Hydroponic gardeningAll about hydroponic gardening information

When I think of gardening I think dirt, weeds,bugs and cold, dirty fingers. I also think of wonderful, flavorful, fresh and pesticide free food and that’s the reason I tolerate all that other “stuff”.

Would you be interested in getting rid of the dirt, weeds,bugs and the cold dirty fingers and still get great garden produce. What If you could grow all this indoors with almost no effort? Does this sound like something you want to do? Then you need to think Hydroponics.

A method of growing plants both for home and commercial use without using soil is hydroponics. The interest in home hydroponics is a recent phenomenon and is increasing in leaps and bounds and with very good reason. Hydroponic plants are usually more healthy, mature earlier, and use less space.They can be grown year round.

If you are serious about growing clean, flavorful, healthy food and herbs at home year round I would suggest you get one of the many portable hydroponics systems. Get one that promises to have all the instructions you need. If you don’t have a large window to supply enough light for growing plants, get a system with a proper light source

If you are interested in constructing your own system you will be able to find lots of information on the various types of system to build. Don’t let the idea of building your own scare you. It is really quite simple.

Try this to get a beautiful lettuce crop: Get yourself a cheap plastic tote from any hardware store. Be sure it is dark colored. (light colors allow excess green algae growth) You will need 2″ thick styrofoam slightly smaller than the tote. This needs to be carefully shaped, pay particular attention to the corners. It has to move up and down freely inside the tote. (It will float on the liquid underneath). Cut it so that you do not allow any more light than necessary under it. Cut 2″ holes in the styrofoam raft to accommodate your plants growth. they should be 7″-8″ apart.

Next you need an air pump, an air stone and a length of plastic tubing from the pet store. Put the air-stone in the bottom of the tote and carefully place the tubing down the corner so as not to interfere with your styrofoam raft. Use a bead of silicone and press the tubing into it and let dry for a few hours. The air stone infuses the solution with oxygen. Cut foam rubber discs the same size as the holes in your raft. Cut these about 2/3rds of the way across. These will hold your seedlings in the raft. That is essentially all there is to the construction.

By: Carm Paynter

A hydroponics kit contains all the basic equipment you will need to grow healthy and strong plants in the comforts of your own home. Hydroponics, which is taken from the Greek words hydro’s, which means water, and ponos, which means labor, allows you to nurture and develop vibrant plants in limited spaces, using only light and nutrient-rich water. This method requires no soil whatsoever, making it ideal for people who don’t like the mess of conventional gardening. Aside from reduced mess and the ability to grow plants in small spaces, a hydroponics kit can also be tweaked and toyed around with depending on your plants’ needs.

A hydroponic garden kit is also an ideal purchase for first-time gardeners who want to get into the hobby with a small project, which saves them from being overwhelmed by the responsibilities of tending to plants. These kits are packed with all the equipment and ingredients you will need to work on developing your green thumb. Aside from introducing people to hydroponic gardening, hydroponic kits are also great for those who want to grow their own organic food-this is something that’s especially popular during these tough economic times, where people strive to develop sustainable lifestyles.

The typical hydroponic setup is usually placed in the kitchen, where gardeners can watch over usable goods such as herbs, fruits, vegetables and plants with medicinal properties. A good hydroponics kit normally comes with comprehensive instructions on how to get started, but you can easily hit a search on Google to find out more information such as mixture details, lighting requirements and more.

By: Martha Cadwell

Hydroponics has developed so much in the last 10 years that small hydroponic systems can be set up at home. Small hydroponic systems are perfect for people with very little garden space or concrete gardens.

Small hydroponic systems can be purchased quite easily and cheaply now days but some people still choose to create their own. Hydroponics at home allows people to grow their own crops at little costs and without the use of a soil garden. Also with hydroponics the growing is very low maintenance and the crops can be grown all year as they avoid the natural elements and pests.

Even though hydroponics is traditionally used for mass production of crops small growing systems can be custom fitted to fit in any space inside or outside the house. Also with hydroponics plants that can’t be grown in our climate can now be grown in the U.K as their natural environment can be recreated in the home. This means thousands of different plants can be grown at home.

