Greenhouse and Hydro Update

My greenhouse has become my refuge, my space, my little paradise. I am also realizing that it is a lot of work as my relaxing sessions sitting among my plants always lead me to chores such as watering, bug hunting, dead heading, fertilizing, adjusting the pH and nutrients in the hydroponics, shutting vents, transplanting, moving plants around, etc. It's all worth it though as I know my next session will allow me to sit among plants that are happier than they were the day before, at least for a little bit before they again call me to more greenhouse chores.

Since my last greenhouse post, I have made some changes to my hydroponic system. It didn't take long to realize that algae can be a big problem in a hydro system. I liked the flexibility of using open gutters in my NFT system for being able to move plants around and to adjust their spacing. However the strong spring sun and warmer temps quickly left everything in contact with water covered in thick algae. This led to other issues such as unhealthy roots and root rot. Healthy roots in a hydro system should be bright white not brown and certainly not green. 

I realized that I needed to cover the gutters as best as possible so I cut some strips of leftover greenhouse siding to fit into the gutter, cut holes in the strips and reinserted the net pots. I used my skill saw so the strips are a little rough and don't fit as well as they could. Adding some spacers under them to keep them out of the nutrient solution solved this easily enough. This seems to be working pretty well but I think I will eventually want to replace the wood strips with plastic to prevent mold and rot and for easier cleaning.

Cucumber Inserted into Cover Strip

Another part of cleaning up the gutters was to remove my spinach as the roots were covered in algae and the plants were beginning to bolt. Most of the spinach was replaced with some head lettuce, more chard, some peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and collards (peppers and tomatoes will probably go into another hydro system when I get time). I did not replace the collards and rainbow chard as they seem to be doing well. In fact, the collards do amazingly well in this type of system and three plants have produced more smoothie greens, salads and wraps than my spinach and chard combined.

Collards and Chard

 I would also have to say that the lettuce is doing extremely well also. I have one plant that is nearly 15 inches across after only about 30 days. 

Lettuce

Or should I say, was doing extremely well? As time went on, I noticed my lettuce wilting. At first I thought it was because of the heat but then noticed that it seemed to be wilting earlier in the day while still cool. After some research, I concluded that my problem was probably due to lack of oxygen caused by water damming in the system and that I was drowning the roots. This was also aggravated by some of the larger plants like the collards and chard which had huge root masses causing water to build up behind them. I therefore had to rearrange all of my plants so the larger ones were at the upper end of the gutter leaving the younger plants down stream to have only a thin film of water passing under their roots. I also got a timer to turn my pump on and off throughout the day so the gutter would have time to empty completely allowing the roots needed exposure to oxygen.  

I wasn't sure what the best timer settings should be but finally decided to have it on for an hour then off for an hour all day long except that it would run constantly for 5 hours during the hottest hours of the day. This seems to be working fine. I will probably play around with the settings more in the future.

The timer actually solved another problem as well which was to allow the aquarium heater time to heat the water in order to circulate warm water over the roots at night. Without the timer the reservoir temperature was only a few degrees warmer than the air temperature as the water flowing through the gutters would quickly cool off through exposure to the cool gutters. Now it warms up nicely between circulations. I am hoping that this does not shock the roots as they are constantly cooling down an being heated up every cycle. The plants seem happy so I guess I won't worry too much.

After these changes, I noticed that the plants were quickly growing healthy roots, taking in more nutrients, and that most of the lettuce plants seemed to be doing better with less wilt. 

New Root Growth

In fact it was time to have a head of lettuce for lunch. This is the cool thing about hydroponic lettuce as I brought it in and placed it in a bowl of water, roots and all so it would be super fresh for the salad. It turned out that my wife couldn't make lunch that day so I decided to put the lettuce back in the gutter for another day (Try picking a head of lettuce out of your garden and then putting it back). Then...

Looking into the bowl I noticed several small "wormy" things. This wasn't good. Could it actually be that something was eating the roots of my plants that would be causing them to wilt? Back to the computer for more research. I quickly realized what my problem was, fungus gnats. 

Fungus Gnat Larvae

I had heard that this could and probably would be a problem in my greenhouse. It seems that I've been tempting fate all along with this project and have had  to pay each time. I had noticed these little guys for awhile and figured they were probably harmless. I was really more distracted by the left over fruit flies that had come from the worm bin (which I removed way too late!).

