Hydroponics phase #2
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:17 pm
This is something that should have happened last year, but at least it's done now.
This is the 3rd hydro tube (the other 2 are in the greenhouse http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 38&t=27872)
(Sorry about the photos, they were "lost" in the forum changeover and I didn't keep the originals)
The tubes in the greenhouse work great, but I needed at least one more in a cooler environment. The greenhouse is fine for growing, ...well things that like to grow in a greenhouse. This year the greenhouse ones will be used for growing strawberries, peppers, cucumbers and melons, which will all love the heat, plus some dwarf sweet peas.
This polytunnel tube will be used for growing cauliflowers, calabrese and lettuces, all of which will prefer the cooler conditions. The top 3 sections will be planted up with 6 different varieties of tomatoes with the exact same 6 varieties planted in the soil on the other side of the path. Then we can do a taste test to see which varieties prefer which growing conditions, which is not as obvious as you might think. I've done this same test over the past 5 years and some taste better in the hydro and some are better in soil, there is no way of predicting which will be which.
The shelf next to the pipe will be used for troughs and pots, probably with drip feed irrigation.
This is the 3rd hydro tube (the other 2 are in the greenhouse http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 38&t=27872)
(Sorry about the photos, they were "lost" in the forum changeover and I didn't keep the originals)
The tubes in the greenhouse work great, but I needed at least one more in a cooler environment. The greenhouse is fine for growing, ...well things that like to grow in a greenhouse. This year the greenhouse ones will be used for growing strawberries, peppers, cucumbers and melons, which will all love the heat, plus some dwarf sweet peas.
This polytunnel tube will be used for growing cauliflowers, calabrese and lettuces, all of which will prefer the cooler conditions. The top 3 sections will be planted up with 6 different varieties of tomatoes with the exact same 6 varieties planted in the soil on the other side of the path. Then we can do a taste test to see which varieties prefer which growing conditions, which is not as obvious as you might think. I've done this same test over the past 5 years and some taste better in the hydro and some are better in soil, there is no way of predicting which will be which.
The shelf next to the pipe will be used for troughs and pots, probably with drip feed irrigation.