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Solving the Hydroponic Fertilizer Equation

Hort Americas Hydroponic Fertilizer

It is quite common for both start-up and experienced commercial hydroponic growers to feel they need a math degree when it comes to calculating the necessary micro and macro elements of their water soluble fertilizer. Hort Americas has solved the equation with their specially formulated 9-7-37 Hydroponic Fertilizer. Hort Americas has developed this unique fertilizer in cooperation with CEA hydroponic specialists, academicians and researchers to meet the nutritional needs of crops produced by hydroponic leafy green growers.

Designed for leafy greens, culinary herbs, micro greens and other crops grown hydroponically
Can be used as a constant feed or as a supplement
Delivers essential nutrients for efficient uptake by the root system
Unique TPA (Thermal Poly Aspartic Acid) additive which enhances the plants ability to uptake phosphorus
To assist the grower even further, Hort Americas has developed a helpful hydroponic fertilizer calculator within part 3 of a 3-part instruction video series found on the Hort Americas website

Hort Americas recommends the grower have their source water tested by a professional water analysis laboratory to determine the macro and micro nutrient levels, pH, EC and total alkalinity before assessing appropriate rates for their fertilizers.

Hort Americas is an innovative leader in North America’s controlled environment agriculture industry (CEA) and strives to continually innovate in agriculture via premium technical support, professional salesmanship, unmatched customer service and outstanding products to our customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

For questions, support or to purchase → Click Here!

University of Florida offers online greenhouse training courses

Growers at all levels of experience can benefits from four week courses.

For the second year, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension will be offering online training courses in English and Spanish starting on May 30. The courses are to be geared towards helping grower staffs make better crop management decisions.

Each course runs for 4 weeks, costs $200 per participant, and includes a personalized certificate of completion. Each week there are two streaming video lessons, readings and assignments (about 3-4 hours total commitment per week), which can be accessed at any time of day. Bilingual PhD instructors can be accessed via text chat and discussion features. For more information, go to backpocketgrower.org under “training” and “online courses”.

The schedule of online courses planned for 2016 includes:

The first course, Greenhouse 101, is ideal for new employees, or employees with practical experience but lacking in formal horticulture training. Topics covered are plant parts and functions, photosynthesis and growth, greenhouse technology, flowering, compactness and branching, irrigation, nutrition, and plant health.

Nutrient Management 1, Disease Management and Weed Management are courses geared towards grower staff with some experience and training, or at the entry-university level.

Nutrient Management 2 is an advanced course for the experienced, well-trained grower, those at the upper-university level.

Building a Hydroponic Fertilizer for Leafy Greens, Herbs and Lettuces

Hydroponic Fertilizers. Part 3.

This is part 3 in the 3 part series on hydroponic fertilizers from Hort Americas. This video focuses on how to build and adjust a hydroponic fertilizer formula based on the quality of your source water. Fertilizer formulas mentioned in this video are specific to leafy greens, culinary herbs and lettuces.

Urban Ag News Issue 13 is Live

Urban Ag News Issue 13 | April 2016

At Hort Americas, we are proud to be sponsors of Urban Ag News. They continue to raise the bar on covering the latest innovations and technology in urban agriculture and vertical farming. We hope you enjoy their latest issue as much as we do!

Urban Ag News’ Issue 13 cover story looks at Green Sense Farms’ efforts to meet the increasing demand for clean, safe produce in both the U.S. and China. Founding farmer and CEO Robert Colangelo talks about how his company is opening additional vertical farming operations in both countries along with a training facility to create job-ready graduates to grow in controlled environments.

Thinking about installing a water treatment system for your growing operation? University of Florida professor Paul Fisher said you should know your goals before investing in a treatment system. A treatment system won’t add value to your product, but it will reduce the risk of crop losses.

Duron Chavis, indoor urban farm director at Virginia State University, is helping citizens of Richmond and Petersburg, Va., have access to locally-grown produce year round. His efforts along with community leaders and university colleagues are helping people eat and live healthier through urban agriculture.