If you start plants in your greenhouse or have house plants, you've probably seen these little guys. They are the small 1/8 inch flies that flutter around at the base of your plants. 

Fungus Gnat

They don't fly well and prefer to run around when disturbed. They lay their eggs in moist areas and the larvae hatch and eat the decaying matter in the soil and, at times roots and the base of young seedlings. I had noticed such damage to some of my potted tomatoes.

Fungus Gnat Damage in Tomato Seedling

Now what? It seemed that my potted starts were mostly unaffected by these little guys except for one stevia start that is probably damaged to the point of no return. I still didn't like the idea of all those hidden larvae eating away under the soil's surface. But my real concern was my prize lettuce that was getting damaged as the larvae didn't have any other food in the hydro system other than the roots of these plants. I proceeded to remove the affected lettuce, harvest many of the large leaves, trim the roots and rinse off the larvae. I then sprayed the roots with neem oil, re potted and put them back in the hydro system.

This was only a short term fix. How to get rid of these guys so I'm not perpetually plagued by their presence was the question. I researched solutions and saw that there were lots of products available to kill them. However, most were not available locally and my nearest hydroponic supply store is over an hour away. After much thought and research I decided to try something called BTI or Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis which is a microbial larvicide which kills the larvae of many variety of Diptera. I have read that this would include fungus gnats. This was available at my local garden supply store in several forms. One is in the form of doughnuts and the other is in small packets like tea bags. The former is used in fish ponds and the latter is for watering troughs for farm animals. 

I opted for the tea bag variety which will supposedly treat 500 gallons of water. Seems like a bit of overkill but why not. 

BTI Packets

I placed the tea bag in a 5 gallon bucket of water to make a concentrated solution which I let steep overnight. The next day, I took out a gallon and added it to another 5 gallon bucket and topped off with water. I then proceeded to water all of my plants in the greenhouse with the "killer" solution. I also topped off my hydro reservoir with it as well.

Only time will tell. The BTI supposedly will kill the larva in 24 hours and will continue to work for up to 30 days. It will however not kill the adults which live for about a week. So hopefully in a week or so I won't see anymore of those guys skittering around my lettuce or my starts. I will then be able to cross off one more chore from my list of many allowing me to sit and enjoy my paradise for just a bit longer next time.

Wild Edibles

After a winter of store bought fruits and vegetables at off season prices, I look forward to having fresh produce from my garden. I especially look forward to things like kale, spinach, collards and chard of which we devour large amounts each day in our morning green smoothies.

Over the past years, I've done everything possible to get those greens as early as possible. This year, things are looking pretty good. I have some kale, chard, collards and chicory that wintered over.

Overwintered Kale

Spring Collards

Spring Chicory

In early March, I planted some beets, peas, chard, collards and lettuce which are making good progress. Last fall I even built a greenhouse to try to grow greens over the winter which was a great help with salad greens but just couldn't really produce much in the way of smoothie greens as the  winter days are too short and the temps are just too cold for things to grow very fast.

Well after all the stress of trying to get things growing early, I've had a little bit of a revelation - wild edibles. These are the wonderful things that you see turning green and growing with vigor every spring in your yard and local countryside. Don't knock them until you've tried them as they are super healthy and have detoxifying properties for the body which we need after a long winter without fresh greens. Here is a list of my favorite wild edibles and ones that most of you probably can find in your yard, lining your driveway or in the vacant lot or field nearby.

1. My favorite and one of the most healthy greens in this category would be the dandelion.  I used to hate these and cut them out of my lawn. Now I embrace them. Dandelions are included as one of the top 6 herbs in Chinese medicine and are great for our general health. Here is a paragraph about the health benefits of dandelions from the book "The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine" by Peter Gail.

Suppose your doctor tells you, on your next visit, that he has just discovered a miracle drug which, when eaten as a part of your daily diet or taken as a beverage, could, depending on the peculiarities of your body chemistry: prevent or cure liver diseases, such as hepatitis or jaundice; act as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function, working equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea; prevent or lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; prevent or cure various forms of cancer; prevent or control diabetes mellitus; and, at the same time, have no negative side effects and selectively act on only what ails you. If he gave you a prescription for this miracle medicine, would you use it religiously at first to solve whatever the problem is and then consistently for preventative body maintenance?

