Eric Cook ericccook@yahoo.com eccook@alaska.edu 907-460- 1316 1 Hydroponics DUTCH BUCKET OR BATO BUCKET SYSTEM
Elements of Hydroponic Systems Water Delivery System Nutrient Injection System Media Something to hold the roots Irrigation Catchment 2 http://www.simplyhydro.com/images/content/nft.gif
Dutch Bucket or Bato Bucket System Short Irrigation times are scheduled throughout the day Water is injected with Nutrients The nutrient solution is distributed The plants are grown in Dutch buckets in media The nutrient solution is captured and reused or repurposed 3
Dutch Bucket System http://growguru.co.za/wp-content/uploads/ 2014/04/Standard_systems.jpg 4
Dutch Bucket System Fertilizer Delivery System Stock Tanks Nutrient Solutions Acid or Base for ph Adjustment beforehand Injectors EC and ph can be checked by hand occasionally 5
Two Injector System Filter before injectors Injectors Stock Tanks/w Stock Solution Optional bypass Backflow prevention Clean out valve 6
ph Adjustments Fertilizers often contain buffering agent to lower ph ph adjustment might need to be done before reaching the fertilizer injector 7
Fertilizer: Tank 1 everything without nitrogen Tomato Formula Magnesium Sulfate 8
Fertilizer: Tank 2 Calcium Nitrate & Potassium Nitrate Calcium Nitrate Potassium Nitrate 9
Small Pumps to Mix the Concentrated Nutrient Solution Tanks 10
Pumping from a tank can also work, but is not as fun. 11
Dutch Bucket System Water Delivery System Using Injectors Hose End Pressure Well or Pump or City Water Filters and Clean outs Solenoid Valves Controller or Timer Distribution Lines Emitters (3 gph), spaghetti tubes, plum spray stake Dutch Bucket to hold media Drain pipes Catchment Tank Pumps to recirculate Irrigation or use for other growing 12
Solenoid Valves Automate Irrigation https://www.ewingirrigation.com/ media/catalog/category/pcz_101.jpg 13
Solenoid Valves are activated by a controller or timer 14
¾ Poly Tubing Lines http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/i/ 51HMa8Bu6xL._SY300_.jpg 15
3 gph Plum Emitter, Distribution Hose and Stake http://www.berryhilldrip.com/ images/p/net%20plum %20OrgPC.jpg http://www.farmtek.com/wcsstore/ EngineeringServices/allbizunits/prodimages/ zoom/2x/110416.jpg 16 http://www.farmtek.com/wcsstore/engineeringservices/ allbizunits/prodimages/zoom/2x/110415.jpg
Valve End for Cleanout https://images.dripdepot.com/image/ 529f784975eb512997870500/360x360 17
The Bucket 18 http://lghttp.17653.nexcesscdn.net/808b16/ cdn_images/media/catalog/product/cache/1/ thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/g/ p/gp1315-3.jpg
Dutch Bucket System Media Desirable and essential characteristics Holds the roots Doesn t clog the system Sterile clean and sanitary Neutral doesn t give or take nutrients or change ph 19
Dutch Bucket System - Media Options Rockwool slabs are commonly used in commercial vine crop operations (better control of generative vs. vegetative growth) Perlite Potting Soil Peat based Sawdust Coconut Coir Vermiculite Sure to Grow Expanded Clay Pellets Gravel very heavy, avoid limestone based rocks Sand Ground Glass heavy, porosity? 20
Rockwool 21
Sure to Grow 22
Sure to Grow & Perlite 23
What Can you Grow? Greenhouse Crops Tomatoes Cucumbers Peppers Eggplants Just about anything can work 24
Variety Selection: Tomatoes Indeterminate Long Vine Tomatoes Bred for heated greenhouse or high tunnel growing Commercial varieties are specifically selected for regular growth, and high yield and quality Beefsteak Truss - Robelski (DRW7749) beefsteak with a ruffle Komeet, Endevour Roma Prunus Grape Amsterdam Cherry Favorita, Black Cherry 25
Beefsteak - Rebelski (DRW4479) 26
Truss - Komeet or Endeavor 27
Roma - Prunus 28
Cherry - Favorita 29
Variety Selection: Cucumbers Parthenocarpic Self pollinating Gynoecious all female flowers Powdery Mildew Resistant Specifically bred for heated greenhouses and high tunnels 30
