horticulture RSS

Do you want big yields, big plants and less work? Check out this method of growing using the new AutoPot PlantSkirt method for unrivalled simplicity and plant growth.

Demystifying Lumens, Lux and PAR LED lights require new thinking about the way we measure light for use by plants. The typical rating most growers are familiar with is the “lumen.” The definition of the lumen is the total light produced within the range of the human visual response. It tells us nothing about the distribution of that light energy over the spectrum, and most importantly, it doesn’t tell us how much is useful for plants. The problem with lumens is especially pronounced when measuring light at the far ends of the human visual response curve. Consider three lamps—red, green...

Grow it yourself: chilli pepper Did you know that Europeans only came into contact with the chilli pepper after Columbus discovered America? Since then, over 3,000 registered species have been developed. Of these, five are widely cultivated: Capsicum annum,Capsicum chinense, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum frutescens and Capsicumpubescens. All have their own special characteristics.  Capsicum annum: Annuum means annual, but strictly speaking this is incorrect since under the right conditions, these chilli plants can be kept for years. This variety of chilli is the easiest to grow. Most common chillies belong to this variety: Bell Pepper (paprika),jalapeño, cayenne pepper, Serrano and all 'waxed' peppers. The...

When should you use hydroponics? There are many different types of soil that you can choose from as you begin to design your garden. The amount of space you have set aside to grow your plants is an important factor in deciding which soil to go with. If you have a limited amount of land on which to plant, then hydroponics may just be for you. The unique thing about hydroponics is that it only requires water to grow plants - no soil is needed. Soil-less gardening delivers the nutrients needed by plants to grow in a more direct manner than...

DIY Home Hydroponics Are you excited about what you've read so far about hydroponic gardening? Ready to start you own hydroponic garden and put theory into practice? Here, we'll compare the benefits and drawbacks to the different types of hydroponics system, and we'll discuss what kinds of plants can be grown at home using these systems. When designing a home hydroponics system, it's generally recommended that a medium be used. This tends to support the use of either a flood and rain or wick system. While a wick system is incredibly cheap and simple to use, it's hard to modify...