Hydro-Organics and the Endless Summer

It's that time of year when the leafless vines of your frostbitten tomato plants cast ever-lengthening shadows. The sweet garden flavors and bright flowers of summer are long gone. But don't play the blues just yet -- bring the bounty of the growing season indoors and enjoy fresh produce the year around.

The investment need not be huge. In fact, you don't need a greenhouse; a corner of the basement or even a large closet can be converted cheaply and easily into an effective "grow room" that provides a supply of vegetables right through the cold months.

I'm speaking, of course, about gardening hydroponically--a method that has, by and large, been the realm of chemical farmers and commercial growers until recently. But now, with available mail-order high intensity discharge (HID) lighting and the introduction of Earth Juice liquid organic fertilizers, gardeners and commercial growers can grow with hydroponics and organics (hydro-organics) even in winter.

These gardening techniques are new alternatives to raising plants by sustainable means. They also provide opportunities for people to get back into small scale farming by opening untapped areas of the produce market that is not only off-season but organic as well.

Hydroponics 101

"Hydroponic" means growing plants without soil. Such growing systems are based on an inert medium that contains more air than even the best nurtured soils. Liquid in the form of a nutrient solution comes in contact with the roots in the medium and drains quickly, leaving a supply of fresh air as it drains. This presence of air encourages nutrient assimilation.

The growing medium includes perlite, vermiculite, rock wool and geolite (a porous, expanded clay pellet). Some systems use no medium at all--the roots are suspended in an enclosed chamber and are simply misted with liquid nutrients.

Hydroponic systems are classified as either circulating or noncirculating. The circulating systems have a pump and reservoir that deliver the liquid nutrient and collect the runoff for redistribution. The noncirculating type uses capillary action or wicking up of nutrients from a reservoir below.

The benefits of hydroponics go beyond the lengthening growing season. Because nutrients and water are delivered to the plants, more of the plants' energy is spent in the vegetative and flowering process, and competition between roots is eliminated, so the plants can be spaced closely together. This is good news to the hobbyist with limited space and to the commercial grower who needs a competitive edge, and the advantages are not minor: a comparison of per-acre yields show increases of 420 percent to 1,800 percent with certain crops when hydroponics replaced conventional soil-based growing.

Then too, with the hydroponic method, there are no deer or gopher problems, no soilborne fungi, no nematodes, no crop rotation and perhaps best of all, no weeding.

Even water is used very efficiently. In many soils, water often percolates below the root zone and out of the plants' reach or is lost to evaporation. That risk doesn't exist in a hydroponic system, which recirculates the same water (except for what's added to top off the supply, if necessary) for a period of two weeks or so, when the solution is changed to replenish the nutrient supply.

Finally, from an organic market standpoint, hydroponic growing eliminates the up-to-three-year waiting period required for soils to be certified. This transition period allows time for chemical residual to break down, but it also decreases the incentive for certified-organic agriculture, because of the loss of premium market value during the time span. A hydro-organic operation can be up and running in a matter of weeks, in any latitude, and in locations close to a market rather than 1,300 miles away-- which is the average distance a head of broccoli, for example, now travels before it's consumed.

Earth Juice

Earth Juice is a complex and complete plant diet for use in soil and the sterile medium of hydroponics. There are unique features which make it the only nutrient used by registered organic hydroponic growers. Earth Juice is not a borderline organic. There are no hidden NPK boosting synthetics such as calcium nitrate, urea, potassium nitrate, muriate of potash or the commonly used chemically derived phosphoric acid. Earth Juice contains no artificial additives, colors, vitamins or minerals, nor does it add chlorine or use formaldehyde.

Earth Juice is made from seabird and bat guano, kelp, feather meal, natural sulfate of potash, and other nutrients which are carefully blended in a live bio-active enzyme base to make the grow, bloom and catalyst formula.

Without going into chemical explanation, it's safe to say that enzymes are voracious digestors that accelerate the breakdown of nutrient molecules making them easier for plants to assimilate. The result is that plants growing in such bio-actively rich mediums can use their energy growing, flowering and fruiting rather than searching and working to absorb food.

