Blog – Hort Americas

Mastering the use of substrates in hydroponics

Substrates are a key element in hydroponic systems. As growers, we must learn the needs of the hydroponic system and crop. Crops and hydroponic systems demand particular characteristics from growing substrates.

Mastering Crop Protection: Integrated Pest Management Strategies for CEA

In horticulture there are always challenges when growing a crop. One of the most common challenges faced by growers is the risk of pest incidence on their crop. But, how can we prevent pests? How can we control an infected crop?

Continue reading Mastering Crop Protection: Integrated Pest Management Strategies for CEA

Mastering Rootzone Environment

By Karla Garcia and Deidre Hughes

Root zone environment is directly related to our crop growth, development and health. Therefore it is very important to understand what is going on underneath our plants.

Nutrient Solution Monitoring with Bluelab

By Deidre Hughes

pH

A too often overlooked aspect of hydroponics is the importance of maintaining a steady and proper pH in your nutrient solution. One whole number increase or decrease in pH (ex. 6.0 to 7.0) is actually ten times either more acidic or more alkaline depending on which direction the number moves. The pH scale ranges from 0-14 with 0 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral and 14 being alkaline. Most plants thrive in a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. This is because the pH affects nutrient uptake by a plant’s roots. A lower (acidic) pH can affect the availability of Mg, P and/or Ca. On the flipside, a higher pH (alkaline) can affect the availability of micronutrients such as Fe (iron), Cu (copper), B (boron), Zn (zinc) and Mn (manganese). Certain plants have greater need for specific elements, therefore, will have a pH “preference”. Before planting a crop do proper research to determine what the needs and recommendations for your crop are. Then adjust, monitor and maintain your pH for consistent growth.

GE Current, a Daintree Company, releases new whitepaper on achieving greater yields using LED grow lights

Continue reading GE Current, a Daintree Company, releases new whitepaper on achieving greater yields using LED grow lights

Mastering Light Management: Optimizing Crop Performance

All crops have specific light requirements. By knowing minimum and optimum levels of light for our crop we can manage our environment to improve crop performance. When the ambient light exposure is below the minimum requirements we need to apply supplemental lighting in order to maintain our crop production at a healthy and consistent pace.

Wasabi Japonica Grown Under GE LED Grow Lights

The “Hardest to Grow” Plant in the World

The Opportunity

Wasabi Japonica is widely accredited as the “hardest to grow” plant in the world. The plants are native to Japan and require a very specific set of environmental conditions to successfully produce healthy plants.

The Ohio State University Empowerment Plant Workshop, July 2020

Friday July 10, 2020

The Ohio State University 4-H Center Building
(2201 Fred Taylor Dr., Columbus, OH 43210)

Mastering Disease Management: Powdery Mildew in Leafy Greens

By Karla García, Hort Americas Technical Services

Disease management in both traditional and controlled environment agriculture is as old and complex as the practice itself. In controlled environments disease can spread quickly and lead to significant losses if not properly managed. This first installment of our mastery series discusses how to recognize, control and prevent powdery mildew in leafy greens. Continue reading Mastering Disease Management: Powdery Mildew in Leafy Greens

How to get perfect turf grass for your sports field with the best lighting technologies

By Karla García, Hort Americas Technical Services

All people in sports business know how important is to maintain turf grass of sports fields in perfect shape. To achieve this, different products are applied in order to provide all the nutrients and protection to turf grass. However, maybe we are missing a very important aspect.

When should I invest in artificial lighting? How do I select the best lighting options?

We all know light is one of the most important factors affecting plant growth and development. But, how can we know if the use of artificial lighting will improve our production and our income? And how can we select the best source of light?

How do I protect my crop from direct sunlight and heat?

By Karla Garcia, Hort Americas Technical Services

A greenhouse is a structure used to protect our crop and extend our production window. Once we decide to invest in a greenhouse structure we must think in ways to obtain the maximum benefit from it. There are plenty of options for greenhouse covers. But as a grower, what should I be looking for? Photosynthesis is the main process related to crop yield. Therefore we should always be looking to optimize our greenhouse environment to promote photosynthesis.

Indoor Farming: How Can You Ensure Success?

Any business can fail for any number of reasons, but indoor farming is an incredibly delicate organism that depends on many disparate factors being perfectly aligned and in balance. This increases the risk of failure for those unaware of the number of plates that need to be kept spinning in perfect time. This list is not definitive but gives you a good idea of the most common mistakes to avoid.

The importance of knowing basics of plant nutrition

By Karla Garcia, Hort Americas Technical Services

Plant nutrition is a key factor in growth and yield. But how can we know which nutrient is missing? Or which is the best fertilizer for our crop?

In learning about plant nutrition, we first need to know there are nutrients required in greater quantities than others. The nutrients that are essential for plant growth are called “macronutrients”. The rest of the nutrients also essential for plant growth but in lower quantities are called “micronutrients”.

How can you improve the efficiency of your greenhouse lights?

GE Current LEDs offer controlled environment growers improved efficiency and flexibility over high pressure sodium lamps.

Growers use Grodan rockwool to produce specialty crops

While Grodan rockwool may be more often associated with greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, controlled environment growers are quickly learning that this substrate is an ideal choice for specialty crop production.

Could duckweed be the next big vertical farm crop?

Duckweeds are a family of aquatic plants that can be found floating on still or slow-moving bodies of water worldwide. Also known as bayroot or watermeal, duckweed is a popular food in Southwest Asia. Duckweed is a major source of protein, which accounts for 40 percent of its dry weight. It’s also the world’s fastest growing plant.

Based on the benefits controlled environment growers are experiencing with LED grow lights, a return on investment (ROI) analysis could help you decide how quickly the payback would be for your operation.

Category: Blog