Welcome to GreenSea Hydroponics Online Grow Shop

Hydroponics is simply a method of cultivating plants from seed or cuttings to full maturity and harvest, without any soil involved in the process.

Hydroponics can be very confusing for many but one simple word can help you to remember the most important basic things required for plants to grow extremely well indoors with hydroponics, and that word is LAWN. Many growers when starting out do not understand the basic principals required by plants, so if you can remember this word and what it stands for you won’t go far wrong.

LAWN

LIGHT - Plants require light for them to grow, indoors or outdoors. Plants will use a process called photosynthesis, which is to absorb the energy given by the light through their foliage to help them to grow and also to collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere around them and to convert it into chemical energy within them in the form of sugars.

AIR - Plants require an abundance of fresh air rich in Co2 to be regularly supplied to them so they can breath through the millions of stomata, which are mouth or nose like openings on the under side of their leaves. Plants also require any hot stale air around them to be regularly removed to help prevent an unhealthy growing environment.

WATER - Plants require water to survive and also to transport the nutrients you supply to the plants so they can absorb them through their tiny root hairs. Good clean water is essential for hydroponics, and most commonly tap water is used which usually contains high levels of chlorine. Tap water should be left to stand in an open container for at least 24 hours before using, this will help lower the chlorine level as it will evaporate as it comes into contact with the air.

NUTRIENTS - Plants grown hydroponically will depend on a regular supply of nutrients that contain the correct essential elements for them to grow and flower. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are elements that plants will require in large amounts and will all be supplied in the nutrients you add to your water to feed your plants.

For more detailed information please read our What Is Hydroponics page and also our Home Hydroponics page, they are both packed full of useful information.

Hydroponics growing systems are designed for one thing only, and that is to maximise your plants potential. This method for indoor plant cultivation offers much faster growth rates compared to soil grown plants and also delivers a better yield from your crops.

There are many different hydroponic systems available but they all do the same basic thing, and that is to support the plants that are being grown in an inert growing media and deliver a nutrient rich solution directly to the plant roots.

First of all hydroponic systems can be put into two main categories, passive hydroponic systems and active hydroponic systems. A passive system will require an absorbent growing media to be used as it will use capillary action to draw the nutrient solution stored below the grow pots up into the growing media to feed the plant roots, passive systems require no pumps to be used. Passive systems do not usually drain or re-circulate any nutrient solution as the solution remains still. An active hydroponic system however, will require a pump and components to move the stored nutrient solution from the main tank and deliver it through the system to feed the plant roots. Active systems usually re-circulate all the nutrient solution back into the main tank making them very economical, but some systems can be run to waste if required to a drain or another tank.

Now you understand the two main categories, please read our what is hydroponics page for more Detailed Information on the various hydroponic systems available and how they all work.

Growing plants indoors will require a room or enclosure to be used to contain all of the growing equipment and of course your plants, and most importantly to allow you to easily control the photoperiod (light and dark hours received by plants in a 24 hour period).

Grow Tents can be used for this purpose and will provide the ideal portable growing enclosure for many people who wish to produce their own crops in the comfort of their own home, but have no spare room or cupboard. A grow tent can be assembled in minutes by one person and will provide you with a light proof environment for your plants, and with a sturdy frame fitted inside it allows all of your equipment to be hung and supported easily (lights, fans and filters), and as they are all fitted with inlet and outlet holes for your ventilation system your ducting can be fitted to your fans with ease, there is no need for any holes in your walls or ceilings. Grow tents are also available in many different sizes to suit everybody’s space and requirements.

Hydroponics growing media is inert (chemically in-active, no nutritional content), and its main use in hydroponic growing systems is to support your plants and allow the roots access to water, nutrients and lots of air.

As hydroponics growing media allows far more oxygen available to the roots of the plants and has a regular supply of water and nutrients delivered into it, it provides very fast growth and much better yields when compared to soil grown plants. Also the chance of any pests or diseases being carried in this type of growing media are far less when compared to soil, if in fact none.

