Hydroponic Garden DIY |

April 22

Hydroponic Garden DIY

Giordano Mariani

What does hydroponic garden.

The hydroponics is a technique "soilless" in which in place of agricultural soil is used a nutrient solution and an inert substrate.
With this technique it is possible to obtain a greater output in the same surface area under cultivation; also can be used as an alternative in any place in which, for reasons of low fertility of the soil, it is not possible to use traditional methods of agriculture.
You can make hydroponic agriculture by using different techniques, we have chosen to apply the technique to "root floating" technique and "inert medium" because for us more simple and economical.

The manual "La Huerta Hidroponica Popular"

The desire to give life to an experiment the hydroponic technique applied in social contexts born after the knowledge of experience gained by FAO in Latin America. In particular, we followed the advice recommended in the manual "La Huerta Hidroponica Popular" published by FAO, in which the simplified techniques were presented illustrating the construction of small home gardens proposing a methodology that can be used even by people with no knowledge of farming. Moreover, this system of cultivation did not require the investment of large sums of money because you were using family labor and material recycling.

The first experience

We were able to give birth to our first experience of "Huerta Hidroponica Popular" assembling objects collected from urban trash (such as wood planks, old car tires, etc..) Then we have created the containers then were filled with volcanic lapilli directly collected in a quarry nearby. We followed the instructions in the manual that FAO was to use materials available locally at very low investment.
For fertirrigare crops we used the nutrient solutions ready for use, this choice, while adversely affected variable cost, the other made the job much easier.

The first horticultural crops that have been sown arugula, radish, parsley, lettuce cutters, lettuce and spinach canasta. Then the lettuce was transplanted from seedbeds containing volcanic lapilli to container adapted to the technique to "root floating".
The production per square meter has met expectations: the radish has even quadrupled production achievable with traditional methods, resulting in longer hypocotyls than 700 per square meter.
We did not need to plant protection measures, since the plants were not significantly attacked by pathogens, except for lettuce exposed to the attacks of the pink borer, a moth wings and therefore able to reach the containers raised off the ground. To address this problem we just manually remove the larvae deposited between the leaves.

Regarding the technical aspects of construction experience we have had great difficulty; this method of cultivation can actually be learned and practiced by anyone, even without preparation agronomic.
Problems emerged, however, economically, as we found it difficult to give a cost to domestic work necessary for the maintenance of the garden. By assigning a cost of work equal to that of an Italian farm laborer, revenue was below the cost of labor. To evaluate this experience according to the traditional parameters used by the economy of our work reported in the budget a negative result. This we had initially disappointed and discouraged. In fact, reconsidering the issue from a social perspective FAO enhanced optics, we realized that it was only a matter of point of view. Our experience would be worth the social and economic implications, for that certain parameters could not be quantified. In fact manage a vegetable garden does not require the use of external labor and can be handled in the dead time by any member of the family, especially by those who can not simultaneously do other jobs outside the home, such as the elderly, children or disabled persons.
Motivated to deepen the social experience, confident of the potential of this technique very exploitable in the context of the farm, we asked for and obtained the opportunity to move to an environment more suited to our needs.
A social cooperative and gave us the opportunity to lead our new material experience.

The second experience: the garden office.

The surgery was carried out at a social rehabilitation center for disabled people. For us it was the first experience of contact with disabled children, some of whom had more or less severe mental retardation, or Down syndrome.
Firstly we showed them some short films made by us in which illustravamo the job done in the company, to facilitate them in understanding the work we'd done together.
The context in which we stood was now very different from the previous isolation of the farm we went to a construction of an ancient city center. This building was equipped with a small garden in which the operators in the past had tried to grow, unfortunately without success. The major difficulties they encountered were related to manufacturing operations, to combat pests, and low soil fertility. Our technique Faced with these problems and they brought a new impetus to the creation of a garden rimotivò. In addition, this particular method of cultivation, innovative and easy, it seemed very incuriosirli.
The assembly phase involved a dozen boys. All have played an active role in building infrastructure and carrying out farming operations throughout the growth period of plants, making each a valuable contribution in relation to their characteristics. The interest and dedication shown by all affected us much, we felt that experience strong emotional and touching. The boys felt proud of what they were building for the individual skills shown and collaboration experience within the group.
For our part we felt respected and valued for the experience we were carrying, moreover, in the course of the work was developing a relationship with the boys significant human and intense.

As in business, the lettuce was first sown in seedbeds and then transplanted into liquid solution for the technique to "root floating" and after about three months was collected and consumed by the boys who had taken care of.

With the use of this agronomic technique was observed in boys Socio Rehabilitation Day Centre users a further stimulus to the processes of accountability, cooperation, work organization and promotion of self-esteem.
these people have the opportunity to help support the family, despite not having a space in the labor market, especially in those developing countries for which it was designed this particular technique of hydroponic cultivation.

Link: http://giord.blogspot.com/