Hydroculture (or hydroponics) is growing plants without soil but using an inorganic solid growing medium (or inert) that allows the distribution of water and nutrients through capillary action.
Hydroponics is increasingly becoming an alternative to traditional agriculture because of its “soilless” benefits.
If you’re looking to start a hydroponic garden to save water during drought or keep up with the century’s trends, this is the guide for you.
In this article, you will learn:
- What is hydroponics?
- Types of hydroponics systems
- How to start hydroponic gardening as a beginner
- And more…
Let’s get started now!
Table of Contents
Chapter #1: What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants without using soil but in an inert growing media such as sand, gravel, or perlite and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water that can be done indoors or outdoors.
You may be wondering:
What do you mean by hydroponics?
Simply put, when it comes to hydroponics, you won’t need soil but use water-based mineral nutrient solutions in aqueous solvents to support the roots of the plant to get their nutrition.
That is it.
But you can also ask me:
Why is it called hydroponics?
The word hydroponics comes from the Greek for “working with water.” “Hydro” means water, and “ponics” means labor. The water is doing the work here and enabling the fast growth of plants.
The hydroponics system fosters rapid growth, more substantial yields, and superior quality.
If you have little or no gardening space but want to grow cabbage, herbs and vegetables through the winter or drought, you will want to start a hydroponic garden.
How does the hydroponic system work?
Hydroponic systems work by allowing you to control plant growth conditions precisely, such as temperature, light, and pH balance, while maximizing exposure to nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water.
These systems operate on a simple principle.
Hydroponics provides plants precisely what they need to grow while removing as many barriers as possible between a plant’s roots and the water, oxygen, and nutrients.
As you know, plants grow through a process called photosynthesis.
They use sunlight, and a chemical inside their leaves called chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide (a gas in the air) and water into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen.
The chemical equation for photosynthesis is:
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
As you can see, there’s no mention of “soil” anywhere in this chemical equation.
It is proof you need to know that plants can grow without soil.
They need water and nutrients, which plants use energy to find in the soil.
The hydroponic system was born to solve the problem of saving energy for plants.
Instead of using energy to pull mineral nutrients needed for growth from the ground, plants get all nutrition through a nutrient solution supplied to their roots.
And without obstacles, plants are free to grow vigorously and rapidly.
It sounds great, right?
Have you wanted to start your hydroponic garden today?
Pros and cons of hydroponics
When you want to set up a hydroponic garden, certain obstacles, such as knowledge or experience, will stand in your way.
Hydroponics is also not something so brilliant or a miracle of the times.
But we cannot deny its existence and what it brings.
You might be asking me:
Does hydroponics have any benefits?
Yes, it has.
What are the benefits of hydroponics?
Hydroponics has several benefits that are only available in it.
But they also have limitations you must be aware of before starting a hydroponic garden.
So…
What are the pros and cons of hydroponics?
Let’s talk about some advantages and disadvantages of hydroponics.
Pros (advantages) of hydroponics
- Provide high-quality food to more people in densely populated urban areas.
- Save water, consume less, can be reused, and is suitable for places with drought.
- Plants are always healthy, with stable quality, fast growth rate, and high density, so crop yields are improved.
- Make the best use of space and location as it is highly customizable in size and can be grown anywhere.
- Crops are produced any time of the year because of the extended and sustainable growing season.
- No weeds, few pests, and no increased disease transmission, so no herbicides and insects are used.
- Cleaner and easier mature plant harvesting operation.
- No soils are needed, so setup, testing, mulching, tilling, and changing are unnecessary.
- Complete control of the plant growing environments such as nutrients, pH, climate, and light, so effective use reduces leaching and gives plants the proper nutrients quickly.
- Generate less agricultural waste and reduce carbon footprint.
Cons (disadvantages) of hydroponics
- The cost of investing, starting a hydroponic garden, and maintenance is not cheap, so the payback period will be extended, and you will pay more for the bill.
- Hydroponic system problems such as equipment failure, a power outage that outlasts, and electric leakage into the water can be dangerous and cause your plants to die.
- It’s not set-and-forget, so you must commit to monitoring, meeting technology requirements, keeping it clean, and ongoing routine maintenance.
- Risk of mold or waterborne diseases caused by microorganisms living in the water creeping in rather quickly.
- Problems affect plants, such as mistakes and system malfunctions, or diseases and pests will appear and spread quickly without soil acting as a buffer.
- You will need some experience and technical expertise when you want to begin a hydroponic garden, so there will be a learning curve and inevitable disappointments.
- Starting a hydroponic garden requires a lot of learning to try and fix and labor effort to set up a complete system.
- Some people still debate about the organic nature of hydroponics.
That’s what you need to know before you start a hydroponic garden.
I know you will be afraid to start when you see the cons of the hydroponic system you face.
But don’t worry!
There are many different hydroponic systems, and there may be one right for you.
And to help you better, I will also give you valuable tips.
Keep scroll down and continue your journey.
Is hydroponic better than soil?
Hydroponics is better than soil in several benefits such as faster plant growth, space-saving, water-saving, time-saving, no weeding, no soil preparation, fewer pests, fewer diseases, and it gives you extreme control.
If you want benefits like that, you should start a hydroponic garden.
Traditionally, people usually grow plants in nutrient-rich soil.
But it’s also an abundant source of pests, soil-borne diseases, and potentially harmful temperature fluctuations.
You may be bored with growing because you don’t know how to prepare the soil well.
However, as mentioned earlier, plants only need nutrients and water to stay alive and grow.
And the hydroponic system feeds nutrients straight to your plants without needing nutrient-rich soil.
So that you can set up a hydroponic system to grow plants without worrying about a lack of knowledge in soil preparation.
Do hydroponic plants need sunlight?
Sunlight is good when you grow hydroponically outdoors. Still, you can also use artificial light to imitate daylight, such as LED, fluorescent, incandescent, or HID bulbs for indoor hydroponics gardening or in a greenhouse.
In general, you can choose the lighting for your hydroponic garden.
It depends on the location and scale where you want to start setting up your hydroponic system.
You can also use electric heaters to provide a favorable thermal environment for your hydroponic gardens to help them grow faster.
Cuz you have complete control over the light and heat, your crops can grow year-round with or without constant sunlight.
Are hydroponic plants healthy?
In general, hydroponic plants are healthy and safe to eat with a nutritional value equivalent to conventional planting because there aren’t exposed to pesticides, chemicals, diseases, and pathogens, which are harmful to health and the terrestrial ecosystem.
Moreover, hydroponic nutrients are a highly effective feeding method and much more pure than those utilized in organic growing.
You also have complete control over what you feed your plants and keep them in check so they leave no residue in cultivated produce.
No pesticides, herbicides, and no residual nutrients, all of which add points to hydroponics compared to traditional farming.
If you are a little confused when you want to start a hydroponic garden, that’s okay.
Try your hydroponic system side by side with the traditional garden for comparison.
Do hydroponic plants taste different?
Under ideal growing conditions, hydroponic plants are often better in taste, fresher, more flavorful, higher quality products, and safer to eat because you have complete control over the hydroponic growing environment.
Some people will say that hydroponic growing simply can’t compete with soil-based growing because of all the natural minerals that soil contains.
This is approximate and depends on many factors.
Suppose you are inexperienced in soil preparation and testing, or the soil you plant in is terrible. In that case, the product’s taste will not be good.
Here, you can ask me:
What can cause a difference in flavor?
Well, many factors can cause a difference in taste, whether you grow the plant in soil or hydroponically.
But in general, those factors will be no more than light, the pH of the soil or water, water quality, nutrient type, bacteria/fungi, root density, and plant genetics.
They all play a specific role in the overall flavor of the plant.
You may also be wondering:
How can I improve the flavor of my plants?
With hydroponics, you can control an incredible amount of micromanagement of those factors carefully to improve the taste of your plant.
Here are some ways that you can try to improve the taste of plants:
- Maximize sun exposure for your plants, combined with artificial light that simulates daylight.
- Ensure that your water quality is appropriate for your plants by checking your water’s pH.
- Try different nutrients and add nutrients to the plants slowly to see if it works.
- Improve the microbiological environment for hydroponics by trying to add beneficial fungi and bacteria.
- Using standard, non-GMO plant genetic varieties to grow.
- Improve root density and growth by using different media and nutritional support.
Is hydroponic farming better than other farming methods?
Hydroponic farming is better than other farming methods or not, depending on how much knowledge and experience you have in that field.
Overall, we can’t deny that hydroponic systems are more efficient for growth than traditional methods.
Why are hydroponic systems more efficient for growth than traditional methods?
The hydroponic systems save water (from 64% to 90%), produce products faster (closer to or more than 100%), offer times higher yields (from 9.3 to 12.7 times), reduction of nutrient solution consumption (up to 96%), fertilizer consumption (up to 97%) and having benefit-cost ratios greater than 2.
You may ask me:
Why is hydroponics better than traditional farming?
Because you can set up a hydroponic system of any size and control the growing process carefully and rigorously.
Besides, harmful factors such as pesticides and herbicides will not appear when growing hydroponically, so plants are safer.
Finally, hydroponic systems can also be automated.
Your work is just checked and maintained periodically.
That’s what hydroponics offers when you’re still considering starting a hydroponic garden.
Chapter #2: Historical Hydroculture
Hydroculture has appeared for a long time in the history of civilizations worldwide in many forms, such as aquatic and semi-aquatic.
After that, hydroculture has become more diverse, including aquatic gardening, semi-aquatic crop farming, hydroponics, aquaponics, passive hydroponics, and modern aeroponics.
Nowadays, hydroponic technology has not only not been lost but has grown faster, more suitable, and played an increasingly important role in agriculture in this era of climate change.
What is the history of hydroponics?
The first history of hydroponics is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It was known and recorded from ancient Greek sources, including the writings of Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Philo of Byzantium.
According to one legend, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was built as a gift in the 6th century B.C. by the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Queen Amytis.
It was said to have been built in the ancient city of Babylon, near present-day Hillah, Babil province, in Iraq.
