Kratky Method

I've been told the Kratky Method is also good for fast growing vegetables like tomatoes.  It's not the right time of year to be growing leafy greens, but I have some heat tolerant varieties that I'm experimenting with in the shade. 

 The Kratky Method appeals to me because it is so easy.  The hydroponic system requires mixing solution on a regular basis, and AP requires monitoring.  Once filled and planted there is nothing else to do with the Kratky Method.  As the solution is used the root grow down a bit further.

The initial solution for this 16-15-32 solution in a 200 litter tank is created by mixing
104 grams Masterblend 4-18-38, 104 grams Ca(NO3)2, and 52 grams MgSo4 in 200 liters of water.

I did not think the Kratky Method would be well suited to tomatoes, but someone left a comment assuring me they also grow well.  I'm growing tomatoes in a 50 gallon hydroponic Dutch Bucket system with a 20-18-38 solution created by mixing
132 grams Masterblend 4-18-38, 132 grams Ca(NO3)2, and 66 grams MgSo4 in 55 gallons of water.
Next summer I may try tomatoes in the Kratky bed.

The units are marked in liters on the Kratky tank and my hydroponic reservoir is marked in gallons so each of the above formulas are stated differently.  The lettuce formula is not as strong as the solution mixed for tomatoes.

After 34 days, I have decided to begin posting the results of this experiment.   Below are photos of the experiment taken every few days.  This experiment was done in the hottest part of summer.  Temperatures reached 111 degrees in the shade where these plants were grown.

Kale Roots Day 34

Lettuce Roots at day 34

For more about mixing the Masterblend fertilizer go to
http://hydro-gardens.com/mixing.htm
The idea for both the hydroponic and Kratky Method came from MHPgardener at http://youtu.be/vYv9iu2NI3M.

Garden Update

It's been a week since I added Epson Salts.  While I don't see significant growth the Epson salts have brought vibrant deep green color to the leaves.

These plants may be a lost cause since they were stunted so young, but I'll continue to observe their recovery.
I am experimenting with 8 different methods of growing.  AP, Bioponics, Bio-Char, Hugelkuture, dirt, Wicking Beds, Hydroponics, and  Kratky Method.  The tomatoes from the wicking beds, hugelkulture, hydroponic and wicking bed systems taste very good.  Given the problems I've recently encountered with my bioponic system it's not fair to judge the taste from that system.

Of all the methods I have come to like wicking beds the best.  Water levels must be maintained, but the reservoir allows one to be less attentive and if the soil web is good the plants take care of themselves..

Compost Tea - Watch Microoganisms Multiply

 I have several experiments that I want to do with my new microscope.  I'm a novice with the microscope so I may make some mistakes. I did not know that I needed microscope slips, so these first videos are a little blurry.

Growth is slow at first, but within minutes the organisms find food, and begin to multiply. This video takes us from the first few minutes after I added molasses and water to 21 hours later. Eventually the food will be used up, and toxic waste will build up. The organisms will die if left in this solution, so it's important to use the tea while they are thriving.

 Using a piece of acetate for a cover slip I examine the sample of compost tea I took five hours earlier.  The slip makes this video clearer than the one I took this morning.  Even though there was no aeration this jar of tea has continued to grow more microorganisms.

This next video is about 30 hours into the brew. I wanted to determine if Neem Flour (a botanical insecticide) will kill beneficial microorganisms and to see what progress they have made since the brew began. I had previously looked at a sample with no neem flour and it looked the same as this sample so I saw no reason to show both..

Neem flour is said to kill non-beneficial nematodes and anthropoids.  My conclusion is that it does not kill many of the microorganisms,  I lack the skill to determine if beneficial or non-beneficial nematodes and anthropoids were killed,but I feel confident that neem flour does not kill all of the microorganisms.

For more information about neem I found these sites to be helpful.
http://www.neemfoundation.org/neem-articles/neem-in-organic-farming/pest-management.html
and
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/229/recipesForOrganicPesticides

I will continue to monitor the microorganisms, and I will post an update for the second part of this experiment which is to determine when the tea begins to get too old to use.  I may also experiment with dilutions and additional molasses to see how long tea can be kept viable.