There are many forms of hydroponics growing media available that are inert. Perlite, Vermiculite and Coco Coir are some of them, but the most common hydroponic growing media used is Rockwool and clay pebbles. Rockwool is a fibrous material that has good water retention and allows air to pass through, a slightly alkaline product that should be pre-soaked in an acidic solution to lower the PH level before use. Rockwool is mainly used with NFT hydroponic systems. Clay pebbles are small round pieces of clay that are cooked in a kiln until they expand to the required size and are most commonly used for flood and drain systems, but they can also be used for many other methods and also they can be mixed with soil to provide more aeration into the mix. Clay pebbles can become very dusty from transport and should be rinsed and cleaned before use to prevent any dust deposits entering your growing system.

Please take a look at our Growing Media page for a range of hydroponics growing media, soil's and coco coir.

Plants grown with hydroponics will depend on a regular supply of nutrients to be in the water that is provided to their roots, for them to survive and flourish. Hydroponics growing media is inert, containing no nutritional content for plants to absorb through their roots, so with hydroponics you need to add the correct nutrients into the water to feed them.

Hydroponics Nutrients are available in one, two or three part soluble formulas that contain all the correct essential elements for plants to be grown hydroponically, in an inert media. A good quality nutrient will contain macro and micronutrients in a well-balanced form that can be easily absorbed through the root system and then broken down chemically within the plant. Used correctly a good quality one, two or three part hydroponics nutrient formula will provide fast growth and great yields from your crops.

Macronutrients are the elements that plants require the most to grow, nitrogen (N), potassium (P) and phosphorus (K) are absorbed by plant roots in large amounts, secondary macronutrients such as magnesium, and calcium and sulphur are also used by plants in large amounts. Plant roots absorb micronutrients in very small amounts. Zinc, manganese, iron, boron, cobalt and molybdenum are all micronutrients.

Nutrient Additives and Boosts can also be added into the water supply for your plants and can help them in many different ways. Additives can be used to strengthen plant cells, stimulate root growth and help plants to fight against diseases. Boosts can be used to help with the growth stage of plants to deliver more branches and foliage and produce quicker growth, and boosts can also be used for flowering and fruiting your plants to produce more flowers, larger fruits and of course bigger yields.

Propagation is the first stage of a plants life grown from either seed or cutting, and can easily be achieved if the correct Propagation Equipment is used and the correct environment is provided.

SEEDS

Seeds can be placed directly into your growing media and kept moist in a propagator until they germinate, they require no light until they have sprouted out of the media only a nice warm temperature, or you can pre-soak seeds in water or tissue paper to help speed up the process and then plant them into your media as soon as the tap root is visible from the shell casing. Once seeds have started to grow they should be removed from the propagator and placed under a grow light that is suitable for young plants of this size, fluorescent lighting is a most popular choice of light for propagation as they are not to intense for young plants. Seedlings can be raised in a humid condition under fluorescent lighting, until they are well developed and ready for their next stage.

CUTTINGS

Cuttings can be taken from a donor plant for you to grow and flower. A sterile scalpel is used to cut a small part of the donor plant, and then the fresh cut end of the cutting should then be dipped into a rooting gel or powder and placed into your chosen pre-soaked propagation media. If possible match the propagation media to the chosen growing media for the plants life cycle as this will minimise transplant shock. Kept in a propagator to provide a high humid environment (85-95%) and placed under fluorescent lighting and provided with18-24 hours of light, your cuttings should produce root growth usually within 7-14 days. Be careful with watering your cuttings as the most common cause of failure has to be over watering. Your pre-soaked propagation media should require very little watering before your roots appear, if kept in the correct humid conditions.

