What Is Hydroponics

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics can be classed as an art or science of growing plants in an inert media that is supplied with water containing the correct nutritional elements for plants to grow in a soil free environment.

In basic terms hydroponics means to grow plants in a growing media that is not soil and contains no nutrients (inert), as all the nutrients required by the plants to grow will be supplied in the water by you.

Hydroponics can be used to grow plants from seed or cuttings to full maturity and harvest without any soil involved, and it can produce much quicker growth from your plants and also much better yields.

The word hydroponics originated from the Greek words Hydro meaning water, and Ponos meaning labour (to work), and this method of plant cultivation has been around for many, many years.

Hydroponic Growing Systems

Hydroponic growing systems are designed to maximise your plants potential, by supporting your plants in an inert growing media and providing them with a regular supply of water and nutrients directly to their roots. Hydroponics growing systems also allow high levels of oxygen into the root zone as well, and this along with the nutrients will help push your plants to their limits.

Hydroponic growing systems can be classed as active or passive systems. Active systems re-circulate the nutrient solution or sometimes run to waste and passive systems usually do not need draining as the solution remains still.

Active
An active hydroponics system will require a pump or components to actively move the stored water and nutrients in the system to feed your plant roots regularly.

Passive
Passive hydroponics growing systems require an absorbent growing media to be used, as the system will use capillary action to draw all water and nutrients from beneath into the growing media to feed your plants.

Run to Waste
A run to waste hydroponics growing system will deliver water and nutrients to feed your plant roots and then allow the excess solution from the growing media to drain and be directed away from the main tank, normally to a drain or another tank for waste.

Re-circulating
A re-circulating hydroponics system will actively deliver water and nutrients to feed your plants and then allow all excess solution to drain back into the main tank and re-circulate. Active re-circulating hydroponic systems are the most popular choice, as they produce very little waste.

We have listed below some of the different techniques used for hydroponics and the different types of growing systems, and have briefly explained how they work.

AEROPONICS
Aeroponics Growing Systems are designed to support your plants in the top of the system, usually in mesh pots to allow the roots to be suspended below in the dark in a sealed container or tank and misted or sprayed constantly or regularly at timed intervals with a nutrient rich solution. Excess solution will drain from the roots and system and re-circulate back into the main storage tank for later use. Aeroponics is an extremely clean and efficient way to grow and requires very little growing media to support your plants, and with the large amounts of oxygen available to the roots it is also one of the quickest methods of plant cultivation as well.

DEEP WATER CULTURE
Deep Water Culture is a very simple, yet very effective method for hydroponics. Plants are supported in the top of the system and the roots are suspended below in the dark sealed container or tank and submerged into a deep solution of water and nutrients that is constantly aerated and highly oxygenated by an air pump and stone. The flow of bubbles into the solution and around the roots allows the plants to flourish, and with a constant supply of water and nutrients they grow very quickly. DWC is becoming a very popular method with growers, as it requires very little growing media and is an easy way of growing with hydroponics.

DRIP SYSTEMS
Hydroponic drip systems are a favourite with many growers as they are very easy to use and also a very reliable method for plant cultivation. Plants can be grown in pots, trays or slabs and irrigation feed lines will be placed into the media to drip and deliver the nutrient solution, the solution will drain through the media to feed the roots and any excess nutrient solution will be re-circulated back into the main tank or run to waste. A great example of a hydroponic top feed drip system is a Drip Potz System , which is capable of re-circulating the nutrient solution or it can be run to waste.

FLOOD & DRAIN
Hydroponic flood and drain systems do exactly what they say, they flood the system with water and nutrients to cover the media and plant roots to feed them, and then they drain pulling in large amounts of fresh air into the growing media and roots of your plants. Flood and Drain growing systems can be made from trays or more commonly pots and connected to a large tank filled with your solution ready for flooding the system and plant roots.

NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
NFT is probably the most popular method used for hydroponics. NFT Growing Systems use a sloped top tray to support and grow your plants on, and this tray is placed onto a tank or supported with a stand and a tank. A pump is placed into the tank to deliver your stored water and nutrients up into the high end of the top tray and with the slope it will slowly fall across the tray and plant roots and back into the tank and re-circulate. Plants are usually grown in rockwool blocks, which are sat onto the top tray when a good root system is established. A piece of correx (plastic sheet) is used and holes are cut out to position your plants on the top tray, the correx prevents the light penetrating your roots and affecting growth.

PASSIVE SYSTEMS
Autopots are an excellent example of a passive hydroponics system for growing with an absorbent growing media, like Rockwool grow cubes or coco coir. Autopots can be used alone for one plant to be grown and they can also be linked, allowing as many pots linked together as you require. The nutrient solution is stored in a tank and each plant pot is placed into an Autopot tray that will be connected to the tank. These trays have a float fitted inside that allows the nutrient solution to fill up the tray as it gets to low. Your plant roots will have a constant supply of water and nutrients available but will not be sat directly into the solution, the absorbent media will deliver it to the roots instead.

SLAB CULTURE
Slab cultivation has been around for many years and is widely used in the commercial side of hydroponics for the production of tomato's and strawberries. Slabs are available in Rockwool slabs or coco slabs and they will both fit neatly into an Aquatray to catch excess solution and direct it into pipes to drain. Irrigation feed lines can be assembled to allow your nutrient solution to be top fed into the slabs to feed your roots. Aquatrays and slabs are great for those who wish to make their own system to suit their space and can be assembled easily. This method is also a favourite with many Dutch growers.