To eliminate the possibility of anaerobic bacterial I will conduct this experiment again after I get my cover slips, but I will aerate the samples over night rather than simply leave the jars open.  It's unclear to me at this point whether or not the increased microorganisms is due to anaerobic organisms which may be less beneficial to plants.

More about microorganisms: 
These two are good for identification of compost microorganisms
microbeorganics.com/microbeidentifypart1.pdf  
http://microbeorganics.com/microbeidentifypart2.pdf

http://www.microbeorganics.com/
http://www.microbeworld.org/types-of-microbes
http://www.gardeningrhythms.com/preparing-extract-samples/
http://www.youtube.com/user/garendingrhythms/videos
http://www.gardeningrhythms.com/category/composting-for-growing-soil/soil-testing/
http://www.cellimagelibrary.org/browse/organism




 http://www.microbeorganics.com/

Sunscreen

I've lost three friends to melanoma, and I have survived stage 2 melanoma.   The sun is not something to be taken lightly, but what can we do?  We love to garden, and that requires being in the sun.

My solution has been to slather the sunscreen on and wear long sleeves.  At first I thought this was going to be very uncomfortable, but what I've discovered is the cotton long sleeve shirt over a tee shirt actually feels cooler than just a tee shirt alone. Now you know why field workers wear long sleeves and pants in the sun

I have not tried the sun block shirts, or sun drapes, but this is something I will be looking into.  Here are some links.  You may be surprised by the available choices

dus-tshop   (Site Owner is in Chico!)   https://www.facebook.com/dustshirtshop

Sun Drape  

Sun Grubbies

Coolibar

UV Skins

About sunscreen...  The information can be a bit deceptive.  SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor.  Sun screens are screens not blocks, and there is evidence that sun screens do not prevent skin cancer.

SPF ratings over 50 are not any better than 50.  
Currently "Broad Spectrum" does not mean that is offers both UVA and UVB protection, but legislation may change soon.
Waterproof sunscreens wash off, and the product should tell you how often to reapply.  If not use common sense and reapply after about 40 minutes.

Titanium dioxide and zink oxide are physical blockers .  Chemical blockers such as oxybenzone and avobenzone absorb into the skin.  EWG's research suggests that avobenzone is safer than oxybenzone, but the group recommends "sun blockers".

EWG offers a detailed report on titanium dioxide and zink oxide which I feel is worth reading, but the short version is that there is a lack of product information about the particle size which makes product review rather difficult, and there has been very little testing to find out if the nano particles in these products are safe.  But  the group still recommends these blocker which have become nearly invisible on the skin due to nano sized particles unlike the solid white paste which is still available.

So if you are in the sun cover up with clothing and/or a sun block.

I found the following sunblock products that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide

 
I'm amused by Zinka which has chosen to flaunt the discoloration of their non-nano zinc oxide by boasting bold colors.   Team colors anyone?

Fungal Diseases

Green house pest management can be an overwhelming problem; especially in an aquaponic system.  I posted this in my other blog Chicoaquaponic.blogspot.com.  But these fungi are not limited to soil less gardens or greenhouses.



5427594
I'd like to thank Forestry Images for thier wonderfully helpful site.
With great photos to help identify various problems,  microscopic slides and petri dish samples they have made identification much simpler.

Pythium diseases

brown spot

Phytophthora blight Fusarium wilt
blue mold   powdery mildew leaf scorch sour rot
white ear rot and seedling blight of maize bitter rot and anthracnose

Jon Parr and Vlad are some of the best contributors to the aquaponic  forums.
Here's a little advice they have pasted on that I appreciate.

Link to discussion

GH (Green House) pest management has three strategies, and which is best is really open for debate.
1- intentionally low pest security, meaning wide open large screens for honey bees, pests, and pest predators. This works pretty good for lazy folks like myself, especially if you are planting beneficial plants to attract the predators. No fuss about pollination, and no big concern about sterilizing everything.
2- moderate pest security. This one is fine for new greenhouses, and light traffic GH's with cleanly guests. Once a pest gets inside, though, trouble trouble.
3- high security, meaning positive pressure and HEPA filters, thrips screening, humidity and temp control, haz-mat suits and dissinfect routines. Just the thought of all that work spoils my mood, but is probably the smartest long term plan for commercial use.

