This article was written by Peter Doyle for use in a hydroponic magazine in the
U.K., and is intended to serve as a light hearted first look at starting your own
commercial hydroponics farm. If you have any further questions after reading the
article, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange for you to come down
to a fully functioning hydroponic farm to get a real taster of what living and
working within the industry is really like.
Commercial Hydroponics
‘INTRODUCTION’
“…. yeah sure… but where do you put the soil?”
Before we get into the planning stage, it would help if we had a little knowledge
of what hydroponics (or hydrophonics as my bank manager keeps refereeing it
to), is all about. Growing plants without soil is a difficult concept for some people
to grasp. Recently I spent several hours taking prospective clients through our
greenhouse to be greeted towards the end of ‘the tour’ by… “… yeah sure,…but
where do you put the soil?”
From the start, I do not believe there are any ‘expert’ hydroponic
specialists/professionals, as we would know them. All of us associated with the
industry generally rely on other para horticultural experts to contribute to the
holistic application of hydroponics in a commercial sense. By para horticultural
experts, I am referring to professionals working within more commonly identified
fields such as microbiologists, agricultural chemists, botanist’s etc. While my
association with the hydroponic industry spans a mere 12 years, it has been very
intense ‘hands on’ experience. My view of its present state is based on this close
association during a time when significant advances are occurring on a regular, if
not daily basis. Commercial hydroponics is in reality, a fledgling industry where
unlike other well established industries, advances are sometimes measured in
millimeters, the hydroponic industry is on the other hand, developing at a rapid
rate.
Despite the traditional farmers concept of farming ie. soil is the basis of all
farming, they are now slowly with a little ‘ kicking and screaming’, coming to
accept that there are significant advantages and benefits, related to farming
hydroponically. The advances we see in hydroponics are not only based on the
contributions made by the traditional ‘experts’, but also by the individual
hydroponic farmer who’s innovative prowess never ceases to amaze me. Given
the lack of information that was available in the past, the people who made the
decision to venture into hydroponics on a commercial basis, where those people
who would normally have taken ‘chances’, and as such, would generally have
been innovative by nature. Now, given the availability of information, the ‘chance’
factor has to a great deal been removed. In addition to the farmers now willing to
share their ‘experiences’ with others, these innovations have also contributed to
the over-all advancement of the industry.
Given the above, I will not be going into the ‘micro elements’ of hydroponics, as
this is not my area of ‘expertise’. Information at this level should be obtained
from those qualified in these specialized areas.
So, why hydroponics?
Hydroponics produces a greater yield over a shorter period in a smaller area than
traditionally grown crops. Commercially, hydroponics has proven to be the most
cost-effective method of growing a wide variety of crops. Used widely throughout
Australia, Canada, Europe, the USA and NZ, hydroponics has greatly reduced the
use of large areas of often unrewarding and ‘chemically enriched’ land. However,
hydroponic farmers both prospective and existing, must avoid bad practices,
which have seen similar soil damage occur by hydroponic farmers, utilizing ‘dripto-waste systems.
Hydroponics has an opportunity to lead the way on ecological issues. Systems
must be designed to either recycle the nutrient or collect it for appropriate waste
disposal. This can be done by either giving or selling the nutrient where it can be
most beneficial. For example, one farmer in Victoria Australia supplies his waste
nutrient to a local golf course. Approach your local government, here it can be
sprayed over large areas such as parks and gardens, enhancing ‘field grass’
growth. Drip-to-waste farmers in most countries have been advised that their
current practice of letting the waste nutrient leach into the ground under the
plants will become a thing of the past. Keep this fact in mind when you are
planning your system. Another significant benefit, is the reduction of pesticides
used to control adverse pests and pathogens. Generally, the crop is protected and
being ‘intensive’ i.e. large crop small area, the use of tractors and diesel etc, is
markedly reduced, resulting in a decrease in capital expenditure and on-going
costs.
