Guide to Propagation and Early Vegetative Growth

Introduction
Propagation is the term used to describe the way in which plants re-produce themselves. There are basically two ways in which this is done. Through cloning, this re-produces plants genetically identical to its parent and by sexual reproduction which produces seeds that are a genetic mix of both its parents.
Cloning is often used by growers because it produces numerous identical plants that have known characteristics, i.e., flowering time, growth patterns, taste, colour etc. with little or no variation in quality. This is advantageous to the grower because they can tailor the growing conditions to the particular variety.
Although there are many different ways to clone plants, including grafting and tissue culture, taking cuttings is the most widely used due to its simplicity.
Some varieties of plant suit different methods, but in general, most plants can be propagated by taking cuttings.

Cuttings

Methodology
Taking cuttings has a reputation for being complicated and unreliable, but in actual fact, following a few simple rules you can achieve good results every time with a low failure rate. By careful attention to the growing conditions it can become a simple and reliable process.
Essentially a cutting is taken from the last 3-4 inches of a plant, including the growing tip. The stem is cut at a 45 degree angle just below a leaf node (where the leaf stem joins the plant). The lower set of leaves are trimmed off, leaving the tip and 1 or 2 sets of leaves and dipped into root hormone gel such as Clonex. The stem is then quickly inserted into the growing medium, such as rockwool cubes. The stem should be about 1/2-1 inch deep. Speed is important to avoid air bubbles in the stem base, this can slow or halt the rooting process. Some people recommend making a second cut, under water to avoid this problem but in practice this is not always necessary.
The cuttings are then put in a under a fairly weak, cool fluorescent light initially to avoid stressing the plant too much before roots have started to grow. This normally takes 1-2 weeks depending on plant variety and root medium temperature. To keep the humidity at the correct level for rooting a lid is often put over the cuttings. Ideally a plastic heated or unheated propagation tray  is used. Water the medium regularly. If it dries out, the cutting will die instantly. With regular watering, misting and bottom heat, small white roots will soon be seen coming out the bottom of the cubes. They are then ready for transplanting and a more intense level of light.

Equipment Needed;

i) Original Stock
 A good healthy plant in its vegetative phase is essential. A weak plant or one that’s starting to flower will take ages, if ever, to root.

ii) Growing Medium
Many mediums are good for rooting as long as they have good aeration and are not too cold. Rockwool is the preferred medium for most growers because of its simplicity and sterile nature. If rockwool is used, care must be taken to soak the cubes in a WEAK nutrient solution  (about 1/8 strength) for at least a couple of hours and Ph down applied to counteract the alkaline nature of rockwool. A Ph of 5.8-6.3 is about right. Small rockwool propagation cubes are available with a hole already made to insert the stem into. They come in trays that make moving simple matter. Rockwool is also good because of its high aeration. It is possible to drown the growing roots in other mediums if too wet.

iii) Fluorescent Lighting
 Until the cuttings have a root system to deal with a lot of light, the ideal lights are fluorescent t

Pests and Diseases

Introduction
There are many approaches to pest control but it’s important to understand the reasons why infections occur so they can be properly prevented.
In the natural state, no one organism will take over because of natural predators that exist to keep their numbers in control. It is also true that insects seem to attack weakened plants under stress first.
In indoor gardens they normally enter through bringing infected plants into the grow space, or through the air intake vents. It is advisable to inspect carefully any new stock and preferably have a separate 'quarantine' area to grow in before introduction into the grow room. Be especially careful of plants that have been growing outdoors. You are almost inevitably going to bring insects/arachnids in with them. Part of a good prevention routine is to all treat new plants (if some time away from consumption) with an insecticide of choice, organic or not.
Cleanliness is important. Remove all dead leaves and plant material. This will discourage mould and fungus knats.
Also some varieties have a genetic disposition towards some diseases such as botrytis. (Leaf / bud rot). These must be monitored closely, especially in high humidity areas where fungus can flourish.
Through good prevention techniques pests can be avoided but if these fail and you end up with an infestation there are still things that can be done to counter their growth. The reality is that with a short growth cycle plant if you end up with a large population of pests it need quite radical action, maybe using chemicals to eradicate them. This should at all costs be avoided because any use of chemicals has other drawbacks, such as making the plant inconsumable or be encouraging resistance in the pest to the chemicals you are using. Closely monitor your plants and learn to recognise the first signs of an imbalance in the pests/predator mix.

Growers tend to fall into two major groups. Those with good prevention techniques who use organic techniques and hardly if ever have to resort to chemicals and the less experienced and less preventative who don’t notice the initial signs and have to use nasty chemicals to counter-act a severe infestation. Crops are often lost like this.

