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PODCAST

Hydroponics Daily

Daily clips of hydroponic science throughout the whole of 2025 Presented by Dr Russell Sharp Brought to you by the team behind Gold Leaf - seed to harvest with just one bottle of feed.

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

7:25

The Hydrogen Peroxide Clash Rocking European Hydroponics

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/12

Dr. Russell Sharp discusses the struggle of the UK and European hydroponic sector, focusing on recent enforcement in the Netherlands over continuous in-line dosing of hydrogen peroxide. He explains why regulators flagged the practice, the science behind peroxide breakdown, and his frustration with overly rigid enforcement.Russell also offers practical advice: avoid continuous peroxide dosing to protect roots and yields, keep systems clean, and use peroxide sparingly. He reflects on the wider impact

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9:11

E‑Commerce Strategies for Hydroponic Growers

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/11

Dr. Russell Sharp discusses e-commerce strategies for hydroponic businesses, advising against competing in commodity leafy greens and recommending niche, high‑value preserved products like freeze‑dried herbs, pickles, and gourmet fermented goods. He outlines marketing channels (social ads, trade shows, brand storytelling), logistics considerations (cold chain vs preserved goods), alternatives like ornamentals and cut flowers, and cautions about high costs and platform pitfalls such as selling on

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9:28

Bootstrap to Success: Ditch credit for your customers

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/10

Dr. Russell Sharp explains why bootstrapping is the best route for many hydroponic ventures, emphasizing unique products, testing market demand, and protecting cash flow.He warns against offering customer credit—suggesting pro forma payments and using strong order books to secure bank loans if scaling is needed—plus practical tips for long-term sustainability. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Geoffrey Guy Brian Whittle Justin Gover Tom Whettem Adam

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6:09

Solenoids & Drippers: Master Hydroponic Water Flow

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/09

Dr. Russell Sharp breaks down how water is controlled in hydroponic systems: pressure‑regulated drippers set the flow rate, spikes only deliver the water, and solenoid valves control timing. He explains why pipe size matters little, how blockage and water hardness affect drippers, and why pH or RO water are common choices.This short episode also previews dosing and fertigation meters to be covered next, and offers practical tips for automating reliable

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7:05

Egypt’s Greenhouse Push: Army-Driven Hydroponics vs...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/08

Dr. Russell Sharp explores Egypt’s push into large-scale greenhouse and hydroponic production, driven in part by the military, and compares it to Morocco’s desalination-led expansion of fresh produce. The episode covers greenhouse construction, water supply challenges, berry and high-value crop ambitions, and how military involvement affects local agriculture and supply chains. It examines implications for food security, competition between countries, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of

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6:21

Don't Feed Dormant Plants: The Hidden Nitrite Danger

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/07

Dr. Russell Sharp explains why you should drastically reduce or stop fertilizing perennial crops during winter dormancy or cold storage. Plants take up little or no nutrients in cold conditions, and added nitrogen—especially ammonium—can convert to toxic nitrites that harm cellular respiration, photosynthesis and root health.He recommends dialling fertiliser back to near zero during dormancy, avoiding ammonium-based formulations in cold media, and resuming accurate dosing only when plants are

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4:49

Lease to Grow: The Rise of Rental Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/06

In this episode Dr. Russell Sharp explores leasing and rental business models for hydroponic systems—ranging from small kitchen towers to commercial vertical farms—covering potential revenue streams, financing advantages, turnkey options for growers, and the practical risks involved. He highlights examples from the industry, discusses who benefits from rentals, and invites listeners to share their experiences or case

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9:30

Rats in the NFT: Rodents, Risks and Hydroponic Safety

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/05

Dr. Russell Sharp of Utrema discusses a striking Facebook post—an AI image of rat droppings on an NFT lettuce system—and asks whether rodents are a real threat in hydroponics.The episode covers the main risks rodents pose: disease transmission (salmonella, leptospirosis, hantavirus), contamination of recirculating fertigation solutions, crop damage, and quality/safety losses. Practical control advice is offered using an integrated pest management approach: seal entry points, install fine mesh on

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4:23

Hidden Hydroponics: How Cosmetics Brands Quietly Grow...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/04

Host Dada Russell-Sharp of Hydroponics Daily explores how hydroponics and vertical farming are widely used by non-food companies—especially cosmetics and fragrance brands—to grow active ingredients, herbs, and flowers for skincare and perfumes.The episode highlights companies in France, the US, and South Korea (including L'Oréal, Ule, Plant Advanced Technologies, and Therminic) and points out surprising uses like perfumery, medicinal herbs, and clean hydroponic skincare

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7:18

Growing the Impossible: Hydroponic Crops the UK Can't...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/03

Dr. Russell Sharp explores crops that struggle outdoors in the UK due to short, cool seasons and shows how hydroponics or protected cultivation can make them viable. He discusses sweet potato slips, cotton, jute, castor bean, rice trials, peanuts, melons, chillies and more, plus business opportunities for growers and the effects of climate change on crop potential.Listeners will learn which crops need grow rooms or greenhouses, which might be trialed outdoors, and ideas for commercial hydroponic

