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Hydroponics - Indoor HorticultureHydroponics - Indoor Horticulture represents an educational, in-depth,
up-to-date,
indoor horticultural growers guide that covers all principles of indoor Hydroponics - Indoor Horticulture examines, explores, dissects and
presents a fully comprehensive step by step growers guide, relating
to all and every aspect of indoor hydroponic horticulture, with complete
chapters on plant biology, propagation, hydroponic systems, nutrients,
oxygen, carbon dioxide enrichment, pH, biological pest control, fungi/disease,
cuttings/clones, pruning/training, breeding, harvesting, equipment,
grow rooms, a full history of hydroponics, and more. |
(Below
follows a one page sample taken from the book)Fungus Flies (Sciarids) (aka Fungus Gnat or fly) Adult sciarids are 3-4 mm in length and resemble black midge-like flies. They can be seen hopping or hovering over the soil surface. Young sciarids are small white maggots with black heads, are 4-6 mm in length and are visible in the first few millimetres of soil. Preferred Host PlantsThe flies prefer rotting vegetable matter including peat compost, especially if it’s damp. When the population has increased sufficiently, they will attack living plants, especially seedlings, and all kinds of rooted cuttings and cacti. DiagnosisSeedlings are eaten at the base of the stem, at or just below soil level. Roots of cuttings are consumed, and damaged plants may rot. Life CycleFemales are attracted to the stench of rotting vegetable matter, including damp, warm, peat compost, particularly if algae is growing on it. The eggs are laid on the upper layer of the soil, and despite adults having a short lifespan, one female can produce between 100-300 eggs a week. The |
maggots hatch and eat the
rotting vegetable matter and sometimes seedlings and cuttings. The entire
cycle lasts about 4 weeks at 20°C and sciarids can infest grow rooms
at any time of the year. They can also be present outdoors, so reinfestation
of clean grow rooms can occur at any time.
Biological Pest ControlNematodesThese tiny eelworms are supplied in a carrier medium mixed with water to form a suspension. They are only visible by magnification. Life CycleThe nematodes swim in the moisture that envelops the growing medium. They search for the sciarid larvae and gain access into them via body apertures. The intestines of the nematode carries bacteria and when these are unleashed inside the maggot, death occurs within 48 hours. The nematodes then breed inside the dead maggot, thereby releasing more nematodes into the growing medium. ProcedureThe nematodes and carrier material suspension are diluted and watered onto the surfaces of the affected areas. The growing medium must be kept damp in order for the nematodes to move around in the soil. Treatments to growing media may need to be administered frequently, that is to say, every 6-8 weeks to ensure the population does not increase to damaging proportions again. Nematodes can be stored for short periods of up to 4 weeks in a refrigerator, but will perish if frozen or dried out. This is a harmless biological control to other beneficial insects, to plants, humans and other animals. To ensure that infestation by sciarids is kept to a minimum, compost should be kept slightly drier and any dead plant matter should be disposed of on a regular basis. |
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hydroponic horticulture and gardening. This book contains 110,000 words,
with over 300 diagrams, pictures, illustrations, graphs, tables, 3 dimensional
CAD renderings, and is printed in full colour.