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Germination

Your  Torpedopot™  will germinate your seeds. Many garden seeds die before they can grow. Moisture availability in soil is the single major factor determining the rate of germination. Germination takes place if the soil moisture content is one and a half times above what a typical mature plant requires. If sufficient moisture is available germination can proceed. 

However, for most common garden seeds, If the soil dries out within four days after the onset of germination, the germination process is halted. It most likely can resume after rewetting from the point where it stopped. If drying out occurs four or more days after the onset of germination, deterioration of the germinating seeds takes place. If the dry conditions persist for more than six days, the seeds are assumed dead, and there will be no crop established from that seed. 

Let your  Torpedopot™  water your seeds for you. You do not have to purchase a separate germination tank to grow your seeds only to move them into your garden. With the Vertical  Torpedopot™ , Just push your seeds into the 1/1/2 in perch holes in the walls of the Vertical Torpedo, turn on the water to the appropriate wetness and walk away. 

Soil Content and Water Uptake

Plants can readily use water held in the soil. Water uptake is related to root density. Over half of the total water uptake occurs from the first 0.3 m (1ft) of soil. Water use ranges can increase to as much as 70% during the early stages of growth, to the bloom stages. The  Torpedopot™  rinses the roots. The water in the vertical planters rinses the plant's roots so that they can quickly absorb water without drowning. As the water moves down the Vertical Torpedo, it forces the roots to push downward to reach vast amounts of water in the pores of the soil, thus promoting plant growth. 

The rates at which water penetrates and is absorbed by the soil depend mainly on soil texture. Sandy soil has large pore spaces through which water will move quickly and efficiently, clay soils have smaller pore spaces, causing water to move more slowly. We recommend a mixture of 85% mushroom soil mixed with store bought starter soil. The starter mix will provide nutrients for your seedlings after germination, and the mushroom soil will give a long-term food supply for promoting bioactivity and supporting root development.

 
Soil temperature and germination

Soil temperature affects germination. Your  Torpedopot™  provides a temperature controlled environment for your plants to grow. You do not see the variation found in sois comprising of different materials. Soil temperature varies with time and depth and is determined by the heat from the earth reaching the soil surface, the quality of the surface thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the soil. Soil temperature affects plant growth indirectly by affecting water and nutrient uptake as well as root growth. At a constant moisture content, a decrease in temperature results in a reduction of water and nutrient uptake. At low temperatures, transport from the root to the shoot and vice versa is reduced. Variations in temperature affect your plant's productivity. As we all know, the colder climate-vegetation does not grow faster than warmer climate-vegetation. Plants in your Vertical Torpedo are exposed to a consistent environment with a stable temperature. This is good for the plant because the climate is predictive and does not accept sudden changes. Sudden changes shock plants and may cause severe damage to their transportation systems. 

Temperature and Plant growth

Plants produce heat. Cellular respiration is exothermic. It is a continuous process that provides warmth. As temperature increases inside the Vertical Torpedo so does the rate of plant growth. Plant growth increases until an optimum temperature is reached. Temperature determines the rate of plant development and affects the length of the total growing period. The walls of the Vertical Torpedo provide excellent thermal conductivity. The rate at which heat is transferred through the Vertical Torpedo is much lower than other materials. This means that the heat produced by the bioactivity transpiration, respiration in the Vertical Torpedo is not lost to the environment. This environment increases humidity and transforms your  Torpedopot™  into a virtual ecosystem. Your Vertical Torpedo allows your plants to grow faster, mature quicker and produce more fruit. 

Fertilization

Over-fertilizing container-grown plants result in high concentrations of soluble salts in the potting medium which damage roots by slowing the net flow of water into them and by predisposing the plants to root diseases. Unlike other planters that drown your plants in water and fertilizers, the Vertical  Torpedopot™ washes the plants with water and nutrients. Nutrients in the form of liquid fertilizers can be added to the  Torpedopot™  through a hose. Attach a fertilizer feeder to a spray hose and attach it to a timer. The timer will control the times that  Torpedopot™  turns on and off.