Getting Started

· To start your own hydroponic garden, you need to decide where you will place your plants.

· Set up the area with lighting, heating and water.

· Make sure you have the right food for the right plant.

· Watch them grow.

Growing plant at home can be very easy; you just have to make sure you have the right about of light, heat, water and food for the plants to live. Timer systems will come in handy when controlling the amount of light and foot the plants gets.

Enjoy your growing.

By: Michael T. Edwards

Regardless of whether you love the smell of fresh roses, or making potpourri from the petals, there is nothing quite like growing roses in your own garden. Unfortunately, many areas do not have a climate that will enable grafted roses to grow and thrive. Fortunately, you can easily grow roses with a home hydroponics system.

Have you always wanted to grow a perfect blue rose, along with green, black, and purple ones? As you may be aware, many of these exotic rose colors result from a variance in nutrients found in the soil. For example, if a blue roses is kept in a certain type of soil, it will take on a reddish color. In a similar way, a red rose bush may produce yellow roses when the pH of the soil is not optimal.

When you use a home hydroponics system to grow roses, you can be assured that each plant will get the exact nutrients that it needs. At the same time, you will always be able to control lighting and temperatures. This is especially important to consider if you want to experiment with grafting, as well as creating your own strains of roses. As you may be aware, successfully grafting roses requires a good bit of patience and effort.

There is no question that growing roses challenges many gardeners. At the same time, if you go to a florist, you may not always enjoy the smell of roses that have been sitting in a refrigerator. Fortunately, when you create a hydroponics system like the ones found in The Hydroponics Garden Collection, you will be able to do all kinds of fascinating experiments with roses. You may even find that you will be able to create a stunning new rose color, or even one with multi-colored petals.

By: Lewis Dobson

More and more people are looking for ways to save money with the ever rising cost of food as well as gasoline. Some might say that there is a recession happening. That is why many people are doing every little bit that they can to cut corners to make ends meet. Hydroponic gardens are becoming more and more popular as you can grow a complete vegetable and herb garden as well as your own fresh and juicy fruits, right in the comfort of your own home.

Most people have heard about home hydroponics but they are not aware of how simple it is to do on your own. This type of gardening produces an abundance of plants and vegetables many times over than traditional gardening as you control the entire surroundings of the plants. If you leave Mother Nature to do all of the work, your plants will not get the same amount of nutrients, light and water that they really need each day to grow to their fullest potential.

With hydroponic gardens, you are the one who controls the amount of light your plant gets each day as well as the nutrients it gets and the amount of water. There are complete systems that you put in place that pretty much run the show for you. This leaves you a self sufficient garden with very little maintenance. You will see that, with home hydroponics, you will have so many more vegetables, fruits , herbs and plants than you would just doing it on your own.

You will find that your plants grow much faster and they will be much meatier, juicier and fuller than ever. You will not find produce on the market that will match the quality of the hydroponic gardens that are done in homes. You also get the satisfaction of knowing that your produce is free from chemicals and pesticides which makes them much healthier for consumption.

By: Janet Combs

The use of a home hydroponic system is literally growing in popularity – it’s discreet, does not require a lot of space, and plants respond well to this method of gardening. The term hydroponics was derived from the Greek word hydro, which means “water” and ponos, which means “labor or water-working.” Just like with traditional gardening, plants require sufficient light, water, temperature, and nutrients. But with hydroponics, no soil is used. Instead, hydroponics uses a wet growing medium and a special nutrient solution that goes directly to the roots. This enables the plant to spend more energy growing above the surface, producing more vegetation, larger fruit, flowers and vegetables.

In hydroponics, the nutrient solution is used to feed plants instead of plain water. Your plants should be fed through the nutrient solution more than three times a day, which is usually done using a pump and timer. The nutrient solution maintains the proper pH levels, so your plants receive everything they need to produce the best yield. A hydroponics system can be fully automated, and since it is water-based, there is no soil to dig or weeds to pull. Also, the solution can be re-used to prevent waste.

