Commercial hydroponics can be extremely expensive, given the technological complexity and supplies required for a successful crop. The biggest costs are usually related with the initial setup but subsequent crops can also become very expensive, especially if you are using boutique fertilizers or additives that can get very expensive very quickly. Today I want to talk about five ways in which you can save money in a hydroponic crop from a crop-cycle perspective.
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Avoid buying liquid concentrates as fertilizers. Liquid fertilizers have some intrinsic advantages ' like their homogeneity ' but they contain a lot of water, which means that you will need to ship more than one pound of water for every pound of fertilizer you get. This will increase the cost of the fertilizer significantly, even if you're buying fertilizers in bulk for a commercial crop. When buying single bulk or blended fertilizers make sure you always buy solids to greatly save on these costs.
Prepare your own blend of fertilizers for macro nutrients. The most complicated part of fertilizer preparation usually deals with the micronutrient portion of fertilizers, if you want to be as simple and cost efficient as possible you can actually buy this portion ' some companies specifically sell the micro part ' and then prepare all the macro fertilizer blends yourself. You can then hire a consultant or read the scientific literature to get a formulation you can then use to prepare your macro portion from bulk commercially available fertilizers (which are extremely cheap).
Prepare your own foliar treatments. Foliar spraying can greatly reduce problems and increase crop yields, so it is usually a no-brainer to make sure you use foliar sprays within your crop cycle. Some of these foliar additives can be very expensive though, but it can be very cheap for you to prepare your own additives if you have the proper know-how.
Use a recirculating nutrient system. Drain-to-waste nutrient setups are extremely wasteful. If you want to have a crop that is as cheap to run as possible you will need to go to a proper recirculating setup. Once you do this you will be able to use your recirculating solutions for weeks before having to carry out a nutrient change and, even then, there are some techniques that might allow you to keep your nutrient solution for even longer. Imagine if you only needed to prepare/change nutrients once every blue moon.
Make sure you use silicon additives. Many growers fail to use silicate containing additives within their crops and generally suffer from a far greater chance of having losses due to fungi. Potassium silicate is extremely cheap and with it you can make your own silicon containing additive that you can use to greatly fortify your crop against fungal disease. A small additional expense can save you a lot of loss and heartache down the line. You can a save a lot of money by avoiding commercial hydroponic silicate products and instead making your own silicate additive yourself from potassium silicate.
When implemented, the above changes can help a commercial operation save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in nutrients, additives and crop losses. Even only implementing a couple of the above can help a mid sized operation save a ton of money in just fertilizer if, for example, in-house macro fertilizers are used, or if a recirculating system with proper nutrient management is established.
Of course, the above steps are not trivial so I would recommend anyone attempting to do them for the first time to get someone with experience in the hydroponic industry to guide their hand through the process. That could either be me or any other highly experienced consultant in the field of commercial hydroponic growing and nutrients management. If you have enough time and the inclination to do so you could also try to learn the above things yourself from scientific literature and online resources, but if you choose to do so I would advice you try to implement what you learn in smaller crops before scaling to larger projects.
This article is courtesy of Sunset Magazine.
Fertilizer sections at nurseries, garden centers, and supply stores dazzle the gardener.
The shelves are piled with boxes and bottles, the floors covered with bags stacked high. Labels identify the package contents as 'rose food' or 'vegetable food,' 'lawn fertilizer' or 'general-purpose fertilizer.' In some stores, you'll find bins filled with bone meal, blood meal, or hoof-and-horn meal ' all labeled 'natural fertilizer.' Choosing the right products to keep your plants healthy can often be a bit confusing.
Understanding N-P-K
Regardless of its type, any fertilizer you buy will come with information about the nutrients it contains. Prominently featured will be the N-P-K ratio, the percentage the product contains by volume of nitrogen (chemical symbol N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A 16-16-16 fertilizer, for example, contains 16% nitrogen, 16% phosphorus, and 16% potassium. A 25-4-2 formulation contains 25% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus, and 2% potassium.
All fertilizers contain at least one of these components; if any is missing, the ratio will show a zero for that nutrient (a 12-0-0 fertilizer contains nitrogen but no phosphorus or potassium, for instance). Boxed, bagged, and bottled products display the N-P-K ratio on the label. For fertilizers sold in bulk from self-serve bins, the ratio is noted on the bin; for future reference, be sure to write the information on the bags you fill and bring home.
COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE FERTILIZERS
A fertilizer containing all three major nutrients is called a complete fertilizer; a product that supplies only one or two of them is an incomplete fertilizer. Using a complete fertilizer for every garden purpose seems sensible, but in fact it isn't always the best choice. If the soil contains sufficient phosphorus and potassium and is deficient only in nitrogen (as is often the case), you can save money by using an incomplete fertilizer that provides nitrogen alone (ammonium sulfate, for example). In some instances, complete fertilizers can even harm a plant. Exotic, bright-blossomed proteas, for example, will not tolerate excess phosphorus: they 'glut' themselves on it and then die.