I'm a low security type guy. Address the pest directly. Mold? Increase airflow and temp, decrease humidity. Spider mites, fungus gnats, white flies, aphids? Allow predators, spray with tea, nuke them with CO2. Nasturtiums are awesome for the garden by the way; trap crop or aphids, pest predator magnets, repel white fly and spider mites. Yep. And borage, and multicropping.

 Vlad Jovanovic
Link to discussion.

You can use the 'ol 3-5% oil + 0.5% dish washing detergent remedy...works well but you have to be real careful to get as little of the concoction into your system and take measure to cover up your FT to protect from overspray. And even this low % of oil will burn pepper plants if you have any...won't damage them beyond repair or anything, just don't be freaked out by the necrotic lesions that will be left on their leaves. peppers seem especially sensitive to this type of treatment.
A better/easier/more fish safe bet might be a naturally occurring fungus called Beauvaria bassiana that will take care of a whole host of common garden pests...spider mites included (and then some). B. bassiana can be purchased under the trade names Botaniguard, Naturalis-L or Mycotrol-O the later two being ok'd by OMRI...and more importantly it is fish safe (unlike any kind of oils or most soaps).
Whatever you spray with make sure to repeat after 3 or 4 days...then again after 3 or 4 days...and then once more...since most of these sprays wont kill the eggs that they've laid...so make sure you get the bastards that have hatched...and spray the under-sides of the leaves...Good luck. Spider mites are a royal PITA.

Here is a link to another in depth discussion about Botrytis cineria and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Botrytis blight 
Sclerotinia rot

Propagating Plants From Cuttings

I like powder rather than liquid because it seems easier to deal with, but logically I don't know why I feel that way.  I don't think there is a great deal of difference between brands or between powders and gels for that matter.

Willow tree cuttings among my other cuttings provide a bit of acetylsalicylic acid which  promote root growth, but care must be taken as they can take over the media as they are prolific rooters.

Willow tree cuttings among your other cuttings provide a bit of acetylsalicylic acid which will promote root growth, but be careful not to let them take over the media as they are prolific rooters.

My advice is don't worry about failure, just go for it, and enjoy those plants that succeed.
Take a cutting with at least 4 leaf nodes. Cut at a 45 degree angle below the bottom node with clean snips (I use 3% H2O2).  Dip in hormones and bruise the skin with a small scarape near the bottom cut to increase the odds of success.   Strip off most of the leaves, and cut back larger leaves. Dunk in hormones and place the stick into the Perlite. Wait for new growth and transplant.

The chemical name for the auxin naturally produced by a plant is indole-3-acetic acid ("IAA") which is synthesized by the plant from the amino acid L-tryptophan. Auxins have a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in the plant's life cycle and are essential for plant body development.  It was first isolated and identified in 1934, by the scientist F.W. Went at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

After the discovery of IAA, two synthetic auxins, indole-3-butyric acid ("IBA") and naphthaleneacetic acid ("NAA"), were discovered in 1935 to have the same functions as IAA and to be more effective in rooting stem cuttings. Later it was shown that IBA is also a naturally occurring substance in pants. Also both have been shown to be more stable than IAA.  

As a result IBA and NAA are the active ingredients in most commercially available rooting hormone products.

When used correctly, it dramatically increases the odds of success with propagation.  It can be used on ornamental plants, as well as corms and bulbs.Many plant hormone products also contain fungicide.

Rooting hormone is a hazardous material. Some manufacturers recommend against using rooting hormone on food plants.Do not dispose of excess rooting hormone in areas where it can contaminate water supplies or soil.It should be treated like any bioactive chemical and disposed of in a solid waste facility.

For more:
http://scvrs.homestead.com/RootingHormones.html 

June 5th Systems Comparison

It's been exactly 30 days since I made my last walk around video.  This is a comparison to show the growth that occurred during that time.

