The growing season is right around the corner. Or, at least the preparations for it are getting underway.
Many have already started seedlings in their homes or have started to clean up garden plots in anticipation of turning their first soil.
Others, like Paul Hedrick, of Ely, have been growing for some time now, and have no need for soil whatsoever.
Hedrick uses hydroponic growing methods, the growing of plants in mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. He couples these methods with several greenhouses and is able to grow nearly year round as a result.
The old black dirt farmer from Iowa turned to hydroponics as a necessity approximately 10 years ago. He currently lives on the site of the old Sibley Mine and much of his property consists of old mine tailings. He says that he attempted to put in a garden when he first moved to the property but immediately found that he was having trouble getting his soil to hold water.
“First I brought in dirt and had rock underneath it,” said Hedrick. “Well, the water drained right through. I tried laying plastic down underneath with drain holes in it and had the opposite problem.”
With growing dear to his heart, Hedrick searched for other solutions.
He had bought a small hydroponic unit for his wife to grow herbs indoors. It worked so well that Hedrick became intrigued and decided to attempt some tomatoes in it. One year later, he was hooked. For Hedrick the results were staggering and well worth further investigation.
He now produces up to 320 heads of lettuce a week, as well as hundreds upon hundreds of tomatoes in a season and a variety of other vegetables. He saves on space by not using conventional methods, saves on fertilizers and herbicides and, most importantly, saves on water.
“I use a closed loop system that recycles all the water,” said Hedrick. “I use about 10 percent of the water that one would use with normal gardening methods.”
Hedrick uses an active, nutrient film technique to grow much of his produce. For lettuce, he uses long food grade plastic tubes that resemble rain gutters. They have holes interspersed across the length of the tube for placement of seedlings. The tubes are set at a two percent slope that allows water to feed itself through the system. The two percent slope is important. Hedrick says that anything less leads to root dams and water pooling.
Hydroponics has been around in some form almost since the advent of agriculture. Many scholars point to the hanging gardens of Babylon as one historical example. Ways of doing hydroponics can vary widely. Hedrick chose a nutrient film technique for his lettuce because it offers each plant the right mix of water, oxygen and nutrients.
“I also do my starts in what’s called oasis cubes,” said Hedrick. “They’re actually porous volcanic rock that allows for a lot of air to enter the root system. Oxygen is a must.”
For his tomatoes, Hedrick says that he uses an ebb and flow method. This method uses a reservoir and a water pump on a timer. Tomato seedlings are placed in a pot of clay pellets that help regulate moisture and air levels. The pots are placed in a larger container that is filled with water for approximately 15 minutes, every six hours.
Hedrick says that the benefits of growing hydroponically can go on and on.
“Another great thing about it is that you don’t get the bugs that you do with a regular garden,” he said. “I put rock or sand on the floors of my greenhouses and I’d say it eliminates 99 percent of the pests that you would normally see.”
However, Hedrick also concedes that there is cost involved when getting started. Buying prebuilt systems and pumps can cost 100s to 1,000s of dollars.
For Hedrick, growing one’s own food and eating locally outweigh this initial cost.
“I love it,” said Hedrick. “I like eating locally rather then depending on food grown in Texas that is produced for shelf life instead of for taste. Not to mention the diesel fuel it takes to get it here. The more I play with hydroponics, the more I want to do. It’s sort of a hobby gone wild.”
Hedrick sells much of his produce at the area Farmers Markets in Ely and Tower. He also sells his lettuce to several restaurants in Ely, including the Blue Heron.
During market, he usually sets up a small hydroponic system to keep his lettuce fresh. He states that he is happy to speak with anyone interested in the process and also says there is a wealth of knowledge online for anyone looking for more information.
source
Many have already started seedlings in their homes or have started to clean up garden plots in anticipation of turning their first soil.
Others, like Paul Hedrick, of Ely, have been growing for some time now, and have no need for soil whatsoever.
Hedrick uses hydroponic growing methods, the growing of plants in mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. He couples these methods with several greenhouses and is able to grow nearly year round as a result.
Ely resident Paul Hedrick shows off his recent crops. Hedrick uses several hydroponic techniques in his growing operation.
“First I brought in dirt and had rock underneath it,” said Hedrick. “Well, the water drained right through. I tried laying plastic down underneath with drain holes in it and had the opposite problem.”
With growing dear to his heart, Hedrick searched for other solutions.
He had bought a small hydroponic unit for his wife to grow herbs indoors. It worked so well that Hedrick became intrigued and decided to attempt some tomatoes in it. One year later, he was hooked. For Hedrick the results were staggering and well worth further investigation.
He now produces up to 320 heads of lettuce a week, as well as hundreds upon hundreds of tomatoes in a season and a variety of other vegetables. He saves on space by not using conventional methods, saves on fertilizers and herbicides and, most importantly, saves on water.
“I use a closed loop system that recycles all the water,” said Hedrick. “I use about 10 percent of the water that one would use with normal gardening methods.”
Hedrick uses an active, nutrient film technique to grow much of his produce. For lettuce, he uses long food grade plastic tubes that resemble rain gutters. They have holes interspersed across the length of the tube for placement of seedlings. The tubes are set at a two percent slope that allows water to feed itself through the system. The two percent slope is important. Hedrick says that anything less leads to root dams and water pooling.
Hydroponics has been around in some form almost since the advent of agriculture. Many scholars point to the hanging gardens of Babylon as one historical example. Ways of doing hydroponics can vary widely. Hedrick chose a nutrient film technique for his lettuce because it offers each plant the right mix of water, oxygen and nutrients.
“I also do my starts in what’s called oasis cubes,” said Hedrick. “They’re actually porous volcanic rock that allows for a lot of air to enter the root system. Oxygen is a must.”
For his tomatoes, Hedrick says that he uses an ebb and flow method. This method uses a reservoir and a water pump on a timer. Tomato seedlings are placed in a pot of clay pellets that help regulate moisture and air levels. The pots are placed in a larger container that is filled with water for approximately 15 minutes, every six hours.
Hedrick says that the benefits of growing hydroponically can go on and on.
“Another great thing about it is that you don’t get the bugs that you do with a regular garden,” he said. “I put rock or sand on the floors of my greenhouses and I’d say it eliminates 99 percent of the pests that you would normally see.”
However, Hedrick also concedes that there is cost involved when getting started. Buying prebuilt systems and pumps can cost 100s to 1,000s of dollars.
For Hedrick, growing one’s own food and eating locally outweigh this initial cost.
“I love it,” said Hedrick. “I like eating locally rather then depending on food grown in Texas that is produced for shelf life instead of for taste. Not to mention the diesel fuel it takes to get it here. The more I play with hydroponics, the more I want to do. It’s sort of a hobby gone wild.”
Hedrick sells much of his produce at the area Farmers Markets in Ely and Tower. He also sells his lettuce to several restaurants in Ely, including the Blue Heron.
During market, he usually sets up a small hydroponic system to keep his lettuce fresh. He states that he is happy to speak with anyone interested in the process and also says there is a wealth of knowledge online for anyone looking for more information.
source
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