By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
LAURIE Cocking says it with a smile but also with a little bit of seriousness.
“We grow legal plants hydroponically”.
The president of Geelong Hydroponic Gardening admits he is often asked about the connection to those other plants often grown the same way under banks of lights in secret locations.
Hydroponics is about the easiest form of gardening around, chuckles Laurie.
“There’s no soil, no digging, fertilising, bending or weeding and you can often get better quality produce and yield,” Laurie explains.
“And you can grow almost anything – tomatoes, silver beet, parsley, chillies, cabbages, caulies, Brussels sprouts, fruit and even a variety of flowers.
“About the only thing you can’t grow hydroponically are mushrooms.”
Laurie should know – he’s been involved in hydroponics for more than 38 years, so he’s saved quite a bit on his fruit and vegie shopping.
Local hydroponics enthusiasts had to be members of the Melbourne club until they decided to go it alone about a decade ago.
Like its produce, the Geelong group is thriving and has even become home to a South Australian hydroponic group.
“They joined so they could get our newsletter,” Laurie laughs.
The locals produce a comprehensive rundown of the latest news and trends in the world of hydroponics, with lots of tips and advice stemming from members’ experience.
Laurie advises to start small and build up.
“You don’t have to spend much at all to get started – you can even use stuff you have laying around. I bought a small kit to start with and my interest grew from there.
“The idea is to make growing as simple as possible, with no digging or use of fertiliser. Most of our members plant the seed in an inert medium such as Perlite and water the plants with naturally-occurring nutrients.
“The plants grow so well because they get all the trace elements, which they don’t always get simply growing in soil.
“Even people who don’t grow hydroponically admit the flavour is far superior.
“Hydroponics has been around since 400BC and it’s the way of the future to overcome the scarcity of land. In time the majority of food will be produced in this way.
“The orbiting space stations use hydroponics and the Australian Antarctic bases have hydroponic systems.
“For me, I know my food hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals and when I want something for a specific dish I just go outside and pick it.”
More information about Geelong Hydroponic Gardening is available by phoning Laurie on 0408 529 845 or emailing lauriehydro@hotmail.com.
