Last week marked the start of a special Hydroponics Systems FAQ blog series at GrowSpan. Part one of the series covered the most commonly asked questions regarding general knowledge of HydroCycle hydroponics systems. This week, the blog will be more in depth, focusing on the most commonly asked questions related to production within a hydroponics system.
Do these systems require special hydroponics seeds?
No, you are able to source seeds of nearly any type. The only requirement is that the seeds are clean. Naturally, you want the cleanest seeds possible in order to ensure proper germination and growth. Since hydroponics systems enable you to produce crops year-round, we recommend using indeterminate varieties whenever possible. This way the plant will continually produce fruit until it is removed from the system, helping to maximize the crops value. In an outdoor environment, indeterminate crops will produce until killed by frost. Growing in a controlled environment however, enables these varieties to produce for many additional months, giving you a leg up in the market.
Am I safe from outbreaks of bacteria, disease and insects?
No. While you will not experience any traditional soil-borne diseases, there are still disease concerns with hydroponics systems, including Botrytis, Powdery Mildew and more. The best way to reduce this risk of disease is by regularly cleaning your channels. For cleaning purposes, we recommend cleaning the channels using a mild bleach solution after each harvest. Once a crop has reached the end of its lifecycle and has been removed from the channel or Dutch Bucket, clean the vessel thoroughly using the mild bleach solution before transplanting your next crop. To reduce the likelihood of insect damage, identify any possible entry points, including wall fans, louvers, roll-up siding, evaporative coolers, doorways and more. Insect Netting can be added to prevent insects from entering through any of these areas that create large amounts of open space, while sticky cards should be evenly spaced throughout the growing environment to assist with spot control of insect populations.
What is the optimum pH in hydroponics?
Optimum pH varies based on the plant. As a general rule, anywhere from 5.8 and 6.2 is ideal. A pH outside of this range can result in nutrient lockout, where the plants are not receiving the proper amount of nutrients due to either excess quantities or limited availability. Visually monitor your crops and regularly test the pH levels of your system. Look for any signs of plant stress and mineral deficiencies, such as yellowing of leaves, stunted growth, tip burn and so on, as this will indicate that pH levels are incorrect. Some crops may prefer a higher or lower pH than others. If this is the case, consider isolating this crop within its own system. Typically a balance can be found that satisfies all crops within one system, however, if one particular crop is suffering from the shared pH levels, consider moving this crop to its own system in order to produce maximum results.
What can I use to keep my crops standing upright in the system?
There are different solutions for NFT channels and Dutch Buckets. In NFT channels, a single cube of rockwool for crops such as lettuce, kale, or swiss chard is recommended. Fill a sheet of rockwool cubes with seeds and allow the seeds to germinate. Once the seeds have developed a root system, break the cubes into single blocks and insert the block directly into one of the holes on the channels’ lid. This will keep the plant standing upright, while the young root system absorbs the nutrient rich water flowing through the channel.
For microgreens, GrowSpan recommends a different solution. Line the channels instead with our BioStrate Microgreen Grow Roll. Spread the seeds evenly throughout the channel and let the nutrient rich water run through the channel. The BioStrate Microgreen Grow Roll prevents the delicate seeds from washing away in the flow of water. This ensures all seeds receive the proper amount of nutrition and that a thick, healthy root mat develops.
In Dutch bucket applications, a rockwool cube inserted into a larger Gro-Block will keep the crops sturdy and secure throughout the plants lifecycle. Fill your Dutch Bucket with a growing medium such as Horticulture Coarse Perlite to keep the Gro-Block sitting high in the Dutch Bucket, allowing for maximum root growth. Place a Gro-Block that has been filled with a single rockwool cube into the Perlite and insert two dripper stakes directly into the Gro-Block. The water will be absorbed by the plants root system by dripping slowly into the Gro-Block and Perlite. In any scenario, the only thing required is something solid to hold the roots so they may grow out into the nutrient solution.
For more information:
GrowSpan Greenhouse Structures
1395 John Fitch Blvd
South Windsor, Connecticut 06074
Toll-free USA: (800) 476 9715
International: +1 860 528 9550
info@growspan.com
www.growspan.com





Announcements
Job Offers
- Head Grower Greenhouse Canada
- Post Entry Quarantine Facility Manager
- Economic Policy Officer Agri-Tech Kentucky
- Licensing Manager North America
- Junior Sales Executive
- Fruit Breeder/Trait Discovery Scientist
- General Manager
- Regional Sales Manager – DACH Region
- Country Manager – Italy
- Country Manager – Spain
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
Top 5 -last week
- “Black growbags could benefit vegetable crops as well”
- Latvia: First greenhouse to grow cucumbers under LEDs uses landfill waste to produce energy
- "Moisture is the big danger in the next two months"
- US (OH): 80 Acres Farms makes layoffs as tech job crunch continues
- "Even light intensity at every spot in the greenhouse"
Top 5 -last month
- How farmers are cutting out supermarkets
- Higher light transmission and lower heat demand with double foil greenhouse
- Combining vertical farming and greenhouse horticulture to decentralize lettuce production
- 30MHz declared bankrupt, curator 'optimistic about restart'
- Fresh produce chain hit by Lakeside Produce’s bankruptcy
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2021-10-26 Singapore: Renewed library now features hydroponics room
- 2021-10-21 Teens for Food Justice program awarded 300k by USDA for hydroponic expansion
- 2021-10-20 Tackling climate issues with low-resource consuming growing towers
- 2021-10-20 Collaboration on 700 m2 pilot farm in China
- 2021-10-19 Unmanned vertical farm in China: is this what the future looks like?
- 2021-10-19 ‘It’s not as carbon-hungry’: UK’s largest sunlit vertical farm begins harvest
- 2021-10-15 "We can focus more on quality and how the product satisfies consumer needs”
- 2021-10-15 UK grower trials aeroponic propagation system
- 2021-10-13 Irish supermarket to sell hydroponic microgreens
- 2021-10-08 China: Why the growth cycle of rice can be split in half
- 2021-10-01 Todd P. Hanna announced as new COO
- 2021-09-22 This "glass tree" vertical farm could solve urban food deserts
- 2021-09-16 Chinese scientists grow rice that yields twice faster in hydroponic experiment
- 2021-09-02 Building facilities across Canada, as well as in Greater London and Copenhagen
- 2021-09-01 US (PA): Mobile lab brings aquaponics closer to society
- 2021-08-26 Fresh herbs from halls and bunkers
- 2021-08-26 "The base of our technology is R&D in product development"
- 2021-08-16 "We reduced the cost of cooling by just cooling the plant roots”
- 2021-07-08 "Crops from the vertical farm have more flavor and a longer shelf life"
- 2021-07-08 Danish retail is committed to vertical crop products