Dec 11, Hydroponics Lighting

To achieve the best lighting results, hydroponics lighting sometimes uses a combination of 2 or more varieties. If for some reasons, natural sunlight is utilized in hydroponic gardening, the grow lights are still used to supplement the natural light.

However, if the source of illumination is solely grow lights, the system must be installed properly.

In setting up the hydroponic lighting system, the farmer or cultivator should be knowledgeable about the color temperature of lights. The color spectrum of the bulb is indicative of its temperature.

The warmest hue is red to orange light with 2000 Kelvin degrees and the coolest hue is blue with 6000 Kelvin degrees.

Between these two colors, the blue light is considered to be the closest to resemble the normal sunlight and which is the best for full-vegetation plants. The warmer color temperature is best for fruit or flowering plants.

During the flowering or reproduction phase, the plants draw light from the red-orange spectrum. To attain the most favorable lighting installation, the lighting should cover the range between red-orange and blue.

There are many types of grow lights used to mirror or supplement the sunlight. The most common type is the Metal Halide bulb, a High-Intensity Discharge or HID grow lights that leans toward the blue hue of the spectrum, resembling direct sunlight.

It is also the most preferred lighting for all growing situations and the best for leafy and full-vegetation cultivation.

More powerful than fluorescent, the Halide lights are ideal for larger or mature plants. Its light is no unpleasant to the human eyes, thus, they are common whenever there are plant exhibits.

However, the Halide lights are not ideal for flowering or fruit production stage of edible or ornamental plants.

Sodium lights, with warm orange color are popular for flowering or fruit production phase of plants. The high pressure sodium bulb is also HID with 2200K color temperature.

Nevertheless, sodium lights are not efficient as an artificial lighting hence too they should be used in combination with natural sunlight or other grow lights.

The fluorescent lighting is the third alternative. They are less expensive and emit less heat. Therefore, they can be positioned closer to the plants.

Other choices of hydroponics lightings are incandescent lights and LED lights.

No matter the choice for hydroponics lighting, the significant consideration is the impact it has on the plants. Also, the environmental conditions could somehow impact and influence the effect of lighting systems.

Similar Posts

Hydroponics Gardening

Hydroponics Nutrients

Indoor Hydroponics Systems

_________________________________________________________________

Top of Hydroponics Lighting

Listed under Hydroponics Gardening

View the original article here

Dec 11, Hydroponic Greenhouse

Integrating greenhouses in any gardening is thought to improve your harvest. Hydroponic greenhouse, or the undertaking that uses a greenhouse in hydroponics, will reap you more benefits than traditional methods.

When you decide you want a greenhouse, you can expect your harvest to be 3 times larger compared to traditional growing systems using the same sized space. It is easier to maintain the desirable conditions of gardening when a greenhouse is used. The ventilation, temperature, and lighting requirements are easy to regulate, for example.

Moreover, there shall be more space to set up the watering and lighting system necessary in hydroponics.

In greenhouses, these systems can be positioned exactly where they should be which is really important in hydroponics gardening as the water and light requirements are more crucial than in conventional gardening.

The lighting system benefits more when greenhouses are available. In turn, the plants have higher chances of survival and their production yields are improved as the needed light is met.

Nevertheless, it is significant to note that too much light can harm your plants even those cultivate hydroponically.

To make natural sunlight efficient in the presence of a greenhouse, the daylight is diffused and filtered. One way to do this is by using blinds and shutters. This regulates lighting level and the angles of sunlight can be adjusted in favor of the plants.

It will also result to less consumption of energy as the need to run lights is less frequent.

During colder temperature, plants grown hydroponically with greenhouses can thrive well as the greenhouse can maintain the favorable temperature without the need for heaters.

In areas where the temperatures are normally cold, yet, the sun is visible, hydroponic greenhouse kits proves particularly beneficial.

There are also greenhouse kits that come in different installation processes. These kits have water tank with pump, plant holder, liquid plant nutrients, and seeds.

Beginners may do well in choosing plants easier to maintain. The hydroponic system too should be decently small. This includes the lettuce and spinach.

Mostly for beginners, learning the right combination of water and liquid fertilizer and determining the proper water level is accomplished in the first stage of hydroponics gardening.

As skills are acquired, the gardener may move on to cultivating taller and more complex crops such as tomatoes and peppers. Also, consideration of more elaborate heating and ventilation system, plumbing, and temperature control should be done thoroughly.

Similar Posts

Gardening Plants for Hydroponics

Hydroponics Nutrients

Hydroponics Lighting

_________________________________________________________________

Top of Hydroponic Greenhouse

Listed under Hydroponics Gardening

View the original article here

Dec 12, The Abelia Has Graceful Arching Branches With Beautiful White f

Abelia is a famous shrub that grows from 1 to 6 feet tall. Native to eastern Asia such as Japan West to Himalaya and Southern part of North Mexico, they are a genus with 30 species and hybrids in honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae.

During summer or early fall, the shrub blooms small bell-shaped flowers in clusters at ends of branches or among its leaves. One indication that flowers are about to blossom are the presence of butterflies particularly tiger swallowtail feasting on the plant.

