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What is Coir?

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Hydroponic gardeners use coir as a growing medium in place of soil. In traditional horticulture, coir is used as a substitute for peat moss.

Coir, another name for Coco Peat, is simply the fibers removed from the outer shell of a coconut. As it is 100% natural and biodegradable, it is popular with both organic and hydroponic gardeners. The vast majority of Coco peat comes from Asia, in particular India and Sri Lanka but countries in the Caribbean and Mexico also produce coir.

One of the main reasons that Coco peat is popular amongst gardening enthusiasts is that it is resistant to bacterial and fungal growth. An interesting fact about the Coco peat that comes from Mexico is that it is populated with a beneficial fungus which acts as a biological control against pathological fungi.

Coco peat has several characteristics which make it popular with both the hydroponic and traditional gardener:

  • Retains water and is able to store 8 – 9 times its weight in water.
  • Has a pH of 5.2-6.8 which makes it potentially acidic. Hydroponic gardeners should be careful to adjust pH as required when using Coco peat.
  • Renewable and according to literature can be reused for up to four years.
  • Stores and releases nutrients for extended periods of time.
  • Great oxygenation properties which assist in root development.

Coco peat typically comes in two formats, loose or compressed. The compressed form is more common due to the fact that it is easier to ship and takes up less space. It is typically shipped as bricks which can be broken into smaller pieces and then re-hydrated.

In hydroponic systems, coco peat is typically mixed, at a ratio of 50/50, with pumice or coarse perlite to provide some drainage. This type of medium is recommended for intermediate to advanced hydroponic gardeners due to the fact that the saline effect will vary from one brand of Coco peat to another. During the hydration stage, the runoff should be checked to see how much dissolved solids are being introduced into the system.

What is an Heirloom Seed?

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By: Charlene Rennick

Heirloom plants are named as such because they can literally be passed down from one family member to the next generation in the form of seeds.  The seeds are saved at harvest time, allowed to dry over the winter and re-sown in the spring earth.  Heirloom seeds are unique because they are not the result of commercial engineering or cloning; they are created by a natural process of random pollination. 

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Be Sure to Dilute Nutrient Concentrates Before Mixing Them Together

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I recently went to a local hydroponics store to purchase some
nutrient for my garden. While I was there, I noticed a bottle with
what looked like calcium on the bottom amongst the various nutrient
solutions. I talked to the owner about it and he mentioned that
some of his concentrated nutrient feeds come as two parts and that
they cannot be mixed directly with each other while in concentrated
form. If the concentrates are mixed directly, the nutrients
precipitate out as a solid.

If you are using a nutrient mix that requires two or more parts
(or if you are mixing your own nutrient solution) remember to add
part one to the water reservoir first, ensure it is dissolved and
then add the next part. Don’t mix concentrates together before
diluting – they are packaged separately for a reason!

When to Transplant Seedlings

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A question that often comes up, is when to transfer seedlings into their permanent home, whether it be to a soil-based or to a hydroponic grow system.

This depends on a few things: 1-the type of plant, 2-the container used to start the seed, 3-where you are transplanting to, 4-how much time you wish to spend nurturing growing seedlings.

In their excitement, people sometimes transfer their seedlings as soon as they see a leaf or two. You need to wait until at least the first or second set of true leaves appears. (The very first ones up are not true leaves). Some people advise waiting until the plant is 4-6 inches tall.

If your container is very small or crowded, you will need to move the seedlings sooner. For example, seeds started in an egg carton will quickly outgrow their container.  (This can be a great choice if you plan to transplant outdoors into soil as most roots will push right through the paper variety).

Seedlings need to be monitored and tended in order to ensure that they don’t dry out. As they grow, this is even more imperative as they consume more water.

However, you should be able to see good root development prior to transferring the seedlings. If you do not and you transfer the seedling too early, the root will become saturated and growth will be stunted. A little bit later than sooner is a good rule to use when transferring seedlings. Just make sure to give them regular attention so your efforts aren’t wasted!

Help Ensure Your Plants Absorb the Required Nutrients – Monitor pH Levels

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Why worry about pH levels?
In order to ensure the success of your hydroponics project, it is essential to maintain the pH and nutrient concentrations. Unlike soil based gardening where nutrients are supplied in varying concentrations depending upon the locale (soil type, fertilizer, etc), in hydroponics gardening the nutrients are supplied in a much more controlled way by the gardener.

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Grow Up!

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By: Charlene Rennick

One of the most widely acclaimed advantages of having a hydroponic garden is that it produces a greater volume of crop at harvest.  Hydroponically-based cultivation projects operate all year long, give gardeners an opportunity to start plants way ahead of the outdoor growing season, and can pack more plants into less space.