What else? Hydroponics offers growers an income from land that is often
unforgiving, overworked or adversely affected by unpredictable weather. There
are numerous commercial farms worldwide, utilizing land for which it should
never have been intended. These farmers generally survive on government
subsidies. The dairy industry in Australia is a classic example of dairy farmers
being subsidized to produce milk in areas where sheep grazing would have been a
better option. With respect to hydroponics, is that the issue of suitable soil or
land is not relevant. This point is clear when we observe commercial hydroponic
farming of tomato’s in the USA, on the Texas/Mexican border…desert country! If
we take it to the extreme, what about commercial hydroponic lettuce and herb
crops (for the gourmet market), grown on roof tops in Thailand and Hong Kong,
using nutrient film technique (NFT).
On many farms, plant production is maintained all year by the use of
environmentally controlled greenhouses. As a result, controlled hydroponic
systems, allow the grower to market his crop when the market demand is at its
highest. Consistency, in both quality and supply give the hydroponic farmer a
significant edge over his more ‘traditional’ counterpart.
Contrary to popular belief, ‘chemicals’ are not used to promote growth in a
nutrient sense. The nutrient used in hydroponics is made up of the same trace
elements found in soil. These refined elements are mixed with water and fed to
the plants by a variety of methods. Crop specific formulas are now available in
pre-packed form, and widely used depending upon the type of plant being grown.
Many farmers still formulate their own nutrient mix having over the years
developed a ‘recipe’ which suits there particular crop and local environment. More
on this later.
By simply following the basic ‘rules’ and ‘BEST PRACTICE’, farmers worldwide are
supporting markets impressed with the reliability, quality, and the wide range of
produce, provided by hydroponic systems. Hydroponics is a simply method of
growing plants without soil. Big statement! Simple on paper, but like many small
businesses the attrition rate is no different with hydroponics. The recipe for
avoiding disaster is by thorough planning. Other than that, the same diligence
required to produce a marketable plant is no different than that care given by
successful ‘traditional’ farmers. Where farmers go wrong, can in most cases be
readily demonstrated. If I can use a religious analogy, break one of the
‘commandments’ and you will be punished. If you have attended to all essential
and desirable parameters, success inevitably follows.
Success has been associated with many hydroponic farmers in particular lettuce
and herb growers, who have already captured the top end of the gourmet and
airline markets, while the demand for other hydroponic vegetables and flowers is
reflected in current market prices. Many more markets, both in Australia and
overseas, beckon for this wide variety of crops. Asian countries in particular are
looking to international markets to supply fresh produce which local growers have
been unable to meet. The time has never been more opportune than now to enter
this rapidly growing industry.
PLANNING
“…. if we stick bit this here, and bend this piece around there……it should work?”
When I started my first commercial hydroponic business I was no different than
anyone else starting a new business venture. I was looking to work for myself
hoping to build a business that would eventually give me a stable and predictable
income. I had expectations as to what lay ahead, and in truth they were realized
fairly accurately. I understood it was a 7 day-a-week job, and that despite the
best of planning the ‘elements’ would play their part. However, unlike much other
small ‘mainstream’ business information and help in just about any form was
simply not available. I was not starting a retail shop or a gardening or
landscaping business where help in both the written and spoken word were
available. The only people who knew anything about commercial hydroponics
were…commercial hydroponic farmers. Have you ever tried to floss polar bears
back molars? Well, getting information from an existing hydroponic farmer when I
started my business could have left you just as bloody. You were the ‘opposition’
or more appropriately ‘the enemy’. However despite the above we went ahead
and built a successful commercial system, based on a great deal of guesswork
and chance. Today, ‘help’ is available in many legitimate forms, and I highly
recommend using most if not all of them.
So lets prepare a plan…
Before we start, with our list of essential criteria there are two points we must
satisfy. Firstly, do we have a ‘suitable water supply, and secondly, do we have a
market? If the answer is yes, let’s move on…
Essential criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The market and crop you wish to grow.
Your water supply.
The environment you wish to grow in.
The growing system you wish to use.
Crop management.
Money in the bank.
