gabriola garden

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Organics vs. Synthetics--Hydroponics is Different!

After spending some time on the phone with the Advanced Nutrients technical advisor, I realized that my choice of hydroponic system more or less precludes my using organic nutrients. Rockwool is not the choice medium for organic nutes, and drip irrigation sometimes involves a clog problem with organics.

But he convinced me that when plants absorb nutrients, they don’t know the difference between organics and synthetics. They absorb the basic elements from both. Besides, the synthetics made by Advanced Nutrients contain pharmaceutical grade ingredients, which are the finest available. So the tech advisor suggested that I use Sensi Grow for vegetative growth, and if I grow anything requiring flowering and fruiting, then I should switch to Sensi Bloom for the bloom phase.

Also, if I want to grow Lettuce and Swiss Chard and Basil, I should grow them together, since they get harvested before they go to flower and seed. In fact, if they are allowed to go to seed, they usually become too bitter to eat. So for my first cycle, I’ll grow these three vegetables and will only use Sensi Grow, along with the beneficial fungi and bacteria, as well as Humic and Fulvic Acid, to provide some organic content.

Then after I harvest these, I’ll grow Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers for my next cycle. For these vegetables, I will switch to Sensi Bloom for flowering. In order to grow Lettuce and Tomato simultaneously, I will need two systems with separate reservoirs and nutrient solutions.

I’m learning. But in answer to a comment on my previous posting, I am using LED lights specifically designed for horticulture. I read about a university research project, where LED lights actually performed better than HID lights, given the same criteria and identical pepper plants. If you don’t believe me, Google it!

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posted by Tim at 5:03 PM

2 Comments:

  • Could you please link us to the LED - HID study, I have been looking for it and cannot find the study

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:21 PM  

  • I've used the Sensi with my veggies, it's fantastic stuff.

    I made heavy use of the tech support line for several weeks, it's an easy way to make sure you're doing everything right.

    Good luck, even though you won't need it!

    By Blogger hugetom80s, at 8:12 PM  

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