However, according to Dr. Stephanie Dalley, an honorary research fellow and part of the Oriental Institute at England’s Oxford University, things are not so simple.
Her research and studies show that Hanging Gardens were constructed 300 miles north of Babylon in Nineveh, the capital of the rival Assyrian empire.
The Assyrian king Sennacherib, not Nebuchadnezzar II, built the marvel in the early 7th century B.C.
King Sennacherib had described his architecture as an “unrivaled palace” and a “wonder for all peoples.”
Recent excavations around Nineveh, near the modern-day Iraqi city of Mosul, have confirmed that.
An extensive aqueduct system that delivered water from the mountains was discovered with the inscription: “Sennacherib king of the world…Over a great distance, I had a watercourse directed to the environs of Nineveh.”
The reason for this confusion about the location of the gardens could be due to the Assyrian conquering of Babylon in 689 B.C.
After the takeover, Nineveh was referred to as the “New Babylon,” Sennacherib even renamed the city gates after those of Babylon’s entrances.
It is the rather complicated history of the name Hanging Gardens of Babylon that I can explain to you in the most straightforward, concise, and understandable way.
With that information, when someone asks you:
Which country invented hydroponics?
You can confidently answer that:
Iraq is the country that invented hydroponics.
The lands now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia (“Land Between the Rivers”) during ancient times.
And to give life to the desert, you need to use the water from those rivers to irrigate your garden and make it bloom.
Here, you may wonder:
Was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon hydroponic?
Many scientists and gardeners have surmised that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were, in fact, an elaborate hydroponics system.
A system of pumps, waterwheels, and cisterns would have been employed to raise and deliver regularly fresh water rich in oxygen and nutrients from the nearby Euphrates River to the top of the gardens.
Ancient texts of King Sennacherib also reinforced that.
He used a bronze water-raising screw to irrigate his gardens.
King Sennacherib’s screw was supposedly similar to Archimedes’ screw that developed four centuries later.
So, the answer to your question is:
Yes! The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was the first hydroponic system in human history.
When was hydroponics first used to grow crops?
You can see that the first hydroponic system in history was used just to keep the plants green and growing.
It cannot yet be said that humans have used hydroponic technology to produce food for consumption.
So the question is:
When did hydroponic growth start?
Chinampas in Lake Tenochtitlan were the first semi-hydroponic system that appeared and was used to grow crops from the Middle Postclassic period, in 1150 – 1350 C.E.
Chinampa (Nahuatl languages: chināmitl), also known as “floating garden,” is a technique of ancient farming system used by Aztec communities in Mesoamerican agriculture.
They are said to have appeared very early before the formation of the Aztec Empire in 1431.
Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, was the first to record the history of chinampas when he reached the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) in 1519.
But why did the Aztecs use hydroponics?
Why did the Aztecs build chinampas?
Because agriculture, along with trade and tribute, formed the basis of the Aztec Empire. So that besides terracing, the Aztecs built chinampas to create more farmland for growing enough food to feed the urban populations of their vast cities.
Here you may be curious about the process of creating chinampas.
Don’t worry!
I’ll explain it in detail below.
So what was the process of chinampa?
In the Nahuatl language, the word ‘chināmitl’ means ‘square made of canes,’ which describes chinampas pretty well.
They are artificial rectangular fertile arable islands built up on wetlands of a lake or freshwater swamp with sedimentation from the bottom of the lake.
First, the Aztecs planted fast-growing willow trees at the corners of the future plots to attach the rafts of rushes and reeds they had built before to the bottom of the lake by the trees’ roots.
Next, they build the raft’s edges by lashing and interweaving reeds stalks with stakes and posts anchored in the lakebed. The roots of these plants would grow through the floor of the raft, down into the water, and create tough underwater fences.
Then, they dredged up the soil, aquatic vegetation, and decomposing material from the shallow bottom of the lake and piled it on the rafts until the top layer of soil was visible on the water’s surface. These things contain large amounts of nutrients that will release over time.
Finally, three crops formed the staples of the Aztec diet: maize (or corn), beans, and squash were planted on those rafts, and they supported each other. Besides, there are other vegetables, such as tomatoes, avocados, chili peppers, limes, onions, amaranth, peanuts, and sweet potatoes.
These rafts were called Chinampas and used primarily for growing crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico, such as Lakes Xochimilco and Chalco near the springs lined the south shore of those lakes.
At its height, the Aztecs ruled over 80,000 square miles throughout central Mexico, from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Ocean and south to what is now Guatemala.
And these fertile and productive chinampas also followed and grew to thousands of pieces that surrounded Tenochtitlan and other Aztec cities.
What do you think?
Incredibly, Aztec Empire is a civilization that developed hydroponic systems brilliantly in human history.
What ancient civilization used hydroponics?
Throughout history, the civilization (or cultures) that have mastered and creatively used hydroponics are the ancient Egypt civilization, Babylonia and Assyria in Mesopotamia, the Aztecs of Mesoamerican cultures, and the ancient Far East.
As you know, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is Babylonia and Assyria’s first elaborate hydroponics system in Mesopotamia civilization.
Next, the Aztecs used “chinampas” as a semi-hydroponic system to grow crops in Mesoamerican culture.
Besides, there is the ancient Egypt civilization with basin irrigation and the ancient Far East with an aquaponics system.
This shows that hydroponics was not something too strange for the ancient people.
On the contrary, they start a hydroponic garden with special techniques early on.
Hydroponics in ancient Egyptian agriculture
Egyptians are credited as being one of the first groups of people to practice agriculture on a large scale, thanks to ingenuity in basin irrigation development.
Basin irrigation is a form of water management developed and used by the ancient Egyptians.
You can consider it an ancient hydroponic technique that the Egyptians mastered.
The earliest and most famous reference to basin irrigation in Egyptian archaeology was found on the Scorpion King’s mace head, roughly 3100 B.C.
This practice allowed them to control the rise and fall of the Nile River in seasonal flooding to best suit their agricultural needs.
The ancient Egyptians developed basin irrigation by constructing a crisscross network of earthen walls that formed basins of various sizes in a field of crops.
When the floods came, regulated sluices would direct floodwater into basins formed by the walls, where the water would be trapped and flood these basins.
This grid would hold water longer than it naturally stayed, allowing the ground to become fully saturated for later planting.
Once the soil was thoroughly watered, the floodwater in the basin would simply be drained to another basin that required more water.
Then the farmers of the drained plot would plant their crops.
This hydroponics technique allowed the Egyptians to build an empire based on great agricultural wealth and become a brilliant civilization in history.
Hydroponics in the ancient Far East
Growing wet rice is considered a hydroponic method that the ancient Far East civilization has developed and practiced for a long time, since 7000 – 5000 B.C.
The people of the Far East practice wet rice cultivation by planting on dry land, transferring the seedlings to a flooded field, and draining the area before harvesting.
The history of rice cultivation is long and complicated.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence shows that Oryza sativa rice was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China 13,500 to 8,200 years ago.
And wet rice cultivation was an accidental discovery.
While other crops were destroyed by the seasonal floods, rice not only withstood the wet conditions, it thrived well.
With that revelation, people of the Far East intentionally grew rice in organized hydroponic systems combined with fish farming.
Integrated wet rice growing and fish farming polyculture systems, which are now called aquaponics, have long been used in Far Eastern countries such as China, Thailand, India, and the civilizations of Southeast Asia.
In the aquaponics system, the rice not only grows better but also resists more disease and pests than other crops, producing significantly higher yields than either system alone.
Nowadays, with the cultivation of plants and fish together in a recirculating that uses natural bacterial cycles, aquaponics systems can utilize fish waste as nutrition for plants and help plants grow healthier.
The proof is more than 90 percent of the world’s rice is grown in Asia, principally in China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, with smaller amounts produced in Japan, Pakistan, and various Southeast Asian nations.
Historical hydroculture timeline
The historical hydroculture timeline comes from ancient times when everything was not recorded until the first records appeared with the invention of writing.
In the previous parts, I have taken you worldwide and introduced you to the civilizations that initially adopted hydroponics.
That is the history of hydroponic farming, aka hydroculture, since ancient times.
Now I’m going to put it all together and continue to take you from ancient to modern, so you can understand how hydroponics developed.
- 7000 – 5000 B.C: Far Eastern people with a wet rice civilization
Cultivation of wet rice was the primary farming method of the ancient Far Eastern people.
This combination of wet rice growing and fish farming makes the plant more resistant to disease and pests and produces higher yields.
Today, it has evolved into aquaponics, which I’ll introduce later.
- 3100 B.C: Basin irrigation of the ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians developed a method of controlling the water of the Nile called basin irrigation.
Basin irrigation saturates the croplands with flood water and makes it easier to grow rice.
With this method, the Egyptians built a brilliant and prosperous civilization in history.
- 6th – 7th century B.C: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
It is unclear whether Sennacherib or Nebuchadnezzar II built the Hanging Garden of Babylon, but this is an elaborate hydroponics system.
It was a massive structure watered with a unique technique supported by a similar Archimedes screw.
The Hanging Garden of Babylon is a bright spot of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
- 1150 – 1350 C.E: The Aztecs with Chinampas in Lake Tenochtitlan
The Aztec chinampas are not considered fully hydroponic systems, as they are not grown without soil.
However, the Aztecs used them for growing crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico.
At its height, the Aztec civilization developed thousands of chinampas to feed their vast cities.
- 1627: Sylva Sylvarum, the first modern hydroponics book, was published
Sylva Sylvarum, or “A Natural History,” is the first modern book that discusses growing plants without soil.
This is a synthesis of the research work of Sir Francis Bacon, published a year after his death.
Sylva Sylvarum has laid the foundation for water culture to become a popular research technique.
- 1648: Jan Baptista van Helmont’s 5-Year Willow Experiment
Jan Baptista van Helmont, the youngest of five children, was born on 30th December 1664.
In what is perhaps his best-known experiment, van Helmont wanted to prove plants use materials from the soil to perform photosynthesis.
He placed a 5-pound (about 2.2 kg) willow in an earthen pot containing 200 pounds (about 90 kg) of dried soil.
