Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics

353 Pages·2007·54.765 MB·English

by  George F. Van Patten

GARDENING
INDOORS
With Soil &
HYDROPONICS
by George F. Van Patten
Gardening Indoors
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all This book is written for the purpose of supplying
of the wonderful gardeners who helped to make gardening information to the public. It is sold
this book a reality. Many individuals, garden- with the agreement that it does not offer any
center and hydroponic garden-center employees guarantee of plant growth or well-being.
and owners contributed information, photos, Readers of this book are responsible for all plants
and drawings.Thank you all for your assistance in cultivated. You are encouraged to read any and
making Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics all information available about gardening to
the best book possible. develop a complete background on the subjects
so you can adapt this information to your
Special thanks to: Tom Alexander and Growing individual needs. This book should be used as a
Edge Magazine, everybody from The Garden general guide to gardening and not the ultimate
Spout in Willits, CA, and Ross from Hydroponic source.
Garden Center in New York!
The author and Van Patten Publishing have tried
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be to the best of their ability to describe all the most
reproduced without written permission from the current methods to garden successfully indoors.
publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote However, there may be some mistakes in the text
brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a that the author and publisher were unable to
review with appropriate credits, nor may any part detect. This book contains current information
of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
up to the date of publication.
system or transmitted in any form or by any
electronic means, mechanical, photocopying,
Neither publisher nor the author endorse any
recording, or other without written permission
products or brand names that are mentioned
by George F. Van Patten.
or pictured in the text. Products are pictured or
mentioned for illustration only.
Published by Van Patten Publishing
Written by George F. Van Patten
Editors: Linda Meyer, Estella Cervantes
Book Design: Chris Thompson
Artwork: Christopher Valdes, Chris Thompson
Photographs: George F. Van Patten, Christopher
Valdes, Chris Thompson, Patti Thompson, Skip
Stone
Cover Photograph: istockphotos.com/thepalmer
Back Cover Illustrations: Christopher Valdes
Copyright 2008, George F. Van Patten
First Printing
98765432 1
ISBN-10:1-878823-32-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-878823-32-8
Ordering Information
Individual Copies: www.amazon.com
www.amazon.cawww.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.frwww.amazon.jp
www.amazon.de
Wholesale Orders:
Green Air Products (GAP): 1-800-669-2113
Bloomington Wholesale Garden Supply (BWGS):
1-800-316-1306
Hydrofarm: 1-800-634-9990
National Garden Wholesale (NGW):1 -888-478-6544
Introduction
A History of Hydroponics In 1937 gravel cultures were introduced, and
modern hydroponics was on the way to feeding
the nation. Many huge commercial growers
From the earliest writings of man, we find
installed some type or another of a soilless
many references to the plants used for food and
garden bed with irrigation into vast greenhouses.
the cultivation techniques they employed as
Many were also embracing the new "science" of
civilization advanced. Cultivating one's own crops
hydroponics, as it answered a need for increased
was essential to survival.
production, in less area, at a lower cost.
It is not know when a plant was first grown
There was a huge jump in interest for
in a container. But the Bible tells us of King
hydroponics during World War II, when the Air
Nebuchadnezzar, who built the fabulous hanging
Force ordered a hydroponics setup to feed some
gardens of Babylon.
remotely stationed pilots. This was so successful
In the first century A.D., the Romans used panes
that many units in remote areas grew their own
of mica as glass to construct some of the earliest
produce hydroponically during the war. The
greenhouses. Emperors demanded the freshest
public also rallied to hydroponics during World
green vegetables and salads year round. Their
War II, and gardening in general, as they were
slaves grew cucumbers year round in cloches,
urged to grow much of their own food at home.
using early attempts at fertilization treatments.
After the war, interest boomed, as hydroponics
Early "horticulturists" commonly believed that a
answered a need—for food. From island nations
plant needed nothing but water to grow, and that
in the Caribbean to the Indian subcontinent,
the soil merely held the plant upright! This led to
the race was on to build and experiment with
early experiments, such as the willow tree that
hydroponics. Huge successes were reported
grew to a weight of 169 pounds in a tub filled with
worldwide from New Zealand and Australia
200 pounds of soil. When the tree was removed,
to the Netherlands and Europe as growers
all but two ounces of soil was still there.
exploited the technology to grow everything
This led to experiments growing plants in
from ornamental flowers to the food we put on
nothing but water, or various solutions. Sir Francis
our tables.
Bacon described growing plants this way in the
To promote this, the International Working
1620s.
