The Aeroponic Method
Here at the BIG Shop we’re all more than well aware of the ins and outs of hydroponic gardening. But what of aeroponics? We decided it was about time we gave you the lowdown on one of the most modern indoor gardening innovations – which only left laboratories to become commercially available in 1983!
Considering the practice of cultivating plants has been around for thousands of years, this process is a comparatively new one. Most forms of growing involve the use of a grow medium, be that soil or another solution, but with aeroponics the clue is in the name – “aero” being Greek for “air”.
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, the aeroponic process constantly suspends the root area of a plant in air, periodically spraying a fine mist of hydroponic grow solution. This revolutionary concept was first conceived in 1942 and has been developed in laboratory conditions since – scientists at NASA are still currently working to improve and perfect the process for use in space and for a potential Mars landing!
Although that may be quite a way into the future, aeroponics has come a long way since its invention, and is widely used by many indoor growers (both professional and amateur) due to its advantages over more conventional growing systems. The aspects of aeroponics making it more viable for use in space are its much lesser energy and water requirements – using each only to apply an occasional spray to the plant roots.
In addition, this manner of growing allows for a much more sterile environment than the more traditional methods – as plant diseases can pass quite quickly through soil and grow solution, the idea of plants being cultivated individually under their own growing conditions can put a stop to disease transmission through these routes. If a plant does become infected with any form of pathogen, an aeroponic system allows the gardener to easily identify and remove the plant in question, stopping the infection passing to others. The fact that aeroponically grown plants are cultivated separately means their roots do not become tangled, allowing individual specimens to easily be separated.
Aeroponics has also been shown to produce increased growth when compared to other systems. When directly compared with roots submerged in oxygenated solution in a 1988 study, roots periodically sprayed with the same substance showed greater growth.
With regards to home use, this process is ideal for cutting and ‘cloning’ larger specimens. Kept in an aeroponic system such as the General Hydroponics Cutting Board (shown above), your young plants and cuttings will be grown to their fullest potential with completely aerated roots before you transfer them to a larger system. The Oxypot, for example, is an excellent value single-plant device offering optimum growing capabilities.
These systems are always being revised, researched and improved to give the best conditions possible to your plants, so do keep checking the BIG Shop’s stock for any new introductions to the market. As always, if you have any questions about hydroponics, aeroponics or any other form of indoor gardening, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always glad to help!
A little history on the science and art behind the horticultural experience
At The Big Shop we don’t just practice horticulture but we study its history in order to best understand it as an art and a science. Have no doubt that it is all of these things and requires some knowledge on the part of the person to become a successful horticulturalist.
Intensive plant cultivation for human use is a bit of a past time and can be traced back a long way to ancient Persia where the science behind it was just beginning to be comprehended. Basic cultivation itself dates back thousands of years to the times of hunter-gatherers in locations such as the pre-Colombian Amazon Rainforests where natives used techniques to enhance the soil and therefore increase the yield of a crop through using other plant waste. These natives were the first to form sedentary horticultural communities cultivating a variety of crops on a small scale around their dwellings and migration routes.
The original function of horticulture of course was less about making pretty plants grow for aesthetic entertainment (no Alan Titchmarsh in sight back then!) and more about yielding practical solutions to human necessities such as food and medicines. These have been the staples that have defined horticulture as such a necessity throughout the centuries. It’s a very diverse form of activity when you consider that it is used to produce food such as fruits, vegetables, culinary elements and herbs as well as medicinal herbs and ingredients needed to form basic compounds used to treat ailments and illnesses.
Over time the benefits of horticulture evolved into a more aesthetic-based idea amongst those that practiced it for fun rather than necessity. We have seen that grow and grow (if you’ll pardon the pun) in the 20th century and into the 21st. Gardeners around the world enjoy landscaping and designing using plants, flowers, shrubs, greenery and grass to create beautiful compositions and restorations, either in their back garden or for garden shows open to the public.