Lifestyle
The market and crop you wish to grow.
There are some factors, which must be addressed before we start. I will assume
you have the financial resources to build a commercial system. When finalizing
the set-up costs add another 10%. Our most recent installation was almost
abandoned, after our client found a rock bed just below the surface of the
ground. For a while, I thought he would have to apply for a mining
license!.......just kidding. Having that extra 10% enabled them to cover the extra
costs associated with drilling the footings. Be prepared, by keeping in mind that
regardless of the crop you are proposing to grow that there will be a period of
time during construction and the initial growing period, where the word ‘income’
will not apply to you. Where possible choose a crop that is in demand all year,
and identify both current and seasonal prices. Undertake a cost/benefit analysis.
Identify routine running and labor costs, including transport and packaging.
Anticipate climatic conditions that may slow down or rapidly increase production.
Then look at what is left in the shoebox under the bed. In the long run, it may not
be worth it!
Choose a crop that ‘suits’ you. Know your crop. Initially you will require the
assistance and or advise from an expert horticultural consultant. A few years ago,
we had a prospective client who was keen to grow tomatoes. He was a fencing
contractor who was looking for an easier way to earn a ‘dollar’. I took him into
our green house and gave him a box and asked him to pick me 10kg of tomatoes.
After a short period of time he returned, gave me a half-filled box and we haven’t
seen him since! Tomatoes, as opposed to lettuce and herbs, can be physically
demanding, especially if ‘layering’ is involved. Growing tomatoes does however,
have some advantages over lettuce and herbs. Most hydroponic tomato growers
will take a break at that time of the year when the field growers flood the market.
This is true in general to most fruit bearing crops such as capsicum, cucumbers,
strawberries, and flowers. There is time to take a holiday, prepare for the next
crop, or catch-up on maintenance etc. With hydroponic lettuce and herbs, the
demand is generally all year round. Also, there is a significant difference in the
value of the respective crops, where the tomato grower can demand premium
prices during the off season. In the majority of cases herb and lettuce growers
will have a contract based on an annually agreed unit prices. This in itself can be
an advantage over the tomato growers, as the lettuce and herb growers’ income
is predictable.
Before spending a penny, you should have a market. However, to get a market,
the buyer will want to see a sample of your product! Does the story about the
chicken and the egg ring a bell? Well it works like this. You find a suitable agent
or market, with a plan to supply a quality product on a consistent basis.
Unfortunately it is the grower who takes the biggest risk as an ‘all singing all
dancing’ greenhouse with no market could tend to make ones eyes water. (In all
of my experience, there has not been a case where an ‘agreement’ has been
made between the grower and the agent, which has not been honoured. Given of
course, that both the supply and quality is of an agreed standard).
If possible source a market that is not too distant. Apart from the cost of
transporting your crop, there is the deterioration which may occur, especially if
the vehicles in question are not suitably cooled. Most ‘supermarkets’ will require a
minimum ‘çore temp’ depending on the crop, before accepting your product.
Negotiate with your carrier on an annual basis, as this will allow you to predict
your transport costs. It is also important the packaging is suitable for not only
distance, but also to account for the ‘ex front rower’ who is handing your product.
It is important to inform staff on how your product should be handled. We
recently found some of our product in the cool room of a local
supermarket…upside down! The problem was, that the box which was clearly
marked as fragile, and arrows indicating ‘this way up’ had six ‘living’ herbs
(coriander) in plastic bags which also contained a small amount of nutrient to
sustain the plant and improve shelf life. When we picked the box up the plants
fell through the sodden cardboard onto the floor. It is important to remember
that in most cases you are responsible for your product until the retailer accepts
it.
And remember, be prepared for the worst, as even the best-laid plans can be
rendered useless by unpredictable and inclement weather.
Your water supply
OK. We have decided on the crop we would like to grow, and successfully
negotiated terms with a local market. Regardless of where you would like to build
a system, the most important factor above all is having an all year, regardless of
the season, quality water supply. I have been on farms with dams big enough to
sail the Queen Mary on yet they were unable to use a drop. Many farms have
bores, but in many cases either the calcium or salt levels have been too high.
