11 March 2011 | TomatoCare
Almost all of us grow plants in soil. It’s just normal because it is the traditional approach of growing plants and the majority of growers use such methods. However, plants can actually be grown without having to use a soil at all. How is that possible? It is a technology called hydroponics. Hydroponic system or simply hydroponics is a method of growing plants which uses mineral nutrient solutions in water in replacement of soil. It was in the 19th century that the hydroponic system first started. However, growing plants in the absence of soil was first documented in the 1627 book Sylva Sylvarum by Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientists have found out that the essential mineral nutrients needed by plants are absorbed in the form of inorganic ions. These inorganic ions are present in water. This signifies that soil just acts as the nutrient holder and therefore has nothing to do with plant survival in its own right. Plants are only able to absorb the mineral in the soil when it dissolves in water. The soil then becomes useless when the right nutrient has already been absorbed by the plants. Almost all terrestrial plants could grow using hydroponic systems. Through hydroponics, terrestrial plants can grow with their roots just planted in the mineral solution only. Inert mediums such as coconut husk, gravel or mineral wool may also be used.
Hydroponic systems can be very beneficial. With the technology, it is now possible for anyone to grow plants anywhere convenient. Hydroponically grown plants grow faster than their conventional counterparts. This makes sense because the soil itself is at risk of diseases, poor structure, pests and salinity among other negative aspects, so pest and disease infestations as well as weeds are reduced. In hydroponics, the roots are easily able to take in the right nutrients in the right quantities; no chance of overfeeding plants with nutrients. A hydroponic system is a nature friendly system to as it promotes the proper use of water and fertilizer. Fertilizers in the system can also be recycled. Pollution caused by pesticides is lessened since the use of pesticides is reduced.
Although hydroponic systems appear to be an ideal way of planting, there are downsides. The system can be quite pricey, especially for first timers, setting up requires a lot of work too. The environment that the system needs is known to be stimulating for salmonella growth an pathogen attacks have also been reported. When fertilizing, care should be exercised as the plant roots could get burned from too concentrated a solution. The hydroponic system is not suitable for everyone.
Hydroponic systems may not be the a perfect solution. But needless to say, the system’s advantages outweigh its pitfalls. The drawbacks are actually avoidable if proper research and strict planning are carried out. Hydroponics would only work for people who are disciplined and are willing to put in hard work. Whereas, those who are not willing to make an investment, both financially and in time, should definitely not try the system as their effort would just go to waste.
27 June 2009 | BrianRS
Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter – How to Properly Hang Your Planters
By Christine Pinkston
If you are going to use the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter for your gardening needs this year then you need to read this first. Properly hanging your planter will make the difference between having a easy to care for tomato crop or a disaster on your hands.
Hanging the upside down tomato planter can be a bit tricky. You will need to make sure that you have a great support system in place because after the plant starts to grow and you have wet dirt the planter will get very heavy, around seventy pounds.
This is especially important if you have kids or animals as they both tend to get into things they are not supposed to. Making sure it is properly supported won’t be a problem as long as you do one of two things.
If you are only planning on using one planter then your best bet is to just go to your local hardware store and buy a more durable hook to hang your planter on. Make sure it can hold up to eighty pounds to give yourself a little leeway. This is a very inexpensive fix and will help your planter stay in the air where it is supposed to be.
The other alternative is for if you plan on using more then one planter.
If you plan on buying multiple Topsy Turvy Tomato Planters then you should build yourself a wooden frame to hang them up on. This will take you about two hours to build and if you are anything like me you will already have the wood laying around your house.
Just build a nice sturdy square or rectangular frame to put in your yard. Don’t worry to much about how professional it looks because when the plants start taking off it is going to look very nice. Because the plants grow upwards it will not only cover a lot of the wood but it will be stunning to look at.
If you don’t like the idea of just having a wooden frame in your yard or up against your house grab some extra paint you have laying around and give it a few coats.
The Topsy Turvy Planters last a long time so one afternoon of work will provide you years of joy so go ahead and spend a few extra minutes sprucing up your frame.
Are you ready to make your vegetable gardening easier?
If you are ready to make your gardening easier with the Topsy Turvy Planter click Topsy Turvy Planter to get the best deal online.
Topsy Turvy Planter
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Pinkston
http://EzineArticles.com/?Topsy-Turvy-Upside-Down-Tomato-Planter—How-to-Properly-Hang-Your-Planters&id=2192574
26 June 2009 | BrianRS
Tomato Cages – Buy Or Make Tomato Cages?
By J Ruppel
Many folks like to build their own tomato cages. There are a few advantages to making your own cages. If you buy materials like a roll of chicken wire or reinforcing wire, the cost for several cages is much lower than buying individual cages, unless you buy them in bulk.
The most common way to build tomato cages is to use either a chicken wire fence or concrete reinforcing wire. You can find either of these with a mesh that’s large enough to put your hand through, which will allow easy harvesting of the tomatoes when the time comes. The fencing is looped back on itself in a way that forms a large tube, which is set over the tomato plant and it grows up inside the cage. With this approach there is not as much need to tie up and prune the plant, the plants will just climb through the holes and naturally support themselves.
Another way to build cages is to use PVC pipes. These can be very durable and sturdy, as you can glue up a permanent structure. Alternatively, if you just snug the parts together it will often be sturdy enough, but will easily disassemble for storage, which is one of the biggest problems with tomato cages. And many people will make cages from wood, although those tend to not last as long.
There are other similar techniques like the Japanese tomato ring (which is actually an American invention) that combine a large home made ring with some intensive gardening techniques to boost the yields of your tomato garden. This is not something you will find you can do with a commercially produced tomato cage.
Another common way to support tomatoes is to build a trellis with a pipe that runs along the row of tomatoes and then strings are tied to it and the other end of the string is anchored in the ground near the tomato plant. Then the tomatoes are tied to the string and they can grow as high as they like and just climb the string.
But one advantage to buying tomato cages or supports is the wide difference in how the problem of supporting a tomato plant is approached. You can find some that are simple cages, with 3 or 4 rings in an expanding radius as you move to the top. There are some spirals that are simply stuck in the ground, and the tomato plant is tied to it as they grow. Simple plastic or bamboo stakes are often used.
There are square tomato cages, that are actually four sections of mesh that form a small square, but have the advantage of unhooking and folding flat for storage. The are 3 sided versions of this same basic idea as well.
Of course, if you are using a hanging tomato planter, then the whole problem of which cage to use is not an issue, as there is no need for tomato cages for plants that are hanging from a container. There are other advantages to hanging planters as well…
Learn more about the different types of tomato cages, along with some tips on making tomato cages, hanging tomato planters and all sorts of articles on gardening at howtogardenguide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Ruppel
http://EzineArticles.com/?Tomato-Cages—Buy-Or-Make-Tomato-Cages?&id=2204488