The inexpensive soil test kits sold at garden centers can give you a rough idea of the nutrients available in various parts of your garden; for a more detailed evaluation, you may want to pay for a professional analysis. By revealing which nutrients may be lacking, such tests can help you choose an appropriate fertilizer.
GENERAL AND SPECIAL-PURPOSE FERTILIZERS
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The various products labeled 'general-purpose fertilizers' contain either equal amounts of each major nutrient (N-P-K ratio 12-12-12, for example) or a slightly higher percentage of nitrogen than of phosphorus and potassium (such as a 12-8-6 product). Such fertilizers are intended to meet most plants' general requirements throughout the growing season.
Special-purpose fertilizers, on the other hand, are formulated for specific needs. They're aimed at the gardener who wants a particular combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for certain plants or garden situations. These fertilizers are of three general types.
One type, used during the period of active growth, contains largely nitrogen. Such products, with N-P-K ratios such as 16-6-4, are often used in spring, when you want to encourage lush growth or green up your lawn.
Another type is meant to stimulate root growth, stem vigor, and flower and fruit production. Fertilizers of this sort contain little nitrogen and higher levels of phosphorus and potassium; the N-P-K ratio may be 3-20-20, for example. These products are applied at different times and in different ways, depending on what you want to achieve. When you prepare a new planting area, for instance, you'll work a dry granular fertilizer of this sort deeply into the soil, putting the phosphorus and potassium where roots can absorb them. The nutrients help strengthen the new plants' developing stems and encourage the growth of a dense network of roots.
To promote flower production and increase the yields of fruit or vegetable crops, you apply the same sort of fertilizer to established plants after they've completed their first flush of growth. You can use either dry granules, scratching them lightly into the soil, or apply a liquid formula with a watering can or a hose-end applicator.
A third group of fertilizers is designed for use on specific plants. These feature the N-P-K ratios determined to elicit the best performance from the particular plant, as well as other elements proven valuable to that plant. Such fertilizers are named according to the plant they're intended to nourish. Especially useful are formulas for citrus trees and acid-loving plants such as camellia and rhododendron.
Recently, other such plant-specific fertilizers have appeared on nursery shelves, each claiming to be the best choice for a certain plant or group of plants; you may see several sorts of 'tomato food' or 'flower fertilizer,' for example. The jury is still out on the benefit of many of these products, and you will often do just as well to use a general-purpose type. The main distinction is often the price: the 'special' formulas are usually costlier than general-purpose kinds.
SYNTHETIC AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
Some fertilizers are manufactured in the laboratory, while others are derived from natural sources. Each has certain advantages.
Synthetic fertilizers. These products are derived from the chemical sources listed on the product label. They're faster acting than organic kinds and provide nutrients to plants quickly, making them a good choice for aiding plants in severe distress from nutrient deficiencies. Synthetic fertilizers are sold both as dry granules to be applied to the soil and as dry or liquid concentrates to be diluted in water before application. In dry form, they're usually less expensive than their organic counterparts. In some of the dry granular types (those known as controlled-release fertilizers), the fertilizer granules are coated with a permeable substance; with each watering, a bit of fertilizer diffuses through the coating and into the soil. Depending on the particular product, the nutrient release may last anywhere from 3 to 8 months.
Some synthetic products are packaged for special purposes; you'll find spikes and tabs for container plants, for example.
Note that synthetic fertilizers usually do not contain any of the secondary or micronutrients ' but in most cases, these nutrients are already present in the soil. If a test indicates that some are missing, look for a fertilizer that provides them.
Organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are derived from the remains of living organisms; blood meal, bone meal, cottonseed meal, and fish emulsion are just a few of the many available types. Organic fertilizers release their nutrients slowly: rather than dissolving in water, they're broken down by bacteria in the soil, providing nutrients as they decompose. Because these fertilizers act slowly, it's almost impossible to kill lawns or plants by applying too much (overdosing with synthetics, in contrast, can have potentially fatal results). Some manufacturers combine a variety of organic products in one package, then offer them for general-purpose or specialized use.
Two commonly used soil amendments ' compost and manure ' have some nutritive value and can be used as part of an organic fertilizing program. The N-P-K ratio of compost varies from 1.5-.5-1 to 3.5-1-2. Chicken manure's N-P-K ratio ranges from 3-2.5-1.5 to 6-4-3; that of steer manure is usually a little less than 1-1-1.
Fertilizers containing seaweed are gaining favor with many gardeners. Besides providing nutrients in a form immediately available to plants, seaweed contains mannitol, a compound that enhances absorption of nutrients already in the soil, and various hormones that stimulate plant growth. And the carbohydrates in seaweed break down rapidly, nourishing soil-dwelling bacteria that fix nitrogen and make it available to plant roots.
Mixed with water and sprayed directly on foliage, seaweed-containing fertilizers can have dramatic effects in a matter of days. Plants green up and begin to produce new growth, and those that are weak stemmed and straggly straighten up and become stronger.
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