Moderate levels of calcium and unwanted salts can be removed with water
purification equipment, which can be very expensive. That is not to say that some
dam and bore water can’t be used. Depending on the level of contamination,
some crops such as tomatoes, capsicum and cucumbers will tolerate a lot ‘harder’
water than say lettuce and herbs. Here’s a simple rule, if you can’t drink the
water, neither can your plants. Where possible, build where ‘town’ water is
available. Not only do you have a consistent supply, the quality is generally good.
The environment you wish to grow in.
What will largely dictate what you can grow, is the local environment. This not
only applies to climatic conditions but the topography as well. You may have
quality water, suitable climatic conditions, but the land itself may not be suitable.
Remember our herb grower with the mining license? Look for relatively flat land,
using climbing equipment to get from the pump house to the greenhouse etc, is
not an option. Where possible, look for protection from the wind. Don’t build
where large earth movements are required. Not only is it very expensive, you
would have to allow considerable time for the soil to settle before footings could
be considered sound. Avoid large trees that will not only cast shadows over the
greenhouse, but also allow debris to puncture the skin. Also, avoid areas that are
prone to flooding.
Climatically controlled greenhouses will on many occasions, allow you to have a
fairly extensive selection in what you may wish to grow, but keep in mind the setup and running cost can be extremely high. In cooler climates, try and select
crops that don’t require artificial light or heating. When deciding what to grow in
our greenhouse, we selected herbs, in particular coriander, as it does not require
heat, and there is sufficient light for us to grow during the winter months. Had we
chosen tomatoes, we would have to have installed an expensive heating system.
You could argue that the premium price for tomatoes during the winter months
would offset the fuel, labour, transport, and maintenance costs. This is not always
the case, and after looking at both scenarios, for us, and our situation,
tomatoes came in a poor second.
Choose your site carefully, and where possible seek the advice of existing local
growers (don’t forget the bullet proof vest), or a ‘qualified’ consultant. It’s not
always smooth sailing, and even with careful planing things can still go wrong.
We lost the roof off our greenhouse on three occasions. We did our homework
and built on a gentle slope on the leeward side of a hill. However, a combination
of extremely high winds and the fact that the roof had not been put on properly
(not guilty), saw one windy night, half of our twin skin 1,000 square meter
greenhouse all of a sudden became a single skin greenhouse! Of course ‘Murphy’s
Law’ was applied, as at that time I was overseas and my dear wife and the local
SES spent several hours in the middle of the night trying to prevent the rest of
the greenhouse tacking off to starboard. Needless to say, the next time the wind
blew the other half came off, and yes, I was away from home again! You don’t
need to hear about the third occasion, suffice to say the new roof is well secured.
There were two lessons we learnt, one being not to trust the agent who sold us
the land and told us the local climate conditions were nothing extraordinary…ever
heard of the “mutton bird winds”?… well that another story. Talk to the ‘locals’, as
they will give you the best advice on local weather conditions. The second lesson
was to be more vigilant in overseeing contracted work. If you are in doubt ask!!!
And where possible select reputable suppliers. More on ‘equipment’ in a later
article.
The growing system
There are three main commercial hydroponic systems in use today. They are NFT
(Nutrient Film Technique), Drip systems and Flood & Drain. By far the most
versatile is the NFT system which is widely used throughout the world for
commercial crops of tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, capsicum, cucumbers, strawberries
and many others. According to GCRI UK report ‘…The fact is that NFT is still the
most cost effective hydroponic system and still grows the highest yield of crops
such as tomatoes (Ref: Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses, Best Of. 1998-99).
While NFT may be the most cost effective, that is not to say that the other
systems do not have their place. Drips systems have now been designed where
the nutrient can be recycled. Previously drip systems were drip-to-waste where
the nutrient was lost to the ground. This has led to a build up of salts in the soil
rendering it useless. More importantly, this waste nutrient has in may areas
entered the under ground water table, contaminating fresh water supplies, or
leaching into freshwater streams and rivers. Governments in many counties are
now passing legislation to prevent this practice, and have given notice and/or
advice to current growers to change or modify their systems.
