hydroponic citrus?

[brian]

I mentioned this in another thread but I've been pondering it for some time.  The idea started when I was considering ways to directly warm the root zone of container trees.  I'd read that optimal growth is acheived with warm roots, but warm canopies seem less critical.  I was thinking if you grew them hydroponically you could heat the water supply to keep the roots warm at all times while letting air temps to drop in the winter.  I know very little about hydroponics, though.  A quick search on hydroponic citrus only turns up drip irrigation systems called Open Hydroponic Systems.  This isn't what I'm talking about.  I can't find any information on fully-immersed growing of citrus.   I assume you'd need to aerate the water, add nutrients, and possibly anti-fungal/anti-microbials to avoid rot. 

Thoughts?

[Millet]

It seems to me that would be possible for very small trees, but extremely difficult for larger trees.

[spaugh]

Hydroponic water is usually aerated with air stones or just through movement of water.  Or sometimes the water is pumped into the rootzone and then allowed to dry for some time the pumped again.  That way the roots get air.

It is totally possible to grow a citrus tree hydroponically.  I have done a lot of hydroponics and all I can say is its way more work than dirt.  You hae to constantly monitor the PH, TDS, change the water, clean the tubs, look out for mosqito larva etc.  It really is a pain.  I would suggest you try growing a single tomato plant in a deep water bucket and see how that goes and decide if you are really going to want to do hydroponics.

[brian]

I was thinking it would be the same amount of work as maintaining a pool... but I forgot about cleaning the tubs, ugh.  That alone might make it impractical.   

[spaugh]

unless you are out there adjusting and cleaning your pool every day or 2, its going to be more work.  I'm not trying to discourage you.  You should just try it first on a plant like a tomato that you don't mind tossing out before you commit to fruit trees. 

If you get lazy and neglect your dirt trees, they won't really care much.  If you neglect a hydro setup and PH and TDS get out of wack, the plants decline pretty quickly. 

If your main objective is to heat the soil, invest in some heating pads.  And also try working with some heat batteries.  Get creative, use something with lots of mass to warm up during the day and then it will release the heat out at night.  You can even bury air lines in the ground a few feet and circulate air through the ground during the day to heat it up and then it will release the heat at night.

Even heating up a large volume of water and then using it as a heat battery.  If you live in zone 6, you need a heater anyway on your greenhouse right?  You must have something already?  I would guess its pretty cold there this time of year.