Being Profitable in Business

If you are into the crop production business, hydroponics gardening is a way to go. This soilless form of crop production involves less labour, less space, and allows for the effective management of pests. However, the key to gaining a lot from hydroponics business is getting the gardening right, and if you are a beginner, you are likely to make some mistakes. Here are some of these mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Poor Lighting

Lighting is crucial to the growth of any crops, and with hydroponics, you have the control over the lighting you provide your plants. Using a single bulb may not be beneficial to your plants. Your plants need enough light to reach their optimal height and thrive. Keeping the light on throughout may also not be a good idea. Just because your plants need light doesn't mean you should expose them to it all the time. Different plants may need different amounts of light for their optimum growth, so it's important to ask your supplier the maximum light exposure for your particular crop to grow perfectly.

Too Much Water

Watering your plants too often is not good for their growth. Saturating your plants with water can result in them becoming droopy. Too much water can also encourage root rot by depriving them of oxygen, which will affect the growth cycle of the plants. There is a simple way to find out whether it's time to water your plants. Stick your finger in the top layer of the growth medium you are using. If it's completely dry, that is, your finger doesn't come out with wet dirt, then you need to water the plants.

Poor Ventilation

Airflow is crucial to the breathing of the plants. Therefore, if you intend to get higher yields, you need to provide proper ventilation to the plants. Fans usually do the trick. They don't only help with ventilation but with heat control too, especially if you are using high intensity discharge grow lights that tend to emit considerable amounts of heat. Your fan should be operational throughout. However, be keen on how you install them. Blowing directly on your plants can lead to dehydration.

Overfeeding

It is very easy to use too much nutrients on your plants. But this won't help them grow any faster or healthier. Excessive amounts of nutrients will cause nutrient burns where the tips of the leaves of your plants start yellowing. The plants are also likely to have stunted growth. Overall, you will have poor quality plants. To avoid this, always use less of the recommended dosage of nutrients, and then gradually increase in case your plants start showing signs of deficiency of nutrients.