Re: Hydroponics Organically (Doreen Howard)

**T* A* <t*@growingedge.com>**

Dorren,

The hydro-stacker units are quite efficient at growing strawberries.  
Many commercial operations are going to them. They grow the same  
amounts of berries in about a 1/5 of the space. You probably know  
this, but make sure you use day neutral strawberry plants and you will  
have great berries all summer and fall until the first frost.

We have used aerated compost tea made out of Alaska Humus, worm  
castings, kelp meal and a little humic acid. The key is to use freshly  
brewed tea. It doesn't stay alive past 18-24 hours.

We have also used bottled organic mixtures in a nutrient holding tank.  
Since you are feeding everytime you water I would use it less than the  
instructions say you should use.

All winter and spring we have growin in our office window five basil  
plants with the organic nutrients in a nutrient flow or film system.  
No growing medium at all, the roots are bathed in the nutrient rich  
solution that is switched on and off by a timer hooked to the water  
pump. They grow to harvestable height in about 23-25 days after  
putting the transplants in. We have it in a south window with a 400  
watt halide light two feet above the plants.

I still grow traditionally in soil on our four acres. In fact, I have  
to go out now and plant around 125 each of peppers and tomatoes in the  
ground.

Tom Alexander
tom@growingedge.com
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