Bees and butterflies just love the fragrance of the white to pink flowers, which last for several weeks. The shrub is prided with glossy dark green leaves which turn purplish bronze to red in autumn.

They cover the graceful and arching branches of the shrubs. If the flowers have five lobes, the leaves, which extend to one and a half inches long, have three verticils.

With its showy display of blooms are splendid in covering the ground, that even when the petals drop, the shrubs are still a beauty with their copper sepals that color the surroundings during fall. Caring for the plant is not difficult. It prefers selective pruning, and shies away when sheared.

Many garden experts recommend trimming more stems to the ground in winter or early spring for more open and arching shrub growth. Adaptable plants they are; they prove their worth as borders, visual barriers, near-house walls, and space dividers.

A lover of heat, the plant grows best when it is situated between light shade and full sun exposure. To avoid getting dry, watering regularly is advised; however, one must be careful not to over water it. In spring, propagation can be done through leaf cuttings, herbaceous stem cutting, and woody stem cuttings.

Of the many species that belong to such genus, 7 garnered the highest popularity.

They are Abelia x grandiflora, Edward Goucher, Kaleidoscope, Little Richard, Prostrata, Sunrise and Sherwood. Abelia x grandiflora is a cross between two Chinese species.

It is the most famous of the Abelias with its 8 feet maximum growth and 5 feet maximum width. It may lose its leaves when temperature drops at 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although it freezes to the ground at zero degrees Fahrenheit, the shrub recovers to bloom the same year to grace the borders.

Edward Goucher is lacier, more compact and less hardy. Its maximum growth is 3 feet and bears tiny lilac pink flowers with orange throats.

Kaleidoscope can grow between 2 and 3 feet and can be as wide as 5 feet. Its leaves are stunningly yellow while its flowers are pure white.

Little Richard is a dwarf species at 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Its shimmering dark green leaves survive longer in cold winters. It too has scented white blooms. The Prostrata variety is low grower at 1 feet, making it excellent as groundcover, foreground shrub and bank planting.

Sunrise variety boasts of bronzy green leaves that turn red and purple in fall. It grows up to 6 feet tall and wide. Sherwood ?sherwoodii? are proud to display their lavender flowers. They tower over other shrubs at 6 feet tall and wide.

Similar Posts

Angel Trumpet

Blue Plumbago Plant

Hibiscus Plant

________________________________________________________________

Top of Abelia Page

Listed under Landscape Plants

Source of photo:

View the original article here

Dec 15, Hydroponic Growing

The concept of hydroponics may sound new to some. In reality, however, it is not. Hydroponic growing first appeared in Egypt. Archaeology findings reveal that hydroponics was used by Aztecs, ancient Chinese, and Babylon.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using artificial lights to mimic the natural sunlight and nutrient solution.

Optionally, enthusiasts may also use growing mediums such as wood fiber, brick shards, gravel, sand, diahydro, expanded clay, rock wool, coir, perlite, polystyrene packing peanuts, and vermiculite.

The most common medium used is water and the oldest system was deep water culture. Today, there are several hydroponic systems used including ebb and flow, aeroponics, and nutrient film technique.

In the last century and after hundreds of experiments later, scientists discovered that hydroponics has a lot advantages.

In some areas where agriculture is plagued with poor performance mainly due to low quality of agricultural land, hydroponic growing is a huge advantage as it could supply the crop demands of the locals. Some regions cultivate vegetables hydroponically to supply to the tourists.

Even in urbanized countries where a few space is left, growing fresh vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruits is never a problem with soil-less gardening. One good example happened in 1970s when scientists introduced hydroponic growing to farmers and home gardeners.

The locals were able to produce plenty of edible vegetables despite not having arable land. Such incidence provides precedence that global hunger can be cured efficiently through hydroponics.

Among others, cultivating plants hydroponically makes the perfect alternative to farming as the whole concept is devoid of laborious routine common in ground-based gardening.

It can be installed indoors, is not bombarded with fungal and disease infestation, does not require watering because the water is recycled, and soil erosion is not a problem.

At the present, hydroponic growing is available to everyone. Hobbyists and professional hydroponic gardener benefit well from such approach. Engaging in this method of gardening is not difficult to handle.

The basic equipment includes grow lights, growing medium which is optional, and nutrient solution.

Many believe that agricultural produce is greater in hydroponics because plant absorb the nutrients better from the solution than from soil.

Finally, nearly all types of plants can be cultivated in hydroponic systems. Gardeners successfully grow artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, beans, Brussels sprouts, beets, cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, leeks, eggplants, celery, onions, yams, spinach, lettuce, peas, parsnips, and squash.

Fruits such as melons, raspberries, strawberries, radishes, and tomatoes are also grown. And so do most flowers and most herbs.

Similar Posts

Hydroponics Lighting

Hydroponic Greenhouse

Gardening Plants For Hydroponics

_________________________________________________________________

Top of Hydroponic Growing

Listed under Hydroponics Gardening

View the original article here

Dec 13, what is this plant species? what is its name?

by Anton John Vincent Frias
(Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines)

I have bought this cactus. The seller told me that it was called rose cactus plant. But, I have kept researching the cyberspace and yet, no matches. I need to research on the ways of its care and primarily the name. It is said to be a rose cactus for its rose shaped built.

