Soil is never used in hydroponic growing. Some systems have the
ability to support the growing plants, allowing the bare roots to have
maximum exposure to the nutrient solution. In other systems, the roots
are supported by a growing medium. Some types of media also aid in
moisture and nutrient retention. Before growing your plants just read
this article;
Time To Shift Gears
By Lill Hawkins
Even though there's
still snow on the ground up here in the frozen North, many parts of the
US are getting green and warm. Green is what I always think of when I
think of spring, a soothing, natural color that spreads over lawns and
through tree branches, covering the browns and grays and off-white
winter colors and lifting our spirits. Even if you love winter, by the
time it's gone on for several months, it's nice to see some fresh color
in the landscape.
Photo: hobbyhydro.com
I don't know about you, but when the sun rises higher in
the sky and birds start pairing off and waking me up at 4 in the
morning, I just have to get outside. Even now, in mud season, when
walking down the driveway to get the mail can mean losing a boot in a
soft spot, I still try to get out every day and do something. Gardening
is out until the ground thaws and then dries out, which may not be until
the end of June this year, thanks to the almost-record snow we had.
Instead
of getting the garden ready, the kids and I have made canals in the
driveway to channel the water so that it wouldn't go under the garage
door. Daughter was delighted to discover that her Fairy House, made of
stones, bark, moss and seashells, made it through the winter and she
spent a couple of afternoons refurbishing it for any fairies
cold-blooded enough to brave the freezing nights.
Maybe, where
you live, it's time to plant a garden or - if you live in the Deep South
- even time to harvest your first vegetables. If so, I'm sure you're
appreciating spring after supermarket tomatoes all winter. Even the
hydroponic ones just don't have the taste of the sun in them, do they?
Perhaps
where you live, the ground is still "too wet to plow" as the farmers
say, but you're able to get out for your daily walk again, after the ice
storms and slippery sidewalks of winter. So you're shifting into
exercise and maybe your dog is too, if you're lucky enough to have a
walking companion.
Many of us are joyfully ogling gardening
catalogues and web sites and seeking out just a few new plants to add to
the usual veggies and flowers. Maybe some ornamental grass would look
nice next to the little pond we're going to put in near the deck, so we
can watch the grass wave in the breeze while we sip our iced tea. (Of
course, we'll make sure that it's environmentally appropriate grass for
our area.)
We're opening windows to air out the rooms and the
fresh air smell lingers even when we have to close them against the
chill of afternoon. The furnace isn't running during the day and that
really bucks us up when we consider the high price of fuel. Maybe this
summer we'll actually save up enough to install those solar panels we
can never seem to afford. (Can't afford the oil either, come to think of
it, so why not go solar?)
We're all turning our faces to the
sun, literally and figuratively, this time of year and it's good to feel
its warmth again. Even in places where winter is just cool, not cold,
the angle of the sun, the new plant growth and the babies that appear
behind their parents flying, swimming, waddling, running and frolicking
tell us that change is in the air. Change is in us too during this
season.
If you're concerned about the environment, global warming
and rising fuel prices, maybe spring is a good time to start doing
something about it. Start small, if you like, by adopting the Three R's:
Reducing consumption, Reusing instead of throwing away and Recycling
everything possible. Just those three things makes an enormous
difference to our planet.
From there, read more about going green
on this site and others. There are directories that can steer you to
information and resources that will help. Sign up for online
newsletters. Find a local volunteer organization and get involved in
environmental improvement projects. Have fun and make friends, while you
do good.
Shifting gears. Moving into the promise of new
beginnings. To me, that's the whole idea of spring. We get to start over
again with new energy and new ideas. What better time is there to help
Mother Nature than spring when she gives us a chance, once again, to
save the Earth.
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information? Find info, resources and products for your
green lifestyle. Lill's List for everything that's good for you.