Anything can be grown with a hydroponic system, but some plants prove to be more space efficient, such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot chilies, lettuce, spinach, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, beans, snow peas, herbs and flowers of all types. No matter what you grow, you’ll get a better yield because the plants receive everything they need, so they tend to be healthier, faster growing and generally more productive. Expect 30% faster growth with many crops.

Hydroponics is the gardening method of the future. Scientists know that hydroponics offers the ability to feed parts of the world beset by hunger. They also recognize it as a means of decreasing the use of pesticides.

In general, home hydroponics allows you to grow plants of all types in limited space and without using soil. It’s an amazing way to produce perfect specimens and offers many advantages over traditional gardening.

By: Denise S.

Many home hydroponics gardeners miscalculate how much space is needed to produce a successful harvest. It will depend on what crops you intend to grow but the space must be large enough for the plants, the reservoir, high intensity lights, ventilation fans, exhaust fans, electrical wiring and more. For sure a hydroponics system will not fit under the kitchen sink and the smallest practical hydroponics garden will be the size of a clothes closet.

Grow tents are about the size of a clothes closet. They are lightproof enclosures designed specifically for an indoor hydroponics garden. Grow tents can be erected anywhere there is sufficient space, in the loft, conservatory or garage. They come complete with many features to enhance your plant’s growing environment.
Made from 100% lightproof material, they normally have a highly reflective lining with access holes for intake and exhaust fans, lightproof vents for good air circulation and fixtures and fittings for the electrical installation and plant support.

A typical grow tent is 1.2m X 1.2m X 2m high. This size of grow tent will have lightproof ventilation flaps, an intake and an exhaust fan and could accommodate a four pot hydroponics garden using a 600 watt growing light. Hydroponics gardens need adequate space vertically and horizontally. If plants are crowded they will not produce enough crops to make your efforts and expense worthwhile. A grow tent or clothes closet hydroponics garden of this size will not support itself in terms of cost versus yield. If you want a hydroponics garden that will pay for itself, then you will need at least double this size with of course increased lighting and ventilation.

Return on investment is not the only reason for up-sizing the space requirement for an indoor hydroponics garden.
Two other important reasons for providing adequate space for the plants are providing adequate exchange of air and control of humidity and temperature.

The most important source of nutrition for healthy plants is not the nutrient mix but the carbon dioxide in the air. In a typical plant, water accounts for approximately 95% of its weight. The remaining 5% is made up from dry matter in the form of carbohydrate, converted by the plant from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is therefore important to maintain adequate air exchanges in the growing environment so as not to starve the plants from this vital source of nutrition. Ventilation and air circulation are vital in controlling humidity and temperature.

Plants often grow best in an environment with 40-75% humidity and temperature between 18-23degC. If you cannot control these two factors you are likely to experience problems with disease, stunted growth, small yields and pest infestation.

So, make sure you consider the plant environment above the water line in terms of ventilation, humidity and temperature control before you take over your wife’s walk-in clothes closet, if you dare.

By: Jeb R

Tips for Growing an Indoor Hydroponic Garden

Some things go together out of pure necessity. Gardens, for example, are usually associated with soil for the obvious reasons. But, just because you lack soil does not mean you will be unable to cultivate a garden. Some may think such an assessment is outright daft but it really isn’t.

Those that have invested a great deal of time, effort and energy in learning the art and science of hydroponics will certainly attest to the potential to develop an amazing garden without access to soil.

Did you know, for example, that many people that live in urban areas are able to grow their own tomatoes and vegetables through the use of simple and basic hydroponic systems?

Some may think this is a stretch of the imagination but it is most assuredly not. All you need is the right system in place and you can develop an excellent hydroponic garden. You could even develop such a garden in the interior of your home or apartment.

While it is possible to build you own hydroponics system from scratch, you could save yourself a lot of trouble and simple purchase a ready made at-home hydroponics kit.

The process requires little assembly as it is not designed like a logic puzzle. It is merely designed as a conduit to getting your indoor and soilless garden up and running effectively and in as little an amount of time as possible. Once you have assembled the system, you are ready to start planting in it. Yes, you could consider any home hydroponics system ‘good to go’ as soon as you buy it.

Of course, assembly alone will not automatically lead to developing a successful garden.