A true horticulturalist will apply their knowledge and skills to intensively and extensively grow plants for food and non-food uses which may extend themselves to social needs. Plant propagation and cultivation is the name of the game and you have to know what you’re doing in order to be successful. Aims may include improving the overall plant growth whilst increasing yield and nutritional value. One of the other factors involved in horticulture and since very early on in its native development is the protection of crops from disease, insects and external environmental conditions than may apply stress and corrupt the healthy growth. This is where the science comes in...
Over the centuries horticulturists have applied science to the equation in order to combat the problems inherent within growing crops that include mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology and biology. The development of technologies and formulas have brought us to a place now in the 21st century where manipulating a crop and plant growth is more possible than ever. The underpinnings of modern-day horticulture include plant pathology, entomology, weed science and many more scientific disciplines.
What makes horticulture such an impressive thing is the fact it combines both science and art and is practiced throughout the world from individual home-gardens to huge multinational corporations. It can be viewed and appreciated on a basic creative level or it can be admired for its exact science applications and developments. It’s truly an amazing activity to learn and partake in. Horticulture continues to provide great benefits to society.
For advice on horticulture and the tools and knowledge needed to successfully start growing your own crop please contact us for some expert advice at The Big Shop. Welcome to the wonderful world of horticulture.
Why Indoor Gardening?
Many of the Big Shop’s previous blog entries have gone into detail on how to set up grow rooms and what items to purchase, but if you haven’t started indoor gardening yet – or are at least thinking about it – we thought it would be a good idea to highlight the potential benefits.
The benefits of indoor gardening aren’t exclusive to crop production – for a start, the addition of a plant or two around your house will brighten the place up, giving it a fresh aesthetic. Plants with coloured flowers can be a fantastic finishing touch to a room, as well as being a good talking point. Make sure to give your plants enough light, though – keeping them on a windowsill is a good idea.
Plants don’t just look pretty though – they’ve been shown and suggested to have a massive variety of health benefits too. The process of photosynthesis takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and replaces it with oxygen, refreshing the air. This freshly oxygenated air has been shown to help with concentration and productivity, so adding a couple of plants to your home or work environment could have huge benefits.
Of course, with such a focus on how bad the global economy is, everyone is trying to cut down on as much spending as possible. What better way is there to cut down on food spending than by growing your own vegetables and herbs? With space at a premium, especially in the bigger cities, many people don’t have gardens to plant in – the idea of indoor gardening for food therefore appeals.
In addition, keeping plants indoors is a much simpler and more organic way of keeping most insects and other pests away from your crops than by using pesticides. Problems associated with wind and rain are also completely negated when growing indoors, and if you’re considering taking indoor growing a little more seriously, there’s a wealth of extra benefits waiting.
With the simple addition of a grow light, plants can get up to 3 times the light that they would receive from growing naturally outdoors, leading to a marked increase in growth and yield. As with any investment, the more aspects of a grow room you can invest in the greater the benefits you will receive.
Hydroponic growing systems remove the necessity of soil, keeping a plant’s roots fairly small and focusing the majority of its growth ‘above ground’, as well as allowing nutrients to be absorbed directly into the plant. Air circulation and extraction equipment can help your plants to make the most of their respiration and photosynthesis processes, while other environmental controls work wonders to keep your plants happy, healthy and productive. A complete hydroponic grow room setup may not be ideal for the beginner due to investment, space and maintenance commitments, but starting small – with a grow tent, for instance – is an excellent way of sampling the indoor gardening experience.
As always, if you have any questions, just contact us and we’ll give you our professional advice on what sort of indoor gardening would be best for your requirements.
Why Choose a Grow Tent?
When choosing to start growing plants and crops indoors, many options are open to you – so many choices of lighting and ventilation systems, so many different atmospheric conditions to control – but the first important decision you have to make is specifically where to begin. Once again, The Big Shop is here to help!
