"HYDRO GARDENING": "Let there be light"

I have just spent another incredible 2 days in Melbourne at the home of the Autopot System Garden Smart and one of the things that I learnt was the importance of the amount of light plants need to thrive and produce at there ultimate. Though I have been pleased with my results to date I still felt that I could do better and light was just one of the many topics that we discussed during my visit, so on my return home I immediately decided to re design my entire Garden. One of the things that stood out most when walking around the Garden Smart operation was the fact that all of the vegetable where just growing out side getting maximum daylight along with the rain and wind. it was only the Tomatoes and Cucumbers along with many plant under research that where under cover so with this in mind I have shifted all my veggies out side though I have a little white shade cloth just to reduce the intensity of our mid day sun up here in mid Queensland and though it's only 2 days since i moved everything I can see a difference in the leave colour all ready. From now on my covered area will be solely for Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Capsicums. One thing that did amuse me was just how much stuff I had growing in such a little space as you will see in the Photos.

These boys are loving the extra space

My snow peas are loving it.

The Zucchini love the extra light

Just a little shade to reduce the midday heat

Hanging Baskets

GARDENSMART MELBOURNE

Onions in Hydrotrays

Here are a few photos of some of the beautiful flowering pots and results that abound the display area at Garden Smart. Plus I will include a couple of photos of research that is happening around the Aquaponics side of the business which the company is heavily into. Mr Jim Fah the inventor of the Autopot System would be one of Australia's leading authority on the subject so if you want to get into this side of things let me know. I have not caught that bug yet and will focus on the hydroponic growing of plants for a while.