Flood and Drain systems may be the least popular, but are still widely used by
farmers who get ‘results’. The Flood and Drain system requires additional
attention to the oxygenation of the nutrient. Essentially it is considered a passive
system whereby the nutrient floods the receptacle holding the plants. Apart from
the nutrient entering the system, there is little movement around the plant other
than an ‘ebb and flow’ effect, as opposed to the constant movement and
subsequent aeration of nutrient passing the root mass in the ‘drip’ and NFT
systems. It is essential in these systems to utilize active aeration units.
If we look at the mainstream crops, the majority of lettuce and herbs are now
grown using the NFT system. While strawberries appear more suited to a medium
based drip recycling system, they to can be grown successfully using NFT. There
are also crops such as herbs, that are not only highly suited to NFT but because
they can be regularly harvested, are ideal for medium (perlite/vermiculite) based
systems. The majority of hydroponic tomatoes are still grown using the ‘drip’
system, but recent times have seen a change to NFT as the myths associated
with disease problems have proven to be just that, myths! Improved hygiene
standards have seen a huge reduction in disease with a complementary increase
in yield. More details on these myths can be found in Dr. Allen Cooper’s book, the
“ABC of NFT”. One of the most obvious benefits of NFT is the huge saving in
nutrient costs, in addition to savings on medium replacement, and labor costs as
the crop turn around time is significantly reduced.
Despite the above, there are hydroponic farmers ‘out there’ who have been
growing in systems contrary to what I have said, and who are very successful.
The evidence I give is based on my own practical experience as a grower, from R
& D, and common practice in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
Crop management.
Don’t cheat! There are basic rules you must never break, as the consequences
can be disastrous. Common sense, vigilance, and adherence to the set
parameters will go a long way in assisting you, in producing a marketable crop.
Keep in mind, that you will require nearly double the space to produce the same
volume of crop in winter as you do in summer. For example, during summer we
can produce a coriander plant ready for the market in approximately 21 days. The
same plant can take up to 5-6 weeks during winter. One of the biggest problems
new growers encounter, is planting the right number of plants at the right time to
meet an ‘expected’ order 3-5 weeks away. It’s an ‘educated guess’, as the
markets can fluctuate significantly. On top of that, unpredictable weather
conditions can either slow or speed up growth throwing the whole cycle and your
beast laid plans into disarray.
Be patient, and seek the advise of others who are qualified in the area you need
advice on. Make use of horticultural analytical laboratories for regular water and
leaf analysis. Check your system very day and do not place all your trust in your
dosing unit and other electronically operated equipment. There will come a time
when you will walk into your greenhouse and instinctively know that all is as it
should be. If you feel that something is not right, act then! Not later, and don’t be
an ‘if only’ person. The previous rule of applying it to yourself first is a good one
to start with i.e. if you are cold and miserable, so are your plants. Protect them
from the rain wind and cold by closing up that side which is exposed to the
weather. Above all never assume that the electrical ‘aids’ you have are working
correctly. Check your dosing control units against your hand held meters, and
calibrate as directed.
If you are hot and thirsty, so are your plants. Open up the greenhouse and allow
for the heat to escape and fresh air to get in. Heat extraction fans may be
required in some areas. The very first greenhouse we were associated with was
built was in 1994 in Victoria. We set up a 1500 square meter greenhouse for drip
fed tomatoes, and one very hot Sunday afternoon when the owner was watching
TV in his air conditioned lounge room, he nearly lost his very first crop. His twomonth-old seedlings were dying of thirst. Firstly, the grower had failed to increase
the periods of feeding to compensate for the increase demand by the plants, and
secondly, one of the solenoids failed allowing only one part of the two-part
nutrient to enter the nutrient tank.
