Shows / Hydroponics Daily
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.
For more information please visit our website - https://eutrema.co.uk
Episodes
Hydroponics DailyTitanium & Plant Health: Miracle Micronutrient or Risky Gamble?
Dr. Russell Sharp explores the role of titanium in plant health; what it is, how it’s used (chelated salts, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, foliar and root…
Hydroponics DailyDirect Air Capture for CO2 in Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp explores the promise of direct air capture (DAC) as a way to enrich CO2 for hydroponic and greenhouse crops without burning fossil fuels. He…
Hydroponics DailyLamb's Lettuce: Hydroponic Gold, not just for Winter
Dr. Russell Sharp explores lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta) as an underrated hydroponic crop, highlighting its unique botanical lineage, high nutrient…
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Eli Lilly's $3 BILLION Greenhouse Bet: Is Hydroponics the Next Pharma Frontier?
Host Dr. Russell Sharp discusses Eli Lilly's recent purchase of a greenhouse site in Katwijk, Netherlands, and explores possible links to botanical sourcing…
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Cold Roots, Chilled Yields: Diagnosing Root Cold Stress in Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp discusses cold root stress in hydroponics, how it causes desiccation and nutrient uptake problems, and practical mitigations like raising…
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Bankruptcy in Soilless Farming: Clean Greens and Growy Singapore Fall
Dr. Russell Sharp reviews two recent failures in soilless agriculture: Swiss aeroponics firm CleanGreens went bankrupt after a promised CHF 50M investment…
Hydroponics DailyCan Norway Grow Avocados? Inside the Hydroponic Experiment
Dr. Russell Sharp examines whether warm‑climate perennials like avocados can be grown economically indoors in cold countries. He reviews a Norwegian research…
Hydroponics DailyFertilizer Falsehoods: The Myth of 90+ Elements in a Fertiliser
Dr. Russell Sharp exposes claims that fertilizers contain 60–90+ elements, showing many listed elements are impossible, radioactive, or toxic and explaining…
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Larry Ellison’s $500M Hydroponic Dream: Sensai Farms’ High-Tech Failures
Dr. Russell Sharp examines Sensai Farms, Larry Ellison’s high‑profile hydroponic project in Hawaii, funded with hundreds of millions but hampered by cost…
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Meet 'Thriller' — The Pumpkin That Looks Like It's Ripped Open
Dr. Russell Sharp highlights the eye-catching new pumpkin variety "Thriller": a dual-purpose edible and decorative squash with orange interior and…
Hydroponics DailyWhy Is My Rhododendron Flowering in Autumn? The Truth About Precocious Blooming
Dr. Russell Sharp explains why plants like rhododendrons and other ornamentals sometimes flower in autumn — a phenomenon called precocious flowering caused by…
Hydroponics DailyFerns in Hydroponics: From Victorian Mania to Modern Houseplant Gold
Dr. Russell Sharp explores whether ferns are a viable hydroponic crop, covering their limited edibility, high value as houseplants, and conservation concerns…
Hydroponics DailyMinecraft and Vertical Farms: Harvest London's Canary Wharf Operation
Dr. Russell Sharp explores Harvest London’s open, glass-walled hydroponic farm at Canary Wharf—an accessible vertical farm supplying leafy greens and…
Hydroponics DailyHydroponic Top Trumps
Russell introduces his hydroponics-themed Top Trumps card pack covering 32 pests, diseases and physiological issues, scored by damage, commonness, difficulty…
Hydroponics DailySecrets of Stomata: How Plants Balance Water and CO2
Dr. Russell Sharp explains how stomata—tiny pores on leaves controlled by guard cells—regulate gas exchange and water loss, why their opening matters for…
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Hardwood Cuttings: Cheap, Simple & Often Overlooked
Dr. Russell Sharp explains hardwood cuttings for deciduous woody perennials, why they’re useful in autumn and winter, and how they’re easier and cheaper than…
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Inside Lettuce Grow: Zooey Deschanel’s Stylish Home Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp reviews Lettuce Grow, a celebrity-backed company (founded in 2019) that sells stylish, kitchen-scale hydroponic stands and kits like the…
Hydroponics DailyThe limitations of EC meters: what they can, and can't, tell you
Dr. Russell Sharp explains how EC meters work, what they’re useful for and their key limitations — including temperature sensitivity, inability to distinguish…
Hydroponics DailyEat Your Way to Healthier Teeth: Israeli Study Finds Brassicas Fight Cavities
In this episode Dr. Russell Sharp discusses an Israeli study showing that diindolemethane (DIM), a compound formed when we digest cruciferous vegetables like…
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Developing a Biodegradable Controlled‑Release Fertiliser