ORGANIC APPROACH
This involves use of substances to encourage resistance to pests (eg.NEEM spray), yellow traps to act as a sort of flypaper, use of insecticidal soaps to de-hydrate the soft bodies of some insects and the use of specific predators (e.g. Derris). It must be noted that predators must have the environmental condition tailored for them in order to thrive, like lower temperatures or more humidity and these actions on their own also discourage the growth of some pests.
Hydrogold and PestOff are other natural based products.
Nicotine solution is also toxic to insects and has been used for many years.
Pyrethrins, extracted from a plant bulb, are an effective natural insecticide and is found in many commercial preparations. All these options are great for prevention and mild attacks. The best prevention is to keep healthy plants and encourage a clean environment.

CHEMICAL APPROACH
Most chemical insecticides work by attacking the nervous system of the insects, paralysing them. It must be noted though that they can become resistant to the chemicals with over use and they hardly ever kill 100% of the population. They are nasty things to use and normally make the plant inedible for at least 2 weeks. Most are indiscriminate and go for all insect populations on the plant, including beneficials. Repeat applications are normally necessary.
The readily available varieties are mostly Organophosphates and Pyrethroids (Chemical preparations of pytretrins).
There are also newer more specific insecticides available but they're not always licensed for domestic use. e.g. Abamectin for spider mite.

Summary
First preventative measures.
Second environmental measures such as increasing humidity and lowering temperature.
Third environmentally friendly measures.(natural predators, pyrethrins or soap)
Then if all else fails synthetic chemicals.

Pests

Spider Mites
These are very small arachnids, (from the spider family) that are barely visible to the naked eye but very tenacious. They thrive in hot dry conditions and suck the sap from the leaves. Bring the humidity up or the temperature down if possible. They are visible as white spots on the leaves. If they grow unchecked they can decimate a crop. Leaves lose all green and drop off and small webs can be seen between leaves if infested. Cooler wetter conditions discourage them. Insecticidal soap can check a small infestation as can chemicals. There are natural predators available to consume them but you CANT use insecticides at the same time! Some apply beneficials a few weeks after applying insecticidal soap.

Aphids
Much more obvious! Little winged creatures that gather on the stems and suck the juices from the plant. The plant grows ill with malformed leaves and buds. They LOVE green nitrogen rich plants. Without natural predators they can quickly flourish. Because of their size its possible to wash them off if a small garden. Most insect ides are effective as are beneficials.

Thrips
They're very small, hardly visible (2mm) and look like tiny sticks with legs. They can leave nasty leaf damage, similar to spider mites. Soaps and pyrethrins can be used.

Whitefly
They look similar to aphids, but they fly off and then re-settle the plant if disturbed. They cling onto the underside of leaves and produce a black looking web substance. The plant will eventually succumb and die. Natural predators are effective. You can also use pyrethrins or yellow traps. Hoovers are also good, just disturb them and suck em up!

Fungus Gnats
They are tiny black flies that live round the bottom of the plant in the dead plant material and compost. They fly about and then resettle. They are not generally a problem and many growers live with them but it has been reported that if infested heavily, root damage can occur. Sticky yellow traps are effective against them as are most insecticides.

Diseases

Botrytis (Leaf and Bud rot)
Normally a problem in high humidity areas or in damaged plants. When a plant falls or gets damaged rot can set in quite quickly. There are a few preparations to kill botrytis but most can only be applied well before crop time. Some preparations purport to discourage damage by improving their resistance to infection.
Sulphur is a natural fungicide and 'sulphur bombs' exist to clear an (Empty) grow space of fungi.

Viruses

These are not at all common. Suspect everything else before considering viral infections.

Guide to Nutrients

The Basics
Plants which are grown hydroponically are usually planted in an inert media, such as Rockwool, Clay pebble or Perlite, the inert media provides structural support for the plants growth and aeration for good root development. As the media provides no nutrition, the plant's food must be supplied additionally; most hydroponics plant feeds are in the form of liquid fertilisers which can be mixed directly with water and supplied to the plants media as a nutrient solution.
The nutrients solution is the sole source for a number of mineral elements, it is important that you use nutrients that are made for hydroponics and that the water is good quality. Tap water is usually fine.
As a result nutrients are the key factor in soiless gardening. A complete and balanced formula is needed to obtain the best results from your system. In soil based gardening it is impossible to know how little or how much of a particular mineral is available to the plants. In hydroponics we must provide all the minerals necessary for successful plant growth. We therefore use feeds that contain all of the 14 essential minerals required. For these reasons ordinary soil based plant foods are not suitable for use in hydroponic systems. However, hydroponic nutrients are especially good for use on soil based plants due to the complete feed they represent.  
In general there are 2 types of nutrient available to the hydroponic grower. A 'Grow' mix and a 'Bloom' mix. The 'Grow' is used for young plants, plants in vegetative growth and for plants which do not flower or produce blooms or fruit. The 'Bloom' is used for flowering and fruiting when necessary.
Some nutrients are also supplied in Hard water and Soft water formulation. In the UK most water is termed as being 'hard' and as such contains high levels of bicarbonates. In these circumstances it is better to use a hard water mix which has less of the minerals that are already found in the 'hard; water.