Recently, another land-saving, space-creating, energy-conserving, hydroponic break-through is the vertical garden.  Growing upwards instead of outwards gets the most use out of your lights and saves on your hydroponic hydro bill.  Vertical cultivation techniques will double the crop yield that normally requires 2-600 watt lights.  This technique is more energy efficient than any other type of light or indoor hydroponic system.

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Charming and Creative Container Choices

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By: Charlene Rennick

What kind of container will best suit your newly rooted plants at a minimum cost to your hydroponic budget for their next step of growth?

If you are still smiling from the money you saved by cloning your plants instead of buying several flats to spread that ground cover from one side of the garden down the entire length of the house, you don’t have to stop.  Take a look around at what you have at your fingertips.  Various items you have lying around yours or your friends’ garage can become inexpensive, charming pots and reservoirs for your seedlings to flourish into a lush and mature plant.

Aquariums that are collecting dust and haven’t seen a fish since your youngest child was 10, wallpaper trays, a sink you replaced but haven’t managed to get to the recycling depot yet, any wide-mouth basin, plastic plumbing pipe or water flow tubes can be useful.   A utility knife can make drainage holes where necessary and some non-toxic silicone can seal any cracks.  A wide flat drill bit can be used make a smooth, round hole for your plant inside a piece of plastic pipe.  As long as it is clean, water-tight and can hold growing media, it can be used to house a hydroponically grown plant.

In a hydroponic system, the nutrient solution is absorbed from the bottom to the top of plant through the opening of capillaries in the roots.  If you are just starting a hydroponic garden and want to experiment without investing a lot of money, try a simple, hand-stirred, self-watering system. There are two ways of designing this.

You can eliminate the need for a growing medium if your plant is light-weight and not top heavy.  Need something to suspend the roots of the plant in the nutrient solution?  You can recycle those plastic rings from six packs of aluminium cans.  This option does not require a growing medium.

If your plant needs the support of a growing medium, (still have those aquarium rocks?), an inner container and an outer one is required.  The inner container holds the plant supported by a growing medium.  It needs a drainage hole and an opening by which the roots can absorb the water.  The nutrient-rich water is contained in the outer tray (you can have several plants in one bigger tray) and the potted plant is placed inside it.  The water flow is controlled by the plant’s roots.  To avoid bacteria growth and water stagnation, you will need to circulate oxygen through the water in the outer tray.  To save on the cost of a pump (is there one from that old aquarium?), you can hand-stir the water daily or blow bubbles through a tube or clean piece of siphon hose to aerate the solution.

Designing your garden should be fun and give you a sense of accomplishment.  You can spend more money when you are ready and know the ropes!

Cloning Your Favourite Plant

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by: Charlene Rennick

You don’t have to be a scientist to make a clone!!  Home cloning; how exciting is that?  Although this process isn’t appropriate for human cloning, it is perfectly acceptable for plants.

Cloning means that the new generation has the same genetic fingerprint as the parent because it was not the result of a new male/female combination of seeds.  You don’t have to know this to perform the procedure, though.  It can be as easy as cutting a shoot from a plant that gave you the best harvest, the nicest colour or the tastiest fruit.   The shoot can be rooted in water or a growing medium.

The air flow, temperature, light strength and humidity levels should be the same as they would for germinating seeds.  In addition, dipping the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone and mixing in a 25 percent nutrient solution to 75 percent water helps to speed up the growth rate.

What Part of the Plant can be Cloned?

The cutting should be 3-5 inches long and taken from the newer shoots.  Cut the shoot just below the second set of leaves, counting the ones at the tip of the shoot.

A clean sharp blade should be used to reduce any possible trauma to the plant.  Place the new shoot immediately into a room temperature solution that is a diluted mixture of nutrients and water.

Sometimes, air bubbles get trapped in the stem and may prevent absorption of the nutrient solution.  To avoid this, hold the cutting under the solution and make a slit at a 45 degree angle to the original cut.

Remove from the solution and dip the cut end into a rooting compound.

It is now ready to be placed in the rooting environment of your choice: a nutrient solution, a Perfect Starts rooting cube or a growing medium.

Good to Know Stuff about Rooting

Shoots than have been rooted in water transplant easily into a hydroponic system; so do shoots that have been germinated in a moist growing medium.  Plants that have been started in a water solution don’t frequently survive the move to a dryer environment.  This is because shoots that develop in a moist area have extra, tiny, hair-like fibres on the roots.  These delicate tendrils get damaged in the transition to a dryer medium.  Shoots that develop roots in a dryer compound don’t have these tiny fingers.  What do you need to remember out of all this?  Wet shoots transplant to wet growing mediums and dry-grown roots can handle the move to a dry environment.  Mixing it up can damage the new roots.