Plants grown outdoors are provided with an abundance of light from the sun and they require this to grow. Plants use a process called photosynthesis, which is to absorb the energy from the light to help collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With the light energy, water and carbon dioxide collected inside the plant, it can be converted into chemical energy in the form of sugars (carbohydrates that plants require for growth). So when you are growing plants indoors it is equally important to provide them with artificial lighting to replace the sun.

Propagation

When growing from seed or cuttings, it is advisable to use fluorescent lighting with a blue spectrum (colour) of light. There are many types of propagation lights available that use compact fluorescent lamps and the benefits with these are that they produce very little heat and don’t cost much too run. Your plants can be kept under these types of lights for several weeks, even up until the point of flowering them.

Growing

After the first stage of your plants life under fluorescent lighting, they should now be well established and ready for the light to increase to help them grow much quicker and stronger. High Intensity Discharge lighting with a Metal Halide lamp that produces a blue spectrum should now be used, and will provide a much more intense light for your plants to grow under. To begin it is wise to keep your HID light high above your plant canopy and lower it daily to settle your plants in comfortably to their new environment. With the lights kept on for a period of 18-24 hours your plants will only continue to grow.

Flowering

When your plants are finally ready to flower and bear fruits you will need to change the photoperiod for your plants, which is the hours of light and dark received by plants in a 24 hour period. Most plants will now require the hours of light to be changed to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. This will basically trick the plants into a change in season and after a short period they will start to flower. Also the spectrum of light you provide will need changing from a blue spectrum to a red spectrum, High Pressure Sodium lamps are ideal to use with your HID light now, as they produce an intense red spectrum of light to help your plants develop their flowers and fruits.

HID Grow Light Recommendations

250w grow light for a floor space of 0.8 metres squared to 1 metre squared.

400w grow light for a floor space of 1 metre squared to 1.2 metres squared.

600w grow light for a floor space of 1.2 metres squared to 1.5 metres squared.

Please browse our Lighting page to see all of our propagation lights and HID grow lights that we have available.

Ventilation is essential when growing plants indoors either in a grow tent or room. Outdoors there is an abundance of fresh air rich in Co2 naturally available to all plants, so when growing any type of plants indoors you will need to re-create this with an extraction system and a fresh air supply, for your plants to survive and flourish.

It may sound confusing to understand but basically you need to remove all the odours and hot stale air produced by your plants and grow lights from your growroom, and supply good clean fresh air rich in Co2 into your growroom and the best way to do this is with carbon filters, fans, ventilation ducting and fittings. Hot stale air should be extracted from the growroom through a carbon filter with an inline fan and some ducting connected, for the air to be drawn through and travel to the outlet hole, taking all the hot stale air away from the plants and the growroom. Clean fresh air should be supplied into the growroom regularly, either passively through vent holes or with an inline fan and some ducting fitted to an inlet hole that allows fresh air from the outside to be drawn into the growroom, to create the correct environment for your plants. It is also wise to cover any inlet and outlet holes on your growroom with a filter or stocking to prevent any unwanted visitors entering uninvited, insects will flock in abundance otherwise.

When using two inline fans for your growroom it is also possible to connect these to a fan speed controller unit with a built in thermostat, this will give you total control on the temperatures of your garden with the touch of a dial and will also help to eliminate any major temperature fluctuations from occurring in your growroom, which will result in poor slow growth from your plants. Additional Co2 can also be added into your growroom with a Co2 controller unit and a bottle of Carbon Dioxide and will help to boost the growth and yield from your plants.

In addition to this it is also essential to supply good air movement and circulation throughout the growroom and amongst the plants with the use of an air-circulating fan. There are fans that can be fixed to a wall or placed on a floor and direct air in only one direction, or there are fans that can oscillate and spread the flow of air further around your garden. Placed correctly these fans can provide a continuous flow of air amongst your plants, and also make it more difficult for any insects to settle and damage your crops.

