How-To Hydroponics, Fourth Edition

Product description: How-To Hydroponics, 4th edition, has been completely revised to share with you the incredible benefits of hydroponic gardening in a hands-on, easy to follow format that anyone can understand. Hydroponics is healthy, safe and fun for the whole family, as a hobby, or means of additional income. Learn Hands-On At Your Own Pace, which plants to grow, how to start from seeds and how to take cuttings to preserve, and propagate your favorite plants. Learn what makes plants grow and how to create the perfect garden environment indoors and out, even how to grow year round! How-To Hydroponics can help anyone overcome a brown thumb! Step-By-Step Plans And Photographs. Learn to build and operate eight types of hydroponic systems from inexpensive materials and save hundreds, even thousands of dollars doing so. How-To Hydroponics covers everything from practical theory to hands-on applications and includes everything you need to know to start growing with this exciting technology today! The Latest Tips, Techniques & Technology. How-To Hydroponics, 4th edition, has been completely revised which means more of the latest tips, techniques and technology including Aeroponics, which takes hydroponics to the next level to achieve even greater results from your hydroponic gardening efforts! How to build and operate your own hydroponic and aeroponic systems indoors and out. Contents 5 Foreword... 4 Plants For Food & Pharmacy... 6 You Are What You Eat... 6 Hydroponics To The Rescue... 7 It Starts With A Seed... 8 What Is Hydroponics?... 10 A Brief History Of Hydroponics... 11 Current Research... 13 What All Gardeners Can Learn From NASA... 13 It's All About The Roots... 14 Hydroponic Mediums... 16 Coconut Coir... 17 Perlite... 17 LECA... 17 Perfect Starts... 18 Rockwool... 19 Hydroponic Technology... 20 Sand And Gravel Culture... 21 The Dutch Bucket Method... 22 The Rockwool Slab Drip System... 22 The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)... 23 The Raft System... 23 Ein Gedi System... 24 Aeroponics... 24 The Autopot... 25 Vertical Gardening... 25 Plant Nutrition... 26 The Organic Composition Of Plants... 27 Macro Nutrients ... 27 Micro Nutrients... 28 Selecting A Hydroponic Nutrient... 31 Making Your Own Nutrients... 32 Maintaining Nutrient Concentration And pH... 34 Nutrient Solution Microbiology ... 37 Supercharge Your Garden With CO2... 38 CO2 And You... 38 Do-It-Yourself CO2... 39 Let There Be Light... 40 High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting... 40 Intensity... 41 Duration (Photoperiod):... 41 Color (Photosynthetic spectrum) ... 42 Choosing A Grow Light... 44 Hydroponics As A Business... 45 Making A Market For Your Garden... 45 Investigate Your Local Market... 45 Product Quality Considerations... 46 Approaching Prospective Customers... 47 Let's Get Growing!... 49 Growers Guide To Popular Plants... 50 Getting Started With Seeds... 51 Successful Seed Starting ... 52 Making clones of your favorite plants... 53 Stocking Your Hydroponic System... 54 The Stages Of Growth... 55 Problems In The Garden... 56 The First Line Of Defense... 56 Fungi, Algae And Disease... 57 Problem Pests... 59 Integrated Pest Management Web Sites... 60 Build Your Own Systems... 62 Planning Your Hydroponic Garden... 62 Eight Hydroponic Systems You Can Build... 63 Hydroponic System Plans Quicklist... 64 The Hydroponic Planter... 65 Parts List... 65 Tools You'll Need... 65 The Lettuce Raft System... 68 Parts List... 68 Tools You'll Need... 68 The Aerospring System... 71 Parts List... 71 Tools You'll Need... 71 Aerospring Growers Guide... 76 The Dutch Bucket System... 77 Parts List... 77 Tools You'll Need... 77 The Dutch Bucket Garden Growers Guide... 82 The PVC Pipe Gardens... 83 Parts List... 83 Tools You'll Need... 84 PVC Pipe Gardens - Growers Guide... 91 The Autopot... 92 Gardening Indoors... 94 The Spare Closet Garden... 