Then he planted the willow tree in sunlight and watered it with rainwater or distilled water every day for over five years.
After five years, he found that the tree weighed 169 pounds (about 77 kg), while the soil had lost only 2 ounces (57 grams)
He concluded that “164 pounds of wood, barks, and roots arose out of water only.”
Obviously, he knew nothing of photosynthesis, in which carbon from the air and minerals from the soil are used to generate new plant tissue.
But Helmont contributed to finding out one of the reactants of photosynthesis, it’s water.
- 1699: John Woodward was the first to use hydroponics
John Woodward (1st May 1665 – 25th April 1728) was an English naturalist, antiquarian, and geologist and founder by bequest of the Woodwardian Professorship of Geology at the University of Cambridge.
Woodward published his “water culture” experiments with spearmint in 1699.
He tests his experiments by growing spearmint in different waters (non-pure and distilled).
With the results obtained, Woodward found that plants in less-pure water sources grew better than plants in distilled water.
And many credit Woodward as the first person to make hydroponics nutrient solutions.
- 1860: Hydroponics was first demonstrated by Julius Von Sachs
Julius von Sachs, Professor of Botany at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, published the first standard formula for a nutrient solution that can be dissolved in water to grow plants successfully.
He got that based on a list of nine elements believed to be essential for plant growth that had been compiled in 1842.
Julius von Sachs’ formula not only maintains plants alive and growing for a long time but also brings about a vigorous increase in their organic substance and even the production of seeds capable of germination.
And the growth of terrestrial plants without soil in mineral nutrient solutions was called “solution culture.”
Solution culture or water culture is now considered a type of hydroponics where there is an inert medium for stabilizing plant growth.
- 1929: William Frederick Gericke with his tomato vines 25 feet high
Around the 1930s, plant scientists investigated diseases of certain plants related to existing soil conditions.
Then water culture experiments were tested under controlled conditions to seek similar symptoms.
In this context, William Frederick Gericke of the University of California at Berkeley began publicly promoting the principles of solution culture for agricultural crop production.
Gericke had grown tomato vines twenty-five feet (7.6 meters) high in his backyard in mineral nutrient solutions rather than soil to demonstrate what he promotes.
- 1930s: Hydroponics method is successfully practiced on Wake Island
Wake Island is a rocky atoll in the Pacific Ocean used as a refueling stop for Pan American Airlines.
Because there was no soil, and transporting fresh vegetables by air was prohibitively expensive, they had to use hydroponics to grow vegetables for the passengers.
So, hydroponics became a necessity and one of the early successful use-cases of this growing method.
- 1937: William Frederick Gericke first invented the term “hydroponics”
Thanks to the suggestion of W. A. Setchell, a phycologist with extensive education in the classics, Dr. Gericke created the word “hydroponics,” water culture, to describe crops growing in non-soil media and nutrient–enriched water indoors and outdoors.
Hydroponics is derived from the neologism υδρωπονικά (derived from Greek ύδωρ=water and πονέω=cultivate).
With that, William Frederick Gericke is credited for his earliest modern reference to hydroponics.
- The 1940s: Hydroponics used in WWII military bases by Daniel I. Arnon
During World War II, Daniel Israel Arnon (14th November 1910 – 20th December 1994), a Polish-born American plant physiologist, who served as a major in the Army Air Corps of the United States Army, was sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations.
There, Arnon used his prior expertise with plant nutrition to feed troops stationed on barren Ponape Island, where no arable land was available.
He grew food to feed the troops there using gravel and nutrient-enriched water.
That hydroponic system gave the soldiers and Arnon enough food to continue defending and fighting from 1943 to 1946.
From that time onwards, the military continued using hydroponics to feed their troops.
In 1952 the U.S. Army had a hydroponics branch that produced over 8,000,000 lbs of fresh produce.
- The 1960s: Allen Cooper of England developed the nutrient film technique (NFT)
Allen Cooper at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in England developed a hydroponic technique called the nutrient film technique in 1965.
The nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic method in a very shallow stream, or a “film” of water, which is recirculated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully or channels.
The water will contain all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth.
- 1982: The Land Pavilion was opened at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center
Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center opened a new area called “The Land Pavilion.”
It is where Disney introduced the “gardens of tomorrow,” which are grown using several different hydroponic techniques.
That Disney’s pavilion is still growing and improving to this day with interactive hydroponic experiences for their customers.
- The 2000s: NASA research “Controlled Ecological Life Support System”
In recent decades, NASA has been quite heavily invested in the practice of hydroponics.
“Controlled Ecological Life Support System” or “CELSS” is a hydroponics NASA project intended to take place on Mars using LED lighting to grow in different color spectrums with less heat.
They believe that growing plants in extreme environments and hydroponic technology will create advances in space travel as a bioregenerative life support system.
- 2021 – 2028: The hydroponics market will continue to growth
Starting a hydroponic garden offers you many advantages, including using less water, better allocation of space, no soil needed, no pesticides, climate, and environmental control, faster plant growth, and less labor required.
In addition, the quality of the food produced is still delicious and nutritious, as usual.
According to a recent Hydroponics Market Research Report, the global hydroponics market size was valued at USD 2.56 billion in 2021.
It is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% – 20.7% from 2021 to 2028.
With technological advancements in the industry, the continued strain of population growth, and many factors of economic benefits, the global hydroponic market is predicted to eclipse $9.8 Billion by 2028 and keep going up from there.
Where are hydroponics most popular?
The most popular hydroponics is in the Asia Pacific, with a hydroponics market dominance share of 36.9%, equivalent to USD 774,9 million in 2020.
This is attributable to the substantial adoption of hydroponics in China, Australia, South Korea, and other countries.
An increase in global demand for food, higher yield than conventional farming, independent of external factors, and a rise in desertification around the world make companies and governments increase investments in farming technologies from hydroponic farms.
Where is the largest hydroponic system?
On 18th July 2022, Crop One Holdings and Emirates Flight Catering announced that they opened Emirates Crop One (ECO 1), the world’s largest vertical hydroponic farm, in Dubai.
Emirates Crop One, or Bustanica, is now the most extensive hydroponic system in the world, with a more than 330,000-square-foot facility that spans 175 yards.
With an investment of U.S $40 million, this facility is the joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), one of the world’s largest catering operations serving more than 100 airlines, and Crop One, an industry leader in technology-driven indoor vertical farming.
Located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, Bustanica will produce over 2 million pounds of high-quality leafy greens and save over 250 million liters of water annually (thanks to consuming 95 percent less water than conventional agriculture).
The farm will be managed by a specialized in-house team of engineers and computer and plant scientists.
The greens require no pre-washing and are grown without pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals.
Passengers on Emirates and other airlines can enjoy the facility’s leafy greens, including lettuces, arugula, mixed salad greens, and spinach, onboard their flights starting this month.
Chapter #3: Hydroponic Farming vs. Traditional Farming
Hydroponic farming has shown more benefits than conventional farming, such as improved crop yield by using the hydroponic nutrient solution, saving up to 95% water, and no pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals.
But there are still unclear limitations.
For example, you can hardly grow root crops like potatoes or carrots.
To help you have a better look at the two farming methods, we will dive into the comparison.
Let’s check it out.
What is traditional farming?
Traditional farming is a primitive method of the ancient subsistence farming system, including agroforestry, intercropping, crop rotation, cover cropping, traditional organic composting, and integrated crop-animal farming.
There are two types of traditional farming, subsistence and commercial.
Farmers use primitive agricultural techniques like indigenous knowledge, cultural beliefs, animal powers, natural resources, traditional tools, and organic fertilizers to do subsistence farming.
In commercial farming, farmers often use machines to assist them in cultivating and harvesting crops.
In addition, there are 5 popular traditional farming methods: agroforestry, crop rotation, intercropping, polyculture, and water harvesting.
Agroforestry is the planting and maintaining trees on the same plot of land as agricultural crops to develop a unique microclimate while protecting the crops below.
Crop rotation is growing different crops on the same land based on the season to preserve soil productivity, reduce pests, minimize chemicals, maximize yields, and reduce reliance on one set of nutrients.
Intercropping, or mixed cropping, is the sowing of more than two crops simultaneously to maximize resource use, create biodiversity, and fumigate the soil by increasing organic matter and restraining weed growth.
Polyculture is growing many plants of different species in the same area to increase plant biodiversity, promote a diverse diet, control weeds, pests, and diseases, reduce soil erosion, and increase stable yields.
Water harvesting is the method for irrigation of agricultural crops or personal use by collecting rainwater, streams, or a river. It helps reduce demands on wells, provides potable water, saves money, and is used in livestock, watering gardens, and other domestic uses.
As a food provider, agriculture plays a cornerstone of human existence in economic growth and development.
What happens to water in traditional farming?
Agriculture production, or traditional farming, is highly dependent on water.
However, extreme weather events caused by climate change like droughts, floods, or tropical storms make the agriculture industry face increasing water risks in the future.
In addition, rising urban population density, water demands from the energy and industry sectors, and salination caused by rising sea levels can degrade water quality and pollute water sources.
Without clean water, the agricultural sector, which has a heavy dependence on water, will decrease the productivity of crops and livestock, threatening global food security.
In such a situation, you can ask the question:
How much water is used in traditional farming?
Currently, the agriculture industry uses 70% of all freshwater withdrawals globally to irrigate about 38% of the land for producing food, fibers, livestock, and industrial crops annually.
It’s an estimate.
The water consumption rate is even higher because of evapotranspiration during crop irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions.
To make it easy, imagine that’s over 2 quadrillion gallons of water, enough to cover the entire United States in 2 feet.
Meeting global water and agricultural demands for feeding 9 billion people on this by 2050 will require an estimated 50% increase in farm production and a 15% increase in water withdrawals.
But we have a problem here.
Irrigated agriculture still uses the most water globally because farmers in most countries do not pay for the total cost of the water but use other water sources such as groundwater, rivers, and lakes.
And of 70% of the water used for traditional farming, 40% will evaporate due to high temperatures or get lost due to leaks in the water supply distribution networks, poor irrigation systems, and overall poor water management.
