Hydroponic system is very popular nowadays. Many gardeners are using this system but for a lot of people it is still a mystery. Here in this article we have just decided to demystify the system so if you are interested you can definitely try it out.
Hydro means water. Hydroponic refers to a system where water is used as a source of nutrients to grow plants and no dirt or soil is used. Generally nutrients are added with the water and then the water is circulated through the soil less growth media so that the plants are not deprived of any nutrients.
There are several benefits of this system when compared with the traditional way of gardening. The system helps you to grow more plants in lesser space. The growth rate is faster than traditional soil based gardening. The roots receive good aeration and can absorb nutrients much faster than when in soil. Environmental it helps to stop top-soil erosion.
Some of the plants which thrive in this system are Spinach, Lettuce, Cilantro, Tomato, Peppers, Strawberries etc.
There are two popular hydroponic systems:
1. Wick system or the passive system: This is by far the easiest and least expensive way. Here you will have a reservoir filled with water and nutrients and another container where you will have the growth media (you can use coconut coir, perlite or vermiculite for this) and plants along with it. The two containers are connected by a wick (you can use a lantern wick for this). The nutrient solution passes through the wick to the growing media. Though it is very simple system it will not work very well for water hungry plants.
2. Ebb & flow system or the active system: This system is a very popular one. Unlike the earlier system here a pump is attached with the system. The pump first flood the growing media by nutrient rich solution and then drain back the water to the reservoir. This system also helps to provide the soil with fresh oxygen which benefits the root growth. The most popular growing media in this system is rockwool. This system works well with every plant though the cost is much higher than the first one.
In most cases hydroponic system uses inorganic or chemical form of nutrients. But as an organic grower we always recommend you to use organic fertilizers. One of the most interesting ways to use organic fertilizers is switching your hydroponics to an Aquaponic system. Read our earlier article on Aquaponic system here.
We hope this information is will help the beginners to get an idea about the system. If you are a hydroponic grower we request you to share your experiences with us. If you have any suggestions use the comment box below.
If you find this interesting share it with others:
Hydro means water. Hydroponic refers to a system where water is used as a source of nutrients to grow plants and no dirt or soil is used. Generally nutrients are added with the water and then the water is circulated through the soil less growth media so that the plants are not deprived of any nutrients.
There are several benefits of this system when compared with the traditional way of gardening. The system helps you to grow more plants in lesser space. The growth rate is faster than traditional soil based gardening. The roots receive good aeration and can absorb nutrients much faster than when in soil. Environmental it helps to stop top-soil erosion.
Some of the plants which thrive in this system are Spinach, Lettuce, Cilantro, Tomato, Peppers, Strawberries etc.
There are two popular hydroponic systems:
1. Wick system or the passive system: This is by far the easiest and least expensive way. Here you will have a reservoir filled with water and nutrients and another container where you will have the growth media (you can use coconut coir, perlite or vermiculite for this) and plants along with it. The two containers are connected by a wick (you can use a lantern wick for this). The nutrient solution passes through the wick to the growing media. Though it is very simple system it will not work very well for water hungry plants.
2. Ebb & flow system or the active system: This system is a very popular one. Unlike the earlier system here a pump is attached with the system. The pump first flood the growing media by nutrient rich solution and then drain back the water to the reservoir. This system also helps to provide the soil with fresh oxygen which benefits the root growth. The most popular growing media in this system is rockwool. This system works well with every plant though the cost is much higher than the first one.
In most cases hydroponic system uses inorganic or chemical form of nutrients. But as an organic grower we always recommend you to use organic fertilizers. One of the most interesting ways to use organic fertilizers is switching your hydroponics to an Aquaponic system. Read our earlier article on Aquaponic system here.
We hope this information is will help the beginners to get an idea about the system. If you are a hydroponic grower we request you to share your experiences with us. If you have any suggestions use the comment box below.
If you find this interesting share it with others:
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