Phil...please be sure to post pictures of these when they bloom, we'd all love to see them! Donna

I grow blueberries here in Madison, Wisconsin, and we have hard water, that is, our tap water contains dissolved limestone. There is a layer of limestone underground here, I think it covers all of southern Wisconsin. Blueberries require soil with a pH between 5 and 6, so our tap water is a problem when the shrubs need to be irrigated. I have had success by adding white vinegar (5%) that was bought at our local food market. This is standard white vinegar, nothing exotic. Using a pH meter, I determined that 6 fluid ounces of vinegar added to 4 gallons of tap water was about right. The blueberries seem to agree, they have dark green leaves, like they should, when the soil pH is correct.

FG, I used to think that H. bella, H. chinghungensis, and H. engleriana had no real scent, but I only found out this year that is completely not the case. When you have a large number of blooms and a humid environment, all of these plants have a wonderful lilac like scent. I could clearly smell them from a number of feet away. Doug

Ah, hex you want this to be so wrong. Sorry but you can look up the "no nutritional value" on hydroponics it's well documented. An yes your right the plants don't care what the source of those elements are. But we're not talking about the plants but what "feeds on them". But lets talk about something else. You mentioned a perpetual motion machine. Well, yes that's what life is. it's in the very air we breathe. The plants breathe in bacteria that has the nitrogen cycle living inside it. The plant nitrogen (waste) cycle is part of that too. Even in an anaerobic system that still goes on. I have apple and pear trees that are ten years old that have been flowering, fruiting as well. With no intervention from me other than water if I notice. That means no fertilizer either. The bucket design captures rainfall so that wasn't often. Oh, that's right there's another difference. Capturing the rain water is taboo for your form of hydroponics. I mean with all the measurements and such. Haven't needed to take a reading ph or other wise in more than 20yrs. As for growing something..a tomato. Really. Is that the hill you standing on. I'm showing Cashews, Macadamia nuts,, coffee, 3 kinds of Bio-Fuel. Apples, pears, Plums, peaches all growing happily in the system. I bring pictures of everything. There even Strawberries flowering this year that grow anaerobically. Let's just off the top of my head there are Norfolk pines, Fiddle leaf figs, Sago palms, cactus, White and Yellow Birds of Paradise, Orchids, Pony Tail palms, Citrus. All growing quite happily. Those pictures are already on here. As for water consumption on average each tight 5gal container holds about three an a half gallons. That water last between 45 and 60 days with out rain. If I get a good rain once a month I don't have to water at all.