Many countries are now adopting Quality Assurance programs (SQF2000 and
HACCP etc), which ensure ‘best practice’. This not only protects the end user, it
also applies this ‘best practice’ in the holistic management of their crop.
The following is a list of rules, which if followed, will reduce foreseeable problems.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Keep your EC and pH within prescribed limits.
Keep your system clean, by remove dead or decaying organic matter, and
by cleaning the channel etc after each crop.
Plan ahead, by ordering in seeds, nutrient, and propagation mediums etc.
Keep appropriate spares including a spare pump.
Keep accurate daily records including weather conditions (future
reference).
Never assume anything…check it yourself!
If you’re not sure or you don’t know,…… ASK SOME ONE WHO DOES!
Money in the bank.
While it is not always possible, you should have some reserves to carry you
through the hard times. It is not all ‘beer and skittles’, and there may be times
when you will no doubt feel you should have stuck with your previous occupation.
If your reserves aren’t adequate, make arrangements with your bank manager
when applying for your loan (if you need one), to allow for the unforeseen and
often unpredictable problems. Otherwise you may have to visit your bank outside
of office hours.
Lifestyle
9 to 5, forget it! From the start, it is in most cases a job that will require your
attention for 365 days of the year. While some days will only require the checking
of systems, someone should close on hand to fix that broken pipe or start up the
APU when the power fails. Someone has to be in reasonably close attendance,
and in most cases initially that will be you. Later, when and if you expand your
business, you can delegate an employee to be on call when you’re out socializing.
However, the husband and wife operating a 1,000 –1,500 square meter green
house need to be on hand, or be prepared for the unpredictable. Don’t forget the
kids, they need a life too.
The working conditions can be very enjoyable to close encounters with hell!
During the winter months while it is cool, your are protected from the wind and
rain, however, working in a green house in 50+ degree heat can have you
searching for the matches. Early starts are not uncommon especially in summer
during harvesting periods. While Tomatoes have a heavier workload than lettuce
and herbs, there are periods of little activity other than system checks while the
plants are maturing prior to harvesting. Lettuce and herbs on the other hand
require constant attention as the turn around period during summer can be as
little as 17 days. There are no sick days, if the harvest is due, you harvest.
Maintain a sense of humour, it really helps. There was an occasion when I
dropped a thermometer into our nutrient tank. The tank is level with the ground
and I laid on my stomach and lent through the hole to try and retrieve it. At that
time I was in the process of changing solutions and the level was fairly low. So
there I was, from the waist up and headfirst down in the tank stretching out to
pick up the thermometer… just a little further…OOPS! I had gone past the point of
no return. That is, I was more in the tank than out of it, and I couldn’t reach the
bottom and at the same time had nothing to grab hold of to get out. I spent the
next ten minutes or so howling to no one to “…get me out of here!!”. Sharon was
in the green house and thought she heard some distant noises but pressed on
with her planting. A short time later she left to get more seedlings, and on
leaving the greenhouse heard my muted cries for help. On inspection she
observed a pair of legs waving at her from the tank. Needless to say (after
suppressing hysterical laughter), she came to my rescue, I popped out of the
tank red as a cherry and swatting at these little white things flying around my
head. Of course there was nothing there, including Sharon who had suddenly
disappeared. I found her in the seedling shed trying to stop laughing.
My turn came when two Christmases ago we had just completed the morning
chores. Sharon was dressed up a treat, as we were on our way to have Christmas
diner with the relatives. One last check of the greenhouse. We were just walking
out, and one of the feeder pipes to a herb bench next to Sharon came off. Like a
Saturn rocket, a vertical spurt of cold water shot straight up her dress…I kid you
not...well in short there she was, like a drowned rat desperately trying to put the
pipe back on and soaked to the skin. I didn’t laugh of course……not then anyway.
Stress is an integral part of the business, it just depends on all those
unpredictable elements as to what level it reaches. Know now, that there
will be high and lows, and the best advice I can give relative to the
business as a whole, is be prepared, and never be afraid to admit you
don’t know.
Good Luck.