Showing posts with label DIY Hydroponics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY Hydroponics. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Herbies for hobbyist @ Hortpark

It was a meaningful date with Hortpark 0n 18th September 2011. A group of hobbyists gathered there learning how to grow culinary herbs without the use of SOIL!
Yes, I found my name.
As the clock ticked away, hobbyists started strolling in, some with family members while others came with friends.
The response to this workshop was so overwhelming that it had to be repeated after the first session.
The first session kicked off at 9.00 am with a short talk on the culinary and medicinal values of the herbs that they would be growing with the hydroponic kit. The 2nd session was conducted at 11.00 am with Tony as the instructor.Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Dill and Lemon Balm are the 4 types of herbs to be grown in the hydroponic kit.




Sweet basil is widely used in pasta, pizza and pesto sauce. It is also frequently used in salad and in food dressings as well. It is also added into meat dishes or omelet to give that extra flavour. The Lemon balm has a unique lemony smell, best use for infusing in tea. When taken, it helps to soothe tension. This is especially useful for stressful working people.
Dill provides a healthy alternative for relieving the body and the mind of insomnia. Certain flavonoids and vitamins that are abundant in this herb may help to speed up the production of hormones in our body and which in turn provide us a relaxing and calming feeling.
Italian parsley is used to prevent bad breath. The chlorophyll in parsleys is excellent for breath freshener, that is why it is used as a garnish for meals.
Once the hydroponic kit is set up, it must be left at a place where there is sunlight but without any rain drops -- this to ensure the rain water will not be collected in the kit as rain water may dilute the concentration of the nutrient which will affect the pH of the nutrient solution.

What is left is going home and get it started....


It is always good to add some herbs into our cooking as this will enhance the flavour of food. At the same time we should use less oil, less salt and seasonings for a healthy diet. Hopefully through these sessions of sharing, more will learn how to cultivate plants without using soil and more will come to know the wonders of culinary herbs!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hydroponics @ Haig Girls

It was a session of learning Hydroponics cultivation on 27th May 2011 for a group of lovely and enthusiastic girls at Haig Girls' Primary School. These girls were listening attentively to the instructor's explanations pertaining to the setting up of the Hydroponics Gardening kits.These easy-to-use Gardening Kits can be used for growing vegetables as well as culinary herbs, like sweet basil, lemon balm, dill, italian parsley, etc The participants had the opportunity to sample some of the herbs grown using hydroponics method.It was a sensual experience! Tasting different types of herbs would give us different sensation on our tongue! Like the sweet basil, it will cause a numbling sensation on the tip of the tongue. Italian parsley works on our salivary glands. When chewed, the salivary glands secrete saliva in abundance all of a sudden. That is why parsley is used widely as a garnish for many dishes, from chinese dishes to western cruisine. It is meant for diners to chew on the parsley after food to sweeten the breathe. Setting up of a hydroponics gardening kit is as easy as ABC if you follow the steps closely. First, fill the container with the correct amount of water.Pour 40 ml of Nutrient A and B each . Stir well. The net pot is half-filled with growing media such as leca (expanded clay).Then fill till the 3/4 mark with vermiculite, another hydroponics growing media.

























Leca and vermiculite are two of the common growing media used in hydroponics cultivation. Both growing media are inert, high water retention property and capillary action. Lastly, drop 3 -5 seeds into the pot. Sprinkle some vermiculite to cover the seeds; this will help to prevent other animals or insects from eating the seeds.This gardening kit comes with a packet of seeds (buyer's choice). The girls get to pick their own choice of crop for growing. Whether a choice of vegetable or herb, the growing process is still the same.



It is encouraging to see that learning hydroponics is not just from the book, but experiencing it first hand through actual cultivation ! - this experiential learning is what our kids should not be deprived of.