There are too components that need to be added to the equation in order to enhance the odds of success. What are they? They are sun and irrigation.

When you place the hydroponics system somewhere in your interior, you will need to be sure it is a location that delivers adequate sunshine.

Plants need the sun in order to survive and there is no two ways around this. That is why picking a location that delivers an adequate amount of sunshine is of vital importance.

And if you do not add water to your hydroponic garden, it will not survive.

That is why it is critical to avoid missing any sessions where the plants are watered. And it is also advisable to add ‘plant food’ nutrients to the mix as well. This will increase the odds that the plants grow healthy and live a long life. And why would they not if they are being presented with adequate and helpful nutrition?

Yes, you can definitely develop an excellent hydroponic garden that can far exceed your expectations. More and more people are getting into this fun hobby….

Why not become one of them?

By: Whitney Segura

1. Portable Home Windmills

Windmills can produce free electricity, but currently most wind farms “sell” electric units to local Energy Companies, that profit from providing this to consumers. If someone invents a portable Home Windmill, that can generate enough electricity for home or office use. Then we could bypass local power companies, and become truly self-sufficient in our energy usage.

2. Home Hydroponics Gardening Kits

Areas were land is not very productive or scarce, often use the technology driven method of hydroponics to grow crops. The cost of this can be prohibitive to people, but if this was to change. Anyone with a small piece of land, could effectively grow crops that could be sold commercially or even help a household become more self-sufficient in food.

3. A cheap, efficient Electric or Water powered Car

Innovators have already hundreds of proto-types of electric or water powered Cars but they have not been massed produced yet. One car developed in Japan runs on dirty or clean water, but one drawback is that this car uses water, and does not recycle it. It has always been a mystery to why major automobile manufactures did have the money, to produce an efficient “Green” Car several years ago, but preferred to produce petrol or diesel cars. This failure has lead to many of these large corporations to face closure, or even nationalizations. A nationally owned Automobile Industry, could produce a Green car, with current technology, and reinvent itself as a success story of the new economy of the future.

4. Inexpensive, efficient Solar Panel Kits

One Asian based company have been exporting thousands of solar panel kits for Public and personal use for several years. These kits include DIY kits for home use, whilst other kits can produce solar powered street lights, and even advertising boards. Many developed Countries have been slow to emulate this major advance in self- sufficient energy use. A mystery considering it exists, has been manufactured, and could create electricity for millions of households, and public utilities throughout the World.

5. Wind powered Ships

Time is precious when it comes to International Trade, were usually Asian-based Manufacturers had to get there goods on European, and North American Store shelves quickly. This lead to faster, bigger container ships that were still using old fashioned fossil fuels.Times have changed, credit is scarce in Europe and North America, and Industrial Countries in Asia are exporting less. Perhaps its time to mothball these monster ships, and use one very new innovation, a container ship that uses sails. This ship does sail our seas today, it takes a few days longer to reach a destination then a traditional cargo ship, but costs much less to transport cargo, and with its use the technology will improve. This may also lead to the renewed use of wind powered ships in tourism, travel and even local transportation, once this technology improves.

6. Nano Technology

Nano technology is a technology that makes everything lighter, stronger, cleaner more precise and efficient. The ipod is a form of Nano technology, so are lighter laptops and smaller more efficient home appliances. Linking Nano Technology with Green Energy, could mean a new revolution in manufacturing, were today’s home and office appliances offer more, whilst use less energy.

7, Probes

Space exploration is getting ever cheaper and the main players are becoming emerging Countries like India, China, Iran and even North Korea. This proves any nation today, could explore space, leading to the internationalization of commercial space products. One product is the use of probes; unmanned, robots that can explore space or even inaccessible areas of Earth. Using Nano technology, these probes are inexpensive to use, and could find new worlds, or new energies within our own planet.

8. Wellness Products

As the worlds population grows older, the wellness Industry continues to grow, even as our old economy has effectively died. Many products are well known, others could reach our store shelves in the next few years. Many of these products may not be artificially made, but come from forgotten or lost knowledge from the use of the nature around us. Local companies in many Asian countries, already market many of these products locally. It is only a matter of time when scientists discover new wellness products, that could improve our health, and even produce a cheaper alternative to the mass produced medicines of today.