Variety Selection: Cucumbers English Mini s Cumbers(need to be wrapped) Denali, Cumlaude-Bio and Cocktail Rocky, Manar, Unistars Pickling Cucumbers -Excelsior Standard Lemon 31 Slicers - Corinto Cucumber (susceptible to powdery mildew)
European Cucumber CumlaudeBio, Denali 32
Mini or Cocktail Rocky, Manar, Unistars / Slicer - Corinto 33
Slicer Corinto 34
Pickling Excelsior 35
Lemon 36
Variety Selection: Peppers Specifically bread for greenhouse culture (Hydrogardens, Crop King, Paramount Seed) Red Bell Fantasy Orange Bell Oragela Yellow Bell Tenato Not specifically for greenhouse production Sweet Long Aconcogua, Marconi Red Sweet Frying Carmen Sweet Mini Lipstick, Aura, Glow Hot Peppers Havasu, any kind you like 37
Bell peppers are usually green before they change color 38
Blocky Bell: Orangela 39
Purple Bell Islander 40
Cayenne, Havasu, Poblano 41
Hot Chili Peppers 42
Eggplants 43
Eggplants Oriental Express, Hansel, Dancer 44
Trellising Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Peppers Stings with rills are commonly used, hooked to a wire or cable overhead One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out Clips are placed under a strong leaf and clipped to a string to hold the plant up Tomato fruit trusses can be hooked with J-hooks for support. 45
One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out. 46
Trellising Cucumbers: Rules to follow Remove all cucumbers until the plant is 2.5 to 3 Feet tall; don t get impatient or greedy here! Don t remove more than 3 leaves at a time Don t remove leaves above the lowest fruit Leave fruits in only half to two thirds of the nodes depending on plant health for European Varieties Leave one fruit per node on pickles and mini s. Productive Mini varieties with kill themselves with over production, if you don t remove fruit; unless you just have time for one burst Cucumbers can be lowered, but the season is still shorter than tomatoes Make sure your fertilizer levels are plenty high. 47
Trellising Cucumbers 48
Clipping to Strings, Leaf Removal 49
European and Mini Cucumbers need to be wrapped or packaged. 50
Trellising Peppers: Rules to follow Keep two to four leaders (usually two) Remove the king bloom, the secondary bloom and possibly the third bloom to give the plant time to strengthen before production Peppers are too brittle to lower, so you grow them straight up the string 51
Pollination 52 Tomato benefit in size and yield Peppers benefit in size and yield Parthenocarpic Cucumbers don t need pollination Strawberries need pollination Handheld Electric Pollinators Insect Pollinators Bumble Bees https://hydro-gardens.com/wp/wp-content/ uploads/2014/12/pollinator_ii.jpg
Pollination When humidity is 60-80% Morning is a good time Pollinate two to three times a week or every other day Touch the stock of the flower cluster briefly 1 second or less you can see the pollen disperse Visually observe each plant. This is a good time to look for problems in the crop 53
Tomato Grafting 54
Tomato Grafting 55
Splice or Tube Grafting Fastest Method Easiest Method Most Economical Method High Success Potential 56 http://rfcarchives.org.au/next/ FruitImages/GraftI_11-92.png
Cleft Grafting http://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/sites/ floriculture/files/fact-sheets/images/ Fig1CleftGraft.jpg 57
Side Graft This one was a bit more difficult for me It s hard not to cut or break the top off You need an extra hand Can be beneficial if you can t keep environmental conditions well regulated 58 http:// www.highmowingseeds.com/ blog/wp-content/uploads/ graphing-cuts-1-2.jpg
So, is grafting worth it? Short In Answer Maybe & Sometimes presence of disease or high salts yes Some studies have demonstrated greater yields without disease pressure It may depend on the graft combination, growing system, or other dynamics Less productive varieties may benefit more More research is needed 59
Thanks for coming! 60