Growing Plants Without Soil Hydroponic Gardening
Gardening without using soil is called hydroponic gardening. Most often water is utilized in hydroponics, consequently the name. No doubt you could find a more technical explanation of the process. But the ordinary gardener doesn’t really need more knowledge than that.
Maybe you’ve questioned how you can raise plants hydroponically with no soil. It is generally supposed that plants must have soil. It provides nutrition, physical support, energy and water. These are all necessary if you want the plant to thrive. However these elements are also available from other sources.
Water is an absolute necessity for any plant. However they don’t have to obtain it from soil. You’ll discover that many plants grow naturally in unwelcoming surroundings such as sand and gravel, or even floating on top of the water.
The energy given by the sun’s rays and its heat are likewise essential to a plant. But sun warmed earth isn’t the only source of energy. The sun’s rays have the same effect on a plant’s leaves no matter whether it’s in the ground or not. Photosynthesis, essential to a plant’s wellbeing, will occur just as long as the upper region of the plant gets enough sunlight. Some plants grow even with no light at all. However they still have need of energy to fuel their natural growth phases.
Lots of of the plants that appeal to the home gardener require some material support. Most frequently, this is achieved by planting them in the ground. That’s why the roots of a plant spread, and its stem is able to withstand strong winds. However there are other possibilities for supporting your plants. Try weaving string through a fence-like structure, or affix some craft sticks to the top of a pot. There are other ideas that can likewise do the job.
Nutrients are another of the vital components for a thriving plant. This includes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and various trace elements. In a natural setting, the plant will absorb these nutrients from the earth surrounding it. However they can also acquire these necessary nutrients in other ways.
A universal way of doing this is to keep the plant’s roots covered in a water-based liquid nutrient solution. Some hydroponic systems feature a grow tent that can hold in wetness. A nutrient solution is misted onto the roots on a regular basis in order to keep them saturated. This method has similarities to aeroponics, another system of soil-less gardening.
Lovely and thriving plants can result from hydroponic gardening. There are various types of plants that can thrive above ground. Just make sure you take care of their requirements.
Using Surveys In The Workplace
It doesn’t matter if you have hundred of thousands of employees, or just three, employee surveys are still necessary to ensure a smooth running organization. However, conducting surveys is more than just handing out forms and getting your employees to answer. To ensure the accuracy of survey data, you, as an employer must observe proper guidelines.
First, be clear about the goals of the employee surveys. Are the surveys to be utilized as gauges for salary increase or for amendments of company policies? It is also important to explain these objectives to the employees. It is advisable to discuss with them the rationale behind the need for a survey and why is it necessary. Another important aspect to discuss is how they will be informed of survey results. These people would want to see results. Second, contact an impartial third-party organization to facilitate and conduct the survey. This will assure employees that their answers and results will not be tampered with to the advantage of the management. Third, be clear about the time constraints. Conduct the survey within a specific time frame so that the process would be more efficient and the results would be achieved as quickly as possible. Fourth, emphasize the value of survey response. Aim for a hundred percent response rate to ensure that all employees have had their say. This will pave the way for a democratic compromise between you as the employer, and the employees. Let your employees in on discussions about these matters and you can be almost be assured of optimum survey results.
However, employee surveys are much more effective if there is a guarantee from the management. Guarantee your employees that your actions and the changes in the company will be based on the survey results. Inform them how you intend to act on these results. It is a good idea to suggest that the final move regarding the survey results would be based upon employer-employee compromise. Provide the means to conduct the survey. It is important that the means you choose should be based on the skills of your employees. An online survey program can process data faster but if most of your employees don’t know how to use computers or aren’t comfortable using one, a paper questionnaire survey is your best bet. In any survey, it is important to assure your subjects that their anonymity will be protected. Confidentiality of personal information is important to encourage employees to be honest in answering surveys.
Lastly, remind your employees that the employee surveys are done for the protection of their rights within the company. It is a good idea to remind them during the course of data collection about survey goals. Publish survey results to encourage your employees to participate in discussions of company plans.
