those looking to compete while growing hydroponically. First, new growers should, in general, begin with plants that are relatively more manageable in terms of pruning requirements and space. Flowers, herbs and smaller fruit and vegetables can be grown with minimal time requirements when systems are properly automated. Also, more plants can be grown within a given space, allowing the grower to choose the best competition plants from a larger selection. In contrast, regardless of automation level, larger plants typically use more space, require increased amounts of maintenance and pruning time, and there are fewer plants to select from for competition; in other words, the margin of error is greater for smaller plants. While you won’t be able to boast about growing the largest vegetable ever, competitions abound for the smaller plants: the heaviest tomato (7 lb. 12 oz.), heaviest onion (16.52 lb.), heaviest sweet potato (81 lb. 9 oz.) and the hottest chili pepper (1,463,700 SHU) are just a few records that can be chased in a small space. Second, the type of system used should correspond to your plants’ physiology and competition goals. When growing whole plants for beauty, water culture offers advantages over the use of soilless media, which often splash onto plants or can lead to the growth of surface algae. Water culture—whether it be flood and drain, nutrient-film technique or deep water—is preferable because residues won’t build up on the plants, decreasing the risk of leaving water marks or injuries on the plants because you won’t need to clean them before showing. If, however, you are growing plant fruits or vegetables that won’t be affected by substrate splash or algae, soilless mixes work excellently. When attempting to grow the heaviest fruit or veggie, the biggest concern is how you will support its weight as the plants develop. I would recommend placing a trellis or stake supports independent of the growing system, simply to avoid injury to roots and facilitate easier system maintenance. Third, plants grown for competition have a different timetable than crops grown for eating. Just like a professional athlete who trains to peak at the time of a big competition, so too must you time the peak of your plants for competitions. It’s a good idea to pick the competitions you will enter and then plan accordingly to the development of the plants you are growing. So give hydroponics a whirl and try some competitive growing. Besides, in truth, there are no losers in these competitions— they are fun and you can usually eat the losers! MY Maximum Yield USA | July 2012
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