HID Lights and Light Movers

Any plant from redwood trees to fruits and vegetables can be grown indoors every day of the year, providing there is adequate light. And high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting has become the standard for success with indoor growing.

These lights work by passing electricity through vaporized gas under very high pressure. They're extremely efficient, producing more lumens per watt--nearly eight times more--than any other type of bulb. They also offer the best spectrum of light for plant growth.

The two major types of HID bulbs are metal halide and high-pressure sodium. The first--considered an all-purpose bulb because it can be used in all stages of plant growth--produces light in the yellowish white end of the spectrum. The standard growing lights produce stocky, bushier plants, because they closely replicate natural sunlight in color tone, though they're not as bright.

High-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs, on the other hand, produce light in the far orange-red end of the spectrum. This is ideal during the plant's flowering stage, when it triggers flowering hormones and encourages stem elongation, eventually producing greater yields. High-pressure sodium bulbs last about twice as long as the metal halides, though they're both about the same price.

High-intensity discharge lights come in wattages from 175 to 1,000. The 175 watt covers a 2'x2' area; the 250 a 3'x3' space; the 400 offers 5'x5' coverage, and the 1,000 watt a full 100 square feet. All these figures are for mature plants, so if there is supplemental lighting from a greenhouse or if the plants are seedlings or cuttings, you can count on an additional 15 to 20 percent coverage, because the light needs aren't as great.

Keep the lights 4' to 5' away from smaller plants to avoid heat damage.

For seedlings, another type of bulb, the cooler full-spectrum fluorescent is an ideal choice, but its lower lumen level won't carry the plants beyond their adolescence.

Light movers--automated mechanisms that work on a track or hub and convey the bulbs over a given area-- spread the light energy evenly among the plants to prevent uneven growth. They also allow the bulb to be brought closer to the leaves without scorching them. Most movers draw only 10 watts or so of electricity, so they can be an effective way to distribute light and still keep energy cost down.

Although artificial light can be used 24 hours a day, most growers agree that a plant can't absorb much more light after about 18 hours. Even at that, the plants are getting more light than during the summer solstice, without interruptions from clouds or frost. This increases the life cycle... and, ultimately, the frequency of harvest.

Greenhouse or Grow Room?

Nothing but the weather stands in the way of your using a hydro-organic system outdoors. Yet that obstacle can be very imposing come about November, so a greenhouse has a certain appeal through the winter months.

If that's not an option--or if a leap into that kind of investment would preclude hydroponics altogether-- then you might want to consider setting up a simple grow room in an available space within your home.

An attic, spare bedroom, sunporch, or walk-in closet can be converted even on a limited budget. A space with an openable window and electrical outlets is ideal. You'll first need to remove furniture, draperies, and any decor prone to harboring mold spores. A hard floor of wood, linoleum, tile or concrete is preferred, but if there's carpeting, or a surface you need to protect from spills, I'd advise covering it and the lower sections of wall with a sheet of 6 or 10-mil white polyethylene tarp, which has the added benefit of reflecting light back towards the plants.

In this artificial environment, you'll need to include two pieces of equipment to make the project functional: a light bar and an oscillating fan. Because these items are heavy, it's best to mount them to something

substantial, such as a 2x4 secured to the ceiling with No. 10 x 3" drywall screws. Three-inch L brackets placed beneath the lumber and fastened into the wall at each end will make the support more solid. Of course, it's important that you accurately locate the framing joists in the ceiling and the studs in the wall, and tie directly into them for support.

The height of the light bar depends upon the intensity of the lights, the height of the growing system from the floor and the needs of your plants. But since most ceilings are 90" or a full 8', you can get by with the mounting method I've just described.

If you don't want to dedicate a room to full-time growing, or if you'd prefer not to mar the walls and ceilings with conspicuous screw holes, consider the freestanding supports that I built for wintertime use, then dismantle and store during warmer months.

Each one is made of an upright 4x4 leg cut 3" shorter than my ceiling height. At the bottom I used two 16" 2x4s with the ends cut at a 45 degree angle so I could place them perpendicular to the lower end of the leg, fastened with No. 10x3" screws, three to a brace. If the holes are predrilled with a long 1/8" bit the joints are very secure.

