January 26- January 28, 2018
Matt and Stephanie

                This weekend we had the opportunity to help set-up a small hydroponics station for tomatoes. We began by setting the timer on the pump that circulates water between the two stations (large plastic containers). From there, we soaked small cubes of rock wool which is used as the substrate for the plants. We then placed the saturated cubes into small propagation chambers where the seeds should germinate within a few days. There is going to be a combination of cherry and beefsteak tomatoes. If successful, we can try growing additional plants using hydroponics. In addition, we adjusted the pH of the water to make it more alkaline by adding Phosphoric acid.  

Some advantages of using hydroponics include: higher yields, water efficiency, and continuous production. Commercial crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, strawberry, and leafy greens can be grown using hydroponic technology. One study done on lettuce grown in Arizona showed that hydroponic production of lettuce had about 11 times greater yield per area than lettuce that was grown conventionally. Although on a large scale, hydroponics systems are very demanding in terms of energy use. The system also showed greater efficiency in terms of water use.

Sources:

Barbosa, G.L., Gadelha, F.D.A., Kublik, N., Proctor, A., Reichelm, L., Weissinger, E., Wohlleb, et al.                                             Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponics vs.                                Conventional Agricultural Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health,  12(6). Retrieved from                            https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4483736/

 Potted Hydrangea macrophylla care:

From Fanshawe’s greenhouse to caring for them in your home 

So you’ve just purchased your beautiful new Hydrangea from Fanshawe’s horticulture technician program, and now it’s time take it on the rest of its journey: depending on the level of knowledge you already have this may come easily or not. So the second topic of today’s blog I think naturally should pertain to some basic general care tips and facts on Hydrangea macrophylla.

Firstly I would like to express the difficulty of growing Hydrangea macrophylla; it is by any means not a challenging shrub, generally the rule goes for any plant right plant right spot. That’s our first objective for the proper care of this plant, we need to also consider the conditions of which it will grow either outdoors or indoors. How will the plants cultural requirements on reflect those conditions for example, florist hydrangeas are not bred for cold hardiness and instead their bloom structure, color, longevity…etc.  so they are different fundamentally from the hydrangeas sold at nursery’s which are cold tolerant such hydrangea serrata which can hold up fine in zone 4 to 5 leaving hydrangea macrophylla (the potted hydrangeas we sell i.e. florist Hydrangeas.) are only hardy to zone 6, which borders or own climate zone (6b)

Making Florist hydrangeas marginally hardy to our area, meaning with protection and a moderately average winter they will overwinter outdoors. Growing your florist’s hydrangea indoor on the other hand will be more challenging due to the cultural requirements they have when it comes to bright morning sun and bright indirect lighting. Which is a challenge in the winter due to low light intensity and general cloudy weather, an ideal spot to grow a hydrangea indoor is bright windowsill which receives bright morning sun and indirect afternoon sun.  Also avoid placement near heat registers due to excessive water loss from the leaves and soil (Big leaf hydrangeas don’t fare well with excessive water loss via transpiration in the leaves because they can get so big.)

Secondly, watering Hydrangea macrophylla is key factor to your plant success indoors or out. These are thirsty shrubs and do not tolerate drought though on the bright side due to this high need for water your plant will tell you when it is time for you to give it a drink and droop like its dying! Luckily they are just attention seeking divas and this should be seen as more a positive than a negative.  During active growth Hydrangea macrophylla should be fed up to three times in early spring to early summer for the easiest results for the home gardener buy a pre mixed hydrangea fertilizer. Hydrangea fertilizers can also contain a very important component: aluminum sulphate, the key freely changing the color of your hydrangeas bloom.

In Closing, if planted outside the florist’s hydrangea will perform marginally, as long as protection is applied and it is planted in spot that receives morning sun only and the soil is moisture retentive and rich in nutrients, all is golden. Though they will not likely bloom again, as they only bloom off old wood and in most cases the old wood will die back to the ground from being marginally hard. To re-bloom your plant it would be best to keep your plant potted outdoors and bring it inside to an unheated garage or dark cool room for the winter, to avoid loss of stems and branches.

Bibliography:

Christopher Brickell. C.B. (2011). ENCYLOPEDIA OF PLANTS & FLOWERS REVISED AND UPDATED. London, England: Dorling Kindersley.

Brickell, C. B. Cole, T. C. (2009) Canadian Encyclopedia Of Gardening. London, England: Dorling Kinsley.