Kratky Hydroponic vs Worm Casting Potting Mix -Overview + Lettuce Test скачать в хорошем качестве

Kratky Hydroponic vs Worm Casting Potting Mix -Overview + Lettuce Test

Are you considering basic hydroponics? What about a potting mix built from worm castings? Here's a quick overview of both. I performed a simple side-by-side test using lettuce plants. Both methods work well and here are a few tips. METHOD 1: Kratky's Method of Hydroponics The Kratky method is named after B.A. Kratky, a researcher from the University of Hawaii. His technique is a passive type of hydroponics. It eliminates the need for pumps or any circulating system. This video does not reference a raft system (where the plant floats directly on a nutrient solution). Rather, I use the suspended pot technique. There's an air gap separating the lid or planting surface from the nutrient solution. HYDROPONICS MATERIAL LIST (# CommissionsEarned): ► Two Inch Net Cups: https://amzn.to/2MTwMTR ► Hydroponic Nutrient Solution (A+B+C) Lettuce Fertilizer 8-15-36: https://amzn.to/2BLwv10 Calcium Nitrate: https://amzn.to/2MZhZHD Magnesium Sulfate: https://amzn.to/2PHrRnV ► Rapid Rooter Plugs: https://amzn.to/2PDLltt ► pH Meter: https://amzn.to/2MQhbEJ ► TDS Meter: https://amzn.to/2obpaOz NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This gap of humid air allows for the exchange of gases and the proper aeration of plant roots. Plants need oxygen to carry out respiration. The air gap supports healthy growth without requiring you to actively aerate the solution itself. As the solution is depleted, the level drops and the upper plant roots become air roots. They exhibit a fine, hairy texture and are specially adapted for oxygen absorption. A huge advantage of Kratky's method is that it can be easily scaled and duplicated. You can use one large tray of solution for a large batch of plants that are all planted and harvested at the same time. Or you can have an individual container for each and every plant, starting and harvesting them on a staggered timetable. There is no huge investment in infrastructure, either way. And once the plants are set up, they can grow with literally zero user interaction! A key limitation with this type of hydroponics is that you should not top off the reservoir once it is mostly emptied out. Re-submerging a large portion of upper air-roots may drown them, injuring the plant. You can maintain a certain water level or allow it to go lower. But it should not be raised. REFERENCE: ► https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freep... METHOD 2: Organic Potting Mix with Worm Castings Growing plants in a traditional potting medium is an easy way to get into gardening. The buffering capacity of a soil or potting mix makes it more forgiving when it comes to pH and nutrient levels. You don't need to invest in many materials either. Raising red worms to produce worm castings, creates a renewable nutrient source that makes up a substantial amount of your potting mix. In this video, I was using 25% castings by volume. Primarily, your reoccurring cost will be the other components of your mix. Common potting mix ingredients include peat moss, coir (coco), vermiculite, perlite and growstones. Buying your components in bulk can be a cost effective way to make your own mix and can be much cheaper than buying retail potting mixes. This is especially true of seed starting mixes which are unnecessary and quite overpriced. Using worm castings can be tricky, because each batch can vary in strength. I recommend doing a small test in advance to see what ratio works for you. If seeds are not germinating, you may need to reduce the amount of castings used. I tried 50% castings but had to scale back to 25%. This year's batch is apparently stronger than last year's. TODAY'S TEST HYDROPONIC vs POTTING MIX: I started all seedlings in vermiculite. After they germinated, I transferred them to their growing containers. Both grew very well, but the hydroponic lettuce grew just a little faster and larger. However, nearly all of the nutrient solution was depleted and it was time to harvest. On the other hand, I continued growing the potting mix lettuce, watering as needed. Each method is viable and has distinct advantages. I plan on continuing to use Kratky's method for my grow light experiments. This is a "set it & forget it" technique. It is a nice, clean option for apartment gardening. But for seed starting, I'll keep using my worm casting potting mix. #KratkyHydroponic #IndoorGrowing #GrowingLettuce #ApartmentGardening #SustainableGardening #WormCastings #SmallSpaceGardens #UrbanGardening ••••••••••••••••••••• SUPPORT: ••••••••••••••••••••• B O O K ➝ https://link.albopepper.com/grnthumb W E B ➝ https://albopepper.com F B ➝   / albopepper   I G ➝   / albopepper   T E E S ➝ https://shop.spreadshirt.com/albopepper