My structure consists of three upright legs with connecting 2x4 crossbeams at the top for light and fan mounting. The crossbeams are secured to the top of each leg with L brackets and No. 8x1" screws that can be attached and removed from below. Heavier lights or long spans may require that you turn the crossbeams on edge and mount them to the sides of the legs with preformed metal joist-hanger brackets used in home construction.

To firm up the completed structure, I fastened some 3/16" x2" screw eyes into the walls near the top of the uprights. In most buildings, you should be able to locate solid frame members within an inch or two of an inside corner or ceiling joint.

To attach the uprights, I passed a length of heavy gauge wire through the screw eyes and around the upright members, then twisted the wire to tighten the assembly in place. For a sturdier support, I suppose you could use open eye hooks on the walls and uprights and connect them with turnbuckles.

On my setup, I incorporated the third leg so I could mount an oscillating fan. To stabilize it, I connected the top, using L brackets and T plates, to a crossbeam joined to the center of the beam supporting the light bar. Your arrangement might be better suited to a structure with two or four legs.

Ventilation can present a problem for indoor gardeners, since living spaces discourage it with tight construction. Plants, on the other hand, need ventilation to exchange [CO.sub.2]-depleted air and reduce heat and humidity. I couldn't just knock a hole in the wall to install an exhaust fan, so I replaced a window screen with a piece of 1/2" plywood cut to the same dimensions, then bolted the fan over a hole cut in the center of this insert. Even a small bathroom wall or ceiling fan with an airflow of less than 100 cubic feet per minute can be effective in drawing air through door and window jambs and sending it outside.

Building Your Own Low-Cost System

The hydro-organic growing system I use both indoors and out is inexpensive, easy to set up, and is built of mostly recycled materials. Because it's noncirculating and gravity-fed, it uses no electricity, so it can be set up in the warmer months on a rooftop or balcony or in a driveway or backyard.

The heart of my system is a 5-gallon plastic bucket--the kind commonly found in restaurant kitchens where pickle chips, spicy peppers, and sour cream are daily fare. Each 5-gallon bucket serves as an individual grow unit and retains the nutrient solution.

A smaller 3-1/2 gallon plastic bucket fits inside the larger one. This inner tub contains the growing medium, which in my case is a mixture of 10 percent peat moss and 90 percent perlite. The lowest part of the growing medium is submerged 1/4" to 1/2" into the nutrient solution so the medium can act as a wick, drawing up the solution as the plants need it.

I use a manifold made of 1/2" hose to connect multiple grow units. These units, in turn, are connected to a 30 to 50 gallon nutrient solution reservoir made from a plastic barrel or trash can. A float valve from an evaporative cooler (or from a toilet tank) controls the solution level in the grow units, and I've installed an inexpensive shutoff valve in the 1/2" line between the reservoir and the float valve to stop the flow during cleaning or checking periods.

To make a grow unit, try to find a 3-1/2 gallon bucket with the same diameter as the 5 gallon container. That might not be as easy as it sounds, so you'll probably have to cut the inner tub from an extra 5 gallon bucket after removing the metal handle.

To do so, use a jigsaw to trim the 4-1/2" ribbed band off the top of the plastic container, then turn the band upside down and place it over what's left of the bucket you just cut. Lower the band over the shortened bucket until the smooth top edge (now facing downward) is 8-1/2" from the bottom of the short bucket. Secure the band to the tub at this point by drilling four evenly spaced 1/16" holes through the plastic and threading in four No. 6x3/ 8" sheet-metal screws.

With this done, drill a series of 5/ 32" holes about 3/4" apart through the bottom of the bucket. Then use a handsaw to cut 1-1/2" kerfs into the lower corners in four places, each pair opposite the other.

Next, drill a 13/16" hole through the side of an uncut bucket, 1" from the bottom. Press a 1/2" inner dimension rubber bushing snugly into the hole, then slip a 1/2" barbed PVC T-fitting into the bushing. (On the end grow units, you would substitute a 1/2" barbed elbow for the T.) A little vegetable oil wiped over the fitting will help slide it into place. The tight fit seems to eliminate leakage, even without caulking.