[Top]Make Your Goal Living the Simple Life
A recent article in the New York Times “the Island where People Forget to Die” by Dan Buettner really got my attention. I am a registered dietitian and yes it is a good goal to lose weight if you need to, and to lower your cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides if you are on medications for these conditions. I suggest a full examination not of your body, or weight but your total lifestyle. Coincidentally I am writing this article during the recent “Franken storm”. My “normal lifestyle” has changed to a much simpler one. This situation has given me reason to pause.
This article is a must read. It identifies a man in his mid-60’s diagnosed with lung cancer and given nine months to live. He chooses to return to his ancestral roots in Ikaria Greece. What occurred was astonishing. He adopted the local ways of living and his strength started returning. The years passed and his health continued to improve. Today, at 97 years old, three decades later he is cancer-free! He never received chemo therapy, took drugs or sought therapy of any sort.
So what happens on this island that improved this man’s health? Geographically the air and water have been identified as being responsible for extending life. There have been other communities with centenarians. There are similarities within all these communities that can be helpful for all of us to heed.
The residents of this island choose to have a simple life. Their day starts late morning with a breakfast of goat’s milk, wine, sage tea or coffee with bread and honey. Lunch includes beans, potatoes, greens and whatever home grown seasonal vegetables are available. Often dinner is small with bread and honey. Meals and social times extend late into the evening sharing stories, wine and or teas. The Ikarians farm their own vegetables, raise their own animals, and enjoy drinks made from locally grown herbs. Their focus is not on monetary success, multitasking and watching the clock; instead they choose to enjoy an enormous sense of community and time for daily naps.
As an RD I counsel patients and together we create goals. My initial assessment includes information for genetics, lab values, as well as diet and exercise habits. Very often it comes to light that my patients are under stress or don’t have a social network, in addition to other weight and health issues. The Ikarians don’t seem to have these stressors and they certainly seem to enjoy socializing with a close community of friends. Could these differences make so much difference with health? Research has indicated that dementia, cardiovascular disease in addition to cancer have been delayed or totally avoided.
The Times article has brought more of my attention to the importance of “way of life”. So let’s examine this way of life that seems to be so beneficial. Our cultural ways of multitasking, rushing and watching the clock are not included in Ikarian residents thought processes. Focus on taking naps, enjoying the social aspect of eating and having a lifestyle that naturally includes being active as opposed to gym time seem to reap impressive health advantages. Everyday life includes daily walking, gardening, and heavy manual labor. Another topic that I found extremely relevant was not particularly what these residents eat but what they do not eat such as sugar and soda. Their diets are based on the Mediterrean diet, a plant based format for Ikarians consisting of goats milk, wine, teas, coffee, whole grains, honey, beans, and home grown vegetables. The Mediterrean diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. This diet includes moderate amounts of alcohol but limited dairy and meat products.
Low intake of saturated fat is associated with lower risk of heart disease and olive oil has been found to reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. Tryptophan found in nuts, seeds, legumes, soybeans and other soy products, tuna, shellfish and turkey is one of ten essential amino acids. The body uses tryptophan to synthesize serotonin which is helpful in regulating appetite, as well as elevating moods and increasing the ability to enjoy beneficial sleep. Coffee, also included in Ikarian diets, has been controversial but of late research credits it with lower rates of diabetes, and heart disease. Basically to summarize, the additional benefits of the Ikarian diet include fewer pesticides, more foods in their natural form and choices that are loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals. There is no mention of packaged and processed foods or beverages.
This wonderful article really got my attention. It ended by the cancer victim showing no further signs of cancer, and returning to the US to ask his doctors if they could explain what happened. When the interviewer asked “What happened?”this former cancer victim replied “My doctors were all dead.”
[Top]What Is The Hydroponics Gardening And How Does It Work
The history of hydroponics is quite interesting as the initial idea was first formulated by Woodward way back in 1699. The theory remained to its books until the 1840’s from which point some Botanists tried to develop the basic system.
The biggest advantage of hydroponics is that it requires little or no land space as does regular farming. Hydroponics water is usually re-circulated saving energy and nutrients needed by the system. This ensures that energy and efficiency is optimum.
