Hydroponics Growing Systems for Beginners, The In's and Out's to get started in the fascinating world of Hydroponics
Hydroponics growing systems consists of the science of growing plants without soil, Hydroponics came about just before World War 2 when scientists learned how to grow plants using only nutrient enriched water.
Since the early days, Hydroponics have come a long way from farms to greenhouse and now recently to individuals homes. At this time Holland leads the way in hydroponic research and using hydroponics for commercial purposes in growing vegetables.
Hydroponics is a fascinating hobby and is now available to the average person to experiment with. Maintaining a hydroponic garden is low maintenance and involves only routine checks of ph levels, keeping water levels full and changing nutrient solution every couple of weeks. Almost everything else in a hydroponic garden is taken care of automatically with timers and pumps.
Since the early days, Hydroponics have come a long way from farms to greenhouse and now recently to individuals homes. At this time Holland leads the way in hydroponic research and using hydroponics for commercial purposes in growing vegetables.
Hydroponics is a fascinating hobby and is now available to the average person to experiment with. Maintaining a hydroponic garden is low maintenance and involves only routine checks of ph levels, keeping water levels full and changing nutrient solution every couple of weeks. Almost everything else in a hydroponic garden is taken care of automatically with timers and pumps.
Hydroponics Growing Systems and General Hydroponics Requirements
Whether you are a beginner or have a bit of experience under your belt will depend on what type of hydroponics growing systems that you decide to experiment with. No matter what type of hydroponic system that you decide upon the basic requirements that all plants require must be met.Supplying our plants with the things that will cause them to prosper is important and include the following.
Sufficient Light
Food and Nutrients
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Water
Heat
Fresh Air
With hydroponics it is imperative that you maintain the perfect levels for the plants that you are cultivating. Soil based plants have the advantage of a buffering in the soil, so if we over water or over feed, the soil acts as a pillow. In Hydroponics we don't have this luxury and have to be precise.
Hydroponics Growing Systems
In setting up your first hydroponics growing systems some of the basic requirements are a reservoir to hold our nutrient solution, a tray that our plants will be contained in, a pump to supply the nutrient solution to our plants, and some sort of growing medium.If you are choosing to grow indoors you will also have to take into consideration lights that mimic the suns rays. Indoor systems also must have a form of temperature and atmosphere control, that keeps the rooms temperature in correct levels and ventilates. You can find complete systems from $100 to several $1000 depending on the size of your operation.
Hydroponics growing systems Bubble Buckets for Beginners
I want to share with you all one of the easiest hydroponics growing systems to build for a beginner, it does take a bit of money to get started, but you can get it done for less than $50. Start by getting a 5 gallon bucket with lid, ensure that know hazardous materials were ever contained in the bucket. Next you want to obtain a net cup similar to the ones used in pool filtration systems that catch the leaves in a pool.You want to cut a hole in the lid of your bucket large enough for your net cup to sit in but not fall through. It is best to cut the hole large enough so that the net cup sticks out the top about an inch.
Next you want to cover every inch of your bucket including the lid with aluminum type tape (do not use duct tape) this will keep all light from entering into your bucket and starting algae to growing.
Next get some medium your plant will grow in, I always preferred hydrotron, which are marble sized balls made out of a lava rock type material. You will start your plants in the normal fashion until they get an established root system, and then move them to your net cups.
Hydroponics Growing Systems Bubble Buckets For Beginners Part 2
Fill your hydroponics growing systems bucket with nutrient solution, you can buy a commercially made solution or make one yourself using miracle grow water and epsom salts. Fill the bucket just high enough until the roots of your plant sit about one inch above the level of the nutrient solution.Obtain a fish aquarium blower, the kind that blows bubbles through a air stone in fish tanks. I always got a slightly more powerful one than I thought I needed. You will run a hose from the pump into your solution so that it will keep the nutrient solution aerated, and so that the solution splashes up on the roots of your plants.
This is as simple as it gets, and it works amazingly well, all of the maintenance required is keeping your nutrient solution levels at proper heights, and changing out your solution every couple of weeks.
Your plant roots will eventually fill up your bucket, but as long as you keep the pump running they will thrive.
Here's my favorite link:
Hydroponics Growing Systems Discussion
Have any experience in Hydroponics? Ever wanted to try your hand at Hydroponics? We would love to hear from one and all on the topic of hydroponics and home built systems.
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- Michael_Benniton Michael_Benniton May 16, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
- This lens is really good, lots of great images!
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