What is hydroponics

Hydroponics from the Greek 'water working', is simply growing plants without soil. (Hydro=water and Ponic=working)

Hydroponics is as old as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Today this technology is widely used to grow lush, healthy indoor plants and premium grade vegetables, fruits and herbs.

The physiological requirements of plants can be met without the use of soil or natural sunlight. Plants are rooted (and thus supported) in an inert medium and nutrition is provided by water soluble mineral elements.

Through years of research determining which elements and their combinations affect plant growth, scientists (inadvertently at first) discovered the first hydroponic formulas. This allowed for greater control over plant nutrition and therefore increased production.

With use of proper nutrients and the right artificial light source, today’s' indoor gardener can achieve amazing results.

The plants can have an ideal environment since the gardener determines everything which is normally up to mother nature.

Advantages

While removing soil-grown crops from the ground effectively kills them, hydroponically grown crops such as lettuce can be packaged and sold while still alive, greatly increasing the length of freshness once purchased.
Solution culture hydroponics does not require disposal of a solid medium or sterilization and reuse of a solid medium.
Solution culture hydroponics allows greater control over the rootzone environment than soil culture.
Over and under-watering is prevented
Hydroponics is often the best crop production method in remote areas that lack suitable soil, such as Antarctica, space stations, space colonies or atolls, such as Wake Island.
In solution culture hydroponics, plant roots can be seen.
Hydroponics is excellent for plant teaching and research.
No soil is required.
Soil borne diseases are virtually eliminated.
Weeds are virtually eliminated.
Fewer pesticides may be required because of the above two reasons.
Edible crops are not contaminated with soil.
Water use can be substantially less than with outdoor irrigation of soil-grown crops.
Hydroponics cost 20% less than other ways for growing strawberries.
Hydroponics let the plants receive more sunlight.
It is easier to replant and pick the strawberries because some hydroponics are towers that can hold 5 square pots which each pot can hold to 4 plants per each pot and the towers rotate.
Many hydroponic systems give the plants more nutrition while at the same time using less energy and space.
When using hydroponics the plants are less at risk of getting a root disease than plants that are grown in the ground.
Hydroponics allow for easier fertilization as it is possible to use an automatic timer to fertilize the plants.
Maintanence for this system is very low.
It provides the plant with balanced nutrition because the essential nutrients are dissolved into the water soluble nutrient solution.

Soil versus Hydroponics

Soil
In soil, bacteria have to break down the dirt into the basic elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as well as trace elements.

Hydroponics
Balanced plant food (the nutrient solution) is dissolved directly into water so the plant may receive perfect nutrition at all times.

Soil
Soil is not able to produce as much nutrient per area as the root system is able to take up.

Hydroponics
Hydroponics takes the desired amount of food directly to the root rather than making plant's roots look for it.

Soil
Soil loses its nutritional value and is difficult to measure in terms of pH and fertility.

Hydroponics
The pH and nutritional value of the water are easily measured and maintained, so plants always have enough to eat.

Soil
Only when you water your soil plants, the basic elements can dissolve into the water.

Hydroponics
In a hydroponic system, moisture is present for extended periods of time or for all the time.

Soil
Soil plays host to many nasty little creatures.

Hydroponics
Hydroponics growing mediums are inert and sterile making a very hygienic environment for the plant and owner.

Soil
Soil requires a lot more watering, has a higher occurrence of pests, plants grow slower, need more space and constant maintenance.

Hydroponics
Hydroponics increases plant growth and yield per area, decreases pests and diseases and the need to water plants.

Outdoors versus Indoors

Outdoor conditions limit the selection of flowers, herbs and vegetables you can grow.

Indoor growing conditions are determined by you. You can pretend to live in a tropical or cooler country year round.

Outdoors you can have bad weather: too much or little rain, too much or little sun, too high or low temperature, etc.

Indoors all factors that limit plant growth, can be kept in check with hydroponics

BASIC HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS
AND HOW THEY WORK

There are 5 basic types of hydroponic systems; Deep Water Culture, Ebb & Flow (Flood & Drain), Dripper (recovery or non-recovery), NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) and Aeroponic. There are hundreds of variations on these basic types of systems, but all hydroponic methods are a variation (or combination) of these five.


		Deep Water Culture

Deep Water Culture has the plant contained in a net pot suspended from the lid with the roots suspended in the nutrient solution. An air pump powered airstone oxygenates the nutrient solution, if sufficiently oxygenated the plant roots can remain submerged indefinitely. Plants absorb vastly more oxygen directly from the air than from the oxygen dissolved in water. Deep water culture allows plant roots to absorb large quantities of oxygen while also allowing the uptake of nutrients. This leads to explosive growth throughout the life of the plant. Deep Water Culture Systems

		Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)

The Ebb and Flow system works by temporarily flooding the grow tray with nutrient solution and then draining the solution back into the reservoir. This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer. When the timer turns the pump on nutrient solution is pumped into the grow tray. When the timer shuts the pump off the nutrient solution flows back into the reservoir. The Timer is set to come on several times a day, depending on the size and type of plants, temperature and humidity and the type of growing medium used. The Ebb and Flow is a versatile system that can be used with a variety of growing mediums. The entire grow tray can be filled with Grow Rocks, gravel or granular Rockwool. Many people like to use individual pots filled with growing medium, this makes it easier to move plants around or even move them in or out of the system. Future Garden Flood and Drain Table Systems Dual Flow Ebb and Flood Systems

		Dripper Systems RECOVERY / NON-RECOVERY

Drip systems are probably the most widely used type of hydroponic system in the world. Operation is simple, a timer controls a submersed pump. The timer turns the pump on and nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by a small drip line. In a Recovery Drip System the excess nutrient solution that runs off is collected back in the reservoir for re-use. The Non-Recovery System does not collect the run off. A recovery system uses nutrient solution a bit more efficiently, as excess solution is reused, this also allows for the use of a more inexpensive timer because a recovery system doesn't require precise control of the watering cycles. The non-recovery system needs to have a more precise timer so that watering cycles can be adjusted to insure that the plants get enough nutrient solution and the runoff is kept to a minimum. The non-recovery system requires less maintenance due to the fact that the excess nutrient solution isn't recycled back into the reservoir, so the nutrient strength and pH of the reservoir will not vary. This means that you can fill the reservoir with pH adjusted nutrient solution and then forget it until you need to mix more. A recovery system can have large shifts in the pH and nutrient strength levels that require periodic checking and adjusting. Pot Systems The Flo-Gro

		NFT Nutrient Film Technique

Commonly known as NFT. The plants rest on a flat but sloping tray or channel, often without support or using Rockwool cubes. The nutrient solution is simply pumped around the system with the roots bathed constantly during day light hours and switched of during dark periods. The system is quick and easy to install and provides fast growth rates. Aqua Flow System The Gro-Tank Multi-Duct

		AEROPONIC

The aeroponic system is probably the most high-tech type of hydroponic gardening. Like the N.F.T. system above the growing medium is primarily air. The roots hang in the air and are misted with nutrient solution. Aeroponics is effective method that involves suspending the roots of the plants being grown in a darkened sealed chamber, where they are misted with a nutrient mix. Due to the high oxygen level in such a system rapid growth rates can be achieved. Similar management issues to NFT. The AeroFarm The Amazon