Although the history of hydroponics goes back in centuries, hydroponics was known to the wider world during the 70s and 80s. Since the world economy started constant warnings about food crisis around the world, more studies were directed towards producing more crops out of less space and cost. As solutions, there have been number of concepts introduced and hydroponics was chosen as one of the best solution to be implemented commercially.
The arrangements of stacks and the layout of the hydroponics greenhouse play key roles when it comes to reducing the cost. When more vertical stacks are used, the space requirement lowers. This produces the more amount of crop per square meter. When it comes to layouts, the design should adhere to the basic principles of physics.
First of all, the layout should support maximum sunlight intake, so the need of artificial lights can be reduced. Next, the layout should support proper liquid flow, where water based solution is used for giving the required nutrition to the plants. If the flow is designed for the maximum efficiency, the liquid solution can be reused a number of times before it expires.
In hydroponics greenhouses, lighting plays a major role. The plants should be supported with adequate amount of lighting for proper growth of crops. In addition to the sunlight, there should be a mechanism for artificial lighting. Usually, glow lights are used for lighting hydroponics greenhouses artificially. These glow lights are available in different sizes and types. If you have a specific or personalized hydroponics greenhouse, then you can get the lights customized to your requirements as well.
Once the routine of a hydroponics greenhouse is automated, there is no requirement for human intervention. Usually, almost all the commercial hydroponics greenhouses are fully automated, making sure the human labor is only required for supervision purposes. Although the capital investment is quite high for automating a greenhouse, it has a high ROI (Return on Investment) during the years to come.
[Top]How To Fail At Csa Market Gardening
CSA market gardening is a great way to connect farmers and consumers. The farmer receives a good income and guaranteed cashflow, and the consumer gets a steady supply of fresh, local food. But your CSA can fail if you don’t avoid the following mistakes.
CSA market gardening mistake 1: Marketing. Community Supported Agriculture programs typically experience high turnover of customers, especially in the early years. You may lose as many as 40% of your customers each year. This means you need to be continuously marketing to find new customers to replace the losses, and even more if you expect to grow.
Marketing your garden doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive; the first thing to invest in is some good business cards. Cards are a cheap way to promote your market garden. You can print both sides of the card, perhaps using the back of the card as a coupon for new customers.
Mail-out flyers are also an effective marketing tool. Flyers let you target a particular geographic area, and a 1-page 2-sided flyer gives you lots of room to get your message across.
You should also consider creating a website for your market garden; having a web presence is expected of businesses these days. And a well-designed, keyword-focused, content-driven website is your marketing magic weapon, bringing in customers even while you sleep.
CSA market gardening mistake 2: Not growing enough produce. When customers join your CSA, they often pay you in advance for the season. You have to make sure you deliver great value for that payment. This starts with planning.
Since you know how many customers you have, you can plan your garden to make sure you have ample produce for everyone. For example, if you have 50 customers who each want one head of lettuce each week, you need to be able to harvest at least 50 heads. However, not all lettuce seeds germinate. And not all plants successfully grow to produce a harvestable crop. You can lose plants to insects, or disease, or bad weather. So to make sure you will have sufficient produce available, you need to build in a safety factor; that is, plant more than you think you will need. So to get 50 harvestable head of lettuce, you might start by planting 75 seeds; this will give you some allowance for losses.
And you have to take all reasonable means to protect your crop from the perils mentioned above. You need protection against insects, disease, flooding, predatory animals, drought, and storms. It does you no good to grow beautiful vegetables if you lose them before harvest.
CSA market gardening mistake 3: Not growing enough variety. Successful CSA’s grow lots of vegetables, and a large variety of vegetables. There are some good reasons for this: first, your customers will appreciate receiving something different in their delivery boxes each week. The more types of vegetables you grow, the more people you will appeal to.
The second reason to grow a large variety is for security of production. To give an extreme example, if you grew only two vegetables, and you lose one, your garden has lost 50%. On the other hand, if you grow 20 different vegetables and you lose one, you garden is still at 95%.
And finally, you need to grow a large variety of crops to stretch out your season. Different vegetables, and even different types of the same vegetable, mature at different times. The more you grow, the longer your potential season.
CSA market gardening can bring a great benefit to both farmers and consumers, if you avoid these mistakes.
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