ISSUE 13 INCLUDES:

On the cover: Robert Colangelo, founding farmer and CEO at Green Sense Farms
Green Sense Farms to expand its Vertical Farming Operations in the U.S. and China

Helping people eat, live healthier through urban agriculture, with Duron Chavis

An Interview with NASA’s Dr. Gary Stutte

Urban Ag Zoning: Lessons from San Antonio

NY SunWorks: Is the future of farming in public schools?

Know your goals before investing in a water treatment system

Tour de Fresh 2016 by Chris Higgins
Indoor Ag Con Las Vegas April 2016
e-Gro Webinars
Japan Plant Factories Special Report by Eri Hayashi
FDCEA 2016 Events to Attend
University of Arizona, CEAC, Patricia Rorabaugh Retires
Infographic: Living Wage Calculation for Dallas, Texas

News from the Industry features these and more:

How LED lighting treatments affect greenhouse tomato quality
AeroFarms offers new level of safety and flavor for delicious, nutritious leafy greens
Dr. Roberto Lopez joins Michigan State University Horticulture faculty
Lettuce See The Future: LED Lighting Helps Farming Go High-Tech In Japan
Interim president and CEO of AmericanHort steps down
Growtainer and Glenn Behrman
HydroGarden starts international school sponsorship to mark 20th year in business
The Diane Rehm Show: The Growth Of Large-Scale Indoor Urban Farming
GreenTech 2016 to be packed with inspiring sessions and speakers
CropKing Introductory Grower Workshop
2016 Tour de Fresh Sponsorships Available Now
New white paper available on the immense potential of Asia’s Indoor Ag Industry
Critical Foodscapes: what does the future hold for urban gardening?
New Case study on Urban Produce available from Hort Americas
Study Finds Philips LED Lights Provide Improved Energy Efficiency and Production for Growing Food Crops in Space
Sustainable Agriculture Training / Cal Poly Pomona Launch New Hybrid Course and a New School Name

Reprints worth Reading:

New Growing System Arrives in UK

How popular are LED lights?

Using only a fraction of the electricity that traditional bulbs use, LED Light Bulbs are becoming increasingly more and more popular each day. Whether you are a home owner or a commercial property owner, there is an obvious incentive to install them – both for cost savings and a reduced impact on the environment.

On average, the typical commercial LED bulb lasts nearly 30 years – talk about never hearing a “screw in a light bulb” joke again!

To learn more check out the infographic below:

How Popular Are LED Lights

Source: https://www.ledlights.co.uk/wired/how-popular-are-led-lights/

Hort Americas and Bright Agro Tech partner for a free webinar on picking substrates for hydroponics

Choosing a Hydroponic Substrate: Tips From the Pros

Hort Americas has partnered with Upstart Farmers – Bright Agrotech to offer a free webinar on choosing a hydroponic substrate!

Knowing what your hydroponic system needs can be hard. To help you out, Dr. Nate from Bright Agrotech, Chris Higgins, and Tyler Baras from HortAmericas lent their experience and knowledge in choosing a hydroponic substrate.

Hydroponic medium/substrate selection is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a grower. Substrate selection effects germination, growth rates, and operation costs. Each substrate option has unique benefits and limitations.

We’re joined by the experts at Hort Americas to dive deep into these considerations so that you can make an informed decision about your growing medium.

Some of the factors to consider when choosing a hydroponic substrate are cost, ease of use, compatibility with hydroponic system, accessibility, water retention, and sustainability.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:
-Moisture Retention (particle size, shape, porosity)
-Adjusting Irrigation for Specific Substrates
-Cultural Practices (substrate preparation, germination conditions, crop size/staging)
-Cost
-Sustainability
-Comparison of Common Hydroponic Substrates

To register for the event, click here!

Click to read Bright Agrotech’s article of why substrate selection is important.

Webinar on “Managing Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponic Leafy Greens and Herbs”

If you missed the e-GRO webinar “Managing Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponic Leafy Greens and Herbs” on Jan. 22, 2016, which was sponsored by Hort Americas, you can still view the webinar on YouTube.

Hydroponic greens and herbs are produced in systems with recirculating nutrient solutions. In order to maintain productive and quality crops, it is important to know how to properly maintain the nutrient solutions. Dr. Chris Currey at Iowa State University and Dr. Neil Mattson at Cornell University discuss strategies for managing pH and EC, formulating nutrient solutions and identifying common nutrient disorders.