You may wonder:
Why does agriculture use so much water?
Agriculture uses water to grow fruits and vegetables through irrigation, pesticide, fertilizer application and sustaining livestock to produce enough food to feed the country.
Problems with traditional farming
The problems that agriculture is still facing today are fertilizers, pesticides polluting the soil and water resources, killing off microbiome in the topsoil and subsoil, the emergence of drug-resistant pests, deforestation, soil erosion, and water depletion.
Traditional farming, in particular, releases significant amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which cause the greenhouse effect harmful to the environment.
Without timely creative improvement measures, conventional agriculture, which is bad for the water, will consume too much water and pollute the groundwater, rivers, lakes, and oceans because pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers leach into the soil.
Pros and cons of traditional farming
Conventional farming is still one of the most practiced farming methods.
It has been used for many decades by farmers worldwide to ensure their food supply.
This is due to some of its benefits to farmers, such as availability and affordable prices.
However, traditional agriculture faces many new challenges as the world population continuously increases.
The focus on commercial farming and the move away from organic farming has caused agriculture to have adverse effects on the environment.
To evaluate traditional farming honestly, let’s consider its advantages and disadvantages.
Pros of traditional farming:
- Intensive farming can maximize food production output.
- Producing food at a low cost.
- Proven and used reliably for decades.
- Efficient land use.
- Used in many countries around the world.
- Reduce hunger and feed a growing population.
- Increase job opportunities.
- Better suited to large farms, which improves economies of scale.
- The waste of the crops can be used as fertilizers for the soil after decomposition.
- It can sell for a higher price if it is organic food.
Cons of traditional farming:
- It can ruin the soil in the long run.
- Appears of resistant insects.
- Plant diseases may spread.
- Organic farmers may have a hard time competing.
- Traditional methods use simple tools only.
- Beneficial microorganisms disappear.
- Causes nutrient depletion and soil erosion.
- Deforestation due to shifting cultivation.
Is hydroponic the future of farming?
The hydroponics market is flourishing and shaping the agriculture industry’s future because it doesn’t use soil, just water, and is already rapidly integrated into current food networks.
With the limited use of resources but not compromising the quality of the plants, hydroponics, a sustainable form of farming, will allow farmers to produce healthier plants.
These benefits that hydroponics brings are making it more popular with people.
But the question is:
How is hydroponic farming different from conventional farming?
Hydroponic farming differs from traditional farming in using chemicals and liquid fertilizers, known as nutrient solutions, to facilitate plant growth.
Hydroponics is also better than soil because plant roots are always in the nutrient solution to absorb directly without spending much energy.
So, hydroponics uses water up to 90% more efficiently and produces faster with higher yields when compared to traditional farming.
However, some barriers still make access to hydroponic farming difficult.
Here, you may wonder:
Why is hydroponics not popular?
Hydroponics is not used widely because it is not only pretty complicated and still not certified “organic” by USDA. Hydroponics also has a high start-up cost and becomes expensive due to the maintenance cost of equipment and lighting.
Is hydroponics a good business?
Since they do not depend on soil and can be grown vertically, hydroponic farms are profitable, produce high yields, generate enough revenue to cover costs, and provide steady wages for the farmer workers.
Besides, the hydroponic market is growing and expanding, so hydroponics is a good investment opportunity for the residents (home farming) and the farmers (commercial agriculture).
Revenue for the hydroponic crop farming industry has grown over the past five years because the hydroponic system is environment-friendly, designed to grow plants stacked in a climate-controlled greenhouse, and allows scaling to occur quickly.
Profits from hydroponic farms can range from $2.13 to $100.
Hydroponic farmland, the size of an acre, will yield between $200,000 and $250,000 yearly, while traditional farmland gives you between $20,000 and $30,000.
A well-setup and optimally managed hydroponic farm system will generate an average revenue of $21.15 per square foot. That number will be $41.16 for vertical farming systems.
In addition, according to GST Law, there is no GST payable on Agricultural implements animal-driven, so GST is exempt from hydroponic farming.
That means the rate of GST you must pay on Agricultural implements in Hydroponic Farming is zero.
This shows you that you can make a decent profit even from a small area without needing too many hectares of growing space to make a good income.
Some of the most profitable crops you can grow hydroponically are:
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Peppers
- Spring onion
- Mint
- Cucumber
- Bay leaf
Can hydroponics replace traditional farming?
Hydroponics offers you many advantages, but it will not be able to completely replace traditional farming because it can only grow specific crops.
Setting up a hydroponic system is expensive and requires technology, making hydroponic popularization difficult.
Moreover, hydroponics is not yet fully organic, so organic food lovers will appreciate organic farming more because of the benefits of soil microorganisms.
But with rapid population growth, hydroponics will combine with traditional farming to produce more food to feed the world’s major cities.
Therefore, hydroponic farming will continue to grow in parallel with traditional agriculture.
Chapter #4: Types of Hydroponic Systems
When starting a hydroponic garden, there are 6 principal types of hydroponic systems for you to choose from: the wick system, deep water culture (DWC), ebb and flow (flood and drain), nutrient film technique (NFT), aeroponics, and drip systems.
Those systems range from the simplest to the most complex and efficient.
Each hydroponic method will be suitable for each of your purposes.
So if you want to start hydroponics, let’s go through each technique to see which one you like best.
The wick system
The wick system is a “passive hydroponic” farming method with the nutrient solution pumped from the reservoir up the growing tray and delivered to plant roots via the capillary movement of a soft fabric string known as a wick.
In a wick system, one end of the wick is in the reservoir of water and nutrient solution, and the other is in the media of the growing tank.
The wick can be made from rope, cotton felt, or nylon.
Because of their high absorption and water retention level, the best media to use in a wick system are coco coir, perlite, or vermiculite.
Whenever the roots are ready to absorb, the wick will transport the water and nutrients in the required amount.
Pros of the wick system:
- Cheap and minimal maintenance required
- Easy to setup for beginner gardeners and children
- Good aeration reduces algae growth and pathogens
- Ideal for smaller plants like herbs and lettuce
- Uses minimal energy inputs because of not depend on technology and electricity
- Auto regulates the quantity and recycles the nutrient solution.
Cons of the wick system:
- Limited in what types of plants you can grow
- Not suitable for more extensive, water-hungry plants and vegetables
- Failure to set up correctly or maintain can make prone to toxic nutrient build-up in developing media over time
- Not ideal for vertical gardens, towers, and extensive gardens
Wick systems, the most basic form of hydroponics, are easy to set up because they don’t require aerators, water pumps, or electricity.
It has been used for thousands of years, even before the term “hydroponic” was considered.
This system, also called “the training wheels of the hydroponic world,” is an excellent introduction for beginners looking to learn the basic principles of hydroponics like students or kids.
Because of the simple nature of this hydroponic technique, the wick system is suitable for small plants that don’t use up a lot of water or nutrients.
Deep water culture (DWC) system
Deep water culture (DWC) is the most straightforward “active hydroponic” system that grows plants with roots submerged directly in nutrient-rich water and oxygen.
A DWC consists of a reservoir filled with water and nutrient solution.
The plants are placed in net pots and growing media held above water using a floating platform.
Roots grow out of the net pot immersed in water and reach the nutrient solution in the reservoir below.
An air pump continuously helps oxygenate the water and lets roots breathe.
Pros of the deep water culture system:
- Simple, low set up costs, easy to build, and low cost to maintain
- A form of aeration of the roots
- The accelerated growth resulting from superior uptake of nutrients and oxygen
- There is no additional need for fertilizers
Cons of the deep water culture system:
- Not suitable for larger plants with a long growing period
- Plant roots can suffocate in solution if an electricity outage or a pump failure
- Difficult to maintain a consistent water temperature, pH, water level, and nutrient concentration
The deep water culture (DWC) is the most classical and easiest to maintain for most growers.
There are also other variations that you can practice: Recirculating deep water culture (RDWC), Bubbleponics, and the Kratky method.
Some plants that thrive well in this system that you can try are lettuce, greens, and kale.
Ebb and flow system (flood and drain)
Ebb and flow (or Flood and Drain) are a hydroponic system that floods the nutrient solution onto the grow tray periodically to surround plant roots and drain the reservoir.
The principle of this hydroponic technique is to irrigate the roots regularly in short periods, often automated by a pump connected to a timer.
It will help plant roots not be in water continuously but have the time to breathe without drying up completely.
A timer is scheduled to turn on the pump, which pushes water with nutrient solutions in a reservoir below to the growing tray on a cyclic schedule.
After flooding the tray and soaking the plant roots at set intervals and water level, gravity drains the solution back into the reservoir to be reused.
An air pump should oxygenate the water in the reservoir as it waits for the next flood cycle.
The cycle of flooding depends on the type of plants, water testing, air temperature, growth cycle, etc.
Pros of the ebb and flow system:
- The nutrient solution is not stagnant around the roots, so it vastly reduces the chances of algae growth or bacteria, pathogens, and fungi.
- Easy to build and can be adapted to develop vertically
- Improve growth and yield if appropriately cycled
- Provides excellent aeration
- Suitable for most crops, including dry spells plants and root crops
- Can control your plants’ feeding and watering and changing them according to their needs or the climate.
- Efficient use of water and energy.
Cons of the ebb and flow system:
- It is complex to set up and run and depends on many components
- The pump can be noisy and require maintenance because it regularly gets clogged.
- It requires knowledge of crops, nutrition, water pH, growing media, watering, and humidity.
- If not balanced or timed correctly, the system may over-saturate your plants or dry them out.
The ebb and flow system can work well and grow plants faster than the Drip or DWC system.
But it also needs you to monitor and maintain it regularly and closely.
With this system, you can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, herbs, and other vegetables but not recommended for huge plants.
Nutrient film technique (NFT)
The nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique that grows plants with a very shallow stream of water (a “film”) containing all the dissolved nutrients continuously recirculating past the bare roots in a watertight gully called channels.
With this hydroponic system, the roots are not entirely submerged; the lower part will receive nutrition and water, while the upper part will breathe.
The water and nutrient solution is held in a large reservoir with an air pump and air stone to stay oxygenated (like a DWC system).