Groupon Soilless Culture held a seriesof meetings
By the 1900s, scientists and others were
worldwide during the late 1960s and the 1970s.
experimenting with plants grown in sand,
More than 100 nations participated, and the use
charcoal, and other support materials, with
of hydroponics expanded worldwide as a result.
solutions soaking the roots.
In 1982, Walt Disney opened the Land Pavilion
In the United States, the rapidly growing
at Epcot Center in Florida, and it features a huge
population demanded lots of food, and the
hydroponics display.
farmers around urban areas were having difficulty
Today, research continues into hydroponics,
supplying all the mouths. Greenhouses started
and the liquid nutrients plants need to grow
sprouting around the major cities, and farmers
this way. As our climate continues to change, it
were looking for alternatives to manure, which
is becoming ever more apparent that we need to
was the major form of fertilizer available at the
shift from a dependence on burning fossil fuels,
time.
and to rethink our present methods of food
W. F. Gericke, from the University of California,
production. You can free yourself from potentially
coined the name "hydroponics" (from the Greek
unsafe foods contaminated with pesticides or
hydros, water, and ponos, labor) in 1936, when
worse, by growing your own clean healthy food
he published a paper describing how to grow
indoors—either in soil or hydroponically.
tomatoes this way. In 1940 he wrote a book called
Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening. ~ Chris Thompson
iii
Gardening Indoors
Transplanting 42
Table of Contents
Transplanting: Step-by-Step 42
Introduction Hardening-off 45
Credits ii Pruning and Bending 48
A History of Hydroponics iii Pruning 48
Table of Contents iv Bending 50
The Internet viii Air Pruning Roots 51
Trade Shows & Expos x Root Pruning 51
Chemical Root Pruning 51
Chapter 1 - Horticulture 1 Stress 52
Introduction 2
Chapter 4 - Flowering 53
Life Cycle of Annual Vegetables and
Flowers 2 Introduction 54
Germination 2 Long-day Plants 54
Seedling Growth 3 Hermaphrodites 59
Vegetative Growth 3 Seed Crops 60
Mother Plants 5 Life Cycle 60
Taking Cuttings 5
Chapter 5-Harvest 63
Flowering 5
Introduction 64
I J B B M M A f f l f l f f l m .. 9 Harvest 64
Introduction 10.
Chapter 6 - Indoor Gardens and
Seeds 10
Greenhouses 67
Germination 12
Water 13 Introduction 68
Temperature 14 Setting Up the Indoor Garden -
Air (oxygen) 14 Step-by-Step 73
Two Popular Germination Techniques Indoor Garden Checklist 74
One: Pre-soaking in Water 14 Greenhouses and Cold Frames 75
Two: Direct Seed 15 Coverings 79
Ordering Seeds 18 Climate Control 80
Storing Seeds 19
Seed Pests 19
Chapter 7 - Light, Lamps & Electricity 85
Seedlings 19
Introduction 86.
Buying Seedlings 22
Light, Spectrum, and Photoperiod 86
Chapter 3 - Vegetative Growth 23 PAR and Light Spectrum 86
^Introduction 24 Measuring Light 87
Cuttings and Taking Cuttings 24 Light Meters 88
Mother Plants 27 Photoperiod 88
Getting Ready 29 Intensity 90
Precautions 30 The Inverse Square Law 91
Rooting Hormones 32 Lamp Spacing 92
Before Taking Cuttings 34 Side Lighting 94
Taking Cuttings: Step-by-Step 34 Rotating Plants : 94
Cuttings from a Flowering Plant 41 Plant Spacing 95
Storing Cuttings 42 Reflective Hoods 98
Introduction
Horizontal Reflective Hoods 99 Soil Temperature 146
Vertical Reflective Hoods 100 Potting Soil 147
Air-cooled Lamp Fixtures 101 Mushroom Compost 148
Water-cooled Lamp Fixtures 101 Soilless Mix 148
No Reflective Hood 101 Cutting and Seedling
Reflective Hood Study 101 Cubes and Mixes 151
Reflective Light 103 Soil Amendments 151
More Free Growing Light 106 Soil Mixes 155
Light Movers 106 Compost 155
Setting up a Light Mover Growing Medium Disposal 157
Step-by-Step 108 Growing Medium Problems 158
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lights 109 Containers 158
HID Ballasts 111 Drainage 162
HID Bulbs 115 Container Shape, Size, and
Metal Halide Systems 116 Maintenance 162
Construction & Operation 117 Green Roots 164
Lumen Mwaintenance and Life 118
M^TWTIWt^W'^WIi 165
Metal Halide Ballasts 118
Metal Halide Bulbs 118 Introduction 166
High Pressure Sodium Systems 118 Water Quality 167
Operation and Construction 121 Hard Water 167
Life and Lumen Maintenance 121 Sodium Chloride 167
HP Sodium Ballasts 121 Osmosis 168
HP Sodium Bulbs 122 Reverse Osmosis 168
Conversion Bulbs 122 Irrigation 170
HP Sodium to Metal Halide 124 Overwatering 171
Metal Halide to HP Sodium 124 Underwatering 171
Mercury Vapor Lamps 124 Drip Systems 173
Fluorescent Lamps 125 Misdiagnosed Disorders 175
Construction and Operation 126 Nutrients 176
Compact Fluorescent Lamps 127 Macronutrients 176
Construction and Operation 129 Nitrogen (N) - mobile 177
Other Lamps 130 Phosphorus (P) - mobile 178
I nca ndescent Lam ps 130 Potassium (K) - mobile 179
LP Sodium Lamps 130 Secondary Nutrients 181
Tungsten Halogen Lamps 131 Magnesium (Mg) - mobile 181.
