| Since
there is no soil in hydroponics, many, but not all plant diseases
are eliminated. Well kept and clean growing environments are the
best prevention when it comes to plant disease. Always remove
dead or dying leaf matter and any unhealthy plants from your hydroponic
garden.
If
you are growing indoors, the chances of pest infestation are
greatly reduced. In the event of pest problems, there are many
biological controls available.
Water-Soluble Minerals (Nutrients in Solution)
(see Lesson 5 for more information)
As
mentioned earlier, a hydroponic gardener uses minerals that
are water soluble and ready to be taken up by the plant roots.
Scientists and researchers have determined exactly what minerals
a plant needs and in what quantities. A large number of hydroponic
nutrient formulas have been developed and, although some have
better results than others, there is no one perfect mixture.
The success of each nutrient formula depends on the conditions
it is used in and what plants are being grown.
Many
hydroponic gardeners use a pre-mixed nutrient formula that they
simply add water to. These formulas contain all the minerals
and nutrients that a plant needs, in the correct proportions
and are available in powder or liquid form.
The macro nutrients a plant needs include:
Nitrogen
Phosphorous
Calcium
Potassium
Sulfur
Magnesium
Iron
and
the trace elements (used in minute quantities) a plant needs
include:
Manganese
Boron
Zinc
Copper
|
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