The Best Way to Grow

Everybody wants to grow strong and healthy plants but some mistakes can be commonplace. Typical mistakes are....

• Giving plants too much or not enough of the nutrients
  
• Not giving them enough light or giving them too much
  
• Assuming that all plants require the same of both
  

it is essential to know the optimal conditions for your plants, especially the ideal temperature, their water requirements and how much light they need.

Something else that is extremely important is the plant's sensitivity to fungal and bacterial diseases.

Plant disease can often be overlooked by both beginner and experienced growers. There is plenty of information online and our knowledgeable staff at Emporium are always happy to advise.

It is quite easy to give plants more water and nutrients than they actually need. If you stop and think about it though that is a bit like inviting somebody round for dinner, feeding them until they are full and then force feeding them more! So how do we avoid this? Well it goes back to planning and preparation.

Consider whether your plant originates from a dry or wet region to get an idea of how much water they would require.

For soil based growing, dip your finger about 3cm into the soil to gauge its dampness. If it feels slightly dry then water them until a tiny trickle of water comes out of the pot's bottom. The soil itself contains the bulk of the nutrients.

For hydroponic systems there is always an adequate provision of water and it is important to ensure the correct amount of nutrients are used. This can be done quite simply by using an EC (electrical conductivity) meter

The above equation is called photosynthesis and demonstrates how plants combine carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and release oxygen. Plants can only activate this process in the presence of sunlight or a suitable alternative.

The glucose that is produced by this process gives the plants the energy to grow and to bloom and of course release the oxygen required by animals.

In an indoor growing system It is important to keep a balance of how much light the plants get to replicate what the plants would get in their natural environment. Also, vegetative and flowering stages require slightly different amounts of light and this can be automated by using timers. It will vary for different plants and once again we can always advise.

With indoor growing it is also important to keep the plants a reasonable distance from the lights so as to prevent burning.

Although much can be automated with plant growth, particularly in hydroponics systems, it is important to keep a good eye on their progress.

The biggest threat to plants comes from fungal and bacterial diseases which are unfortunately very common. They are, however, very easy to prevent, combat or alleviate. Check up on your plants every day and look for any unusual signs, for example the leaf colouring.

Once again we can always advise and assist to help you avoid problems in this respect.