andyhguk

Hydroponic Systems.

Clay balls can be washed and re-used but is a pain cleaning the bits of old root out, also they need soaking in a mild bleach solution followed by rinsing out, Milton is the safest one to use but it is expensive, avoid using your bath as they will scratch it. Plants grow better hydroponically if as much of the root mass possible is exposed to air, we grow with no clayballs and no pots, done correctly a one inch rockwool cube will support a tree.If you are interested in doing it properly check out www.hanginggardenuk.com  the website also has a helpline.

Hydroponic Systems.

Anyone interested in hydroponics should check out www.hanginggardenuk.com

Tomatoes on left were grown hydroponically

Red peppers on forums

Very little nutrient left in the water at the end .We run the plants virtually dry before topping up, and at the very end, "dependant on plant", we only top up with water, this causes the plant to use up it's own store of nutrients and gives much cleaner tasting produce. Commercial growers cannot do this as they need to keep a high nutrient level, to ensure the produce is firm and thick skinned so it travels well, which is detrimental to taste. What little is left over works wonders on the bedding plants in the garden.

Red peppers on forums

This is starting to sound like an adult dating site. We are genuinly attempting to grow a world record chilli next year. see www.hanginggardenuk.com

The guiness book of records biggest weighed less than 3/4 lb. and was just over a foot long, that sounds impressive for a willy but not that big for a chilli. the record one was a numex big jim pepper, obviously well hung.

Red peppers on forums

Sorry, I literally lost lost the thread on red peppers,

The rude looking ones are a capsicum annum, actually called willy chili, some people know them by an even ruder name "peter's penis".

Happy eating now you know that

Red peppers on forums

Most peppers,chillis,capsicums, whatever you want to call them, ripen up to be red, the riper and therefore the redder they are the hotter they are. This year we grew 16 different varieties some sweet, some hot, some volcanic. The hotter varieties definitely got much hotter as they got redder, the sweet varities seemed to vary some got sweeter as they ripened others seemed to get hotter, we also grew some that were never red, one strain went from green to lilac, one from purple to red with no green and one turned from green to chocolate. Now you are just as confused as I am, but I presume the varieties that do ripen to red are called red peppers when they are red and green peppers while they are still green, which means that a huge range of peppers turn red so it could be any type that are called red. Now you are even more confused than me I think.                       www.hanginggardenuk.com

New school greenhouse- where to begin?!

If you are anywhere near the West Midlands we may be able to help, as we are looking for schools to run a pilot operation of our growing systems, we are already installing systems at Alvechurch Middle school in the early spring. Check us out at www.hanginggardenuk.com

Or you should find some tips on Jamie Olivers website on school kitchen gardens.

Best of luck

Andy      hguk

Balcony railing pots

Check out website www.hanginggardenuk.com

They sell planters made to order, sounds perfect.