Trellising cucumbers in greenhouses
Trellising and training of greenhouse cucumbers Trellising of cucumbers should not be confused with pruning. They do go hand in hand, but are very different....
How do I start a hydroponic farm
How do I start a hydroponic farm? A frequent and legit question to ask from all parts of the world; how do I start a...
Understanding nitrogen dynamics during cucumber growth season
We all know the basics of nitrogen in plants. The good and the bad. Every grower and student knows nitrogen is important for good looking...
Optimizing income of your farm using Fibonacci
This is something that has been on my mind for a long time. So many growers ask me what is the best combination of crops...
Fertigation of cucumbers – the basics
Cucumbers are sensitive to water stress (to little water) and to water logging (over watering). Any of these two conditions will reduce plant vigour and...
The feasibility of hydroponics as empowerment concept – and why you will fail too.
There is no doubt that hydroponic farming systems are feasible as a commercial operation. Proof is in the application of this technology worldwide. I do...
Solution heating of a tomato crop has limited effect on early yields
Heating the nutrient solution of a NFT hydroponic system may sound like a lucrative option for early yields. Tampering with the nutrient solution temperature is...
How to grow spinach hydroponically
Spinach or Spinacia oleracea L. belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. The Chenopodiaceae family also includes crop such as beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) and...
When to harvest tomato fruit
The ripening stage when tomato fruit are harvested will depend on the variety, the market segment (do they want red full ripe tomatoes or does...
Nutrient interactions: Calcium and Boron ratio
Calcium and Boron have a close relationship in the plant. Their absolute concentrations and the relative ratio between the two affects how much of each...
Seedling transplant tolerances and germination characteristics
Seedling susceptibility to various climate conditions is important to growers, especially those wanting to venture into new crops. We all know that microclimate is crucial...
Manganese levels in nutrient solution do not influence tomato growth
The concentration of manganese (Mn) can vary significantly in re-circulating nutrient solutions. Crop uptake of manganese cannot be explained to this high variation and the...
Heating nutrient solution increases growth rate of tomatoes
Heating the nutrient solution in order to increase growth rate can provide growers an edge over competitors. This applies to all business categories. Heating up the...
How to predict when lettuce are ready for harvest
Lets face it, lettuce is one of the fastest growing crops from transplanting to maturity. What makes it even more crucial is that the whole...
Nutrient uptake of cucumbers depends on light intensity and air temperature
When it comes to fertigation programmes or recipes, most commercial growers have a good indication of what is required. The nutrient program is either obtained...