HYDROPONICS … AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO URBAN FOOD PRODUCTION

Why Hydroponics?

•  It's quick, clean and super productive. 

• Easy to learn

• No soil needed

• Sustainable growing substrate

• Hyper-local

• Pesticide, fungicide and herbicide free

• 95% less water required when compared to conventional growing methods

• Wide verity of crops can be easily grown

• One of the most productive and economical growing systems

• Maximum energy efficiency

Bottom Line:  Cleaner, Faster, Safer and Consistent!!

Session 1

• A history of hydroponics … old technology brought up to date.

• An overview of hydroponics and various hydroponic systems.

• A review of vertical outdoor growing and why it's so effective

• A tour of the growing area and identification of the various system components

• Key building strategies for a successful system

• The importance of consistency

Session 2

• Beyond organic

• Growing media success

• Structuring the growing media

• No compaction needed

• Speed filling

• When to use direct seeding methods

• Best seeds to use for leafy greens

• Planting you first seed

Session 3

• Plant nutrition … why it's so important

• NPK … explosive information

  Selection of plant food

• Never guess … always test!
  (instrumentation recommendations)

• How to feed for greater production and yield

• Feeding sequence

• Nutrition add mixtures

• Innovative nutrition strategies

Session 4

•  Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• Insect identification (most common + good and bad)

• The “Car Wash”  (high volume low pressure)

• When to implement IPM

• Using nutrition as a pest management tool

Session 5

•  The harvest

• When to crop

• How to crop

• Cut and come again  v. one and done

• Hydro-cooling