if you like gardeningbut doesn’t like to dig in the dirt, there is still a way to have a garden and she is the hydroponics. To help figure out if it’s for you, here’s everything you need to know about hydroponic gardening!
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a soilless solution. Since the method is called hydroponics and “hydro” means water, most people think that the soilless solution is water. Of course, it can be water, but it doesn’t have to be.
Hydroponics can be any nutrient solution or inert growing medium such as perlite and sand – basically anything other than traditional potting mixes or soil.
Is hydroponics complicated?
It doesn’t have to be. In fact, hydroponic growing is simple enough for a child to do. There’s even a good chance you tried it when you were a kid. Remember putting a bean in water? If so, that’s hydroponics!
What do I need to get started?
You will need a hydroponic system, hydroponic nutrients, an inert hydroponic medium, a light source, time and plants. Yeah, but what is each of these things?
What is a hydroponic system?
Hydroponic systems are various structures (eg, towers, trays, A-frames) that hold water or other inert media and provide places to grow plants. Hydroponic systems fall into two basic categories: a solution (liquid) culture and an aggregate culture.
In a solution system, the plant’s roots grow directly into a nutrient-filled solution. In an aggregate system such as gravel, sand or small clay granules, the roots grow in the middle. In each method, the system supplies the three essential ingredients that plant roots need to grow: water/moisture, nutrients and oxygen.
Different types of systems are available to suit individual comfort levels in hydroponic growing plants. These include drip, ebb and flow, nutrient film technique (seen at right), water culture, aeroponics and wicking.
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Where can I get a hydroponic system?
Systems (think home grow kits) are available from a variety of retailers. Look for a system that meets your needs by doing an internet search on the keywords «hydroponic kits» or «hydroponic systems».
Searches for “kits” can bring up simple systems, ideal for beginners in hydroponics and for home growing. On the other hand, searches for “systems” may tend to find advanced or commercial systems better suited for large-scale producers.
Can I build my own?
If you’re the DIY type, you can definitely design and build your own system. Several websites offer listings of free hydroponic system projects. An advantage of building your own system is that you can customize the design to suit your space and the types of plants you want to grow.
Types of nutrients and medium
You will need to use nutrients – a mixture of primers, secondary and micro – designed for hydroponics. For a variety of reasons, hydroponic nutrients differ from nutrients (fertilizers) used to feed plants growing in soil.
If you’re not already familiar with hydroponics, keep it simple. Use a proven formula that you can buy from a trusted manufacturer.
In addition to water, hydroponic medium possibilities include rock wool, small clay rocks (sometimes called hydrocorn), coconut fiber or shavings, perlite, sand, and vermiculite. All of these are «inert,» meaning they don’t break down quickly, a process that helps provide nutrients to plants growing in the soil.
There is no hydroponic material better than another. You just need to decide which one works best in your circumstance or best suits your gardening comfort level. A critical factor is to keep the medium, such as coconut by-products, from becoming too wet. If it is constantly soaked it will cause the roots to suffocate from lack of oxygen.
Why don’t roots suffocate when grown in water?
Air pumps used in water systems generate bubbles and increase dissolved oxygen in the water, both of which provide oxygen to submerged roots.
It’s the light?
There are different types of artificial lights, but metal halide seems to be the light source of choice for many gardeners. Other types of artificial lights include high-pressure sodium lamps, LEDs, high-power fluorescent lamps, and compact fluorescent lamps. This assumes you are growing hydropnically indoors.
Can I make a hydroponic system outdoors?
Clear! Growing plants hydroponically is not exclusive to indoor environments! Hydroponics will work anywhere with enough artificial or natural light.
How long does it take?
Like all hobbies, hydroponic growing takes time. Assuming you’re new to hydroponics, you’ll want to invest some time learning more about the process before you get started. Even though you don’t have to spend time weeding like you do in a traditional garden, you do have to spend time maintaining your system, replacing nutrients, and harvesting.
Is this a kind of organic gardening?
Not exactly. The ingredients in organic fertilizers need to come into contact with the soil to be converted into a form that plant roots can absorb. Since hydroponics does not involve soil, it is not really organic gardening. The ecological values of hydroponics, however, are the same as those of organic gardening.
What kind of plant can I grow?
The simple answer: almost any houseplant, fruit or vegetable you want. As a general rule, solution systems are best for plants with shallow roots. Some examples are leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach, radishes and herbs.
Aggregate systems are generally best for vegetables with deep roots, like beets, or those that are top-heavy, like squash and cucumbers.
What kind of income can I expect?
With the right balance of light and other growing conditions, growth rates and yields exceed those of traditional gardening, including organic gardening.
And the taste?
The taste and nutrition of hydroponically grown produce is also superior to soil-grown crops.
*Via treehugger