Ideally a cellar or spare room would be converted into an environmentally secure area, with installed lighting and air circulation throughout, but this situation is not open to every aspiring indoor gardener. It may be that you don’t have a whole room to set aside; perhaps you don’t like the idea of conducting extensive work on your own to hang and install lights and fans; maybe you don’t have the legal right to make adjustments to your abode; it’s possible that you simply don’t want to invest in the parts for a homemade system. Any combination of these factors could lead you to considering a grow tent, one of the most increasingly popular trends in indoor gardening.
Grow tents allow the budding gardener to create an environmentally sealed climate-controlled space within a room without modifying or damaging the existing locale. Easy to set up and portable, they are also widely used by gardeners who move around a lot, such as those in non permanent residences, as well as being very budget conscious – not everyone has enough cash to spare to start from scratch! Many are also drawn to this solution for aesthetic purposes, with the sleek black cloth wardrobe being more appealing than a large system of pipes, wires and lights.
Easy to set up, these grow tents are fireproof, waterproof and insulated thoroughly to retain temperature, with heavy duty zips and a reflective interior to make the most of the light within, ensuring no electricity is wasted. With your crops kept in an environment such as this, it is simple to monitor and adjust the temperature, airflow and lighting levels to adjust for maximum yield. Grow tents are provided with ventilation socks to encourage air flow and facilitate the installation of more complex air flow systems as well as hangers to support any equipment your grow setup may need. This is a much simpler process than suspending similar features from ceilings or attaching them to walls. We would, however, recommend keeping your lighting ballast outside your grow tent to cut down on unnecessary heat.
Here at The Big Shop we stock two manufacturers of grow tents – Homebox and Secret Jardin, the latter of which has two distinct ranges. The Secret Jardin Dark Rooms are a premium choice boasting dual layered 210D Mylar fabric and a thick light proof material, with waterproof removable floors for simple cleaning. The Dark Street variety is aimed at those on a slightly stricter budget, but hardly skimps on the quality of its predecessor, and are made with a 190D dual layered Mylar fabric. Whichever variety appeals to you most, visit our web site or contact us for more information.
Building your 1st indoor grow room Part 3 – Getting chemicals
In previous blog posts we at the Big Shop have begun a series explaining how to start your first ever indoor grow room. We’ve already covered the basics and what entry level equipment you’ll need. Of course, your plants should flourish given the correct air flow and lighting, as well as a good environmental control system, but they won’t be growing at all if they aren’t provided with the necessary nutrients and chemicals – that’s the subject of today’s blog entry!
The mineral nutrients necessary for plant growth can be subdivided into two groups – macronutrients and micronutrients. Greater amounts of macronutrients are needed than of micronutrients, hence the names (‘macro’ meaning ‘large’, and ‘micro’ meaning ‘small’). These nutrients dissolve into water and are absorbed into the plant through its roots. After all, in soil, the nutrients need to chemically travel to reach a plant’s roots, whilst a hydroponic solution – being liquid – can bring all the necessary nutrients straight to the roots.
Fortunately we can skip the science lesson here as new growers don’t necessarily need to understand the exact chemistry of plant growth – at the Big Shop we have a wide selection of nutrient solutions and supplements, so take off that lab coat as you don’t need to make your own from scratch! For example, take a look at the Flora series from General Hydroponics as a good quality and good value first step.
Of course the right level and ratio of nutrients is important, but be careful not to neglect other similarly important grow room ingredients. It’s of paramount importance, for instance, to maintain a steady pH level. The pH scale is how acidic or alkaline a substance is – read more about this in one of our previous blogs. The correct pH will maximise the potential nutrient uptake for your crops – while an incorrect pH could starve them of their sustenance and prove fatal to your plants if allowed to get too out of hand.
Different varieties of plant have adapted to require different levels of pH, but almost all of these sit within the range of between 5.5 and 6.5 pH; it is therefore advisable to aim for a steady 6 in your hydroponic system. Being a liquid-based process, maintaining the pH in a hydroponic setup is simple – merely keep regular track of the pH levels and add pH+ or pH- solution if your measurements head towards one end of the scale or the other.