Now you can assemble a float valve unit, using another 3-1/2 or 5 gallon bucket. This is merely a container used to house the float valve itself. Make it by drilling a 13/16" hole 1" from the bottom and installing a bushing and T-fitting as before. Then, drill a 1/2" hole 8" from the bottom of the container. Slip the inlet of the float valve through this hole so the float assembly is inside the bucket. Secure it by clamping a length of 1/2" vinyl hose to the fitting, firmly against the bucket wall; no bushing is required. Cover the bucket with a lid once the system is in operation.

The nutrient solution reservoir is a large drum or barrel set 1' or more above the level of the smaller buckets. Drill a 13/16" hole right near the bottom edge of the reservoir, install a rubber bushing and a 1/2" barbed PVC fitting into this opening. I cover this reservoir too, with a lid to keep insects out of the solution.

Place each grow unit several inches apart from the next. Containers for trellis-vining plants can be more tightly arranged than those for bushier varieties. The assembled grow units and the float valve unit should be set on a level plank, extended up to 15', and the reservoir mounted above them on a strong and solid surface (a full barrel can weigh 400 pounds!). All the fittings are then connected with 1/2" vinyl hose; they can be clamped later if they show signs of leakage. You'll also probably have to adjust the float valve setting to keep the solution level just above the bottom of the grow units' inner buckets.

Setting Up

Fill each inner grow-unit bucket up to 1-1/2" from the top with the 1:9 pear-perlite mix. Wet down the perlite before working with it, and pack down the mixed medium tightly in each bucket. The peat moss breaks down into humus and harbors active microbes. It also helps balance the pH of the nutrient solution, which can withhold its nutrients if the pH is allowed to extend beyond a 5.4 to 6.8 range.

You can start your seeds directly in the moistened medium, placing them a little deeper than you would plant in soil. It's a good idea to put a clear plastic bag over each bucket to retain humidity. I moisten my seedbeds with Earth Juice catalyst because it works on the seed coat to promote faster germination.

I have also transplanted seedlings started in 1-1/2" rock wool cubes and have transplanted them directly from soil into this system outdoors. With tomatoes, for example, I soak the root ball of previously containered seedlings for about five minutes in a luke-warm solution of one tablespoon vegetative fertilizer formula to a gallon of water. I let most of the soil fall off. Then I just plant them inside grow units, packing the medium around the roots. Left under partial shade for a week, the plants showed no signs of shock.

The formula ratios for your nutrient solution will vary according to plant species, the growing cycle, and the environment you create, but I'll pass along the recipe I've had success with.

If your local water is chlorinated, I'd strongly recommend letting it sit overnight in an open reservoir to let the chlorine dissipate, otherwise it could kill the enzyme base in the organic solution.

I mix one tablespoon of Earth Juice Grow Formula per gallon of water to start. As the plants reach 3" to 4" in height, I double that amount. Then, as they begin to flower, I add 1-1/2 tablespoons of the Earth Juice Bloom Flowering Mix per gallon to the 2 tablespoons of growing mix already there.

This all-purpose method has worked well with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and eggplant and probably will with many other plants.

A variety of vegetables can be grown in one system, by the way, but you can tailor the nutrients more easily when one species is involved. For example, green crops such as lettuce and mustard would never need the Bloom formula as would flowering squash or peppers. Also, as is the case in conventional gardening, some plants simply will not tolerate being near other ones. Cucumbers, for instance, like to grow only amongst their own.

As the plants mature and bear fruit, you can reduce the Grow Formula to a ratio as low as 1/2 tablespoon per gallon and increase the Bloom level to 2 or 3 tablespoons per gallon. If the leaves yellow excessively, punch up the Grow to 1 tablespoon per gallon. And don't panic when you see the roots tap into the nutrient solution beneath the medium: these roots are different than the air roots contained in the top half of the root zone.

This homemade organic hydroponic system has worked well with plants as diverse as melons, brassicas, and root crops such as carrots and beets. Of course, some varieties will perform better than others, so don't hesitate to modify my system and the nutrient ratios I've suggested to better suit your needs.

After all, organics combined with hydroponics is still in its infancy, so there's plenty of room for experimentation in this new alternative for the organic movement.