Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Hydroponics?, 1 by Zen_Man

Zen_Man wrote:
Hi GardenGirl,

I considered it (hydroponics) at one time. Bought a book. Decided it wasn\'t appropriate for my zinnia hobby. Growing zinnias in water is rather awkward, because just keeping the plants upright can be a problem. The system I wound up with for my indoor zinnia project is essentially hydroponics, in that it is \"soil-less\" because I use ProMix BX instead of soil. ProMix has only enough nutrients to get seedlings started. I apply liquid nutrients to the ProMix to keep the plant going. Plants need a lot of Calcium, and ironically the Calcium nitrate that I use came from a hydroponics supply place. I need urea-free nutrients, because the ProMix doesn\'t contain soil microbes to break down urea into a usable nitrate or ammonium ion form, so I use commercial soluble nutrients used by Orchid growers.

So, ironically, it turns out I am effectively growing hydroponically using the Premier ProMix in pots as a supporting medium. This is a current photo. I am growing my home-hybridized zinnias indoors under lights in a basement utility room.

ZM