It’s generally a good idea to test the pH of your solution a couple of hours after you do anything with it – after adding supplements or replacing the liquid for example. Once adjusted, leave it an hour and test again, repeating the process until the correct pH level is settled. Testing your solution twice a week is a beneficial routine to get into. And don’t worry – the Big Shop has plenty of equipment for testing and maintaining pH levels in your grow room.
Building your 1st indoor grow room Part 2 – Getting equipped
The idea of starting your own indoor grow room is one that appeals to many, but to the more amateur and less experienced grower, the process of starting out from scratch is daunting. All those pieces of equipment – so much choice – so many chemicals! Here’s where we at The Big Shop step in to lend a hand with a few words of advice, continuing from last week’s blog, which you can read here. In the meantime, here are a few words about what you may need to get started...
Lights
The light set up of your growing system is probably the most important part – the process of photosynthesis in plants is how they grow, so the amount and quality of light is of paramount importance. A single 600w bulb should be enough to cover around 5 feet of growing space, if positioned at least 5 feet above the crop. More information on the importance of light can be found in a previous blog by clicking here.
Air Flow
Probably the second most important part of your grow room will be your air flow system. The use of a small fan or two to keep air gently flowing around your developing and growing crops is invaluable if you intend to maximise your growing potential, but even more important is the incorporation of an adequate extraction system. Find out more about this here.
C02
Carbon Dioxide is an essential ingredient for plant growth and crop production, being another major contributor in the process of photosynthesis. Levels of C02 would normally drop in an enclosed area as your plants continue to use it up, and as a result their growth would slow and eventually stop. Replenishing and maintaining levels of carbon dioxide, therefore, can lead to dramatically increased growth, and similarly incremented yields as a consequence. For more details on the effects of C02, read more here.
Relays and Contactors
Your grow room equipment will need a steady supply of electricity, and it’s important that this is regulated to ensure safety. If lights are turned off during the day and turned back on overnight, for instance, the sudden activation of many high-powered lights could create a small surge if not properly regulated. At The Big Shop, we stock a variety of equipment to reduce the impact on your electrical supply.
Environmental Control
This encompasses everything from the pH of your growing solution to the temperature of your grow room. In addition to the obvious potential pest problems, issues may arise regarding odours that may become problematic and should be dealt with. The Big Shop stocks everything the new indoor gardener needs to cope with these environmental issues.
Stay tuned for more advice on setting up your first grow room, including what nutrients and other such products would be required. Good luck – and happy growing from The Big Shop!
Building your 1st indoor grow room Part 1 – getting started
If you’re a first timer, the thought of building your own grow room may appeal but the practicality of actually pulling it off can be a difficult prospect. It can be a confusing process when you’re starting out, especially if you have no prior experience in operating a grow room and sustaining a crop. So let The Big Shop be your guide for the next few weeks on how to pull it off, step-by-step...
1. Choose a suitable space for the grow room
You don’t need a whole room for this per say (depending on how big a crop you want to produce) but we recommend keeping it small on your first time out. Use a cupboard or wardrobe to make things easier for yourself. The simpler the better. If you’re ambitious and want to go further right off the bat then a garage or loft would be the most suitable areas to do it in. DO NOT grow on carpeted areas! Carpets are full of moisture and bacteria that can harm the crop.
Consider the following – if using a growtent (recommended) you need to decide on size and if it will fit into you allotted space. Then you need to ensure you have an electrical supply source within the vicinity because you WILL NEED POWER! Don’t underestimate having a close proximity to a water source either because you will need to keep that crop’s thirst quenched.
2. Budget
This is an investment and if you are a budding indoor gardener you need to invest in that activity in order to do it properly. How much is your budget? Can you afford to buy yourself the essential materials needed to harvest a crop? If the answer is “no” to both of these questions than wait and start saving. No half-measures!