The future is bright if we can make use of new technologies that will only develop with use. Inventors cooperating with manufacturers could effectively create new industries that not only help humankind, but produce the jobs lost due to the death of our old economy.

By: Markus Taylor

There are basically two main types of hydroponic systems for home hydroponics. One is the recycling system; and, the other is the run-to-waste system. I’ll talk about the recycling systems first. These are the different techniques for this type of system:

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

NFT systems consist of troughs being used which can be made out of metal or plastic and are built on an incline to assist with the inflow/outflow process. The plants are planted in small grow cups containing Perlite grow media and placed in the troughs. A thin film of nutrient solution is constantly recycled through the trough(s) which allows the Perlite to absorb the nutrients and feed the roots. As the roots grow, they enter the troughs whereby they absorb the nutrient solution directly and develop larger root systems. This technique provides optimum uptake of nutrients which can greatly reduce the plants grow times. Perlite is mentioned as the grow media because it is a light weight media in which, due to its shape, allows maximum oxygen flow.

When using this type of grow system, be sure to purchase or build the correct size of troughs for the plants. Plants with large root systems will need large troughs to accommodate the roots. Otherwise, the roots will block the trough and the nutrient solution flow resulting in the plants starvation.

Pros:

No messy grow media (soil) required – making clean up much easier. The continuous flow of nutrient solution reduces the possibility of salt build-up. The consistency in the root zone temperature facilitates optimal nutrient up-take. Extremely good oxygen capacity due to the nutrient solution temperature.

Cons:

Plants need to be stabilized due to lack of heavy grow media. Not advisable for hot climatic zones due to heat problems resulting in lack of oxygen to the roots.

Aeroponics

With aeroponics, plants can be suspended without grow media or they can be planted in grow baskets filled with expanded clay pellets as their grow media. The aeroponics grow baskets are then placed into a larger, lightproof tank. The grow baskets or the suspended plants are placed level (flush) with the tank’s lid. The inside of the tank consists of a series of spray jets that are used to spray a fine mist of nutrient solution onto the grow baskets or the floating roots (depending on the choice made to use or not to use the aeroponics grow baskets). The nutrient mist keeps the grow media in the baskets moist and aerated while feeding the plants. As roots in the grow baskets grow, they enter the tank where they hang freely in the air. The spray jets are normally run 24 hours a day. Since this system provides nearly unlimited access to oxygen; the roots have maximum potential to absorb the nutrients and the plants “grow like weeds”.

Pros:

Same as NFT Systems.

Cons:

Same as NFT Systems. Delicate sprayer nozzles must be kept clean from debris. Power failure can cause loss of plants as they become dependent on their 24 hour treatment.

Flood and Drain System (Ebb & Flow Systems)

The flood and drain system, also known as ebb & flow systems, are recycling systems that feed the nutrients from underneath the plants. The plant roots are supported in slabs or cubes of coco coir or rockwool or expanded clay in net cups and are periodically flooded with nutrient solution.

The flood and drain table method has the plants supported in media slabs/cubes or blocks of coco coir or rockwool. The table is flooded using a submersible pump in a container of nutrient solution. Once the proper amount of nutrient solution has flooded the plants, the pump turns off and the nutrient solution begins to drain back into the container/reservoir. The feeding/flood process should take 15 minutes and reoccur every 2-3 hours depending on your plant’s needs.

The ebb & flow system consists of net pots filled with expanded clay as the grow media. The table is also half filled with the grow media in order to give the root system some support. To prevent light from hitting the grow media, a lightproof material is recommended for placement over the entire top of the table. This will prevent algae from growing on the media. Holes are cut into the cover to accommodate the net pots.

Pros:

There is less salt buildup due to the flooding of the root system during feeding cycles. This type of drainage system, where flood & drain occurs quickly, ensures good aeration occurs.

Cons:

This method consists of low grow media levels which is conducive to overheating in relation to climates or atmosphere and results in low oxygen levels maintained in the grow media.

There is a system on the market today that does not require a table for the ebb & flow technique but has individual buckets and plumbing to accommodate this method. You can, also, make your own.

