while your toothbrush is busy inside your mouth?  Turn off the water when you are not using it to rinse your toothbrush.  Less water can be used to flush the toilet by taking a clean, empty plastic container, (such as the two litre sort used for ice cream) and filling it with sand.  Place this inside the toilet tank.  It will displace two litres of water.  Every time you flush the toilet, it will use two less litres of water.

Consider using less grass in your landscaping plans.  Excavate with trees, shrubs and rocks that do not require any extra water to flourish.  Shift your indoor gardening from soil-based plants to hydroponic systems.  Considering a small patch outside for tomatoes and a few herbs?  Bring it inside.  You can enjoy the food all year long.  Hydroponic systems use less water, require less care, reduce pests and bacteria and produce a healthier crop.  Hydroponic crops produce a better yield and taste better.

Help save our diminishing water supply. For more information, contact www.blueplanetproject.net or www.canadians.org.

Fruit Free From Fruit Flies

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by: Charlene Rennick

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Fruit Free From Fruit Flies.  Say that five times. 

Have you ever wondered where those tiny, flying bugs come from that seem to congregate around your fruit basket?  Quite likely, they have arrived inside your house as a hitchhiker on your favourite variety of apple.  While washing your fruit gets rid of most of the fruit fly eggs, it can be time-consuming and impractical.  How do you wash the bananas without separating the bunch, creating brown spots and reducing the shelf life of the fruit?  Seriously.  Are you prepared to wash an entire box of clementines?

Fruit flies have an incredible capacity for reproduction.  Their entire lifecycle is about 10 days long.  That means that in less than two weeks, they hatch, become an adult, chose a breeding partner, and lay about 500 eggs before they peacefully expire on your ripened tomatoes. 

Once you invite one fruit fly into your home, an infestation from the whole extended family is almost unavoidable due to their non-preferential breeding habits.  If they cannot find a fruit or a vegetable to use as a fruit fly motel, they will accept the soil from your house plants, making them a very stubborn and unwanted house guest.

So how do you avoid these prolific pests?  Simply-Hydroponics.com offers gardening solutions that avoid the potential for fruit fly infestations.   Since fruit flies require soil and organic material to reproduce, hydroponically grown produce eliminates the conditions they need to be able to breed.  Hydroponic gardens use only clean water sources and non-organic material to support the plant’s root system.  Fruit flies are often exported in from the outdoor environment on ripened or fermented fruits and on produce that has not been refrigerated.   Fruit flies also lay eggs in fruit that is over ripe or that has cracked skin.  Tomatoes are especially popular.

Emptying recycle boxes often, rinsing food residue from recyclable containers and cleaning the inside of the blue box with soap and water can prevent insects from inhabiting your garage or nesting close to your front door.  Refrigerating fresh fruit and vegetables overnight can kill any eggs that have entered your domain inside a grocery bag.  Washing produce as you cook keeps bacteria and larvae from contaminating your food.  Switching to a cleaner, healthier hydroponic gardening base inside your home can provide you with a fresh, clean and wholesome alternative to soil-based plants.  And hydroponic gardening keeps those fruits flies from feasting on your flowers.

Please consult www.Simply-Hydroponics.com for indoor, pest-free gardening solutions.

Garden Indoors During Sweltering Summer Months: New Website Provides the Information and Resources Needed to Grow Organic Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs Inside Your Home

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by: Kellie Fowler

Ottawa, ON June 21, 2007 — As temperatures start to rise nationwide, spending significant time outdoors tending to flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables may not be practical and, when paired with the current drought conditions in many states, gardeners everywhere are looking for a way to maintain their favorite hobby and its cherished annual yield. This explains why many are turning to a new website, www.Simply-Hydroponics.com, to learn all about gardening that can be done inside and away from the heat and damaging sun rays and conserves both water and soil.
Hydroponic Strawberries
Simply put, hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in either a bath or flow of highly oxygenated, nutrient enriched water that is perfectly balanced. And since this hydroponic nutrient solution is contained, it does not harm the environment, as does runoff from fertilized soil. Additionally, very little water is lost to evaporation in a hydroponic system, owing to its application in drought stricken areas.

This is particularly important when water bans take effect across North America during the coming summer months and in areas of the world where land and water are scarce, such as Zimbabwe, where an 11-year hydroponic gardening project at St. Werburg’s Primary School in rural Mutare (Old Umtali) continues to provide nutritious food for children after a drought severally hampered food production in the region.

However, closer to home, the same benefits that are provided to people of many third world countries are also provided to city dwellers who fight similar battles of dwindling gardening space and water supply, allowing anyone, anywhere to easily and affordably enjoy growing and eating organic fruits and vegetables year-round with little effort or little cost.

For those who may have more gardening space, higher temperatures in the summer and lower temperatures in the winter have dramatically cut down garden growing time, which explains why even those with sufficient space are finding that hydroponic gardening provides them with a more consistent, better tasting, highly nutritious crop — from fresh berries and vegetables to cooking herbs and even decorative flowers.

Likewise, as summer-time vacations get penciled for trips to locales with cooler weather, the hydroponic gardener can leave without worry, for his or her indoor garden is low maintenance and can take care of itself with pre-set timers and automatic watering.

In fact, because hydroponic gardens are so worry-free, they are perfect for children who are interested in gardening and are sure to fascinate them with their non-soil growing system, resulting in no mess. How’s that for an indoor child hobby?

And, because an indoor hydroponic garden can be set up in a few easy steps, especially if you start with an Aerogarden, which provides everything you need in a single kit, you and your family can enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers in no time at all.

About Simply-Hydroponics.com

Simply-Hydroponics.com is a one-stop-shop resource for information on hydroponic gardening, providing affordable products for indoor gardeners of every level of expertise. Started by Charlotte Bradley who, as a resident of Canada, was looking for a way to grow vegetables for her family year-round, the website boasts the latest resources and updated information, making it easy for anyone, anywhere, to start, maintain, and grow the garden of their choice indoors without harmful chemicals.