Consider the following – Plant Lighting. Artificial lights are one of the essentials. You cannot use natural light to grow your crops in an indoor environment as it can affect plant growth. Considering the electricity cost you may want have the lights on during the evening and off during the day leaving the crop in total darkness to save you on an extensive bill. Remember, you want to save as much money as possible.
Extractor fans are also an essential item. Try to invest in ones that make little to no noise as the sound can be distracting, especially if you are sleeping close to the grow room. These usually run for 24 hours a day.
We’ll get into lights and fans more later on.
3. Building your grow room
This again depends on whether or not you are converting a whole room or converting a smaller space... Match the size of the area to the amount of light you plan to have. If the room is small then try using 600 watt bulb every 5 or so feet. Bear in mind that the more lights you have the bigger the extractor fan will have to be. Setting up an input fan will be necessary in order to bring new air into the grow room from the rest of your house/flat. Input fans are generally smaller than the output fans.
If you’re growing in a cupboard or wardrobe allow the space to be big in terms of height by at least 5 feet so that there is adequate headroom between the crop and the lights. Less headspace means you should use lower wattage lights.
This is just the opening chapter of our epic grow room for beginners blog series. Next week we’ll get into the next phase of setting up your grow room. In the meantime for expert help, advice or product information please contact The Big Shop.
Control the environment of your growroom – Lighting
The main purpose of almost every growing system is the crop yield gained as a result. Anyone creating a hydroponic system or modifying an existing one has a wide variety of factors to take into consideration that can directly affect this yield, such as;
- Temperature
- Smell
- PH Levels
- Water treatment
- Nutrients
Several blog posts over the past few weeks have been dedicated to these topics and more before now – however, today we’re focusing on the world of:
Lighting
It may be an obvious thing to point out, but the lighting in a hydroponic system is probably the most important part. Photosynthesis is the process of absorbing sunlight and, using water and carbon dioxide, creating glucose (food) and oxygen.
The process of photosynthesis is the main influence on a plant’s growth and yield, so the importance of a lighting system cannot be understated.
A grow light has three essential components – the lamp itself to produce light, a ballast to regulate the power input of your lamps and a reflector to best direct the output of the lamps. The interaction between these three parts is essential in the assembly of a functional and effective lighting system.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps come in three varieties for different growing periods, each with different light outputs optimized for specific stages in a plant’s development. Metal Halide lamps, for instance, emit more blue spectrum light, which is more effective on plants in the early, vegetative stages of development, while High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps produce more red spectrum light specifically for flowering periods. Some types of lamp, such as Grolux or Sunmaster Dual Spectrum lamps, emit light from both the blue and red spectrums and can, as a result, be used for growing throughout the cycle.
Ballasts come in two major types – magnetic and digital. Magnetic ballasts work by using a copper coil that becomes electromagnetic as power is drawn through it and into the lamp. This magnetism reduces the amount of power that can be drawn through the coil, thus regulating what goes into the lamp. Therefore, the bigger the coil, the higher wattage lamp can be safely powered. Digital systems use a circuit board instead of an electromagnetic coil, losing far less energy through heat and noise than their magnetic counterparts.
Lamps don’t focus light on their own; that’s the job of a reflector. Reflectors take all the light energy put out by a lamp and reduce wastage by focusing as much as possible at your crops. This process means that your plants can absorb the same amount of light with less energy expense on your behalf, and is important in making sure your system is economical.
One more thing to remember is that all lamps produce heat – excess heat isn’t good news for your plants at all, as you can read in our blog entry here. Don’t forget, you can always ask our experts at The BIG Shop for advice relating to this or any other growing topics.
