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What is Hydroponic Gardening and what are it's advantages?
Simply put, hydroponic gardening is a method of growing plants, without soil, by providing food and water directly to the roots of the plant. By doing so, we eliminate the need for the root system to expand looking for food and water, so the energy normally used by the plant to search for food is used for faster upward growth and fruit production.
Since we don't have competing root systems, we can grow significantly more plants using hydroponics in a given area than those grown in soil. In addition, we recirculate the water and nutrients, so hydroponic gardening ends up using a fraction of the water, with no fertilizer run-off.
Another primary advantage to hydroponic gardening is control. We can quickly make adjustments as necessary to the strength of the nutrient solution, the pH, temperature, etc. to provide the perfect growing conditions and we eliminate soil as a breeding ground for common garden pests, reducing the need to apply harmful pesticides.
What are the different types of hydroponic systems?
There are several types of hydroponic 'systems', but they all accomplish the same thing, bringing the food and water to the roots of the plants. The most popular hobby hydroponic methods are Passive, Ebb and Flow, NFT or Nutrient Film Technique, and Aeroponics.
In a passive system, plants sit directly in the nutrient solution and the nutrient solution is oxygenated with an aquarium air bubbler so that the roots don't rot. This is the simplest form of hydroponic gardening.
An ebb and flow system has a separate nutrient reservoir with a growing tray directly above. A submersible pump in the reservoir, like the ones used in ponds, is connected to a fill and drain fitting in the growing tray. The pump is plugged into a timer, which automatically waters the plants in the growing tray 3 or 4 times a day for a few minutes each watering. When the watering cycle is finished, the solution drains back into the reservoir, pulling oxygen into the plant root system.
Nutrient Film Technique is a system that utilizes sloping gutters or PVC pipe. The plants sit evenly spaced in the gutters and a continuous stream of water and nutrients are pumped into the high side of the gutter. The stream has to be very shallow, no more than 1/8 of an inch deep or so. What happens in NFT is that the roots spread out and intertwine along the bottom of the gutter. The roots in the solution take up the food and water, while those that are growing above the water level take in air and oxygen.
Aeroponic systems use a very fine mist or spray directly on the roots of the plants. In other words, the root systems are not submerged with aeroponics, rather the nutrient solution is sprayed directly onto the root system.
What kind of maintenance is required?
Maintaining hobby hydroponic systems is really very easy, requiring a minimal amount of time. Daily maintenance should take no more than about 5 minutes, just checking to make sure the nutrient reservoir is topped off and the pH levels are correct. Every couple of weeks, your nutrient solution should be replaced with a fresh batch. The old nutrient can be used to water houseplants or landscape plants around the home.
What is the hardest aspect of hydroponic gardening?
Learning to pronounce the word 'hydroponic' correctly! Seriously, while hydroponic gardening may sound like rocket science to many, it is a very easy to master method of gardening.
What is a hydroponic medium?
Even though we have eliminated the soil, plants still require a place for their root systems to develop. A hydroponic media is an inert substance that can provide some support for the root system that has no nutrient value. Almost any inert substance can be used. A few examples include sand, gravel, vermiculite, perlite, LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) and rockwool.
What kinds of plants are grown hydroponically?
Virtually any kind of plant can be grown with the hydroponic method. The most popular hydroponic crops are lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, which you can now buy in many local supermarkets. Most of the cut flowers delivered in the U.S. are now hydroponic grown as well and home gardeners are discovering the benefits of having a cut flower production system on their balcony or patio.
Are there any drawbacks to hydroponic gardening?
Are there any drawbacks to hydroponic gardening? Since we don't have a large, supportive root system, heavy fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers may have to be trellised, depending on the hydroponic system used and variety. Root crops like carrots and potatoes present a special challenge as well, although while a bit more difficult to grow hydroponically, it can be done and with pretty spectacular results as well.
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