Click
HERE
to visit the Aquarius
Hydroponics Basil Recipes Page
(AHBRP,
because I'm fond of anachronisms)
These are
pictures of my first attempts at commercial hydroponic growing.
Sweet Basil
is an excellent crop for the beginning grower, I believe, because
it's forgiving,
it's beautiful, and it smells like heaven.
I use no
pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. The crop is completely soilless,
hydroponically
fertigated, and treated to the gentlest of cultural techniques.
I sell my
basil at the Farmer's Market at Gainesville's Haile Plantation Village
Center
on Saturday
mornings. If you're in the area, please drop bye and say hello.
I also sell wholesale to fine dining establishments in Gainesville... most
notably The Third Place Pub & Grille, located in the Haile Village
Center. (Highly recommended)
I start my own seedlings and hand-water as needed until the plants are large enough to transplant into the system. They have to have at least two sets of true leaves before transplanting to avoid shock. Basil is a great plant to grow, and did I mention it smells good, even from the first leaves?
The plants grow in PVC gutters with Styrofoam strip inserts to support 8oz Styrofoam cups. Slits and holes were hand-cut (with the kitchen knife) to allow the roots to enter the nutrient flow. Each plant is supported in the cup by expanded clay pellets, or GroRox. The gutters are ribbed on the bottom, which keeps the thin trickle of nutrient from meandering like the Amazon. The nurtient enters the gutters at the raised end, flows down to the lower end by gravity, and keeps the roots and their immediate environment perfectly moist.
At
the lowered end, the gutters drain into a common return, which ferries
the solution (by gravity, again) to the reservoir. Submerged in the
reservoir (which is just a Rubbermaid sweater box) is a pump which "sends
it all back." pH and Total Dissolved Solids are monitored daily,
making slight adjustments here and there as needed. Every two weeks
the reservoir is dumped, sterilized, and refilled with fresh nutrients.
Flying
insects are controlled by the use of yellow sticky traps. Insects
are attracted to the bright yellow color and stick there because they're
liberally coated with Vaseline. No sprays are ever used, and hand-removal
of the occasional caterpillar is necessary in the middle of the night under
flashlight (because they're nocturnal, the buggers).
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We welcome
your comments and questions
Best regards,
Chris Gkikas
Aquarius
Hydroponics
Gainesville,
FL
Water
the soul and it grows.