Dr. Russell Sharp discusses manufacturing chitosan biofungicide and announces a lab breakthrough creating a biodegradable alternative to Osmocote, driven by…
Hydroponics DailyWhy Liebig's Barrel Falls Apart: Rethinking Nutrient Limits in Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp examines Liebig’s Law of the Minimum and explains why the simple barrel analogy can mislead hydroponic growers. He highlights interacting…
Hydroponics DailyRoot Pruning: Control Growth from the Roots
Dr. Russell Sharp explores the forgotten technique of root pruning and how trimming roots helps control shoot vigour in both hydroponic and soil-grown plants…
Hydroponics DailyRoot Cuttings: The Forgotten Propagation Technique
Dr. Russell Sharp explains root cuttings — what they are, which plants respond well (eg. sassafras, paulownia/foxglove trees, aralia, clematis, hops), and why…
Hydroponics DailyExposed: The Death of Journalism in Horticulture & Agriculture
Dr. Russell Sharp rips into the horticultural and agricultural press for ignoring major public-interest stories—accusing industry influence, highlighting ICL’s…
Hydroponics DailyHydroponics in Schools: Growing Minds and Greens
This episode explores the pros and cons of introducing hydroponic systems in schools, highlighting educational benefits like hands-on science, engineering…
Hydroponics DailyLightning in a Bottle: Plasma-Activated Water for Hydroponics
This episode explores plasma-activated water (PAW): how ionized gas (like lightning) can be used to create reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that supply…
Hydroponics DailyWhy Ladybirds Fail in Hydroponics: The Truth About Biocontrol
This episode explains why ladybirds (ladybugs) are often poor biological control agents in hydroponic systems: adults tend to fly away, larvae may not eat…
Hydroponics DailyHydroponic Mushrooms? Inside the World of Liquid Mycelium
Dr. Russell Sharp investigates whether mushrooms can be grown without soil—covering liquid mycelium cultures, industrial mycelium bioreactors, and the limits…
Hydroponics DailyWetting Agents in Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp breaks down the three main types of surfactants (anionic, cationic, non‑ionic), how they’re used to re-wet hydrophobic grow media, and their…
Hydroponics DailyInside Growy: A Robot-Run Vertical Farm Tour in Amsterdam
Dr. Russell Sharp tours Growy’s Amsterdam vertical farm, exploring their unique fermented starch acetate growing media, automated gutter system with robots for…
Hydroponics DailyHydroponics vs. Field Farming: The Real Reasons Supermarkets May Switch
Dr. Russell Sharp contrasts outdoor soil-grown vegetables with hydroponic indoor production, focusing on labour differences, pest pressures, and contamination…
Hydroponics DailyRoof Irises: The Perfect Ornamental for Hydroponics
Dr. Russell Sharp discusses the potential of ornamental hydroponics and spotlights Iris tectorum (the roof iris) as an ideal species for indoor soilless…
Hydroponics DailyCardboard, Hemp & Sawdust: Unconventional Microgreens Media Trial
Dr. Russell Sharp tests unconventional, nutrient-free grow media for microgreens—hemp and microgreens matting, cardboard and coarse sawdust—comparing results…
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Gavita Management Buyout: Hydroponics Shake‑Up After Miracle‑Gro Split
This episode reports Gavita’s management buyout following Miracle‑Gro/Hawthorne’s divestment of its hydroponics businesses and what that could mean for the…
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Auxin Solutions/gels - Do you know how to use them?
Dr. Russell Sharp records a short episode to ask listeners to take a quick Instagram poll about what they know regarding auxin sprays, gels, and solutions. He…
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Why 'Hydroponic' Doesn't Sell: Lessons from Growy
https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/Dr. Russell Sharp reports from the World Congress for Vertical Farming after…
Hydroponics DailyStereo Microscopes - See Your Plants Like Never Before
Dr. Russell Sharp explains practical ways to inspect hydroponic plants up close, from inexpensive hand lenses and phone macro attachments to investing in a…
Hydroponics DailyExtinct Tomatoes & Why Species Matter More Than Varieties
Dr. Russell Sharp recounts reintroducing extinct tomato varieties like the Blaby Special and Manx Marvel, then examines the relative value of preserving…
Hydroponics DailyHydroponic Carnivores: Growing Venus Flytraps and Other Carnivorous Plants Without Soil
Dr. Russell Sharp experiments with growing carnivorous plants hydroponically—Venus flytraps, sundews, and pitcher plants. He discusses challenges like their…
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Fruit Attraction 2025: Hydroponics Discoveries and Industry Surprises
Dr. Russell Sharp reports from Fruit Attraction in Madrid, sharing key hydroponics and fresh-produce industry discoveries from the trade show. Main takeaways…
Hydroponics DailyWhy Is West Virginia Missing from the Hydroponics Map?