The reservoir will not be completely horizontal but needs a slight angle.
A pump continuously delivers the nutrient solution onto the grow tray on one side and flows down a gentle slope to where it is then collected and recycled.
The nutrient film technique keeps the ebb and flow system flowing continuously, never taking periodic breaks.
Pros of the nutrient film technique system:
- Little to no growing medium was used.
- Low water and nutrient consumption thanks to recirculating.
- Reduce the size of the reservoir.
- Easy to inspect the roots and treat any root problem.
- Plant roots can maintain a constant pH and conductivity.
Cons of the nutrient film technique system:
- Pump failure can cause the death of crops.
- Not suitable for large, heavy plants and root crops.
- Roots that grow thick and large can block the flow of the nutrient solution.
- The water that isn’t correctly balanced can clog the pipes and channels.
The nutrient film technique system is highly easy-to-set-up, operate, and scale well, so it’s commonly used by commercial growers alongside home growers.
If you want quick results, you can use this system to grow fast-growing plants that you can harvest in a few weeks, such as lettuce, spinach, radishes, and herbs, and then plant new seedlings for future harvests.
The NFT system will suit those who love green space and want a constant supply of fresh food.
Drip systems
Drip systems, or drip irrigation, use pipes and hoses to fetch the nutrient solution from a reservoir and send it directly to each individual plant root zone.
A timer is set to schedule the submerged pump to pump nutrient solution onto the plant’s base.
A second pump aerates the water to provide oxygen to the roots.
A drip emitter at the end of each tube controls how much solution is placed into the plant.
Drip systems place water directly into the root zone while minimizing water runoff, evaporation, and wind drift.
The drip systems can be circulating or non-circulating.
The non-circulating drip systems don’t collect the leach-out, which is not efficient, and this is only often used in the early days of hydroponics.
But it needs less maintenance and does not affect hence pH of the reservoir.
The circulating drip system can be more efficient and cost-effective when the nutrient solution is recycled back to the reservoir via the drip tray.
At that time, the water and nutrients are refreshed and reused for weeks until the nutrients are depleted.
When the solution is recirculated, you’ll need to consistently maintain the fluctuating nutrient and pH levels in the circulating drip system.
Pros of the drip systems:
- Simple to build and use.
- Good aeration.
- Complete control of nutrient amounts and water schedule.
- Suitable for different crops and plant sizes.
- Uses low quantities of nutrient solution.
- Commercial spaces can be inexpensive and highly effective.
- It can easily be adapted for vertical gardens and towers.
Cons of the drip systems:
- pH and nutrient fluctuations.
- Pipes and hoses can leach out.
- High level of waste in non-circulating drip systems.
The drip system is one of the easiest to use and most popular hydroponic systems worldwide.
It is now the norm in hot and dry countries, where long pipes and hoses are used to irrigate crops, saving water and preventing evaporation.
The drip system can be quickly altered for different plants because you can readily change the size and flow rate of this hydroponic system.
So, it becomes a great system to grow practically any plant for any grower who plans to make regular changes.
With this system, you can try peppers, peas, radishes, zucchini, pumpkins, squash, or giant vegetables.
Aeroponics
Aeroponics is a method of growing plants in an air environment without soil or an aggregate medium. At the same time, the nutrient solution is delivered to them in the form of a fine mist.
The word “aeroponic” is derived from the Greek meanings of aer (ἀήρ, “air”) and ponos (πόνος, “labour”).
In an aeroponic system, the plants you want to grow will be suspended in the air with no growing medium.
The reservoir (with oxygenating air pump) misters are positioned below the plants, spraying the nutrient solution onto the roots of each plant.
Plant roots are kept in an enclosed space called an aeroponics chamber to receive moisture and nutrients and breathe freely.
The misting interval is pretty short and very frequently done by a pump controlled by a timer.
The exact cycle frequency will depend on the crop type and the climate, but it will also depend on how much pressure you use in your system.
Two pressure systems are used in aeroponics: LPA (low-pressure system) and HPA (high-pressure system).
HPA uses low amounts of water forced through misting heads under increased pressure to produce fog-like mist to supply nutrients to the roots.
LPA uses large quantities of water under low pressure, sprayed onto the roots through a nozzle, producing coarse water droplets.
HPA is better than LPA because it incurs fewer operation costs and is more nutrient-efficient.
Aeroponics provides faster harvests up to 3x with more abundance of crops compared to in soil.
Pros of aeroponics:
- It provides perfect aeration because the roots are exposed to more oxygen.
- Little to no growing medium was used.
- It uses nutrient solutions efficiently and consumes less water than all other hydroponic systems because of is recycled.
- Suitable for vertical gardens because the aeroponics chamber can be built in many shapes, including towers.
- It gives a significantly higher yield and is ideal for many crops except those with large and complex roots.
- It reduces the risk of infections drastically.
- Plant roots are less likely to be oversaturated or undersaturated.
- Easy to maintain and monitor.
Cons of aeroponics:
- It has higher setup costs than other hydroponic systems.
- It uses more electricity.
- Aeroponics heavily depends on the pump working well, so a failure of a pump or mist nozzle can have dire effects on plants.
- It is not suitable for outdoor spaces because you must keep the climate conditions stable within the aeroponics chamber (humidity, temperature, and ventilation).
- The aeroponics chamber needs a lot of empty space to be able to mist generously, so it would be better to grow vertically instead of horizontally.
Aeroponic systems are easy-to-understand but somewhat challenging to build and are not as cheap and easy to set up as other types.
But if you like cutting-edge technology, aeroponics is very promising from the point of view of innovation.
It has a significant advantage over other hydroponic methods with low water, nutrient consumption, and high yield.
You can also use mist non-stop or mist periodically.
However, the reservoir will need to be very deep if you plan to grow larger plants, so the mist nozzles can reach all the roots.
The aeroponic system is probably the most high-tech type of the six listed and one of the most effective systems you should try.
Variations of the 6 principal hydroponic systems
Besides 6 central hydroponic systems, there are other variations.
Maybe you’ve seen them somewhere but don’t know their names or where they originate from.
Let’s find out together.
The Kratky method
A Kratky method is a form of passive hydroponics and a variation of the Deep Water Culture (DWC).
It does not make use of an air pump or electricity.
Plants are placed in a net pot and hung by a floating platform.
Parts of the roots are submerged in the water while the rest are exposed to the air.
Plants will have a gap between the roots and the surface of the nutrient solution to take up sufficient oxygen, water, and nutrient.
The submerged parts of the root system receive nutrients, while the parts exposed to the air gap receive oxygen.
When plants grow, they drain the water, create space, and leave parts of their bare roots in contact with the air.
You can fill it with water and nutrient solution and allow plants to continue to their growth phase or let the reservoir run out of water until harvest.
Fogponics
Fogponics, or atmoponics, is an aeroponics variation that uses a fogger to deliver nutrients and oxygen to plant roots in tiny small droplets (or fog).
The so-called fog is just the humid environment produced by the foggers.
Fogponics allows the roots to be bare into the air to get the necessary moisture and nutrients, helping them focus on growing at a faster and more robust level.
The difference between Fogponics and other aeroponics forms is the water particles.
If in aeroponics, growers use the water misting to provide water and nutrients for plants. In fogponics, foggers are used.
Aeroponics typically delivers nutrient-rich water to the roots using a spray (relatively large particles in the air).
Opposite, fogponics uses several mechanisms (for example, ultrasonic, compressed air, or heating elements) to form a suspension of much smaller particles of water (5–30 μm) or even as a vapor.
With fogponics, the root system can have full coverage in constant humid and nutrient-rich fog like the humid atmosphere in the rainforest.
You can try growing plants with a fogponics system: lettuces, spinaches, kale, cucumbers, beans, basil, mint, chives, etc.
Dutch bucket
A Dutch bucket, or Bato bucket, is a variation of hydroponic drip systems in which two or more growing containers are connected to the same irrigation and drainage lines.
The dutch bucket hydroponics consists of three elements: circulation, drainage, and timing.
The system can be recirculated or non-recirculating, depending on how growers want to set it up.
This system starts with an extensive reservoir containing enough nutrient solution and water to supply each bucket.
Each bucket should contain one plant.
Nutrient solution and water are pumped through the irrigation line, then dropped onto the plants via the emitters.
The drip emitters on this irrigation system allow water to reach the growth media in each bucket.
The excess solution can return through a single drainage channel to the reservoir where it was first collected or drained out of the system.
A combined irrigation and drainage system can recirculate water and is far more efficient than conventional methods.
However, the recirculating system can cause nutrient imbalance over time, so you should often replace the nutrient in the reservoir.
This is an incredible water- and nutrient-efficient method, ideal for growing heavy-feeding and vining plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
Recirculating deep water culture (RDWC)
RDWC systems consist of a series of reservoirs with growing sites that connect to a central reservoir.
The central reservoir has an airstone and pump that forces water, nutrients, and oxygen through the system.
Water with nutrients and air is loaded into each container via hoses or tubing.
Each plant in the system soaks up the necessary water, air, and nutrients needed to grow and thrive.
Next, the water is recirculated from each container and grow site back to the main reservoir.
It is then oxygenated and continues on a never-ending cycle of recirculation.
The RDWC differs from the DWC in that water is pumped from a large reservoir through the system and then returned to the pool.
When using this method, it’s essential to calibrate accurately only in the central reservoir, which will trickle down to the entire farm.
All the water and nutrition meant to feed the various plants in the system will uniformly be circulated from one container to another.
The recirculating deep water culture system gives you great scalability and reduces maintenance work in the long run.
Bubbleponics
Bubbleponics is a hybrid, top-fed hydroponic technique that combines deep water culture (DWC) aspects and drips hydroponic systems.
Bubbleponics is like the DWC with the same setup and equipment (air pump, airstone) but adds drip-feeding tubes and a water pump to dispense nutrients to the top of the roots.
Once the nutrient solutions move to the top of net cups that hold plants and hit the plants’ roots, it falls back down to the reservoir and again, and this cycle continues infinitely.