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7:58

Hydroponics on Display: 8 Botanical Gardens to Visit

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/02

Dr. Russell Sharp tours botanical gardens around the world that feature hydroponic and aquaponic displays, from Pittsburgh and Dallas to Bethlehem, Malaysia, Dresden, Baghdad, and Irkutsk.The episode highlights these sites as educational and STEM-focused exhibits, emphasizes hydroponics' water-saving benefits, and invites listeners to suggest other gardens for future episodes. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Richard

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7:07

Cardoon: The High‑Value Hydroponic Crop Michelin...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/12/01

Dr Russell Sharp of Hydroponics Daily explores cardoon, a giant thistle related to globe artichoke, as a lucrative hydroponic crop ideal for small to medium grow rooms and a strong alternative to cannabis. He outlines the crop’s fast growth and large biomass, year‑round production potential under controlled conditions, easy propagation from rhizomes, and culinary demand from Lyonnaise and Michelin‑star kitchens. He also touches on pests to watch for and practical benefits of soilless

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13:07

HACK! Grow Your Own Predatory Mites: Slash Your Pest...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/30

Dr. Russell Sharp shares a practical hack to dramatically reduce pesticide and biocontrol costs by culturing predatory mites on bran or pollen. This method lets growers seed a small container with purchased predatory mites, grow their prey mites on a feedstock, and maintain a self-sustaining predatory population to protect crops. Key steps and precautions: buy untreated bran from an animal feed store, seed a small sealed container with purchased mites, keep warm with slight moisture, rotate harvests

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8:32

The science behind pH perfect hydroponic solutions

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/29

Dr. Russell Sharp explains how to keep hydroponic solutions pH-stable, the role of balanced nitrates and ammonium, and how chemical buffers prevent pH swings.The episode also covers other pH drivers, including microbial activity, sugary additives, water hardness and plant exudates, and offers practical tips for consistent fertigation management. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Howard M. Resh – CuisinArt Hydroponic Farm Neil Willey – University of the

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7:26

Light vs Heavy Hydroponics: Why System Weight Matters

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/28

Dr. Russell Sharp explores how the weight of hydroponic systems affects portability, stability, thermal buffering and practical uses—from classrooms and balconies to cruise ships and space missions.He compares lightweight NFT setups (easy to move, low structural load) with heavy DWC reservoirs (thermal stability, theft resistance, backup water) and offers examples to help growers decide which approach fits their

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8:28

How McDonald's and Fast Food Drive Hydroponics

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/27

Dr. Russell Sharp of Hydroponics Daily explores how fast food chains, from McDonald’s to Subway and Taco Bell, consume enormous volumes of fresh produce and the opportunities this creates for hydroponic growers.The episode covers surprising consumption figures, examples of high-demand chains, tips on targeting alternative buyers beyond supermarkets, and a note on Eutrema Ltd’s expansion to sell fertilisers directly in

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21:46

Bootstrapping Your Hydroponic Start Up: Keep Control,...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/26

Dr. Russell Sharp makes the case for bootstrapping hydroponic businesses instead of taking big external investment, arguing that self-funding preserves control, motivation, creativity and long-term sustainability.He explains how serendipitous innovation, family-owned advantages, and low-cost organic marketing let smaller operations grow responsibly and adaptively, offering practical examples and encouraging listeners to consider independent, profit-driven paths to

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10:01

Does Big Money Matter? The New Economics of CEA...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/25

Dr. Russell Sharp breaks down a candid interview with Equilibrium Capital's Dave Chen on the challenges of financing and scaling controlled environment agriculture (CEA). He covers why large capital requirements, post‑COVID funding shifts, and supermarket relationships make leafy‑green CEA a high‑risk, high‑scale business.The episode also explores niche crop opportunities, the power of cooperatives and branding, and the "holy trinity" of operator, grower and retail partner needed to succeed — plus

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13:12

More Grocery Store Hacks: Growing Exotic Rhizomes for...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/24

Dr. Russell Sharp explains how to use store-bought seeds, rhizomes and tubers—like spelt, mung beans, turmeric, ginger, galangal, sweet potatoes and more—as propagation material for hydroponic crops and microgreens. He covers practical tips (avoid roasted seeds, look for buds, and watch for disease risks), nutrient considerations for rhizomes, and money-saving business ideas such as producing sweet potato slips. The episode balances low-cost DIY propagation techniques with cautions about viruses,

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12:01

Predicting Cannabis Potency with Your Smartphone:...

Hydroponics Daily ·

2025/11/23

Dr. Russell Sharp explores recent research showing that hyperspectral leaf scans combined with machine learning can predict cannabinoid concentrations in legal cannabis before harvest, and outlines a new technique that could let standard smartphone cameras act like hyperspectral sensors using a reference card and software.The episode covers practical applications for growers and breeders; from pre‑selling crops and ensuring hemp THC compliance to rapidly screening seedlings, and considers how these

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367 results

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