HYDROPONICS
Sir,-Little has been heard lately about hydroponics. Was it a nine days’ wonder? MHas the cult or craze died a natural death, or have the enthusiasts gone before? If there are any left in New Zealand, please lead me to them. After nearly twelve months’ inquiry and experiment, I am coming to the conclusion that what is known, at least in this country, is quite harmless. I made an experiment in a small way that included eight varieties of vegetables, but my difficulty was to maintain the vitality in the plant after a minimum of beans, peas, tomatoes or marrows were produced. A few details might illustrate my point. Tomato plants about 4in. high, although they didn’t droop, were very slow, and in five weeks had only added at most 2in.; in the same position, a warm, sheltered corner, the same seedlings in soil beat them out of sight. Not one of ten plants produced more than two clusters, and I had no need to remove laterals as there were none. The fruit ripened in due course and was of good flavour. Runner beans were the same; they kept pace with soil growth and produced a good crop. They were sown on November 18 and by January 9, two beans were picked; on January 30 they were at their maximum. By February 9 ‘they were finished and showed no sign of bloomicrg any more. In the soil they went on until well into April. A marrow plant in coarse sand produced one marrow and could not be persuaded to try again. Cabbages were a complete failure after eight weeks’ trial. With lettuces, out of 12 seedlings only two hearted in eight weeks; all others went to seed. In soil the same seedlings did very well. Cucumbers would not grow for me. Lettuce, radish, carrot and onion, sown on December 16, showed no sign by January 1 (in soil they were all well up), never did any good, and I gave them up. Peas sown on January 1 gave quite a good crop by March 30, and a second picking a week later. On the other hand, they were no good at all in soil at the same date. I am trying hydroponics out just now inside a small glasshouse. Radish seed sown on June 1 is well up on the 10th. If by any chance this letter appears in your paper, I should be glad to get any tips from any reader who may have had better luck.
A.
OCKENDEN
(Scarborough Hill, Sumner).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19410704.2.10.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 106, 4 July 1941, Page 4
Word count
Tapeke kupu
424HYDROPONICS New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 106, 4 July 1941, Page 4
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in