Learn to Growing Plants with Hydroponics in this classic book from John Mason, Princoipal of Australian Correspondence Schools, Fellow of Parks and Leisure Australia, Fellow the Institute of Horticulture (UK)
Completely revised and updated, this second edition of Commercial Hydroponics includes advice on growing an additonal 16 new plants, including okra, water chestnuts, cherries, citrus, gypsophila and lisianthus.
This comprehensive guide to the commercial growing of plants in hydroponics includes colour plates and many black-and-white diagrams and photographs. The language is clear and concise, and a directory of suppliers is included. A free online course from Australian Correspondence Schools is available with every purchase of the book.
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Preface from the author
Hydroponics has a dedicated following world wide; of both amateur and commercial growers. This book, though titled “Commercial”, is still very much a relevant reference for the amateur.
Over the 14 years since we published the first edition, Hydroponics has become a significant and stable facet of horticulture in many countries. It has been recognised for it’s environmental as well as commercial benefits; and an ever increasing variety of techniques and applications have emerged. Organic hydroponics is even possible today.
Hydroponics offers more than anything else, possibilities for plant culture that did not exist before. In a hydroponic system, many of the manual tasks, and costs involved in soil culture can be eliminated, but there is a trade off. The set up costs are normally higher. Hydroponics can make better use of limited water resources, and can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pest control in a commercial situation. Hydroponic produce can in fact be less tainted by chemical residues than produce from a traditional farm.
I was asked to write the first edition of this book in 1988 by David Rosenberg, founder of Kangaroo Press. Despite being a relatively new branch of Horticulture, there were already plenty of hydroponic books on the market around the world.There was one thing that was still scarce in most books: information about different types of plants and how to grow them in hydroponics. A significant part of the original book was devoted to this plant information. With assistance from my staff at Australian Correspondence Schools we surveyed leading hydroponic experts and growers, interviewing them over the phone. We asked them about how to grow 87 different plants in hydroponics and then documented the results.
Over the 14 years that the first edition was in print, it has been printed nine times, making it an exceptionally successful book, particularly being of such a specialist nature.
I wish to thank all of those who have purchased and used the first editions, and I trust the second edition will be even more useful to you.
The second edition has again seen us talking with experts, and gathering information from literature to expand and update every part of the book, but in particular, plant cultural information.
This book has come together with a great deal of support and assistance from a large number of people over many years, as you will see in the acknowledgements. I wish tosincerely thank everyone who has assisted me.
John Mason
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SAMPLE EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK:
Bean (Common) Phaseolus vulgaris Papillionaceae
Growing conditions
Needs plenty of moisture.
Never let it become waterlogged.
Nutrient requirements
Regular supply of nutrient will result in rapid growth and early cropping.
Phosphorus, potassium and sulphur levels high but nitrogen not as high as with other vegetables.
The ratio of nitrogen to potassium should be roughly equal.
Sensitive to excessive boron.
EC should be around 4.0mS/cm early in the crop, decreasing to 2.0 at harvest.
Yields decrease significantly at high EC levels close to or after flowering.
pH is best around 6.0 and never below 5.5.
Nutrient solution as follows:
|
Nutrient |
PPM |
Nutrient |
PPM |
|
Nitrogen (as nitrate) |
180 – 270 |
Iron |
3 |
|
Phosphorus |
40 |
Copper |
0.05 |
|
Potassium |
210 – 350 |
Molybdenum |
0.05 |
|
Calcium |
140 – 200 |
Manganese |
0.05 |
|
Magnesium |
30 – 45 |
Zinc |
0.05 |
|
|
|
Boron |
0.05 |
Suitable systems
Beans yield prolific crops under hydroponic systems – at the height of the season, the first beans are ready for picking 8 to 9 weeks after sowing. While all varieties perform well, climbing varieties offer the advantage that they do not take up as much room.
Most aggregate media 10 cm or more deep give excellent results.
NFT, sand, sawdust and most aggregate systems which have been tried have been successful.
Seeds have been germinated in NFT.
Maxwell suggests sand and perlite.
In the Netherlands, yields of climbing beans in rockwool have been better than in soil. Slabs used where 7.5 cm deep and 15 – 20 cm wide with 4 to 5 plants per slab. Slabs were heated at 15 to 18 degrees C in the early stages.
Planting
Seeds should be sown singly, ata spacing of 10 cm between seeds.
pH levels should be maintained at 6.0; pH below 5.5 will significantly affect growth during early stages.
Special cultural techniques
Trellis is needed, particularly for climbers which can grow up to 2.5 m tall.
Pests
Red spider – minute insects on the underside of leaves, which cause leaf mottling and eventual death. They can be detected by the presence of a reddish tinge or webbing under the leaf. Spray with malathion; alternatively a population of predatory mites could be released into the greenhouse.
Bean fly – larvae of this fly cause damage to the plant by burrowing into the stems. Control by spraying with malathion.
Thrips – These tiny insects reduce pod set by damaging the flowers. Spray with malathion.
Diseases
Mosaic viruses pose a significant problem to bean growers. There are several strains which can infect the plant via aphis transmission. The common mosaic bean virus causes new leaves to crinkle and stiffen; older leaves have chlorotic mottling and underturned margins. There are no satisfactory remedies for viral diseases, however mosaic-resistant varieties have been developed.
Varieties
Different varieties need different temperature conditions.
Flat pod varieties (e.g. Kwintus) have been grown successfully in the Netherlands in rockwool.
