[Import]

Greetings. I have relocated to Ireland some 8 years ago from a far sunnier, but more arid climate. I am a keen vegetable and fruit grower.

I have moderate success with growing veggies – mainly the ingredients for a tossed salad. I grow squash with limited success, the main reason being the unavailability of pumpkins in Ireland.

I have loads of questions, probably more than a 4 year old grandchild!

[Sive]

welcome import! you should find this site very interesting and helpful.

[sal]

welcome import,questions are good,i`ve gleaned lots of good info from the queries put here,in fact ive bought more plants since joining here than any other time!!!

[Prudence]

Hi Import and welcome to IG. Where abouts in Ireland are you?

Sue

[Import]

Thank you guys for the welcome. I am resident in Navan Co. Meath.

I have been fortunate enough to construct myself a small polly tunnet - 8ftx 12ft. This is my second summer having the plastic.

I want to venture into hydroponics in the not too distant future. But heck so manny questions!

Where does one get the nutrients from? I am sure that I can construct the tank, dripper/ sprayers, but it is pointless unless I can lay hands on the nutrients.

I tried eBay, but the postage is prohibitively expensive.

[inishindie]

Hi Import

Great to hear you are setting up a hydroponic system...

Making your own hydroponic plant food would probably be easier if you were a chemist.... There are some recipes that contain sulphuric acid. Here are some of the other ingredients

Epsom's Salts
Borax
Manganese Sulphate
Zinc Sulphate
Copper Sulphate
Ammonium Molybdate
potassium nitrate
alcium nitrate
potassium phosphate
iron manganese
nickel
Potassium
Table Salt
Water

These are all mixed together in varying quantities to give the plant everything it needs.

The shop bought stuff is really expensive and OK for people who grow their plants in a wardrobe with daylight bulbs (!) - but on a larger scale there could be a couple of cheaper options.

You could use two teaspoons full of Miracle grow (or similar) and 1 teaspoon of epsom salts to a gallon of water. It's not the most environmentally friendly idea but getting the balance right on your home made comfrey or nettle juice is a bit hit and miss....

The there is always urine, natures friend in the compost heap.... It's cheap and easily obtainable. If you don't use your own you could track down someone who lives a very healthy lifestyle and use that....

It's not just a question of standing over the tanks to add the solution, if the plants you are growing are intended for consumption, you will need to find a way to treat and sterilize the urine, making it less of a biohazard. Introducing nitrous bacteria, and diluting the solution, will help break down the ammonia. Circulating it through a biofilter will do this. Alternatively, you may be able to find an ammonia treatment in a pet shop that sells fish.

Wormeries could also give you a good plant feed. This could be used in the place of miracle grow, although it depends what organic matter was put in it as to the quality of the feed.

I'll have a look to see if there are any dry products we can buy, the postage would be a lot cheaper

I think the Miracle Grow sounds like a better alternative for the minute...

Cheers

Ian
_________________
www.gardening.ie

[CarolineC]

Hi Import, I'll be joining the gang soon!
Where have you moved from?
It may seem a little ridiculous, but there's an NZ company specialising in hydroponics (some of it for slightly dubious purposes) but they sell everything you could ever imagine online, and it could be worth looking to compare prices, and just to see the ingredients in a lot of their nutrients.
They also have a good range of books.
'Switched On Gardener' www.sog.co.nz