Hydro at Sirna’s Farm Inc.,

Before erecting both greenhouses we did lots of research. We inquired and talked to as many people as we could about their systems. Unfortunately there aren’t many places in Ohio to actually visit.

The system we liked the best at that time was called verti-gro. It was located in Florida. We really were interested and wanted to see how it could work for us. They were going to have a seminar and classes. We could see it hands on, we met people from other states some already using this system. It sure was interesting. Part of the seminar included a visit to Disneyworlds Epcot center, the land. This system was being used at their facility, and we had a backdoor walking tour. It was great. Many of the vegetables were being used right at Epcot.

We decided this was something we wanted to do, as you can see we like to try new things.

The first year every vegetable we grew in our fields, we tried in the vertigro system. Beans just kept growing, pepper plants got huge. We had a jungle in there!! Keep in mind this was a big learning curve and we had to figure out what we were doing... Medium, nutrients, beneficial insects etc. Everything grew exceptionally well.

We don’t grow everything in the hydroponics anymore but to date we are growing greens, herbs, cucumbers and tomatoes in our large greenhouse. It has a heated floor, vented roof, etc., and is pretty well automated. Our greens and herbs are grown in the vertical towers and our cucumbers and tomatoes are grown in what is called a bato bucket. We use all beneficial insects in this greenhouse.

Our other greenhouse which is not heated is used for our strawberry plants. They are also in the vertical towers. Picking is easy and the strawberries taste great. We use an everbearing variety.

There is a huge misconception about greenhouse grown produce.
A comment we hear all the time:

Greenhouse grown.....
          doesn’t taste the same, it's bland, no flavor, etc...

Here at Sirna’s Farm, our answer to that is that our produce is Vine Ripened and picked fresh.

Vine Ripened is the key word... We pick a mature, ripened fruit.
We do not pick early.
They are not picked green.
We are not shipping and worrying they will over-ripe in transit.

Their taste is as good as any field grown tomato because the fruit is at its mature, ripened state when picked.

However we do both, so if you are still skeptical stop in and tell us you want to do the taste test!!!

What Is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil by using an inert medium such as sand, peat, perlite, or vermiculite and adding a nutrient solution containing all the essential elements needed by the plant for its normal growth and development. Soil is a growing medium but is not necessary. Water culture, when plant roots are suspended in a liquid medium containing the nutrient solution while their crowns are supported in a thin layer of inert medium, is true hydroponics. Often called soilless culture, it also includes aeroponics where plant roots are suspended in a dark chamber and sprayed with the nutrient solution.

In hydroponic systems, a specially formulated, nutrient rich solution, containing all the necessary marco- and micronutrients necessary for healthy plants, is pumped through an inert medium. The systems are typically installed in a greenhouse or other controlled environment so that it can be carefully monitored. Hydroponics is considered a science and is highly specialized, but can, however, be successfully practiced by hobbyists. So in conclusion hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in fertilized water solution without soil and in an artificial environment such as a greenhouse.

Encyclopedia Term:

Hydroponics, is the growing of plants without soil in water to which nutrients have been added. Hydroponics has been used for over a century as a research technique, but not until 1929 were experiments conducted solely to determine its feasibility for growing commercial crops. There are now hydroponic home gardens and commercial cropping operations in the United States and many other countries. Under hydroponics, plants can be grown closer together than in the field, thereby increasing yields, and multiple cropping (the growing of several crops in the same tank) can be practiced. In addition to conserving space, hydroponics almost eliminates weed and pest problems. The cost of equipment is high and personnel must be trained. Although hydroponics is possible for most plant species, a limiting factor is the amount of physical support required. Usually the plants are held upright by wire supports or are rooted in a sterile medium, e.g., pure sand or gravel. The nutrient solutions must supply, in optimum concentrations and in correct balance, the elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential nutrients normally found in soil. Other names for hydroponics are soilless gardening, soilless culture, chemiculture, and water gardening.