Part 1: Common production systems, pH and EC management

Presented by Dr. Chris Currey, Iowa State University

Part 2: Nutrient solution recipes, common nutrient disorders

Present by Dr. Neil Mattson, Cornell University

The Tour de Fresh 2015 was an intense ride, successful at putting salad bars in schools

After four days of intense and strenuous riding through the Blue Ridge Mountains all the way to Atlanta, Ga., the Tour de Fresh is complete. As a result of the ride, many public schools across the country will have fresh salad bars installed in their cafeterias.

Thank you for your support and donations. A special thanks to Village Farms, Riococo, Houweling’s Tomatoes, Grodan, Age Old Organics, UrbanAgNews.com for their sponsorship of Hort Americas’ rider Chris Higgins, General Manager. All of our efforts will directly benefit the Earl Nance Sr. Elementary School in the St. Louis Public School system.

University of Arizona short course to focus on CEA for food production and environmental stewardship

University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center’s (CEAC) 2016 short course will focus on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) for food production within traditional rural and non-traditional urban farms. There will be a special focus on water issues, energy use and environmental stewardship.

The 15th annual Greenhouse Crop Production & Engineering Design Short Course will be held March 20–25, 2016, at the Westward Look Resort in Tucson, Ariz. New to the 2016 event are specific half-day sessions on “Indoor Growing” and “Lighting for Growing Crops in CEA.”

The short course features a comprehensive program that will assist attendees to successfully produce crops within controlled environments and ensure those crops thrive and are marketable. Speakers and experts will be available to answer questions both during and after the short course. Included with the short course is an exhibitor room where attendees can talk with industry experts about their projects and multiple industry presentations where attendees can meet successful growers and discuss their ideas with them.

Webcast, DVD options

For people unable to travel to Tucson, the short course will feature a webcast option. Webcast attendees will have live access to three days (March 21-23) of short course lectures and materials. They will also be able to submit real-time questions for the speakers to answer. The program consists of six half-day sessions. Those interested in the webcast can register for individual half-day sessions. This allows attendees to choose those presentations they are specifically interested in viewing.

There is also an option to receive a DVD of the lectures if it is not possible to view the live lectures. All attendees have the option of purchasing a DVD of the speakers’ presentations with their registration. The presentations will be available to all paid attendees in an internet database for 90 days after the conclusion of the short course.

Hands-on workshops, optional greenhouse tour

Hands-on workshops are scheduled for March 24 at the University of Arizona’s CEAC research and educational facilities. Some workshops will focus on sensors, controls and fertigation. Other workshops will provide hydroponic production fundamentals for tomatoes, lettuce and strawberries grown in a controlled environment. The goal of the workshops is to connect theory and information with practical hands-on experience. On March 25, there will be an optional tour to a commercial greenhouse operation to tie together the short course presentations and workshops.

For more: Aaron Tevik, (520) 626-9566; atevik@cals.arizona.edu; http://ceac.arizona.edu/greenhouse-crop-production-engineering-design-short-course.

Hort Americas Sponsors Tour de Fresh Ride

BEDFORD, Texas, Sept. 22, 2015 — Hort Americas is a proud sponsor (and rider participant) of the Tour de Fresh. This one-of-a-kind collaborative event unites the most significant brands and influencers in the fresh produce industry for a four-day cycling event that raises funds to benefit the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. The inaugural 2014 event raised over $142,000 and placed over 40 salads bars in communities in 11 states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The goal of Tour de Fresh 2015 and its participants is to privately finance 100+ new salad bars in school districts across the country. At a cost of less than $3,000 per salad bar per school, sponsors and participants strongly believe that providing healthy eating opportunities for school children should be a requirement and is the foundation of creating positive change for our future.

This year Hort Americas efforts are also being supported by Village Farms, Riococo, Houweling’s Tomatoes, Grodan, Age Old Organics, UrbanAgNews.com as well countless other friends and family. All of our efforts will directly benefit the Earl Nance Sr. Elementary in the St. Louis Public School system.

For those interested, there is still time to contribute. Please visit Hort Americas Donation Page for more details.

Contact: Maria Luitjohan, 1-469-532-2383, mluitjohan@hortamericas.com

Author: admin