Control the environment of your growroom – Air Flow
If you’re thinking about starting a hydroponic grow room, or are looking for advice on how to maintain or improve an existing one, you’ve come to the right place. We at the BIG Shop have been running a series of blogs to help seasoned growers and those aspiring to earn their first green fingers alike - here are the major topics we’re covering;
- Temperature
- Smell
- PH Levels
- Water treatment
- Nutrients
Some of these issues have already been addressed – browse our previous blog posts for more details – but today we’re focussing our attention on a very important part of any hydroponic system:
Air Flow
Plants, like all living creatures, need to respire (breathe) in order to survive. You may well already be aware that plants photosynthesise in light by taking in energy, water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce food (glucose) and oxygen (O2) – but it’s also essential that they can reverse the process comfortably.
Respiration is biochemically the inverse of photosynthesis, as it uses up glucose and oxygen to produce energy for their own use and releases carbon dioxide along with water vapour. This process provides plants with the energy to grow – which after all is the crux of any hydroponic system. Giving your plants nutrients is fine, but without the correct levels of gases to break down those nutrients into useful energy, their food source will be wasted.
In the wild, plants respire constantly but only photosynthesise in sunlight. They have, therefore, developed to photosynthesise at a more concentrated rate to make the most of the short space of time in which the process can be carried out. It stands to reason, then, that in a hydroponic growing system where plants are under lighting for longer than they would otherwise be, they photosynthesise more than they respire - meaning that the natural balance of gases with which their growing processes are at their most productive is not achieved without a little outside help. Put quite simply – a good supply of fresh air will increase your crop yield.
That’s where we come in – we stock a range of fans, filters, ducting, kits and accessories to make your extraction system as efficient as possible. Taking into consideration the heat output of your lamps as well as your available space will help you make the most of your setup. We recommend, however, getting the highest output fan within your budget, even if your setup is a small one – when run on low power a larger fan can still have a considerable output while keeping noise to a minimum. Take a look at our range of Torin High Output Acoustic Wooden Box Fans for several examples of this concept.
Don’t hesitate to contact us via telephone or email for some professional guidance and advice tailored around your specific requirements – air circulation is a massively important part of your hydroponic system, and it’s essential that you don’t neglect it.
Control the environment of your growroom – pH Levels
If you want to make the most out of your plants, you need to understand how they react to their environment. The environment they are being cultivated in directly affects your growing results. Broken down, the major points of consideration are;
- Temperature
- Smell
- PH Levels
- Water treatment
- Nutrients
We’ve already addressed some of these issues in previous blog posts, so now we’re taking a closer look at...
pH
The pH scale refers to how acidic or alkaline a substance is, and is one of the most important things to consider when maintaining your growroom. The scale runs from 1 to 14, with 1 being extremely acidic and 14 being extremely alkaline – a pH of 7 is referred to as neutral and is most commonly found in pure water.c
As any plant cultivator should know, nutrients are important for plant growth and development. It is the pH level around the roots, though, that defines how well these minerals can be absorbed by the plant.
Most plants thrive in a slightly acidic growing environment – between 5.8 and 6.8 pH – but different times in a plant’s life cycle will require different levels of minerals, which could affect the pH of your growing area.
It is, therefore, important to keep watch over the pH levels of your crops – The Big Shop has several testers in stock from reusable electric varieties such as the ETI Horticare Digital pH Tester to traditional liquid tests like the Flairform pH Test Kit.
A pH test should be regularly conducted – we suggest once a day when first starting out with a growroom until you’ve reached and kept an optimum level, after which you can afford to test once a week purely to make sure the pH levels don’t fluctuate too far.
To stabilise your pH, check your levels and add a small amount of an acidic or alkaline substance, depending on whether you need to respectively lower or raise your pH. Check again within an hour, then adjust again accordingly. Start by adding one millilitre per gallon of your hydroponic solution to make the effects of each treatment clearer. Repeat this process a few times and you should start to get a feel for your system and understand how much altering solution is needed to change your levels appropriately.
We also stock Growth Technology’s pH Up and ph Down substances to help you maintain the most productive growing conditions as possible to really make the most out of your growroom.
