Alternative Gardening 2011 At-Home Hydroponics Naturally...Sussex

NaturallySussex.com  makes it easy to grow your own fresh produce virtually anywhere!

NATURALLY HOME  

at-home hydroponics unit

We all know the health benefits of adding fresh greens to your family's diet. 

But the time and space needed for a traditional garden is an obstacle.

available online at naturallysussex.com


The beauty of NaturallySussex's
Naturally Home At-Home Hydroponics unit is the simplicity of design and ease of use.

Constructed from lightweight PVC piping, the compact unit measures roughly 3 feet wide by 5 feet in length-so it fits perfectly just about anywhere inside or out.

Three flow tubes provide enough growing space for 18 plants. A constant supply of nutrient rich water flows through the tubes and discharges back to the nutrient tank. Plants are fed at the root. The stress-free access to nutrients makes it easy for plants to direct all their energy into production of great produce. YOU control the type of nutrients added! Organic or commercially available water soluble products are readily available from most garden centers.

Best of all THERE'S NO WEEDING! No need for a garage full of tools either.
With each plant neatly tucked into its own growing space, there's never a need to bend, weed or hoe. Plants are fed at the root with a steady flow of nutrients. Little effort is needed to produce fresh veggies all year long.

Custom fit hard plumbed distribution unit

NATURALLY HOME At-home Hydroponics from NaturallySussex.com is designed with an improved distribution unit.Hydroponic systems generally rely on a flex hose design to deliver the water from the nutrient tank up to the flow tubes. Hoses need frequent cleaning and look messy. The NATURALLY HOME At-Home Hydroponics unit sold exclusively by NaturallySussex.com offers a clean design and replaces irrigation lines with hard pluming and a custom fit distribution unit. The compact, removable piece eliminates the potential for algae growth which can clog the system.

The unit includes:

-three four foot flow tubes with 18 prepared planting chambers
-lightweight, easy to assemble frame
- hard bodied main line
-hard bodied distribution unit
Assembly is easy!
The unit ships in easy to assemble pre cut pieces. Most fit together by hand. Flow tubes come with pre cut planting chambers.  A few screws in the pre-drilled holes will anchor the flow tubes to the main frame in a matter of minutes! Hardware is included.

The unit doesn't include:
-Nutrient tank, pond pump and flex hose/fittings to connect to the uptake line.


Naturally Sussex recommends using a ten gallon bucket or tub -easily found at a local hardware store or homegoods store. Choose a pond pump based on lift. A small piece of flex hose and adaptor will also be needed to connect the pump to the uptake plumbing.

Once your NATURALLY HOME hydroponics unit is set up, simply add plants to the growing chambers and nutrients to the nutrient tank. Plug in the pump and let nature do the rest!
The hydroponics unit lasts forever and costs under $150.00.



Folks have this to say about the NATURALLY HOME At-Home Hydroponics unit
from Naturally Sussex.com:

"We stopped gardening several years ago. Most of our weekends are spent at our vacation home and it seemed easier to buy our veggies rather than trying to tend a garden of our own. The NATURALLY HOME hydroponics unit makes it so easy for us to grow our own produce that we've gotten two! One at our weekend residence and one at our home. We add nutrients to the tank once a week . That's it! Wherever we are, we have fresh produce-that we grew ourselves!" S. Meyers  Montclair, New Jersey

"I'd love to garden-but just don't have the backyard space. NATURALLY HOME hydroponics is a compact solution and the kids think it's really cool!" Anna M. Easton Pennsylvania

"My boyfriend and I work crazy hours. By the time we get home we're beat so meals wind up being whatever we can throw together-most of the time, that's doesn't include fresh produce. NATURALLY HOME hydroponics gives us "garden fresh" choices-without the work of a garden! The compact unit fits great in our small apartment. It takes up next to no room and is easy to maintain. We love it!"
Kathy L Montague NJ

Alternative Gardening : Cultivating container harvest Update from Shepherd's Cove Farm Frankford, NJ

Container gardening is probably one of the easiest ways to grow flowers and veggies (after the threat of frost has passed that is). A few key factors will impact patio gardening success. The soil used in container gardens needs to be lighter than your garden soil. Pre mixed container soil is readily available at most nurseries or garden centers. You'll find everything from potting soil to pre fertilized/time released potting soils and organic potting soil. Ask a professional what's the best match for your garden vision.

Your container needs adequate drainage. Adding additional holes to the container is easy with a few simple tools. We're learning that lots of edibles do well in containers and that veggies can even be mixed in with flowering annuals to bring a touch of color to your container garden. Here are some of the container pots we have started at Shepherd's Cove. With plans to also add container herbs, garlic and other edibles, we'll be able to spice up our meals with fresh herbs-without the challenges of traditional gardening and in a fraction of the space!

Red Basil, traditional basil, peppers, lettuce, beans and cabbage- all in containers placed throughout the gardens and on the deck. Cucumbers, garlic and thyme will be added to the selection.

Alternative Gardening MULCH update from Shepherd's Cove Farm Frankford, NJ

What would a SHEPHERD'S COVE project be if we didn't find some way to incorporate a by-product of our main focus-sheep.
The most obvious garden benefit of our sheep production comes in the form of garden compost (but we'll spare you a photo).

Sheep manure is an excellent source of nitrogen, potash and phosphorus -three essentials to healthy plants.

*Potassium is an essential element for plant growth. Potash helps plants use water and resist drought. It promotes healthy green lawn grass and is important to food crops. Potash enhances the size of fruits and vegetables. Some think of Potassium as a plant strengthener.

*Phosphorus is vital to the growth and health of plants. It assists in converting the sun's energy and other chemicals, such as nitrogen, into usable food for plants. A phosphorus deficiency will lead to stunted, sickly looking plants that produce a lower quality fruit or flower. But phosphorus needs to be mixed with water for the plant to utilize and absorb it. Some think of Phosphorus as a plant strengthener.

*Nitrogen promotes good leaf growth-which in turn is essential for photosynthesis (how the plants make their food). Nitrogen is found in the air but must be absorbed by plants from the soil. Think of Nitrogen as your plant growth stimulator.

All three of these essential soil amendments important to garden success and are found in sheep manure-(plentiful on our farm). So adding them to the garden mix has been one way of improving our soil while utilizing one of many by-products of sheep production.

A second sheep by-product we've incorporated into this year's alternative gardening experiment is sheep wool mulch.

Sheep's wool absorbs approximately 30 % of it's weight in moisture and helps keep ground temperature consistent. We've examined studies which looked at sheep's wool as both a mulch and for it's potential benefits as a weed barrier. We found the results to date could help meet our objectives so we're giving it a try.

In this totally unscientific study, we've planted one row of green beans and one row of beets-sown directly in compost treated soil.

Thick wool roving (wool that has been washed and combed into a smooth long strand) has been placed around the outer edges of the garden rows.

Wool roving has also been spread around the seed holes. Oat Straw covers the wool roving to keep it in place and discourage garden visitors from stealing it away as nesting material.

We hope to see a reduction in the need to water as frequently, faster germination time, lower weed rates and maybe even an impact on the garden slug population.

We'll keep you posted on the process and project as things develop.