Roots should develop between one and three weeks of time.  For optimum results, try making the move to the final growing place gradual.  Cuttings that are used to a higher humidity level, softer light and more water need a transitional phase and not a shock.  Try a happy medium between the nursery and the environment where strong lights are the real deal.

Take your mark; Get set; Grow!

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by: Charlene Rennick

Getting a head start counts for a lot, especially if it means you can double your annual crop of your favourite harvest.  For many gardeners, the growing season is limited.  This curbs seed selection to varieties which will germinate quickly and increases the expense of planting by adding the cost of purchasing small plants for transplanting during warmer weather.

Hydroponics Extend your Growing Season

Make the best use of your resources!  A light bulb, a shallow tray, some germination cubes and lots of TLC are materials that can fill in the winter months with an uplifting spring-like project.  Germinating seeds indoors is an easy and educational way to entertain the whole family.  Plants can even be pollinated indoors by your child’s hand.  All you need is a gentle touch and a small paint brush with which to carefully stroke each blossom. 

Materials for Indoor Hydroponic Germination

Heat can be trapped by covering a wide, flat growing tray.  Keeping the air humid will provide the warmth and moisture seeds need to germinate indoors and spilt their casing. Once the casing cracks (germinates), the root tendril will extend.   Next, a pair of small leaves develop, followed by a secondary set of leaves.  Oxygen-rich environments facilitate root growth, in fact, they cannot grow without it.  Changing the water often, sprouting seeds on a moist surface rich in oxygen or good air flow will help make germination a sure thing.

Alternative Methods of Germinating Seeds

An inexpensive alternative to a kit is a serving tray lined with paper towelling and covered with plastic wrap.  A light, frequent misting will stimulate germination.  Placing the tray near a sunny window traps heat and removing the plastic wrap during misting will maximize the flow of oxygen.

Perfect Starts is the trade name for cubes made of organic compost.  They keep their shape inside a breathable polymer binder which protects the delicate roots during transplant to the next stage of growth.  A plastic tube can be purchased to house these germinating sponges.  It keeps the roots suspended to maximize the air and water flow around them.

Recipe for Success

  1.  Pre-soak seeds in 1 tbsp of hydrogen peroxide per cup of water and/or pre-moisten the growing medium with it.  
  2. Keep the moving air between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Maintain a 70 to 80 percent environmental humidity ratio.
  4. Use 20 watts of light per square foot until the seeds sprout.
  5. Spray with a fifty percent diluted nutrient solution until germination.
  6. Compost the ‘weak links’ and deformed seedlings.
  7. Move the seedlings to the next stage of growth after the second set of leaves appear.

Getting a head start can be achieved in many ways.  If germinating seeds is not your thing, cloning can produce a genetic match to your favourite plant by rooting a sprout over the winter.

What Kind of Plants can be Grown in a Hydroponic Garden?

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By: Charlene Rennick 

A hydroponic system of gardening is unique because it can be adapted to suit many different kinds of plants.  Outdoor gardens do not have this kind of built-in versatility because the plants have to be able to survive in the kind of climate that nature provides for gardener.  The temperature, air flow, frequency of rain and available hours of sunlight cannot be changed to suit the vegetation. 

Not all outdoor-grown plants need soil.  A lily pad floats on the surface of the water with their roots hanging down below.  In the rainforest, orchids have roots that are suspended in mid-air.  Because the climate is so humid, some plants are able to absorb an adequate water supply from the moisture in the air.  In both these cases, the plant is not supported by its root system in the same way that plants grown in soil are anchored in the earth.  The plants are supported above its root system.  To a certain degree, plants can adapt their growth within the limitations of their natural environment.  When this occurs, the end result is often a living plant with stunted growth.  It may not produce fruit, or the flowers wilt before pollination, roots rot before leaves form or the stem may resemble a vine instead of a trunk.   

While plants do not need soil, not all plants can be grown without it.  Some roots are designed to be grown in the dark ground.  Carrots, potatoes, peanuts, parsnips, edible roots and other tubers need the dark, soft earth in order to produce. 

A hydroponic system mimics and manipulates the elements found in nature.  This benefit increases the range of choices for planning and plotting out the indoor garden.  If the plant needs support at the bottom, a growing media is used instead of soil.  Some plants don’t need support at the bottom, they need it at the top; these can be supported by any number of cuffs or braces.  Vines can be adapted to grow in a hydroponic garden.  Cucumbers, squash, melons, varieties of beans and peas, and many others can be supported vertically instead of on the ground.  We can grow lush blossoms inside that are normally only found in humid, tropical areas and preserve their beauty from disappearing along with their rainforest home.  

To guide you through your decision and to help you plan your hydroponic garden, the bottom line question to answer is; what do you want to grow, and can you mimic the elements inside that the plant uses in its own natural environment?