Frank Rauscher
Articles by Frank Rauscher
Dealing with Pythium Root Rot
Microorganisms are routinely introduced and cultivated in our hydroponic set-ups and gardens, but one such organism you don’t want to see...
Growing in Tough Soils and Difficult Climates
You might be wondering why your plants are losing their leaves and hardly forming any buds. There’s a good chance your garden soil is not...
Chemical Combos in the Garden
Combining chemicals in the garden is tricky business. Mix the right ones together, and you’ll be rewarded with a synergistic result. Mix...
Same but Different: Indoor vs. Outdoor Nutrients
When it comes to feeding, indoor and outdoor plants generally need the same nutrients. There are, however, some significant differences in...
Making the Most of Hydro Nutrients
While hydroponic water culture systems can produce big results, you must work to get those optimal results. One of most important things to...
I’ve Got You Covered: Leaf Area Index
Leaf area index can be a little complex to understand, but it can be a useful tool once grasped.
Interveinal Chlorosis: Can It Be Fixed?
Interveinal chlorosis is a disease that can be easily spotted and, with the right information, easily treated.
Secondary Micronutrients That Are Crucial to Plant Health
Most growers have a handle on primary nutrients and macronutrients, but how is your understanding of the lesser known secondary and...
What a Plant's Internodal Spacing Reveals About Its Health
The distance between nodes can tell us quite a bit about how a plant is doing. Here’s how to decipher it.
Improving the Flavor of Crops with Photoperiodism
Understanding your plants’ photosynthesis requirements and matching them to proper lighting affects taste and nutrition in your hydroponic...
Troubleshooting Your Plants: Symptoms to Look Out For
Your plants give you signs when they’re not well. All you have to do is pay attention!
What Are Root Snorkels?
To survive extremely wet conditions, some plants evolved special roots that act as snorkels. There is also a man-made version, but how well...
Soil vs. Hydroponics: What Method Grows the Best Plants?
As more of our food and herbs are grown through various hydroponic techniques, the question of which is better: soil vs. hydroponics, comes...
Salt of the Earth: Why Plants Need Salt in Their Diets
For plants to take up nutrients, the nutrient must be in the form of ionic salt. But organic and synthetic nutrients feed plants at a much...
Phosphorous Acid Products: Phosphorus, Phosphite, and Phosphonate
When it comes to phosphorus products, even the correct spelling can be tricky, never mind understanding what the related products do.
Could Your Plants Be Suffering from an Abiotic Plant Disease?
When plants aren’t healthy, diagnosing the problem can be a challenge. Gardeners often look for obvious signs, like a biological...
The Benefits of Introducing a Gentle Breeze to Your Indoor Crops
Frank Rauscher explains the benefits of introducing wind to your indoor crops.
Perlite in the Garden: To Use or Not to Use?
Though tiny, a grain of perlite can be mighty. Frank Rauscher digs deep to outline the benefits and drawbacks that lightweight perlite can...
Take That, Fungus Gnats!
The tiny fungus gnat can cause big problems in your garden. If you see one, chances are you have an entire civilization of them ready to...
Comparing Various Water Culture Hydroponic Systems
Water culture hydroponics is one of the fastest growing segments of hydroponics, but there are a number of factors to consider when...
Your Plants Are Hungry, Feed Them (But Not Too Much)
When looking over the nutrient aisle there are a vast number of products to choose from and just as varied are the directions for feeding....
A Tale of Two Hydro Systems: Drip Irrigation & Ebb and Flow
The two popular types of watering systems compared in this article are ebb and flow and drip irrigation.
Understanding Plant Biology
Having a better understanding of plant biology will help you improve the vigor of your crops.
Growroom Ergonomics: Being Comfortable While You Garden is Wonderful!
When you actually look forward to the next time you can get at your crop and provide some much-needed TLC, it won’t be long until you are...
Hydroponic Systems: Know When to Flush ’Em
There are two main reasons to flush a hydro system. You’re either flushing to clean out the system, or to rid your plants of excess...
CO2 & Your Crop: Why It’s Important and How to Use It
Most growers already have interest in providing more CO2 for their crops but may not quite understand what’s going on inside the plant....
Foliar Feeding: Love it or Leaf it
Nothing sparks a controversy in the gardening world like the best method for feeding your plants. Foliar feeding is often looked upon as a...