He goes on to claim that Dandelions rank in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value. If only part of these claims are true, it seems like a good thing to consider adding to ones diet. Further research on Dandelions will show similar claims.

Dandelions for the morning smoothie

I use Dandelions as a green for my smoothies and am able to use 3 or 4 large plants without noticing any bitterness. I usually supplement with other greens but think you'd be surprised at how well they smoothie up! I also save the roots and cut them into small pieces which I toast in the oven. They can then be ground in your coffee grinder and used to make espresso or dandelion tea which tastes surprisingly like coffee.

2. Wild Violets have been something I've enjoyed a lot this spring as well. They make a great green for salads or smoothies and you can eat the flowers too. Try using the greens and flowers to make a beautiful, tasty salad. Wild violets are a good source of vitamins A and C.

Wild violets in my yard

3. Mallow is that darn weed with the huge root that you can never seem to pull up when weeding your garden. Mallow leaves have are a little bit uncomfortable to eat as they have small hairs on them. They do, however, make a great base for a smoothie an have a very mild taste. Mallow tea, made from the roots, is good for soothing sore throats and can be very cleansing for your body as well. Mallow is said to be good for helping boost your immune system and is also anti parasitic and has anti inflammatory properties.

Mallow - "To weed or not to weed?"

4. Lambsquarters are another weed that seems to be everywhere in your garden. I love lambquarters in smoothies and the greens can be good in a salad. The tender stocks remind me of young snow peas and could be steamed or sauteed like asparagus as a tasty dish. I usually use them in smoothies or munch on them fresh as I'm weeding the garden. Lambquarters are high in vitamins A, C and K (with a serving providing more than 100% RDA of each), riboflavin, niacin, clacium, manganese, potassium an iron.

Lambsquarters

5. Purslane is that little succulent type of weed that grows low in your garden. I used to let it grow as ground cover before I knew what it was. Purslane, being high in vitamin A and C, has a nice fruity flavor. It is also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids having as much or more than some fish oils. I have never been able to find enough of this in my yard to do much more than nibble on it. I leave it in my garden as ground cover but end up walking on it. However, if you could find a good supply of it, I'm sure it would be great in a salad, smoothie or soup.

Purslane

6. I usually find plantain in my yard among the dandelions. And no, this is not the banana type of plantain. Rather it is another healthy, green leafy plant that most of us have in our yard. One of the main uses of plantain is as a topical application for insect bites, stings and cuts. It  contains allantoin which is an anti-inflammatory that kills germs an speeds healing by encouraging growth of new skin cells. For this reason plantain is used in many commercialized creams and ointments found at your local drug store. Plantain is even said to be able to soothe poison oak or poison ivy rashes and can also be made into a tea to treat a cold or sore throat as it also has "pain killing" properties. I use plantain in my smoothies when I can find it. It is not the best green to eat in salads but reminds me a lot of chicory in taste and texture. Plantain is a good source of calcium, minerals and beta carotene.

Plantain

7. Chickweed has recently shown up as a local weed in my garden and along the edges of my lawn. It shows up early in the season with dandelions, mallow, violets and clover. Young chickweed tastes amazingly like spinach. It has a pleasant texture and is great in salads or as a supplement in smoothies. Chickweed is also a medicinal that has historically been given to people to aid in their recovery after serious illness. It can be mixed with clay as a poultice for healing sores as well. According to the Livestrong website

Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied to the skin to relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain an symptoms of eczema.

Chickweed 

Jackpot! Dandelions, violets an chickweed all together.

8. Clover seems to be everywhere and red clover is especially good for you. Clover can be eaten in salads, as a steamed vegetable or made into tea. Red clover is used in treating many medical conditions such as cancer, mastitis, gout, coughs (as an expectorant and suppressant), and asthma. It is also a potent detoxifier of the blood, lungs, liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. Red clover is high in protein and a good source of calcium, lecithin, chromium, magnesium, potassium, an vitamins A, E, and C.

Young sweet clover

So get out there and see what you can find to tide you over until your spring garden begins to produce. You may be surprised at how many plants you can find and how tasty and healthy they are. So in the meantime weed with purpose and green up!