Run-to-Waste Systems

Nutrient solutions are not recycled in run-to-waste systems. Instead they use an inert medium that has fluid retention rates similar to soil. This means they retain high levels of moisture for extended periods reducing the amount of feed needed and the frequency of feed cycles. These systems are set with an inflow tank of nutrient solution and an outflow tank to hold the waste. The nutrient solution waste is never fed to the plants again.

Pros:

Plants receive fresh nutrients with every feed cycle. pH and EC (environmental control) stability is above that of recycling systems. The nutrient solution is not likely to have bacteria buildup. The roots are well insulated from hot climate environments. Ideal for larger plants with high nutrient needs. Moisture retention in the grow media will last for days which ensure the plant’s protection against pump failure. Less maintenance.

Cons: na

Grow media used in run-to-waste systems are Coco Coir or Rockwool. The grow media of choice is based on the needs of the grower. Large greenhouses tend to lean toward rockwool whereby coco coir is becoming the choice by the enthusiasts.

Coco coir is known to hold 8 – 9 times its weight in water and more air than rockwool. This grow media can hold and release nutrients based on the plant’s needs. Coco coir does possess some characteristics that need to be considered prior to its use. It contains high levels of sodium/potassium and other impurities. Be sure when purchasing coco coir that it states it has been pre-soaked and pre-buffered. If it is not stated, then you will need to flush it with large amounts of water to remove the excess sodium.

Nutrient solutions specifically formulated for coco coir grow media are on the market and it is strongly recommended that they be used. This is due to coco coir containing high potassium levels which competes with calcium and magnesium.

Coco coir is bio-degradable which makes it an excellent mulch for the outdoor garden. You can throw it in the garden after it has served its purpose in the grow system.

Rockwool is man-made so it is a very clean, sterile and light grow media. Since it’s man-made, it does not contain any natural nutrient value. This means you will need to determine what nutrients are required and the exact level of nutrient solution needed for healthy plant growth. Rockwool contains a good water and oxygen ratio for healthy roots.

Wick Feed Systems

These systems require the plants to be anchored in a pot of an inert grow media. The media can be shredded coconut fiber, soilless mix, expanded clay pellets, perlite or vermiculite and a thick rope or cloth. The pot is then suspended in a larger container (pot) filled with the nutrient solution. The rope or cloth will extend from the plant’s root zone down to the nutrient solution reservoir. The rope or cloth (wick) will draw and absorb the nutrient solution to the plant roots. This is a very simplistic grow system. It can be enhanced by using a Smart Valve/Autopot System.

The Autopot system is based on the release of nutrients via a gravity feed valve. When the entire amount of nutrient solution has been used the valve will release more nutrients. The plant’s absorption rate determines the release of the nutrients. Therefore, there is no waste of the nutrient solution.

The Smart Valve is a float that will not release the nutrient solution until the reservoir, in which it sits, is completely empty. At that time, the valve will release the nutrient solution into the holding container where the plants are located. The plants will then uptake the nutrients through their root system (a capillary action that naturally occurs in the grow media). The system has an elevated container (Autopot) of nutrient solution that fills a lower container based on the level of nutrient solution it contains (Smart Valve) which is based on the uptake of the plants feeding needs. Got it? It’s really quite simple.

Pros:

Simple with no pumps or electricity.

Cons:

These systems will require careful monitoring to ensure the proper levels and absorption rates are occurring. Careful monitoring of nutrient solution temperatures will be required. This will be based on the air temperature. Too hot results in lack of oxygen & root rot; too cold affects uptake problems in the nutrients for the plants.

There are other systems “out there” besides the ones mentioned in this writing; but, these are the most popular and can be as small or as grandiose as you like. The one thing you must remember is that you have to control the environment to be successful. That means temperatures, aeration, nutritional balance and lighting and, least we forget, prevention of disease, bacteria, pathogens, and bugs. There are a multitude of hydroponics garden supplies and grow supplies to fit your needs and ensure a successful hydroponics experience for all.

In my next article I will be discussing plant nutrients and their multi-vitamin requirements.

By: Mel Barnett