The market offers a wide range of products to choose from when it comes to nutrients for hydroponics.

So much choice creates doubt the doubt:

What hydroponic fertilizer you choose? What works best?

The answer clearly depends on the type of cultivation, or more specifically by what type of plant you are cultivating in hydroponics and in what system. If fact, many fertilizers are designed for general use and are perfect for less demanding plants or for different types of hydroponic plant within the same system or environment, others are formulated for specific varieties, such as orchids or chili, or yet the plants to develop very fast.

Once you choose a good nutritious, suited our needs, we are therefore free from deficiencies?

And if our plants we show a lack of an element means that our hydroponic fertilizer is wrong, or is of poor quality?

Not necessarily. Indeed, both situations are unlikely.

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The use of neon in the indoor cultivation is widespread, thanks to the undoubted benefits it offers.
The small space, low cost, minimal power consumption, the cold light features are definitely useful and practical information that can be indispensable allies of the grower.

There is no professional who has not a good set of neon to make cuttings or maintenance of mother plants, or often even to support the growth phase.
A good ceiling light, fitted with a pair of tubes, it can also save the fate of a cycle of cultivation in case something goes wrong, maybe the weekend, with the lighting system in use.
But if over the years the neon lights have always been good allies to support the various HPS or CLF, is now possible to completely entrust their plants, from seed to flower.

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Building a growroom. Help on Drillbit Instructable.com

Freely translated from the original: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Grow-Box-From-A-to-Z/

Written by Drillbit

The growbox, or Dark Room is in practice a sort of wardrobe was built to host in the house plants that need a controlled environment for growth.
Specific lighting, climate default and ease of management are not easily obtained by simply placing plants in a room, not to mention the aesthetic impact.
On the other hand a common wardrobe is decidedly inadequate to the task. Here is a guide to build a small house (152x61x61) growbox DIY.
To design the project, there is a free and simple to use, Google Sketch up, downloadable at this address: http://sketchup.google.com/

The materials needed are these:

-Fiberboard of wood, medium density (one inexpensive, lightweight, made up of chipped reassembled, similar to chipboard. The original measurements are in inches. For your convenience it is convenient to review the scale in centimeters so as to work with numbers round).

You can buy the Brico or other similar stores, requiring already cut to fit your needs.
. 2 front panels: 33.83 × 125.27
. 2 Sides: 60.96 × 152.4
. 2 panels upper / lower: 60.96 × 33.83
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What better time to renew your grow room?

Back from vacation, once the summer heat, it's time for cleaning and tidying.

For reliable operation the area of ​​cultivation must always be kept in better hygiene, and a nice deep cleaning between cycles and the other is definitely a good idea.

If you have the reflective cloth to remove it and clean even under the walls if possible. Then you can reapply it or replace it with the towel again to the traditional or silver .

Attention to the growing media. A substrate reused or excessively dirty or maybe full of nutrient solution may damage the next crop cycle.

The organic soil is reused if you DO NOT usually grown in pots. You can still mix it into garden soil or mix it with fresh potting soil when you plant a little demanding.

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Photo: eurohydro.com

Whatever the technique of cultivation hygiene is always important.
In hydroponic systems special attention should be paid to the nutrient solution, which must be replaced regularly to avoid accumulation of salts, dirt and pathogens. Normally the discharge should be done about every two weeks, three if you work with reverse osmosis water, one in the case of brackish water.
The intense heat may necessitate more frequent replacement parts.
The emptying of the system can be difficult, usually taking place under these schemes:

-The tube that leads from the pump to the irrigation system is equipped with a valve in line with the possibility to divert the flow toward a third exhaust pipe.

-The tank has a slope on the bottom to the end of which is present an exhaust valve. Opening the valve the water flows thanks to the force of gravity.

-Use of a "bilge pump", practical and light you can immerse at the time of need in the tank by connecting it to a tube arranged for unloading. Unfortunately this type of pumps always leave a stagnation of about one centimeter on the bottom, but can be used in association with the previous method.

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Maintain a strict maintenance schedule and cleaning is essential to get good results and avoid diseases.
Other workarounds to keep the plants in good health are:
-Moderate humidity, 60-70%.
-Water of origin secure. If the water comes from a well or a lake to be sterilized before use. In any case, you should not store more than a few days (put it in a cool dark place).
-Substrate and attention to draining standing water
-Constant maintenance of environmental factors to prevent shock to the plant (temperature, humidity, ventilation, pH, EC, light, nutrients)
-Sterile equipment. Seeds and cuttings must come from some source, keeping in mind that many pathogens have relatively long incubation period. And 'so essential a thorough inspection of the parent plant.

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The plants subtract from the nutrient solution fertilizers and water simultaneously, but not necessarily to the same extent.

In a hot climate such as the plants tend to "drink" more, and together with the high evaporation rate makes this the concentration of nutrients is too high.
To maintain stable and under control of the equilibrium solution is necessary to monitor the EC or electrical conductivity.

This value is the only way we can determine exactly how many nutrients are still present in the water. A presence too high will damage the plants, while too little will track deficiencies and development slowed.
To detect the EC using a special instrument that indicates the amount of salts (total, so no distinctions) dissolved. There are several models of portable or fixed gauges with probes of different price ranges.

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The fertilization is a key point in the cultivation, for which the choice of a good brand of specific nutrients will already of for if the difference.
Let's see what other tricks it will maximize the potential.

The dosage on the label must always be respected, taking care to use the fertilizer in just the right amount based on the stage of plant growth (rooting, growth, flowering), the substrate used ( coir , hydroponics , soil ) and if the crop is very specific also based on the type of the plant (eg chillies , or orchids )

Multicomponent fertilizers and additives should never be mixed in concentrated form or in a little water. These products are kept separated precisely because in direct contact with one another can form harmful residue.

First of all, then fill the tank, then pour one by one the fertilizer, then mix well to avoid a pH and a patchy distribution.

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Although there are excellent products on the market that provide a light spectrum suitable for the cultivation of plants, no lamp exactly reproduces the sunlight.
It 'important to equip the best to make the most of what technology can offer.

What do I need?
A standard plant needs a ballast (power supply) that turn on and regulate the flow of current that feeds the lamps, of a reflector to concentrate and enhance the light beam (usually it is already provided with lamp holder), of a timer for timing of 'lighting, and of course one or more bulbs.

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The proper ventilation is essential to avoid accumulation of heat and humidity common in indoor cultivation.
But as it made a good ventilation system?
Above all from an extractor adequate to the volume of your growroom, bearing in mind that the scope will have to allow the extraction of all the air in 5 minutes.
You do the math yourself or contact a specialist store for selection.
Make sure you have all the information necessary to help those responsible to advise the best product for you: room volume, length and diameter of the ventilation tubes, presence or absence of filters, supported by the wattage of your system.

Remember also that in calculating the space to prevent condensation and subsequent damage the extractor should be mounted vertically, parallel to the wall.
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