May 102013
Hydroponic Handbook: How Hydroponic Growing Systems Work
Hydroponic Handbook describes how the 6 commonly used hydroponic growing methods work, how to prepare and use nutrient solution formulations that will ensure plant nutrient element sufficiency, and how these hydroponic growing methods can be utilized under varying environmental growing conditions. The material is presented in a format that can be easily followed and understood by the professional grower and beginner.
List Price: $ 19.95
Price: $ 15.16
Excellent,
This was an excellent resource for my daughter for her science fair project. The information is detailed and easy to understand for a junior high student.
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|A must book on hydroponics,
Divided into five parts, this book evaluates six hydroponic methods in common use today. It also includes information on how to formulate and use nutrient solutions to meet plant requirements. The author includes historic formulations including Haogland, Arnon and Steiner, as well as specific formulations for a range of vine crops grown in NFT, rockwool and drip irriation systems.
The section on the use of chelates will be of interest to many growers. Dr Jones writes that the use of chelated forms of the micronutrients Cu, Mn, Fe and Zn, but particularly for Fe, is a questionable practice.
“Being in a chelated form will not ensure `availability’, but may actually interfere with root absorption and plant utilisation,” he writes.
He goes on to explain that ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can be toxic to plants, and therefore some formulations use another chelate, diaminetriaminetetraacetic acid (DTPA), not thought to be toxic to plants.
“Although chelated forms for the micronutrients have proven of value based on certain soil conditions, particularly in alkaline and organic soils and organic soilless rooting media, their use in hydroponic nutrient solutions is not justified in terms of improved availability,” he writes.
The author reasons that when adding a chelate to a mix of elements in solution, the stability of the initial chelate will depend on the concentration of the other ions in solution as well as the solution pH, which in turn, can significantly reduce the `chelate effect’, therefore losing the benefit of the chelated form of the element, which was the basis for its selection. Dr Jones lists inorganic alternatives for iron.
The author is considered an authority on applied plant physiology and the use of analytical methods for assessing the nutrient solution status of rooting media and plants as a means for ensuring plant nutrient element sufficiency in both soil and soilless crop production settings. At various times he has served as a director of several universities and commercial soil and plant analysis laboratories, and still serves as an advisor for two such laboratories. So, it’s difficult to ignore this book. The author is sharing his wealth of experience and knowledge that will benefit commercial growers and serious home gardeners.
The author has managed to cram a lot of information into a small handbook and simplified the `chemistry’ with tables, illustrations and photographs. This will be a much sought-after publication by hydroponic practitioners. At a good price of US$19.95, the book is available from Amazon (www.amazon.com). It is also available as an e-version using Amazon’s Kindle Reader.
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