Hydroponics irrigation can be confusing even for the experienced grower, as there are many factors that contribute to your plants water consumption. Small plants obviously require far less water than large plants and temperature and humidity levels in the growroom will also contribute to the amounts your plants require. The easiest way to get your irrigation times right is to inspect your roots daily as they grow to ensure they are white, fluffy and look healthy.

Under Watering

Plants show signs of under watering with stunted growth and plant leaves wilting, dry brown roots will also slowly appear and this should be corrected by increasing your irrigation feed times on your system.

Over Watering

Plants show signs of over watering with leaves yellowing slightly and curling down, too much water drowns the roots and cuts off their oxygen supply and this should be corrected by lowering the irrigation feed times on your system.

Irrigation Fittings and Pipe can be used to make your own irrigation system when creating and building a hydroponics system, and there are many sizes of pipe and fittings available that will allow you to create any type of system, whether it is to deliver the nutrient solution to several areas from one pump or just directly to one main outlet.

Hydroponics requires strict control of your solution that you feed to your plants, to allow your roots to be able to absorb all the nutrients you supply in the water. If the levels are not met then all sorts of problems can start to occur and affect the performance of your plants, even sometimes kill them.

PH

The PH value of a solution can be measured to check if it is acidic or alkaline. Different plant varieties will require different levels of PH for the plants to be able to uptake the nutrients that you supply in the water, through their roots. PH is measured on a scale from 0-14, with 7 being neutral. Any measurement below 7 is acidic, and the farther below 7 the more acidic it is. Any measurement above 7 is alkaline and the same rule applies, the farther above 7 the more alkaline it is.

EC

EC stands for Electrical Conductivity and is a way to measure the strength of your nutrients you add into the water. Plants require far less nutrients to be supplied as they grow, compared to when they are flowering, and many nutrient formulas will provide you with an EC guide to follow for each step of the way. So being able to check your EC levels in your solution is very important and can be done with the use of an EC meter to give you an accurate reading of your nutrient strength to ensure your plants are fed at the correct level and not underfed or overfed. If your EC is to low your plants will struggle to grow and show signs of nutrient deficiencies, and if your EC is to high it can cause the plants to build up inside with to much nutrients and lock out all together, resulting in deformed burnt growth and eventually death.

Maintaining the correct levels for the PH and EC in your hydroponics nutrient solution can easily be achieved with a good quality PH and EC meter, giving you an accurate reading of your levels all the time.

When constructing a growroom, make sure it is a sealed environment that you are creating. All growrooms whether they are for hydroponics or soil cultivation should be sealed and kept very clean to help reduce the chance of any unwanted Pest’s or Diseases entering the room.

Most commonly it is usually you, the grower who transfers pests or diseases into your growroom either with plant cuttings from a friend or transported on your clothing. To solve this problem any plants received from a friend should be kept in quarantine for several weeks and inspected for signs before entering your main growroom and a regular set of clothing for working in your growroom will definitely help to eliminate any problems.

Just remember that prevention is better than cure, so it is best to be prepared for any attack from a disease or pests, both can destroy crops with ease and should be treated at first signs. Don’t wait until it is too late and remember a clean growroom is a healthy growroom that delivers.

In any hydroponics growroom some tasks can be very awkward and time consuming to complete, having some handy Timers, Tools and Accessories in your growroom can make life far easier and more rewarding.

Timers are essential in any grow room and can save you the heartache of having to turn electrical appliances on and off at certain times, easily set they can be used to control your pumps, fans and also your grow lights with the use of a lighting contactor. The correct tools for trimming and pruning your plants will reduce hand fatigue and will also leave as little tissue damage as possible on the plants. Yo yo’s or pea netting can be used to support heavy fruit bearing plants and microscopes can help you easily identify any unwanted pests that have entered your room. Drying and storing your crops is also essential, you have taken long enough to produce your crop so you don’t want to ruin it at the end, stackable mesh racks and hanging mesh racks can be used and take up very little space in your growroom.

Don’t struggle with tedious tasks get some handy timers, tools and accessories for your growroom to help you along the way.