Hydroponics

Yesterday, we went to visit Archie's Acres, a hydroponic farm in Escondido, CA.  We have seen them at our local farmer's market and at Earth Fair this year in Balboa Park.  And when the opportunity came up to put a garden in at the school my son will be attending next year, I immediately thought of them.  We are basically turning a parking lot into a beautiful outdoor space, complete with an organic, hydroponic farm, a lovely picnic area, an activity area, and a playground.  The hydro garden will work well, since we have no soil to dig into.  It will require much less space than a traditional garden.  Plus, it is sustainable.  A hydroponic garden requires much less water than a traditional garden and is virtually pest free!

But I had no idea how cool it would be until I visited the farm for myself.  

THE FARM WAS FULL OF ROW AFTER ROW OF GROWING TABLES WITH PERFECT PLANTS THRIVING IN EACH GROW SITE.  COCOA MULCH OR VOLCANIC ROCK IS THE GROWING MEDIUM.  NO SOIL IS EVER USED.  THEREFORE, HARMFUL INSECTS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE PLANTS.  MICRO-TUBING LEADS INTO EACH BUCKET.  IT CONSTANTLY FEEDS THE PLANTS “ONE DROP AT A TIME”  WATER AND ORGANIC NUTRIENTS FROM THE RESERVOIR TANK.  THE TANK RECYCLES THE WATER AND ORGANIC NUTRIENTS CONSTANTLY.  EVERY 2 WEEKS, THE WATER IS CHANGED AND NEW NUTRIENTS ARE ADDED.  FOR A EVERY 75 GALLONS OF WATER THAT A TRADITIONAL “IN- GROUND” GARDEN USES, THE HYDROPONIC GARDEN USES ONLY 15 GALLONS OF WATER!  SINCE THESE PLANTS DO NOT HAVE TO BATTLE PESTS, DISEASE, AND ROT - THEY GROW VERY VERY FAST AND PRODUCE VERY VERY HIGH YIELDS.  FOR INSTANCE, A PEPPER PLANT GROWN IN SOIL MAY PRODUCE 20 PEPPERS.  IN A HYDRO POT, IT WILL PRODUCE 4 TIMES THAT MUCH!  KAREN, CO-OWNER OF ARCHIE'S ACRES SAYS, "AT THAT POINT, YOU ARE MAKING PEPPER JELLY!"  

So, we hope to garner lots of support at my son's future school for this project.  The growing tables will be kid-height, so it will be easy to reach.  Also, an added bonus is that people who are in wheelchairs could easily access this type of garden.  That is a beautiful thing!