Electricity & Safety 131 Calcium (Ca) - immobile 182
Electricity Consumption 136 Chelates 183
Generators 137 Sulfur (S) - immobile 184
Timers 138 Micronutrients 185
Setting up the HID System - Zinc (Zn)-mobile 186
Step-by-Step 138 Manganese (Mn) - immobile 186
Iron (Fe) - immobile 187
mm:EMmimm w Boron (B) - immobile 189
Introduction 142 Chlorine (Chloride) (CI) - immobile... 189
pH 143 Cobalt (Co)-immobile 190
Humates Chelate 146 Copper (Cu) - immobile 190
Gardening Indoors
Molybdenum (Mb) - immobile 190 Multiple Bucket Top-feed 221
Silicon (Si) - immobile 191 Top-feed Slabs: 221
Nickel (Ni) 191 Slabs in Individual Trays 222
Sodium (Na) 191 Tables of Slabs 222
Fluoride (F) 191 Individual Blocks 222
Other Elements 191 Vertical Top-feed Systems 222
Fertilizers 191 Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) 223
Chemical Fertilizers 192 Bioponic Culture 224
Organic Fertilizers 193 Aeroponics 227
Organic Teas 195 Growing Mediums 227
Mixing Fertilizers 196 Sterilizing 231
Fertilizer Application 196 pH 233
Foliar Feeding 203 ECJDS, DS, CF, PPM 234
Spreader-Stickers 203 EC Meters 234
Additives 205 Hydroponic Nutrients 237
AbscisicAcid (ABA) 205 Nutrient Solutions 238
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 205 Solution Maintenance 238.
Aspirin 205 Hydro-organic 239
Auxins 206 Nutrient Solution Composition 240
Bacteria 206 Reservoirs 240
B Folic Acid 206 ReservoirTemperature 240
9
Cellulase 206 Irrigation 241
Cytokinins 206 Nutrient Disorders 242
Enzymes 206
Ethylene Gas 207
Chapter 11-Air 245
Flower Saver Plus 207
FulvicAcid 207 Introduction 246
Gibberellins 207 Air Movement 247
HumicAcid 207 Stomata 247
Hydrogen Peroxide 209 Circulation 248
Indole 3 Butyric Acid (IBA) 209 Ventilation 248
Isopentyl Adenine (IPA) 209 Intake Air 252
Rhizobium 210 Temperature 253
Spray-N-Grow 210 Thermostats 255
Sugar 210 Humidity 258
Trichoderma (002/003) 210 Measuring Relative Humidity 258
Zeatin 210 C02 Enrichment 260
Measuring C0 262
2
Chapter 10 - Hydroponic Gardening 211 Producing C0 262
2
Introduction 212 C02 Emitter Systems 263
Hydroponic Systems 212 C02 Generator Systems 265
Ebb and Flow Gardens 214 Other Ways to MakeC02 268
Build Your Own Ebb & Flow System 215 Compost and Organic
Air Tables 217 Growing Mediums 268
Deep Water Culture (DWC) 219 Fermentation : 268
Top-feed Systems 219 Dry Ice 269
Top-feed Buckets 220 Baking Soda and Vinegar 270
Introduction
Negative Ion Generators 270
Ozone Generators 271 Bees & Wasps 301
Ozone Damage 272 Beetle Borers 301
Activated Carbon Filters 273 Caterpillars and Loopers 302
Setting Up the Vent Fan - Step-by-Step ...274 Leafhoppers 302
Leaf Miners 303
MlWlkBiMil.MiM1 277 Fungus Gnats 303
Introdurtion 278 Mealybugs and Scale 304
Prevention 278 Nematodes 305
Control 279 Root Maggot 306
Insect Control 282 Slugs and Snails 306
Sprays and Traps, Chemical Fungicides, Thrips 307
Insecticides, and Miticides 282 Whiteflies 308
Spreader-Sticker for Pesticides 282 Fungi and Diseases 308
Abamectin 282 Prevention 309
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Control 310
and other Bacillus species 283 Gray Mold (Botrytis) 310
Baking Soda 283 Damping-off. 311
Bleach, laundry 284 Downy Mildew 314
Bordeaux mixture 284 Blight 314
Boric acid 284 Foliar Spots and Fungi 315
Bug Bombs 284 Fusarium\N\\t 315
Copper 285 Green Algae 316
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) 285 Powdery Mildew 316
Homemade Pest Root Rot 317
and Disease Sprays 285 Pythium Wilt/Rot 317