Bubbleponics will be helpful at the beginning phase of your plants when the roots are still short and cannot fully reach all the nutrients in the water below.
Providing nutrients and water at this stage helps the roots grow faster during their vital developmental phase.
There is no advantage when a plant’s root can sink deep into the reservoir’s nutrient solution.
Using bubbleponics is worth it for plants as they help speed up the seedling’s growth and increase the germination process’s pace.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a unique cooperation between hydroponics, which grows plants without soil, and fish and other aquatic animals farming, in an integrated food production system.
In aquaponics, the plants are grown in the grow bed, and fish are placed in the fish tank.
The nutrient-rich water from the fish tank that contains fish waste is fed to hydroponically grown plants.
That water has billions of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria that break the ammonia into nitrites and nitrates.
Plant roots will absorb these nitrates and other nutrients to help them grow.
In return, the plant roots clean and filter the water before it flows back into the fish tank for the fish to live.
The fresh, clean, and oxygenated water recirculates back to the fish tank, where the cycle will begin again.
Aquaponics uses these two in a symbiotic combination to increase the productivity of crops and livestock.
Those are all kinds of hydroponic systems you want to know about.
There are variations of them that also work well, and there are symbiotic combinations that will give you a higher crop yield.
The important thing is that you should understand how they work, so you can build your own hydroponic garden.
We will now move on to the next chapter.
Chapter #5: How to Start a Hydroponic Garden
To start your hydroponic garden, you should understand how each type of system works, prepare the materials, follow the instructions, and regularly maintain your garden.
Building a hydroponics wicking system step-by-step
The most basic wick system can be created with an emptied plastic liter bottle, some string as a wick, a growing medium, and seeds.
Materials:
- Water reservoir
- One or more wicks (felt, cotton, or nylon ropes)
- Growing tray
- Growing medium
- Hydroponic fertilizer (dry or liquid)
- Grow light (optional)
Instructions:
- Step #1: Set up your water reservoir
Find a leak-proof reservoir like a bucket, basin, or 2-liter bottle.
The reservoir will sit beneath and should be large enough to support the growing tray.
With your 2-liter bottle, cut it right where the curve ends, and the bottle transitions to a straight line.
Using a soda bottle will hold 1 plant.
- Step #2: Add wick and connect to the growing tray
Use a drill, knife, or screwdriver to make holes in the growing tray.
Choose a wick that is about 6 inches longer than the reservoir.
Connect wicks through holes in the bottom of the growing tray.
With 2 liter bottle, poke a hole through the bottle cap and feed a piece of the wick through the hole.
Once the wick is through the cap, screw it back onto the bottle.
The wick material can be fibrous rope, wool, felt, cotton, nylon ropes, etc., to absorb well but resist rotting.
You can test by washing the wick before you use it.
Using a large reservoir, you’ll probably need at least two to four wicks and a thicker wick to transport more water.
- Step #3: Prepare the water and add nutrient solutions
Most tap water is in the 7.0 – 8.0 pH range, but plants need water lower than that.
The plants you will be growing need water with a pH in the 6.0 – 6.5 range, so you must treat your tap water.
Notice that pH down is highly corrosive, so be sure not to get it on any part of your body.
You can use a pH control kit to adjust the water by mixing it into the water thoroughly and then testing again.
You’re ready to mix the nutrients when the pH is in the right area.
Look at the nutrient mixing chart on the back of your bottle of nutrient solution, and follow the instructions to mix the exact amount into your system.
- Step #4: Set up your growing tray and add the media
Set up your growing tray above the water reservoir.
With your 2 liter bottle, set the top of the bottle upside-down so the cap faces down and the wick is submerged mostly.
Make sure there’s about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of twine between the bottle cap and the top of the solution.
Add the growing media, such as perlite, coconut coir, or vermiculite, to your tray or the top of the bottle.
After the growing media is added, you can plant your seeds.
- Step #5: Set up your growing light (Optional)
If you are using sunlight, this step will not be necessary.
If you grow indoors, set a growing light 24 inches from the plants with incandescent light bulbs or 6 and 12 inches with LED and fluorescent lights.
So you have set up a simple wick hydroponic system completely.
Maintain:
- Set up multiple wicks for plants to get water and nutrients easier.
- Keep the water level high in the reservoir.
- Rinsing your growing media regularly to avoid nutrient build-up.
- Try adding an air stone to aerate the water to provide more oxygen to your plants.
- Make a small hole in the growing tray so that excess solution will drain into the reservoir.
- Try some plants that work well with the wick system.
| Plant | Germination | Seedling | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | 5 – 10 days | 2 weeks | As leaves mature |
| Lettuce | 7 – 10 days | 2 weeks | As leaves mature |
| Spinach | 7 – 14 days | 2 weeks | As leaves mature |
Building a hydroponics deep water culture (DWC) system step-by-step
Although the deep water culture system isn’t suitable for larger plants or plants with a long growing period, it grows plants at least 15% faster because it saves water and recirculates.
The higher the water levels in the deep water hydroponics system, the greater the levels of stability on the farm.
Materials:
- Water reservoir (bucket or basin)
- Air stone and pump
- Net pots
- Growing medium
- Nutrient solution
- Grow light (optional)
- Styrofoam sheet
Instructions:
- Step #1: Set up your water reservoir
Find a suitable container for the DWC system.
It should be deep to stabilize your nutrient and water solution.
If the tank is small, nutrient levels and pH can fluctuate greatly besides adding water frequently.
The water reservoir must also block out light to prevent algae from growing.
- Step #2: Set up your growing raft and net pots
If your container has a lid, that’s fine.
If not, cut a piece of floating styrofoam platform to fit inside the top of your reservoir.
Then, drill holes into the lid of the container or piece of styrofoam to insert net pots.
The net pots must be larger than the hole, so they don’t fall through.
Net pots are plastic and have slots and perforated bottoms so water can easily flow through them.
Add growing medium (coconut coir, perlite, clay balls) and seedlings so the roots will be in contact with the reservoir water.
- Step #3: Assemble your air pump to aerate the water
The most common and inexpensive aeration system is an air stone and pump.
Ensuring you connect the air stone to the air pump so that it is correct for the valve.
The air stone is placed in the water, and the air pump must remain outside the reservoir.
The valve will prevent the pump does not suck water back up if it is turned off.
You must keep the pump above the water level if it does not come with the valve.
The pump will push air through the stone, which blows out tiny bubbles to distribute oxygen through the water when it is turned on.
- Step #4: Prepare the water and add nutrient solutions
Decide where to place your DWC system.
Fill it almost full with water, leaving 1-2cm of space at the top.
Next, you should use a pH control kit to adjust the water in the 5.5 – 6.5 range.
Then, add your hydroponic nutrients to the water, following the instructions on your bottle.
Ensure you wear gloves when handling pH, and remember to mix the solution well after applying.
- Step #5: Assemble your system
Now is the time to put it all together.
Check your growing raft, net pots, and growing media.
Turn on the air pump and place the air stone in the reservoir.
Your DWC system is now up and running.
- Step #6: Set up your growing light (Optional)
If you are using sunlight, this step will not be necessary.
If you grow indoors, set a growing light 24 inches from the plants with incandescent light bulbs or 6 and 12 inches with LED and fluorescent lights.
So you have completely set up a hydroponics deep water culture (DWC) system.
Maintain:
- Ensure the water level doesn’t drop too much and stay in contact with the roots, especially when your plants are young.
- Check the pH every time you add water or add the nutrient solution.
- Clean the reservoir and replace it with fresh water regularly (14-21 days).
- Keep your air pump always running.
Building a hydroponics ebb and flow (flood and drain) system step-by-step
The ebb and flow is the classic hydroponic system for home or hobby gardeners.
It is easy to understand, build, maintain, and it can accommodate pots of any size as long as it is suitable for holding your pots and plants while allowing them plenty of space in between.
Materials:
- Reservoir (bucket or basin)
- Growing tray
- Reversible water pump
- Air pump
- Ebb and Flow Fill/Drain (fill tube and drain tube)
- Ebb and Flow Screen
- Ebb and Flow Extension
- Timer
- Nutrient solution
- Growing medium
- Grow light (optional)
Instructions:
- Step #1: Set up your water reservoir
Find a suitable container for the ebb and flow system (bucket or basin).
The reservoir is placed directly below the flood tray’s stand with the water.
It should be large and robust enough to support the growing tray when it is filled with nutrient solutions.
It should be deep to stabilize your nutrient and water solution and block out light to prevent algae from growing.
- Step #2: Set up the flood tray
First, build the structure to hold the flood tray.
It should be higher than the reservoir so you can take the container out and put it back in quickly.
It is strong enough to support the growing tray when it is filled with nutrient solution.
The growing tray, or flood tray, is a large shallow container placed on the supporting structure.
One end of the growing tray should hang over the top of the water reservoir so the water can drain back into it.
The opposite end should be raised slightly so the water will flow downhill towards the small drain hole.
In the flood tray, drill two 35mm holes a few inches apart in the lowest end point of the tray as they will need to pass the edge of your support.
Screw Ebb and Flow Fill/Drain fittings to the flood tray in the 2 holes drilled.
Ensure that the barbed end is on the underside of the tray and the rubber washer is on the inside.
Place one Ebb and Flow Screen, the overflow for the tray, on top of the last Ebb and Flow Extension.
Place only one Ebb and Flow Screen fitting on the other Ebb and Flow Fill/Drain fitting. This is the flood fitting for the tray and gets attached to the pump in the reservoir.
You have now built your tray overflow and can adjust depending on pot size.
- Step #3: Connect a pump, tube, and timer
Connect the reservoir to the tray via fill and drain tubes.
Attach the pump to the flood fitting using the ½” or ¾” tubing.
The fill tube attaches to a water pump, which controls the flow of water up into the flood tray.
The drain tube allows gravity to pull the water back into the reservoir after flooding to be reused.
Fill the reservoir with water and test the system for any leaks.
Plug the pump into a timer and program the timer with the appropriate settings.
Test the system with the pump first to ensure they drain the water out fast enough.