Dr. Russell Sharp investigates why West Virginia seems to have low interest in hydroponics, examining factors like GDP, geography, cannabis laws, and local…
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T6P: The Next Big Biostimulant?
Dr. Russell Sharp explores trehalose‑6‑phosphate (T6P) as an emerging biostimulant, its role in controlling sucrose signals, and the promising academic…
Hydroponics DailyGrowing Mistletoe Without Soil: The Strange 1991 Hydroculture Patent
Dr. Russell Sharp explores a curious 1991 patent by Gunther Mayer that claims mistletoe can be propagated in hydroponic baths using sap from host plants…
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Glowing Soybeans and Bee Lifesavers: News Roundup
In this episode of Hydroponics Daily, we discuss two notable agtech developments relevant to growers: InnerPlant's CropVoice—genetically engineered soybeans…
Hydroponics DailyEndophytes: The Hidden Microbes Inside Plants
Dr. Russell Sharp explores endophytes—beneficial microbes that live inside plant tissues—explaining how they can boost stress tolerance, aid nutrient uptake…
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Legal cannabis: Why it is not inevitable that outdoor cultivation will become the norm
Dr. Russell Sharp reacts to a LinkedIn post arguing for a return to outdoor soil-grown cannabis, and explains why hydroponics and controlled indoor cultivation…
Hydroponics DailyBanana Trunks to Grow Bags: The Future of Sustainable Hydroponic Media
Dr. Russell Sharp explores a new grow media made from banana plant trunks developed by Banana Bloom/Southeastern Fiber. The episode covers the material's…
Hydroponics DailyArsenic on the Menu: Is Your Rice Making You Sick?
Dr. Russell Sharp explores how arsenic gets into rice and some seaweeds, the health risks including cancer and developmental effects, and why levels vary by…
Hydroponics DailyEnzymes on Plants. What the heck?
Dr. Russell Sharp investigates enzyme-based hydroponic products like Plagron's Green Sensation, questioning ingredient lists and the claim that sprayed enzymes…
Hydroponics DailyTylenol (Paracetamol) causes what in plants?!?!?!?
Dr. Russell Sharp reviews research on paracetamol (acetaminophen/Tylenol) and its effects on plants in hydroponics and horticulture. He explains how the drug…
Hydroponics DailyRafflesia: The World's Hardest Plant to Grow
Dr. Russell Sharp explores why Rafflesia arnoldii — the so-called corpse flower with the world\'s largest single bloom — is likely the most difficult plant to…
Hydroponics DailyAre you growing a C4 crop? Maize, millet, Sorghum, Bermuda Grass etc
This episode explains C4 photosynthesis (the Hatch–Slack pathway), how it concentrates CO2 around rubisco to reduce photorespiration, and why C4 plants perform…
Hydroponics DailyCyanide: The Hidden Poison in Almonds, Apples and Bamboo
This episode explores natural sources of cyanide in common plants — how cyanogenic glycosides hide cyanide in seeds and tissues, how breaking cells releases…
Hydroponics DailyMicro-plastics in Fertilisers! The Truth About Controlled-Release Fertilisers
In this episode we expose the environmental and health risks of granular controlled‑release fertilisers: non‑biodegradable resin granules often contain micro-…
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Glee Find - A Novel Propagation Tray idea - 'Bustaseed'
Dr. Russell Sharp reports from the Glee trade show, sharing highlights like a Latvian Bloom Cabin greenhouse and a standout product from Buster Seed: durable…
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What to look for on the hydro shop shelf & surprising microgreens findings
Dr. Russell Sharp revisits fertilizer and biostimulant preservation—what shrinking, bloating, and floaty bits in bottles actually mean—and shares practical…
Hydroponics DailyThe Dirty (half) Dozen: Harmful Preservatives Hiding in Your Fertilizer
Dr. Russell Sharp of Hydroponics Daily exposes common and dangerous preservatives found in fertilizers and biostimulants, including formaldehyde, quaternary…
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Don’t Pour Food Waste on Your Plants!: The Hidden Danger
Dr. Russell Sharp explains why pouring liquidised food waste or adding uncomposted plant material to soil or lawns can harm plant growth. Microbes decomposing…
Hydroponics DailyICL, White Phosphorus and Gaza war crimes: A Follow-Up
Dr. Russell Sharp revisits previous claims about ICL (formerly Israel Chemicals Limited), clarifying that there is no evidence they manufacture white…
Hydroponics DailyPseudo-Cereals uncovered: Hydroponics, Microgreens & Nutrition
Dr. Russell Sharp examines pseudocereals—non-grass crops like quinoa, amaranth, chia, buckwheat and fat hen—and their potential as hydroponic microgreens. The…