Category: Blog

Small Test, Big Results: LED Grow Lights Help Bloom Show-Stopping Plants

Originally published by GE Current, a Daintree Company

Dominik Neisser has horticulture in his blood. His parents had a greenhouse in Germany while he was growing up and maintain it to this day, laying the foundation for a life spent studying and growing plants across the world. “This is how I was born and raised,” Neisser said. “I was always with plants and got to know the business around it, so I decided to join that branch and go into horticulture.”

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Breaking boundaries with indoor locally-grown hops

By Deidre Hughes

When you think of hydroponically grown crops, hops may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But innovators Corey and Laura Rickman have a dream, and Hort Americas is helping them along the way. With the craft beer industry growing all over the country there is a demand for wet hops in beer production. However, traditionally hops have been grown outdoors in the North Pacific region. Wet hops or fresh hops have a very short shelf life, and they need to be shipped overnight to make it to breweries across the US. This can be quite expensive. The Rickman’s started thinking, what if they could be the supplier to the numerous breweries that are local to the Dallas/ Fort Worth area? What if they could have multiple harvests a year by controlling the environment? That idea started Dallas HopWorks.

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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.

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Mastering Disease Management: Powdery Mildew in Leafy Greens

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.

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