Hydroponics Gardening

Hydroponics gardening is the practice of growing plants in either a bath or flow of highly oxygenated, nutrient enriched water. The hydroponics system can be used to produce any plant that normally grows under traditional methods. This soil-less gardening method has several benefits including saving space. The lack of soil also means no soil-borne diseases, no weeds to pull and no tilling necessary.

With hydroponics gardening, water is enriched with minerals to create a nutrient solution that is perfectly balanced. Since this hydroponic nutrient solution is contained, it is not harmful to our environment, unlike runoff from fertilized soil. In addition to a perfectly balanced diet, hydroponic plants have their food and water delivered directly to their roots.

The two main types of hydroponics are the Solution Method and the Medium Method:

Solution Method

The solution method of hydroponics gardening does not use a solid medium for the roots, just the nutrient solution. The three main variations of the solution method are static solution culture, continuous flow solution culture and aeroponics.

• Static Solution Culture - plants are grown in containers of nutrient solution. The solution is usually gently aerated but may be unaerated. If unaerated, the solution level is kept low enough that enough roots are above the solution so they get adequate oxygen. Whenever the solution is depleted below a certain level, either water or fresh nutrient solution is added.



• Continuous Flow Solution Culture - the nutrient solution constantly flows around and past the roots. A popular method is the nutrient film technique or NFT. A steady flow of nutrient solution is maintained along the channel, and the roots grow into dense mats, with a thin film of nutrient passing over them. Overall, it is probably one of the more productive water-based gardening techniques.



• Aeroponics - an application of hydroponics without a growing medium, although a small amount may be used to germinate the seed or root a cutting. Plant roots are suspended mid-air inside a chamber kept at a 100% humidity level and fed with a fine spray of nutrient solution. This mid-air feeding allows the roots to absorb much needed oxygen, thereby increasing metabolism and rate of growth reportedly up to 10 times of that in soil. And there is nearly no water loss due to evaporation.

Medium Method

The medium method of hydroponics gardening has a solid medium for the roots and is named for the type of medium, e.g. sand culture, gravel culture or rockwool culture. There are two main variations for each medium, subirrigation and top irrigation.

• Passive Subirrigation - uses a medium that generally has large air spaces. This allows sufficient oxygen to reach the roots, while water and nutrients are delivered to the roots from the base of the medium. It is simplest to just have the container sit in a shallow layer of nutrient solution or on a capillary mat saturated with nutrient solution. This method of hydroponics gardening requires little maintenance other than the occasional refilling or replacement of the nutrient solution. This will keep the medium regularly flushed with nutrient solution and oxygen.
  


• Ebb and Flow Subirrigation - uses a tray placed above a reservoir of nutrient solution. The tray is either filled with a growing medium such as clay granules and planted directly, or pots of medium stand in the tray. To replenish the nutrients a pump, equipped with a timer, fills the upper tray with nutrient solution at regular intervals, after which the solution drains back down into the reservoir. This method of hydroponics may be the most popular, most practical and cleanest method available and keeps the medium regularly flushed with nutrients and air.
  


• Top Irrigation - a method where nutrient solution is periodically applied directly to the medium surface. This may be done manually once per day in large containers of some media, such as sand. Usually, it is automated with a pump, timer and drip irrigation tubing to deliver nutrient solution as frequently as 5 to 10 minutes every hour.

One of the most obvious decisions a hydroponicist has to make is which medium they should use. Different media are appropriate for different growing techniques. Some examples of media used in a hydroponics garden are Diahydro, Expanded Clay, Rockwool, Coir, Perlite, Vermiculite, Sand, Gravel, Brick Shards and Polystyrene Packing Peanuts.

For all techniques, most hydroponic garden reservoirs are now built of plastic but other materials have been used including concrete, glass, metal and wood. The containers should exclude light to prevent algae growth in the nutrient solution.

Hydroponics gardening is one of the latest developments in agriculture and it's now providing a solution to the problem of gardening in small spaces. For anyone who lives in a condominium or home with very little yard space, it’s great news. It allows you to grow herbs, strawberries, flowers and even the fixings for an entire salad right in your own home.

At Garden Supply Center, our goal is to provide useful information on what type of garden to create and how to make it successful, choosing plants for your garden, which gardening tools and equipment to use and how to care for your garden. Visit our Products page and browse the gardening tool, vegetable seeds, flower bulbs, herb seeds, garden tiller, compost bin, garden tractor, compost tumbler and other garden supply products that are available.