Oganic Hydroponics

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I must also be honest and state that two "control" plants—raised in pure worm castings, with no water at all?grew just as well as any of the hydroponic plants, including those which received the commercial solution. (This may provide an alternative for those who object to the hydroponic concept.)

In general, vegetables raised in the commercial solution grew slightly faster than the organic?solution plants, but not significantly so. Actually, the most striking difference between the two was that the organic?solution plants did not wilt during the hottest part of the day, while plants raised with the commercial solution almost always wilted! (We observed this phenomenon on a daily basis, so it isn't a figment of our imaginations.) Bear in mind that all the plants were being raised in a greenhouse, and that during the time of the experiment summer of 1975?the inside temperatures often went over 100° F conditions which would make any self-respecting plant wilt! Within five minutes of being fed the organic nutrient solution, however, all wilt symptoms disappeared (the same as when you water wilting plants in the garden or in pots).

It isn't possible, of course, to explore exhaustively the subject of organic hydroponic techniques in these pages. A complete treatment of this matter will appear in our forthcoming ecosystem book. What I've outlined here, though, should be enough to get you started. There are many, many experiments yet to be made and different nutrient solutions yet to be tried. We feel we've only just begun.

Lawrence Weiss, in The Tribal Messenger, pretty well sums up the way it is with this fascinating field: "Remember that there is no 'correct way' to do anything in hydroponic farming. Experiments and experience will always be your best guides. One reason hydroponic farming is so much fun is [that] everyone does it differently."

FISH TANK WATER AND PLANTS: ANOTHER VIEW

The marriage of aquaculture with hydroponics is a "natural" . . . or so it would seem. As James DeKorne points out, however, plants raised hydroponically in fish tank effluent seldom grow very well.

Why? Author DeKorne hints at one possible answer when he suggests in his article that aquaculture runoff be used as a starter fluid "not as a complete plant food by itself". The implication, of course, being that fish tank water alone won't support plant growth because it doesn't contain all the nutrients that plants need.

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