Hydroponic Tomatoes 44" with 3" fruit

 Notice the dark green leaves.  The Hydroponic Tomatoes are doing better than any other system

Hugelkulture Tomatoes 44" with 3" fruit

 These tomatoes planted in an immature hugelkulture bed are slightly less green.  Nitrogen may be unavailable due to the mulberry buried below the compost top soil, but I have no complaint. They are doing well.   It will take several years for the mulberry to rot and provide a water supply for this garden.

Bioponics Tomatoes 34" with no fruit

 These tomatoes in the boiponic grow beds are smaller and not as dark green as the Hydroponic tomatoes in the background.  The pH has been maintained at 6.5 - 7.0 and the nitrates levels have been maintained above 5ppm.  I have occasionally added some Azomite for trace minerals to prevent chlorosis.  Yesterday I added Fe-DTPA-chelate.  Prior to this I was using EDTA chelate.

Last summer the bioponic system did very well, and I expect this plant will too.  The general health looks good and there has been no chlorosis, but when compared to the hydoponic and the hugelkulture systems I don't think it is doing quite as well.

Wicking Bed - I don't see any fruit on this one,  but it was planted late..

Wicking Bed - Can you see the big green toms?

Wicking Bed / Cherry Tomatoes 66" with lots of  fruit

Overall I would say the hydroponic tomatoes look best, but the wicking bed tomatoes are right there with them.
Here are some pictures from 30 days ago for comparison

Bioponic

Hydroponic

Looking from the opposite direction this arrow points at the hugelkulture tomato (second image down)

"The Dovecote Loft" pigeon loft design.

Dovecotes are a great addition to any small farm (and possibly your backyard too). Keeping doves is like keeping chickens, in a way, except there’s minimal feeding involved if you take the traditional approach. The doves fly off every morning, forage within their natural radius, and come home each night to roost.

And when they come home, they deliver to the floor of the dovecote free nutrients, in the form of guano. So firstly there’s free fertilizer, with no feeding costs. Secondly. if you’re that way inclined, there’s a seasonal supply of dove eggs, and squabs. Wild protein, delivered to your door. - Milkwood

Do You Know Your Garden Insects?

Don't get these confused 

Squash Bugs- Bad

Damsel Bugs - Good

Damsel Bugs really love to live near alfalfa fields

Colorado Potato Bug

Cucumber Beetle - 1

Cucumber Beetle -2

Mexican Bean Beetle

Beneficial Lady Bugs

Learn to associate the moths in your area 
with the caterpillar

.  You have most likely seen these moths.  Here is the association.

Cabbage Loopers

There are simply too many moths and caterpillars to show them all,  But this site has an amazing collection of images.   http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery

 

Should we kill it?

The white cocoons of the parasitic braconid wasps (Hymenoptera) hangs on the back of this tobacco hornworm. It would probably be better to let this one live in order to let the braconid wasps hatch.  I don't want to get into pest management but plant pollen and nectar producing plants attract Braconid Wasps.  So plant flowers for a beautiful garden defense.

Swallowtail Butterfly

Swallowtail caterpillar

Swallowtail caterpillars are beneficial insects; however, if you are a parsley farmer, you may have a different opinion!  Caterpillars forage heavily on their host plants, but they also serve as a food source for songbirds and other wildlife.  After their metamorphosis into butterflies, they become pollinators, which is important because one-third of the world’s cultivated crops depend upon the work of pollinators like butterfly and bees.  In addition, butterflies are beneficial to humans for their aesthetic qualities.  Many species are brightly colored and so capture the attention and marvel of many people.  Just watching the whimsical flight of butterflies is enough to lift the spirits!  - Joseph 

The Bug Guide is a good site for insect identification

The less pesticides you use, the more beneficial bugs you will see in your garden.
More flowers bring more beneficial bugs.
Malicious insects don't like healthy plants.
Use compost tea with molasses, essential micro-nutrients, and grow your soil.
Attract Soldier Beetles with goldenrod, hydrangeas, catnip or milkweed in your garden.

Soldier Beetles

UC Davis has very good information about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/index.html

 and

IPM Images is my favorite!