Learn about organic hydroponic mediums and how they can aid your organicgarden in this free educational video series. Expert: Steve Contact: www.myspace.com/solorganics_hydroponics Bio: Steve is the owner of Sol Organics and Hydroponics in San Antonio, Texas. Filmmaker: julio costilla

The technique of the organic hydroponics allows supplying organic nutrients to the upper soil-mixture layer, as in traditional plants growing. The liquid forms of the organic nutrients are mixed according to the necessary concentration and then poured onto the top of the medium upper half.  Beware, though, of pouring too many nutrients!

This experiment will help you learn how much liquid with hydroponics nutrients you should pour on your plants for its excess not to drip into the lava rock layer and, consequently, into the water reservoir. If you find out that there is an excess of feeding liquid and it drips through the lava rocks into the grow bed, you can either soak it up with a cloth, or you can use other form of fertilizer, the one without liquid. It is also reasonably to change lava rock.

However, if only a small amount of organic nutrients is noticed to drain into the reservoir, there will be no problem, as the volume of water there is much larger. Reservoir water should be changed every 1-2 weeks, similarly to the standard hydroponics nutrients chemical reservoirs

Some growers practice mixing organic nutrients (e.g. worm castings) into the upper medium part. Others just distribute them on the surface of the grow medium and then spray them with water. Another way is to mix nutrients with half a cup of water and pour onto the top of the medium. Any of these methods ensure proper nutrients entrance into the soil mixture and good absorption by the plants primary roots.

The upper layer of the medium is also called “soil alternative”, as it is the place where the nutrients are supplied to. It is treated as a standard soil container. To improve the capillary action of the water delivered by the lava rock at the bottom, it is recommended to spray the soil alternative once or twice a day with water.

Creating your organic gardening using hydroponics system pay special attention to the level of the pumped water, this must not moisten the upper part of the medium. If this happens, the nutrients, delivered to this soil part of the growing medium, will be washed out into the water reservoir, becoming unavailable for the upper part of the plants root system.

The usual watering cycle takes about half an hour to make the whole upper part of the medium wet. If this time is not enough, you may set the timer to prolong the cycles. It is also possible to spray the upper half of the growing medium with water in addition to the regular pump-triggered watering. Remember that soil-based part should never be soaked in water – being moist is enough for growing organic plants.