Neem 287 Sooty Mold 317
Neem Oil 288 VerticiIlium Wilt 317
Nicotine and Tobacco Sprays 288 Viruses 318
Oil, horticultural 289 Tomato Problem Images 320
Pyrethrum 290 Spraying 322
Synthetic Pyrethroids 291
Quassia 291 Chapter 13 - Plant Selection Guide 323
Rotenone 291 Ornamentals 323
Ryania 292 Orchids 329
Sabadilla 292 Vegetables 330
Seaweed 292
Soap, insecticidal 293 Appendix 340.
Sulfur 293
Conversion Charts and Tables 340
Traps 293
Calculations for Metric Users 341
Water 294
Glossary 343
Biological Controls
Predators and Parasites 295 ML 349
Spider Mites and Insects 297 Advertising 355
Spider Mites 297
Aphids 300
Gardening Indoors
The Internet
FREE Gardening and horticulture infor-
mation!
Information and the velocity at which it
travels is the most important innovation in
gardening and horticulture during the last
five years.
The Internet allows millions of indoor and
outdoor gardening enthusiasts all over
the world to share information. Gardeners
can ask and answer questions online and
download information about nurturing
vegetables and flowers indoors and out.
Here are some of my favorite websites:
www.maximumyield.com
www.growingedge.com www.hydromerchants.com
www.hydroponics.com/au www.carbon.org
VIII
Introduction
www.generalhydroponics.comwww.hvdrofarm.com
www.everybodysgardencenter.comwww.hydroasis.com
Gardening Indoors
BC Home & Garden Show - BC Place Stadium,
Vancouver, BC
Bloom 'n Garden Expo - Nashville, TN
Boise Garden & Flower Show - Boise, ID
Canada Blooms - Ottowa, Canada
Chelsea Flower Show - London, UK
Chicago Flower & Garden Show - Chicago, IL
Cincinatti Flower Show - Lake Como, OH
Epcot's International Flower & Garden
Festival - Walt Disney World, FL
Floriade Australia - Canberra, Australia
Floriade Holland - (every ten years, next date
2012 in Venlo, NL)
0 M @ 3 S B 0E
Flower & Garden Show of New Jersey -
talk Edison, NJ
Melbourne International Flower & Garden
www.sunlightsupply.com
Show - Melbourne, Australia
N i Northwest Flower & Garden Show - Seattle's
Washington State Convention Center
Philadelphia Flower Show - Pennsylvania
Convention Center
Portland Home & Garden Show - Portland,
OR, Expo Center
San Francisco Flower & Garden Show - San
Francisco's Cow Palace
Southeastern Flower Show - Georgia World
Congress Center
Southern California Home & Garden Show
- Anaheim Convention Center
US Botanical Gardens - Washington, DC
(year-round displays)
Virginia Flower & Garden Show - Virginia
www.wikipedia.com
Beach,VA
Wichita Garden Show - Wichita, KS
Trade Shows and Expos
The Internet is a vast resource of information
Another source of information for gardeners about Garden Shows and Expositions being
are the many trade shows, fairs, and held worldwide. Go to your favorite search
expositions that are held around the country engine and look for shows nearby that you can
and around the world. Here is a short list of attend.
some of the more interesting shows to attend. Worldwide, there are thousands of these
shows where you can see the equipment and
(In alphabetical order) supplies you will need. Often you can buy
Augusta Home & Garden Show - Augusta these products at the show itself, and take
Civic Center them home with you that day. The other main
Austin Home & Garden Show(s) - Austin advantage of attending these shows is the
Convention Center (Spring & Fall) ability to talk to the experts about your specific
Bahrain Garden Show - Manama, Bahrain gardening needs or problems.