Aquaponics Post #3
“According to a study by Iowa State University, lava rock doesn’t alter the pH of its environment significantly. It does radiate back warmth absorbed from the sun or other heat sources and effectively retains moisture, lowering the risk of losing hydroponic plants if there’s a temporary system failure.” -- Can You Grow Edible Herbs in Lava Rock? “Plant nutrient requirements change as they grow and enter different stages of development. As long as you supply the basics, your herbs will take what they need. All plants need certain elements in relatively large amounts. These macronutrients include nitrogen, calcium, potassium, sulfur, magnesium and phosphorous. They need only trace amounts of certain other elements, called micronutrients. These include chlorine, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, iron, boron, cobalt and copper. Hydroponic plant foods include all of the nutrients necessary for plants to grow and develop properly; nothing comes from the lava rocks.” -- Can You Grow Edible Herbs in Lava Rock? “Not all hydroponic systems or growing situations lend themselves to the use of a support medium such as lava rock. If you want to start your plants from seed, choose perlite or rock wool, since most lava rock is far too coarse for seeds. Small chunks of lava rock can replace other types of media such as pea gravel or perlite in the net pots commonly used in deep-water culture systems. It also works to fill the growing trays typically used in ebb and flow systems and makes a useful support medium for single-bucket drip or hand-fed systems.” — Can You Grow Edible Herbs in Lava Rock? “Mint (Mentha spp.) is not a plant you usually have to worry about propagating; it does a bang-up job on its own, sending out its stoloniferous roots in all directions to colonize the entire garden if you plant it without a root barrier. When you plant herbs in containers, want to share a special variety or plant a large-scale ground cover, you may prefer to grow mint from cuttings, rather than division. Mint, hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, roots readily in water.” -- How to Grow Mint From Cuttings Hydroponically
Quarters, C. (2017, November 21). Can You Grow Edible Herbs in Lava Rock? Retrieved January 8, 2019 from https://living.thebump.com/can-grow-edible-herbs-lava-rock-14005.html Reed, P. H. (2016, October 07). How to Grow Mint From Cuttings Hydroponically. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-mint-cuttings-hydroponically-71309.html
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