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Managing Microbes in the Garden
Plants need to receive a number of nutrients to thrive. An important step is keeping the bad bacteria at bay, along with establishing and...
Combining Organic & Synthetic Nutrients
There is an increasing focus on organic farming methods, but does that mean synthetic nutrients are off the table?
Algae and Hydroponics
Many fans of hydroponics regard this method of growing as a form of weed-free gardening, but that doesn’t mean hydro growers are in the...
Water Quality & Plant Health
Worried about what’s in the water you’re supplying your plants? Chances are it’s not so bad! Municipal water treatment systems regularly...
Watering Your Soil Garden Successfully
Unlike a young child who is acting out, plants in need often have a time tough communicating exactly what it is that they want. You can bet...
Growing Up: How to Create Living Walls of Edible Plants
A properly designed and well-maintained living wall is a beautiful thing to behold and gathers many a compliment for the grower willing to...
The Science Behind Companion Planting
Companion planting is an important strategy in keeping gardens healthy without a lot of pesticides or labor. Knowing what plants are good...
Good Greenhouse Planning
A greenhouse can provide growers of all skill levels with some fantastic, additional growing space. With the proper design, greenhouses can...
Enhance Your Plant's Root System
What you see in a plant’s foliage is almost always the result of what is going on in the soil. When there are issues with soil quality,...
How pH & TDS Levels Affect Water Quality
Two aspects of the water supply—pH and total dissolved solids (TDS)—affect many aspects of plant growth and vigor.
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting: The Best of Both Worlds
Many indoor gardens aren’t set up to take advantage of natural sunlight, but doing so is practical, effective and leads to huge savings on...
Measuring Up: Meters and Tests That Can Help Your Garden
There are many meters and test kits available to help growers keep track of what is going on in their gardens.
How to Start Your First Hydroponic Garden: A Guide for Beginners
After learning about grow media choices, finding the correct water source and the planting process, you’ll see that the art of hydroponics...
Controlling the Curl: Tomato Leaf Roll
When it comes to viruses that cause the leaves of tomato plants (and others) to roll or curl, affecting the productivity of plants, the old...
Is Organic Hydroponics Always Better?
Is organic the only wise choice left out there? Let's start by deciding what it means to be truly organic in the first place, and then...
A Guide to Starting Plants from Cuttings
Want some new cultivars for your garden, but also want a way to guarantee their quality? Well, this is a perfect opportunity for some DIY...
Cold Weather and Hydroponic Gardens
Cold weather is a situation where hydroponic gardening, whether in your home or in a greenhouse, has an unbeatable advantage. Here’s how to...
How to Keep Your Plants Healthy
We all want to keep our plants healthy. However, when we see leaves that don’t look quite right, many of us overlook some of the more...
What Do You Know About Mildew?
In the garden, mildew is often confused with mold. However, they are very different problems and it is important not to mix the two up when...
Keeping With the Flow: Hydroponic Irrigation Systems
Hydroponics relies on water flow. Here’s a look at how two of the main irrigation systems—drain-to-waste and recirculating—keep plants...
Water Plants: How Much Water is Too Much?
Should you be watering your plants once a day? Different plants and different soils need different watering regimens. Here’s a general...
What’s Infecting Your Vegetable Garden?
The rolling or curling of leaves on tomato and other plants can be a symptom of environmental stress—like too much fertilizer and over or...
Which Nutrients Contribute to Better-Tasting Homegrown Fruits and Vegetables?
One of the most crucial elements in deciding how good your crops will taste is sulfur—but only if it is delivered to your plants in a form...
Greenhouses 101: Styles and Materials
Frank Rauscher gives us the basics on greenhouse construction and the materials involved. He says the most important step in building your...
Going Green: What Can You Do?
People talk about going green all the time, but they aren’t always sure where to start, Frank Rauscher has a few suggestions how you can...
How Does a Plant's Immune System Work?
The best way to protect our indoor crops is to understand how they protect themselves from threats like pests and diseases.
Amino Acid Chelates: Giving Your Plants a Helping Hand
Just because you’re giving your plants nutrients doesn’t always mean they’re getting the full benefit—that’s where chelation comes in.
Q&A by Frank Rauscher
What can I do when the roots of my plants have blackened and there was some yellow wax oozing out of them?
When root systems become discolored or darkened this generally indicates disease. A common culprit is Phytophthera species, the genus of a...
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