View the original article here

Dec 13, Air plants

Air plants or Tillandsia are a type of Epiphytes, which means they do not need soil to grow. They still need a platform in which to start growing, and although the plant requires a host to grow, it is not like a parasite.

With air plants nutrients are collected from particles in the air and from moisture and dirt.

ROOTS are only grown and developed as a means of attachment and may also support the option of moisture collection.

Some plants also support wild life, mainly water-based such that they could live in collection areas of the plants' roots.

The plants can be found mostly in the tropical forests of South America and spread across several other not climates like and mountains in the Southern hemisphere.

Household grown air plants can add to the decorative elements of a room. However, these are not everyday plants you see everywhere in a city.

Like other plants light is another value in the life span of any plant, the light of which could be the sun or fluorescent lights as well.

Tillandsia loves direct light, but one should be careful not to leave it out too long to avoid burning.

This is especially critical during the summer months. A good fluorescent light source is a safer alternative for the summer season.

These soil-less plants require a greater intake of water compared to other plants; more so in hotter, dryer environments than cooler ones, and especially if they are used outside in gardens and the like.

Do not confuse the requirements with that of a sponge, because the plants cannot survive in deeper waters.

As stated previously, these plants are quite different when compared to most other house plants. To understand more about them, you should do research and find as much information as possible on how to raise these types of plants.

Once you?ve gotten down the basics of how they work and live, they start becoming more of a prize and are much easier to manage.

Because these plants are epiphytes, they can grow anywhere. This is a great advantage for the plant and the owner.

All you need is a place to support the plant, a shoe, a rock, a shell, or hanging mounts.

One of the more wonderful things about kinds of plants is their changing of color and beautiful blooms. As a result, they are collected in groups and often displayed as assortments or given as gifts.

Similar Posts

Carnivorous Plants

Insect Eating Plants

Cobra Lilly is also known as the California pitcher plant

_________________________________________________________________

Top of Air Plants

Listed under Exotic Plants

View the original article here

Dec 17, Annual plants

Annual Plants:

One of the things that can determine a Annuals Success or failure is the preparation of the soil. The four considerations for soil preparation are removing the vegetation, the degree of organic matter, pH level, and tilth.

Removing the vegetation is essentially removing the weeds that can cause harm. If plants have to compete with weeds for soil, light, and water, this can either make it fail to thrive or thrive less successfully than they otherwise would have.

Some forms of herbicide can be used prior to tilling the soil in order to rid the ground of competing vegetation.

Additionally, all plants do benefit from the addition of organic matter into the soil, these plants are not an exception to this rule.

The organic mixture can vary and can include such items as leaves and compost, but can also include manure or peat. In order to get the best results, 3-4 inches of organic matter should be placed on top of the 6-8 inches of soil.

A final consideration is the tilth level. This simply refers to the degree of wetness that a soil has and is typically decided by the time of planting.

The soil Home cannot be wet enough to clump, nor should it be too dry.

Ideally, the soil should be wet enough to break a clump full by using your thumb. If the soil doesn?t break easily, the soil isn?t appropriate for planting.

Summarily, it is very important to have adequate soil preparation. Skipping this step will set your annual plants up for failure before you have even planted them.

Many people plant their Annual Plants in the warmer months.

However, it is quite possible to grow annuals in the fall months, as well, even if you do not live in a perpetually warmer climate.

Bachelor?s buttons, pot marigold, nasturtium, petunia, and pansies will grow extremely well in the cooler climates.

Bachelor?s buttons, or cone flower annuals actually does the best growing in the fall. Though many plant the flower in the spring with the other annuals, they blossom and come to life more actively with the autumn weather. Additionally, they are easy to grow and reseed easily.

Pot Marigold, or calendula, can be easily identified because of the bright gold and rust colors these plants sport. They also excel in the fall.

Unlike most other plants, pot marigolds will also survive a light frost. Self-seeding is not a problem for this plant, and will likely bloom not only in the fall, but in the spring, as well.

Though you have to resort to direct seeding for nasturtiums, they will be well worth the effort. They have a great growing cycle. They bloom throughout the summer and will bloom in the fall as well. They do particularly well in the cool air of autumn.

Annuals nasturtiums, petunias do their best blooming during the cooler seasons, even though they begin blooming in the summer. The Wave petunias are the best bet if you do not like the practice of deadheading.

If you like deadheading, however, the practice can pay off when dealing with viola and pansy. Planted in the spring, the viola and pansy come up easily and quickly, but will stay around for the fall if you prune them correctly.

New buds will crop up long into the fall. Some of the newest types of violas and pansies can even survive a frost or light freeze.

Annual plants can and should be grown in the cooler months as well as the warm spring months. This gives your garden a more festive look for a longer period of time, and helps add diversity to your garden.

Similar Posts

Begonia Plant

Azalea Plants

Gardening Plants

_________________________________________________________________

Top of Annual Plants

Listed under Landscape Plants

View the original article here