Hydroponic Roses Are Worth It

Roses are one of the most common flowers in the world where gardening is concerned. They are also fairly easy to grow, although they have some special considerations to take into account. Roses need a lot of water to grow properly. They do not require excessive temperatures and only require six hours of sunlight each day. Roses also may require additional carbon dioxide in order to grow properly. One of the biggest concerns for roses, even in a hydroponic garden, is pests. It seems they like roses as much as humans. Let’s explore the world of roses in your hydroponic garden.

Your hydroponic growing system will need to take several factors into account. Rose bushes can become large, so you need to give each bush at least four square feet of growing room. This allows for light to reach your roses and prevents branches from becoming entangled and harming each other. Secondly, you will need some kind of support for your roses while at the same time allowing the roots room to dangle in your hydroponic nutrient solution. A container with pebbles or other supportive growing medium will work fine. While your rose needs constant moisture, allowing the roots to remain still in the hydroponic nutrient solution will harm the roots. You will need an ebb and flow system that pumps water continuously past the roots but remains in motion.

Normal temperatures of between sixty-five and seventy-five degrees are ideal for roses. Since they only require six hours of daylight each day, you may be able to manage without gro-lights. This will depend on the location of your greenhouse and how much daily light it provides. It is always a good idea to have gro lights as backup. One of the special requirements of roses, especially in an indoor garden, is the need for additional carbon dioxide. This will require a trip to a hydroponic supply store for special carbon dioxide tanks and a mechanism to release precise amounts of it into the grow space.

Roses are often very prone to infestations. Some of this can be taken care of by having your roses indoors. Hydroponics also eliminates soil, which is the breeding ground for many insect enemies of the rose. By adding natural predator insects to your hydroponic greenhouse, you can eliminate many other harmful pests. Commercial insecticides can damage or kill your plants. These are not recommended in any case. If you find it necessary to use any product for pests, try ones like Barricade, or now Rhino Skin from Advanced Nutrients. These specially–formulated pest products have been designed to take care of any problems and do much less damage to your hydroponic garden plants.

Roses do take a little extra care when being grown in the hydroponic garden, but most gardeners feel it is worth it. Their ability to thrive in temperature and light that is readily available allows the hydroponic gardener time to concentrate on keeping the plants pest free and providing for the extra needs like carbon dioxide supplements.

Borrowed from:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Blossom-Enhancer