94 The Do-It-Yourself Greenhouse... 96 The Prefabricated Greenhouse... 96 The Professional Greenhouse... 97 Conclusion ... 98 Index... 99 Index 99 A 99 absorption 14 aerobic 37 Aeroponics 24 aeroponics 13 African Violet 50 air scrubbers 57 Algae 58 algae 15 Aloe 7 anaerobic 37 Aphids 60 asphyxiation 15 Autopot 92 Autopots 25 Aztecs 11 B 99 Babylon 11 Ballast 44 Basil 46 Beans 50 biodegradable 18 biodegradeable 16 biological contro 60 Boron 29 botanical 6 Botrytis 57 breeding 9 Broccoli 50 Bromeliads 42 C 99 Calcium 28 calcium 11 Capsicum 50 Carbon 26 Cattleya 50 CELSS 13 Chicory 50 Chillies 51 Chive 46 Chlorophyll 28 Chrysanthemums 42 cloning 53 CO2 21 Cobalt 29 coco 12 coconut 17 coconut coir 17 Cocopeat 17 compounds 6 Copper 29 copper 57 Cucumber 50 cultivation 12 cutting 9 Cymbidium 50 D 99 Damping off 58 damping off 57 DE 58 deficiency 29 dehydrated 15 deionized 11 Denrobium 50 diatomaceous earth 58 Dieback 15 Dill 46 disease 56 Dissolved Oxygen 49 dissolved oxygen 23 Distilled 11 Dutch Bucket 22 E 99 EC 50 Eggplant 50 EGS 24 Egyptian 12 Ein Gedi System 24 Electrical Conductivity 50 Electrical conductivity 50 elements 6 embryo 51 Encarsia formosa 60 Endive 50 enzyme 29 Epcot 13 evaporation 12 excretion 10 F 99 F1 7 F1 Hybrid 7 fertigation 7 filters 57 fluorescent 40 force flower 94 fungi 56 fungicide 57 fungistat 57 fungus gnat 58 Fusarium 37 G 99 genetic 7 Geolite 17 Gibsofilia 42 Gladiolia 42 Gold 26 gravel 12 gravity-fed 92 gray mold 57 greenhouse 96 greenhouse gas 38 Grorox 17 H 99 Habanero 47 hardness 11 HID 40 High Pressure Sodium 44 hormone 17 hormones 53 HPS 14 humidistat 57 Humidity 49 Hybrid 7 hybrids 7 Hydrofarm 41 Hydrogen 26 Hydroponics 12 Hydroton 17 I 99 incandescent 40 indigenous 7 infestation 56 inhibit 42 intensity 41 interstitial spaces 16 ionic 14 Iron 28 K 99 KISS 21 L 99 Lacewings 60 Lady bugs 60 Lamp cord 44 larvae 56 LECA 17 Lettuce 50 Light 49 M 99 Magnesium 29 Manganese 29 Marjoram 46 Mealybugs 59 medicine 6 medium 12 Melon 50 membranes 14 meristem 58 metabolism 13 Metal Halide 44 Methane 37 MH 44 microbes 10 microbiological 37 mildew 56 Mint 46 molds 56 molecules 26 molt 59 Molybdenum 29 Mylar 41 N 100 N-P-K 31 NASA 11 Nitrate 33 Nitrogen 26 nutrient lockout 35 nutrition 10 O 100 Okra 50 Oncidium 50 Open Pollinated 7 Orchid 50 orchids 40 Oregano 46 organic 10 Oxygen 13 P 100 Pansies 42 Paphiopedilum 50 PAR 42 Parsley 46 pathogens 56 Pea 50 pepper 95 Peppers 51 Perfect Starts 18 Perlite 17 Petunia 42 pH 35 Phalaenopsis 50 pharmacognosy 6 Phosphorous 27 Phosphorus 27 Photoperiod 41 photoperiodism 41 photosynthesis 40 phytochemistry 6 Phytoseiulus persimilis 60 Poinsettias 42 pollen 51 pollinate 51 Pollinated 7 pollination 51 Potash 33 Potassium 10 potassium 28 powdered sulfur 57 powdery mildew 57 PPM 34 Praying Mantis 61 PSI 39 PVC 94 Pythium 37 R 100 Radicchio 50 raft system 23 rainwater 62 redwood 14 Reflector 44 reproduction 51 respiration 40 reverse osmosis 11 RION 96 rocks 12 Rockwool 19 rockwool 12 root hairs 14 Rosemary 46 Roses 42 S 100 Sage 46 salts 10 sand 12 Scallion 51 silicone grease 90 Silver 26 Smart-valve 92 SmartValve 25 socket 44 Sodium 43 softness 11 Son Agro 44 Sorrel 46 spectrum 42 Spider Mites 59 Spinach 51 spores 57 Squash 51 STAGNANT 15 stagnant water 58 Stagnation 15 sterilizing 19 stimuli 8 Strawberry 51 Styrofoam 23 sub-irrigation 92 substrates 56 sugars 10 Sulfate 33 sulfur 57 Sulphur 28 Summer Squash 51 Sunlight Supply 41 Sweet Corn 51 Swiss Chard 51 T 100 Tarragon 46 TDS 34 Temperature 49 thrips 61 Thyme 46 Tomato 51 tomato 95 Total Dissolved Solids 50 transpiration 56 turgor pressure 10 U 100 Ultrapeat 17 V 100 Vertigro 25 vigor 56 voltage 44 W 100 Walt Disney 13 Water Lilly 58 Watermelon 51 wavelengths 42 Whiteflies 59 wilt 58 Z 100 Zinc 29 Zucchini 51 hydroponics,aeroponics,indoor gardening,horticulture Explains how to operate a hydroponic garden, with detailed instructions, photographs, and step-by-step plans.