All of the nutrient brands stocked contain everything that a plant requires in exactly the right ratios to obtain maximum results. All the nutrients are mineral elements that are water soluble so as to be readily available to the plants in the system.

Nutrient ratios are commonly noted as NPK ratios, each representing the ratio of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K). These are the three main minerals required for plant growth, but are not the only ones!
 
Types of Nutrient Available
We are pleased to offer you a complete range of nutrient formulations. We have a range of single part nutrient in which the complete concentrate is contained within one bottle or pack. We stock the more usual 2 part nutrient, where each 'Grow' and 'Bloom' concentrate is supplied in an A & B parts separately. For more control, we also stock a three part nutrient formulae where the ratios are adjusted throughout the growing cycle. We do not recommend the three part nutrients for the novice grower.

Organic Feeds
We are pleased to point out our range of Organic Plant nutrition including Canna Bio, Bcuzz, Biobizz and GreenFuse. All are Organic and are ideally suited to both hydroponics and soil growing. When feeding organic nutrition to your plants you can ensure a soft, sweet flavoured crop. 
Measurement of Nutrient Strength

Different plants need differing strengths of nutrient mixes through the growth cycle, especially if fruiting of flowering is to occur. To measure the strength of a solution a EC (Electrical Conductivity) meter  is needed. CF and EC is the measurement of how much dissolved nutrient is contained within the solution. The higher the number the stronger the nutrient solution is. In general, leafy vegetables like lettuces will need a weaker strength solution than a fruiting or flowering plant, such as peppers, tomatoes or roses.

What is pH?
pH is a measure of how alkaline or acidic the nutrient solution is. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 to 7 being acidic and 7 to 14 being alkaline. The majority of plants prefer the pH between 5.5 and 7.5, beyond this range some nutrient elements will be unavailable to the plants, the optimum pH being between 5.8 and 6.3. Most tap waters are between pH 7 and 8.

Regulating pH Levels
pH regulation is an essential practice for the plant grower: It enables mineral salts availability and chelates stability, two primary conditions for a good absorption of nutritive elements by the plant.

pH Down brings certain amount of nutritive elements essential for cuttings and seedlings, and beneficial to the plants all along its life cycle:

Nitrates in a form slowly assimilated by the plant and harmless to the flowering process.
Phosphates for flowering, but also for healthy roots, lush foliage and harmonious growth.
Plus some magnesium, sulphur and microelements.
To understand pH adjusters you must first understand what pH is.  pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. 
pH is most acidic at the lowest pH reading on the pH scale - pH '0' & most alkaline at the highest end of the scale - pH '14' as the value rises upward from zero, the strength of the acid reduces until at pH '7.0. 

At pH 7.0 it is neither acid nor alkaline but in a neutral state. 

pH is a result of the balance or imbalance of hydrogen ion concentrations. 

pH adjusters are either of an acidic or alkaline nature, which will alter the pH level of a solution.  When growing hydroponically pH is particularly important as the pH level of your nutrient solution will determine the availability of the elements.
pH adjusters which are either acidic or alkaline, work simply by altering the pH of a solution; ie. If the chosen plant type requires pH 5.8 to 6.2 and the current pH is at 7.8 (slightly alkaline) a solution of acidic (pH Down) is added to lower the solution to the desired level. This also works in reverse.

Use: Apply the relevant pH Adjuster (Up or Down) moderately, pour a little at a time in your water, mix well and verify the pH level. Repeat the process until the desired pH is achieved. Dosage will differ with the quality of your water.

Further Info

Through photosynthesis, green plants manufacture their own organic food, using carbon dioxide and oxygen as raw materials.

The nutrients usually supplied to plants by soil are almost entirely mineral salts. Plant physiologists have discovered that plants require carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, and probably molybdenum. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are obtained in large quantities from water and air, but the   remaining elements are ordinarily supplied as salts by the soil.

The relative amount of each of these elements required for normal growth is different in each plant, but all plants require relatively large proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and calcium. Iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, and molybdenum are supplied in minute quantities, and are called micronutrients or trace elements. The specific salts used to supply these elements may be varied at the discretion of the grower; a typical solution of primary minerals is composed of distilled water containing potassium nitrate, KNO3, calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3)2, potassium acid phosphate, KH2PO4, and magnesium sulfate, MgSO4. In solution, the salts dissociate into ions; potassium nitrate, for example, is available to plants as the ions K+ and NO3-. A solution of micronutrient salts is added to the solution of primary elements to complete the nutrient solution. A small amount of fungicide is usually added to prevent the growth of mould.