- Step #4: Planting the seedlings
Your seedling pots should be perforated and higher than the growing tray.
Fill your pots with growing medium with a 50-50 mixture of coco coir and perlite, with an inch or two of LECA (Hydroton or clay balls) at the bottom.
The coco/perlite mixture provides excellent moisture holding and aeration.
At the same time, the hydroton at the bottom keeps the medium from flushing away out the drain holes.
Let’s start growing your seedlings with cubes or pellets because the moisture will not reach the top to keep the seeds moist.
Or you can buy store-bought seedlings and rinse away all the dirt from the roots before transplanting them to the pots and “top water” the plants for the first few days to ensure they don’t dry out while they get used to their new ebb & flow home.
- Step #5: Prepare the water, add nutrient solutions
Decide where to place your ebb & flow system.
Fill it almost full with water.
Next, you should use a pH control kit to adjust the water in the 5.5 – 6.5 range.
Then, add your hydroponic nutrients to the water, following the instructions on your bottle.
Ensure you wear gloves when handling pH, and remember to mix the solution well after applying.
- Step #6: Reservoir aeration
Place something underneath the pots to raise them up off the bottom so they won’t sit in the standing water and rot.
It must be inert to not add chemicals to the nutrient solution.
You can use something made out of plastic but never use bricks.
If you use the wrong pot supports, they can distort the nutrients you add to the plant.
Place your air pump higher than the reservoir to prevent the backflow of the solution into the pump.
Finally, keep your bubbler pump with an air stone that works synchronously with the water pump to oxygenate and aerate the nutrient solution, keeping it from becoming stagnant.
- Step #7: Set up your growing light (Optional)
If you are using sunlight, this step will not be necessary.
If you grow indoors, set a growing light 24 inches from the plants with incandescent light bulbs or 6 and 12 inches with LED and fluorescent lights.
If you are interested in fruiting veggies like tomatoes, or herbs, you will have to upgrade to an HID lamp.
HID lamps will add heat, so use a low fan to cool your growing room.
So you have completely set up a hydroponics ebb and flow (flood and drain) system.
Note: For more on how to set up system A, you can refer to them here
Maintain:
- Ensure the water level doesn’t drop too much and stay in contact with the roots, especially when your plants are young.
- Check the pH every time you add water or add the nutrient solution.
- Clean the reservoir and replace it with fresh water regularly.
- Conduct a total solution change weekly to maintain nutrient levels consistent with the growth stage.
- Set your ebb & flow system to fill at least 3 times daily, for only 15 minutes each fill cycle. (6 am, noon, and 6 pm are good).
- Let the plants rest through the night, no feeding.
- 3 main factors will affect the frequency or number of times you need to run the flood and drain cycles per day: container size, plant size, and the growing medium’s water-retention characteristics.
| Growing Medium | Early Veg | Late Veg / Early Bloom | Late Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroton | 3 – 4 | 4 – 5 | 5 – 7 |
| Rockwool | 1 | 1 – 2 | 2 – 4 |
| 50 coco / 50 perlite | 1 | 1 – 2 | 2 |
- A sample flooding schedules
| On | Off |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | 7:03 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 9:03 AM |
| 11:00 AM | 11:03 AM |
| 1:00 PM | 1:03 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 3:03 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 5:03 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 7:03 PM |
Building a hydroponics nutrient film technique system step-by-step
The nutrient film technique is suitable for beginners and advanced because it uses the least amount of water, electricity, and construction material.
It is economical and works best with fast-growing, shallow-rooted plants, such as lettuce, spinach, radishes, and herbs.
Materials:
- Water reservoir (Bucket or basin)
- Nutrient solution
- Two tubes (fill tube and drain tube)
- Air stone
- Air pump
- Submersible pump
- Tube or PVC pipe
- Net pots
- Growing medium
- Grow light (optional)
- Timer (optional)
Instructions:
- Step #1: Set up your water reservoir and aeration
Find a suitable container for the NFT system.
It should be deep to stabilize your nutrient and water solution and block out light to prevent algae from growing.
The reservoir should sit below the lowest point of the end pipe.
Connect an air pump to an air stone on the bottom of the water reservoir.
- Step #2: Set up the growing tray
Instead of a flat tray, this method uses tubes or channels for the grow tray.
You can use a round tube or PVC pipe and set it at an angle to ensure that the nutrient solution flows directly to the roots.
Drilling holes into PVC pipes that hold the net pots and submerging most of them into the PVC pipe without the net pots falling.
The goal is for the net pot can entirely hang in the pipe without leaving too much space between the bottom of the pot and the tube.
Next, you should put on the lids/muffles for the pipe.
To finalize your PVC pipes, you must drill inflow and outflow holes for the hoses.
The inflow hole is on the top of the pipe, where the holes for the net pots are, while the outflow is on the bottom.
Ensure that the outflow hole fits exactly the hose you will use.
- Step #3: Build the structure for the system
After you finish your growing tray, you want to start with the overall structure which makes up your system.
Here, you can build a ladder-like rack to lean towards a wall with vertical and horizontal spacing.
Also, you can create something like a free-standing pyramid with pipes on both sides of the pyramid, giving you more growing space.
However, the vertical layout did not maximize or evenly distribute the solar exposure, and the cascade effect of a vertical setup caused the plants furthest from the pump to lack nutrition.
Regardless of how you structure your system, you still need to keep the following points in mind: distance between the pipes, the structure well supports the weight of the whole system, and the reservoir must be the lowest point.
Finally, attach your PVC pipes to the rack using pipe clamps.
Don’t forget to create an angle for the PVC pipes so the water can flow in a zigzag way down the whole system.
- Step #4: Connect the fill tube, drain tube, and pump
Connect your reservoir to the tray via fill and drain tubes.
Set a submersible water pump opposite the airstone on the other side of the reservoir.
The fill tube attaches to a submersible pump, which controls the flow of water up into the growing tray.
The drain tube allows gravity to pull the water back into the reservoir to reuse.
As the system recirculates, you should place your submersible water pump inside the filter bag to reduce the chance of any debris clogging the pump.
If you want to save money, you can use a timer to run your system for a certain period.
- Step #5: Prepare the water, add nutrient solutions
Decide where to place your NFT system.
Fill your reservoir almost full with water.
Next, you should use a pH control kit to adjust the water in the 5.5 – 6.5 range.
Then, add your hydroponic nutrients to the water, following the instructions on your bottle.
Ensure you wear gloves when handling pH, and remember to mix the solution well after applying.
- Step #6: Add the growing media and transplant the seedlings
Let’s start growing your seedlings with cubes or pellets.
Or you can buy store-bought seedlings and rinse all the dirt from the roots before transplanting them to the pots.
You can transplant the seedling as soon as it has a long root that can reach the water through the growth medium and the net pot.
Add growing media such as perlite, coconut coir, or vermiculite to your net pot.
After you combine the seedling, the medium, the clay pebbles, and the net pot, you are ready to put them into the pipes.
- Step #7: Set up your growing light (Optional)
If you are using sunlight, this step will not be necessary.
If you grow indoors, set a growing light 24 inches from the plants with incandescent light bulbs or 6 and 12 inches with LED and fluorescent lights.
If you are interested in fruiting veggies like tomatoes, or herbs, you will have to upgrade to an HID lamp.
HID lamps will add heat, so use a low fan to cool your growing room.
So you have completely set up a hydroponics NFT system.
Maintain:
- Ensure the water level doesn’t drop too much and stay in contact with the roots, especially when your plants are young.
- Check the pH every time you add water or add the nutrient solution.
- Clean the reservoir and replace it with fresh water regularly.
- Conduct a total solution change weekly to maintain nutrient levels consistent with the growth stage.
Chapter #6: Buying Hydroponics Kits
Now is the time to buy the necessary tools so you can practice hydroponics today.
If you are lazy, you can buy the hydroponics growing system instead of doing it yourself.
Either way, I’ll introduce you to the best tools and systems you can use with peace of mind.
Hydroponics growing system
The hydroponics growing system is a simple, beautifully designed garden, versatile enough to fit almost anywhere so you can grow various edible plants (think herbs, veggies, even some fruits) indoors all year round, regardless of what Mother Nature is doing outside your door.
It brings the magic of gardening in-home and is the perfect complement to any kitchen.
Your plants will naturally grow faster, no pesticides or herbicides are needed, and no soil is required.
There will be no more guesswork because the built-in sensors automatically turn the lights on and off each day and let you know when to feed and add water.
All you need to do is plug in the power adaptor, insert the plant pods, fill the water tank and you’re ready to go.
