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Do you want big yields, big plants and less work? Check out this method of growing using the new AutoPot PlantSkirt method for unrivalled simplicity and plant growth.

Chilli peppers are rewarding plants to grow at home, but they need warmth, strong light and consistent care to produce a good crop. Whether you are raising jalapeños, cayenne chillies, Scotch Bonnets or sweet peppers, the right propagation setup, container, growing medium and lighting can make the difference between slow growth and healthy fruiting plants. Chillies can be grown on a sunny windowsill, in a greenhouse, in containers outdoors during warm weather or indoors under LED grow lights. The best approach depends on the variety you choose, how early you start and whether you can provide enough warmth and light...

Hydroponics is worth considering when you want greater control over watering and plant nutrition, need to grow without traditional soil, or want a cleaner indoor growing method built around a managed nutrient solution. It is not automatically easier than soil growing, because successful hydroponics depends on choosing the right system and monitoring water, nutrients and pH correctly. If you are deciding whether hydroponics is right for your grow, begin with the practical questions: what do you want to grow, how much space do you have, how often can you check the system and how much control do you want over...

DIY home hydroponics can be a practical way to start growing plants without soil, but a successful system needs more than a container of water and a pump. You will need a suitable growing method, hydroponic nutrients, oxygen or irrigation at the roots, dependable lighting where required, and regular pH and EC checks to keep the nutrient solution usable for your plants. There are two sensible starting routes for a home grower. You can begin with a compact ready-made system such as deep water culture, or you can build a more involved setup around pumps, containers, reservoirs and growing media....

Food and Hydroponics Labelling There's great debate over the use of organic labelling as it relates to hydroponics. As consumers become more focused on the origins of their food and its impact on their health, they frequently turn to foods labelled as organic. Requirements for organic labelling vary from country to country, with some countries considering crops produced without pesticides as organic and other countries qualifying the organic label to mean completely natural. In the very strictest standards, natural is defined as plants that are grown in the earth using traditional agricultural methods. Under these standards, no pesticides or chemicals may be used, and the plant...