Hydroponics

Using Bountea Products in Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants in a nutrient solution instead of soil. Plants may be grown with their roots in the solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, or rockwool. There are many different homemade and commercial hydroponic systems available. Check out hydroponics in Wikipedia.

Commercial hydroponic systems use a nutrient solution of highly refined inorganic chemicals in a sterile environment. One problem is that chemically grown vegetables do not compare favorably in taste or nutritional value with properly grown organic produce.

Recently, many hydroponic growers are experimenting with organic approaches using compost tea and organic nutrients (see Resources). Because beneficial microbes require oxygen, these organic approaches typically use systems that aerate the nutrient solution. Care must be taken to make sure the solution does not become anaerobic.

• Add 2 capfuls or 1 tablespoon of QLC to each gallon of nutrient solution.
• Add M3 (or other nitrogen product) at a rate of ¼ cup to every 10 gallons of solution. M3 includes fish powder and rock minerals so take care not to clog any filters.
• Keep the nutrient solution well aerated.
• Add QLC and M3 every two to four weeks, adjusting quantities to your needs.
  

• Brew the Bountea Compost Tea according to the instructions. Do not add Root Web to your first brewing.
• For increased yield, add QLC at beginning of the brewing cycle at a rate of 1 capful for each gallon of Bountea.
• Add M3 to the Bountea at the end of the brewing cycle at a rate of ¼ cup for each gallon. You may need to adjust the amount of M3 according to your nitrogen and mineral needs.
• Filter the Bountea well to avoid clogging pumps and filters.
• Add the Bountea to the nutrient solution at a rate of 1 gallon of Bountea to 10 gallons of solution.
• Keep the nutrient solution well aerated.
• Once the plants have developed root systems, add Root Web to your Bountea brewing. Mycorrhizae fungi have been shown to increase yield in hydroponic plants (see Resources).
• Foliar feed your hydroponic plants using Bountea Compost Tea with M3 diluted 10 – 1.

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Greenhouse and Hydroponic Vegetable Production Resources on the Internet: Steve Diver.
Excellent resource list for hydroponic information on the web

Microbial-Rich Solution or Dirty Brown Water: Todd Salemi
A comprehensive overview of compost teas and their use in hydroponics.

Maximum Yield is a free hydroponics magazine with interesting up-to-date articles.

The Value of Organics: Erik Biksa.
Information on using organics instead or chemicals in hydroponic systems.

Hydroponic sand culture systems for mycorrhizal research: J. C. Ojala & W. M. Jarrel, 1980.
Mycorrhizae were found to grow in sand based hydroponic systems and increased the yield of tomato plants.

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