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Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics PDF

353 Pages·2007·54.765 MB·English
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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.

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