Best Hydroponics Growing System
TOP 1
AeroGarden Harvest
TOP 2
AeroGarden Bounty Elite
TOP 3
AeroGarden Harvest Elite
TOP 4
iDOO Hydroponics Growing System
TOP 5
AeroGarden Harvest 360
TOP 6
Click & Grow Smart Garden 3
TOP 7
Moistenland Hydroponics Growing System
TOP 8
AeroGarden Sprout
TOP 9
VegeBox Hydroponic Growing System
TOP 10
LYKOCLEAN Hydroponic Growing System
TOP 11
Yoocaa Hydroponic Growing System
TOP 12
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9
TOP 13
iDOO Indoor Herb Garden
TOP 14
AeroGarden Farm
TOP 15
Ivation Herb Indoor Garden Kit
TOP 16
iDOO Hydroponics Growing System with 6.5L Water Tank
TOP 17
AILISS PRO Hydroponics Growing System
TOP 18
ZMHOO Hydroponics Growing System
Deep water culture hydroponics system
Best Deep Water Culture Hydroponics System
TOP 1
Hydrofarm Deep Water Culture
TOP 2
PowerGrow Deep Water Culture
TOP 3
HTG Deep Water Culture Classic
TOP 4
Atwater Deep Water Culture
TOP 5
PowerGrow Deep Water Culture 10″
TOP 6
Viagrow Deep Water Culture
TOP 7
HTG Deep Water Culture XL
Hydroponic supplies
Seed pod kit / Grow sponge / Plant starters
Best Seed Pod Kit
TOP 1
AeroGarden Heirloom Salad Greens Mix
TOP 2
General Hydroponics Rapid Rooter Plant Starters
TOP 3
AeroGarden Grow Anything
TOP 4
AeroGarden Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato
TOP 5
AeroGarden 806528-0208
TOP 6
AeroGarden Sponges
TOP 7
AeroGarden Pizza Herb
TOP 8
AeroGarden Seed Starter System Refill Pack
TOP 9
AeroGarden Grow Anything Kit
Seedling starter trays
Best Seedling Starter Trays
TOP 1
9GreenBox – Seedling Starter Trays
TOP 2
MIXC Seed Starter Tray
TOP 3
Jump Start CK64050
TOP 4
Gardzen Garden Propagator Set
TOP 5
Burpee Greenhouse Indoor Starting Herbs
TOP 6
Bonviee Seed Starter Tray
TOP 7
Gardens Alive Seed Sprouter Kit
TOP 8
Super Sprouter Deluxe Propagation Kit
TOP 9
Window Garden Mini Greenhouse Seed Starter Kit
Hydroponic heating pad
Best Hydroponic Heating Pad
TOP 1
VIVOSUN Hydroponic Heating Pad
TOP 2
Seedfactor Hydroponic Heating Pad
TOP 3
BN-LINK Hydroponic Heating Pad
TOP 4
iPower Hydroponic Heating Pad
Hydroponics pH control kit
Best Hydroponics pH Control Kit
TOP 1
General Hydroponics pH Control Kit
TOP 2
Biopharm pH Up and pH Down Control Kit
Hydroponics nutrients
Best Hydroponics Nutrients
TOP 1
General Hydroponics Flora
TOP 2
General Hydroponics CALiMAGic
TOP 3
MARPHYL Organic Liquid Fertilizer
TOP 4
AeroGarden Liquid Nutrients
TOP 5
Just Scentsational Bare Ground Solutions Fertilizer
Hydroponic tools
Grow baskets / Net pots
Best Grow Baskets / Net Pots
TOP 1
Cz Garden Net Cups
TOP 2
AeroGarden Grow Baskets
TOP 3
xGarden Net Pots
TOP 4
GROWNEER Net Cups
TOP 5
Viagrow Net Pot
Growing medium
- Clay pebbles
Best Clay Pebbles
TOP 1
Cz Garden Clay Pebbles
TOP 2
Mother Earth Clay Pebbles
TOP 3
xGarden Clay Pebbles
TOP 4
TOYPOPOR Clay Pebbles
TOP 5
Hydrofarm Clay Pebbles
- Rockwool
Best Rockwool
TOP 1
Twin Canaries Rockwool Starter Plugs
TOP 2
NREOY Rockwool
TOP 3
MI0512 Rockwool
TOP 4
Stacky Cubes Rockwool
TOP 5
Grodan Rockwool 1.5″
TOP 6
Grodan Rockwool 1″
- Coco coir
Best Coco Coir
TOP 1
Burpee Organic Coconut Coir
TOP 2
Plantonix Coco Coir Brick
TOP 3
SpongEase Pro Coco Coir Brick
TOP 4
ReptiChip Compressed Coconut Chip Substrate
TOP 5
Verdana Coconut Fiber Potting Mix
TOP 6
Kempf Compressed Coco Coir Pith Block
TOP 7
Coco Bliss Premium Coco Coir Brick
TOP 8
General Hydroponics CocoTek
- Vermiculite & perlite
Best Vermiculite & Perlite
TOP 1
xGarden Horticultural Grade Premium Perlite
TOP 2
Organic Perlite by Perfect Plants
TOP 3
Espoma Organic Perlite
TOP 4
Professional Grade Vermiculite by Plantation
TOP 5
Organic Vermiculite by Perfect Plants
TOP 6
PVP Industries Organic Perlite Planting Soil
TOP 7
xGarden Horticultural Grade Premium Vermiculite
TOP 8
Organic Perlite for All Plants
TOP 9
Mother Earth Perlite
Submersible water pump
Best Submersible Water Pump
TOP 1
VIVOSUN 1600 GPH Submersible Water Pump
TOP 2
Hydrofarm Submersible Water Pump
TOP 3
EcoPlus Submersible Water Pump
TOP 4
VIVOSUN 1150GPH Submersible Water Pump
TOP 5
Jebao Submersible Water Pump
TOP 6
Simple Deluxe Submersible Water Pump
TOP 7
CWKJTOP Submersible Water Pump
TOP 8
FREESEA Submersible Water Pump
TOP 9
YH YUANHUA Submersible Water Pump
Chapter #7: Hydroponics Tips
Besides knowing how hydroponics work, you’ll need some extra tips to help you start your hydroponic garden quickly.
I will list them all below.
Let’s check them out.
Start small and be patient with your first system
Don’t try to make an effective and bulky hydroponic system the first time you try.
It will cost you a lot.
You will also encounter many failures that will discourage you.
So it would be wise to start small.
It helps you learn faster from mistakes and improve for the next time.
Moreover, you still profit even if your hydroponic garden is small in size.
Simple is the best
You should simplify your problem when it comes to hydroponics.
If you just need fresh vegetables to eat, a hydroponic growing system will be right for you.
To start a business and make a profit, you will need to learn and build your own hydroponic garden.
Don’t try too hard.
It will make you tired and frustrated.
Choose what suits your needs, and you will always feel relaxed.
Research and choose the suitable hydroponic method
There are many hydroponic methods with different pros and cons.
If you are a beginner, choose a simple hydroponic system to start with.
Don’t try a complicated system if you are not interested and passionate about hydroponics.
It just costs you money and time.
Come back to complex systems after you’ve mastered the simple hydroponic techniques.
Always plan carefully and double-check all your equipment before you start
A hydroponic system is made up of many components.
For a successful setup, you also need to go through many steps.
If you do not prepare well, there will always be shortcomings in the work process.
Make an initial checklist when you’re buying your hydroponic system.
Plan what you’re about to do so you don’t have to forget them.
That’s what it takes to build a complete hydroponic system.
Adjust the suitable growing environment for your plants
To maximize yield, you must observe and adjust the surroundings to suit the plant’s growth.
Some things that you can try are:
- Make sure your lighting works within a uniform time frame.
- Give your plants enough light for at least 6 hours a day; 12 to 16 hours is best.
- Adjust the ambient temperature within the ideal range between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Maintain ideal humidity from 40 to 60 percent.
- Test the water pH regularly before and after adding the nutrient solution, so they are within the ideal range of 5.5 and 6.5.
That’s it.
Set a schedule to check and maintain your hydroponic system
Last but not least is the maintenance of your system.
Change the water regularly.
Clean the system.
Fix broken places.
And more.
One day of laziness can cause your system to stop working, and your plants will die.
You must make a schedule to monitor your systems consistently and maintain them regularly, so they can run smoothly and efficiently and give you productive crops.
Chapter #8: Hydroponic Frequently Asked Questions
Is it hard to build a hydroponic garden?
Starting your hydroponic garden is not as difficult as you think. You will have a simple but beneficial garden if you understand how the system works and follow the instructions.
What do I need to start a hydroponic system?
To start a simple hydroponic garden, you will need: a reservoir container, net pots, grow tray, airstone, air pump, air hose, light, and submersible water pump. Do not forget to follow the instructions of each type of hydroponic system.
Is hydroponics good for beginners?
The fact is that hydroponics is for everyone, from beginners to kids. If you are afraid to start learning about hydroponics or practice them, you can try the wick system. It is the most straightforward hydroponic system.
What grows well in hydroponics?
You can try some lightweight plants with small, shallow roots, such as herbs, lettuce, and other leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard.
Some plants that can also grow well in large-scale and more durable hydroponic systems are tomatoes, hot peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries.
Which is better, NFT or DWC?
If you are a beginner, the Deep Water Culture (DWC) system will suit you better as it allows you can have small mistakes and correct them. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is a more advanced system requiring technical understanding and close monitoring.
What is the easiest hydroponic system?
Deep Water Culture (DWC) is the most accessible hydroponic system. It grows plants with their roots submerged directly in nutrient-rich water. If you are a beginner, you can build and maintain at home using sizeable opaque storage containers or buckets.
Is aeroponics or hydroponics better?
Technologically, aeroponics is more modern and provides crops with much more substantial and healthier root systems than a standard hydroponic system. So it has a much higher potential performance.
Conclusion
So you are done with the tutorial on how to start a hydroponic garden for beginners.
I know this is a long and informative post.
But it’s worth it for hydroponics lovers.
It must also be said that hydroponics is gradually becoming more popular and growing strongly because they produce food quickly with cost-effectively.
Now it’s your turn.
Let me know which hydroponic system you like best.
Or are you just learning about them?
Anyway, leave a comment below.
I’m happy to hear stories from you.
And see you soon in future posts.
-
AeroGarden Harvest
-
AeroGarden Bounty Elite
-
AeroGarden Harvest Elite
-
Hydrofarm Deep Water Culture
-
AeroGarden Heirloom Salad Greens Mix
-
9GreenBox – Seedling Starter Trays
-
VIVOSUN Hydroponic Heating Pad
-
General Hydroponics pH Control Kit
-
General Hydroponics Flora
-
Cz Garden Net Cups
-
Cz Garden Clay Pebbles
-
Twin Canaries Rockwool Starter Plugs
-
Burpee Organic Coconut Coir
-
xGarden Horticultural Grade Premium Perlite
-
VIVOSUN 1600 GPH Submersible Water Pump
- AeroGarden Harvest
- AeroGarden Bounty Elite
- AeroGarden Harvest Elite
- Hydrofarm Deep Water Culture
- AeroGarden Heirloom Salad Greens Mix
- 9GreenBox – Seedling Starter Trays
- VIVOSUN Hydroponic Heating Pad
- General Hydroponics pH Control Kit
- General Hydroponics Flora
- Cz Garden Net Cups
- Cz Garden Clay Pebbles
- Twin Canaries Rockwool Starter Plugs
- Burpee Organic Coconut Coir
- xGarden Horticultural Grade Premium Perlite
- VIVOSUN 1600 GPH Submersible Water Pump