VERTICAL SYSTEMS
Vertical hydroponic systems can be very productive as they allow many more plants to be grown in a much smaller space than usually required, and with far less lighting used than you could ever imagine. Vertical Systems position your plants in a vertical position around the lighting rather than in a horizontal position beneath the lighting. This design allows many more plants to receive the light provided and grow extremely well. Vertical growing systems are not designed to grow large plants, but as there are many smaller plants grown the benefits are obvious.

When choosing your hydroponics growing system the main things to consider are the type of plants you want to grow and how many, there will be a system out there somewhere to suit your needs.

Hydroponics Growing Media

Hydroponics requires an inert (chemically in-active, no nutritional content) growing media to be used, as all the nutrients required by the plants to grow will be supplied in the water.

Hydroponics Growing Media is used mainly to support the plants that are being grown and allow the roots access to water, nutrients and air at all times. This is one of the main reasons for hydroponics cultivation being so much quicker and better than soil grown plants. A soil grown plant will divide its energy into root growth and plant growth to ensure it uptakes any available nutrients, but a hydroponically grown plant is supplied with all the nutrients it requires directly to the roots and with higher amounts of oxygen also available, it allows the plant to concentrate more on plant growth.

The most common growing media used for hydroponics is expanded clay pebbles and Rockwool fibres, these both hold oxygen, water and nutrients very well and contribute to the plants ability to grow very fast. There are several other growing substrates that can be used for hydroponics, such as perlite, vermiculite, gravel and foam, all of which can deliver some great results.

Irrigation feed times can vary with the different types of hydroponics growing media, and it will also depend on the size of your plants and the environment conditions in your growroom.

Hydroponics Nutrients

Hydroponics Nutrients are available in one, two or three part soluble formulas that contain all the essential elements for plants to be grown in an inert growing media, without any soil. Most nutrient formulas will have a growth and a bloom nutrient and each will contain the correct NPK ratio for the stage that your plants are at. Grow formulas contain much more nitrogen than bloom formulas, as nitrogen is required by plants in large amounts for them to grow quickly. Bloom formulas contain higher levels of phosphorus and potassium, which are both critical during a plants flowering period for them to develop extremely well. Additives and boosts can also be used as an addition to your regular nutrient and can help assist to boost your plants production in many ways.

Plants will absorb the nutrients you provide through their roots, and provided you do not exceed the amount they require you should have no problems. A common problem for many new growers is over feeding their plants with nutrients thinking it will benefit the plants to have more, but in fact it can be the opposite. Most nutrient formulas come with feed schedules to guide you along the way and they provide an EC level for you to follow, this will of course be to the maximum amount the plant is able to withstand so that you use as much of their nutrient as possible, but it is normally better practice to go below these guide lines slightly as a little less can usually benefit the plants a lot more.

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. 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, 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.

Used correctly a good quality one, two or three part nutrient will provide you with fast growth and great yields from your plants.

Hydroponics Nutrient EC & PH Control

The nutrient rich solution that you provide to your plants in your hydroponic system should be maintained and kept at certain PH and EC levels for your plants to be able to uptake all the nutrients through their roots that you supply in the water, and not underfed or overfed.

PH and EC meters and Up and Down solutions will help you to check, adjust and control your nutrient solution regularly with ease.

PH
Different plant varieties require different PH levels to be able to absorb the nutrients through their roots. PH is measured on a scale of 0-14 with 7 being neutral, below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Depending on the type of plants you are growing it is necessary to know the PH level they require, so you can maintain this level.

The control of your PH level in your nutrient solution can easily be checked and adjusted accordingly with the use of a PH manual test kit or meter and with some PH up or down solution. Regular checks and necessary adjustments will allow your plants to uptake all the nutrients you supply in the water and perform at their best.

Your nutrients should always be added first to your water before you check and adjust the PH level in your solution.

EC
The strength of your nutrients that you have added to your water can be measured easily with an EC meter. Electrical conductivity is increased in the water as you add your nutrients and this allows the EC meter to get a reading of the flow of current to display the strength of your nutrient solution for you to read.

When adding your nutrients to your water and testing the EC level, if you have gone to high and your reading exceeds what you require simply drain some solution and add some more water, this will lower your EC level. To raise your EC level simply add more nutrients into the water.

Young plants will require a low EC and of course big plants will require a much higher EC level to be maintained.

Feed Schedules will give you an EC and PH level to follow and guide you through the life cycle of your plants, making life much easier.

What's Better Hydroponics or Soil?

Hydroponics is definitely better when compared to soil grown plants, the rate of growth and yield from fruit bearing plants cannot compete from a soil grown plant to a plant grown hydroponically. Hydroponics supplies all water and nutrients directly to the roots of the plant and this means the plant does not have to develop a large root system to feed, but with soil the plant will divide its energy between growing upwards (plant vegetation) and also downwards (roots) to ensure a good supply of nutrients is available to the plant. To put it simply, a plant grown for ten weeks with hydroponics will be a lot bigger and stronger, yielding much more than a plant grown for ten weeks in soil, and if the plants are flushed correctly to remove all the nutrients before harvest, the taste from your fruits should be much the same.

Hydroponics is the Future

The population on this planet is increasing at a very fast rate and food supplies are in very high demand all over the world, most land available is being consumed rapidly for more housing to be built on and not for more food crops to be grown. Another problem for crops grown outdoors is the weather and pests or diseases. Bad weather and poor light can diminish the crops yield and pests or diseases can wipe out crops totally with ease. Hydroponics offers much more protection for crops, towards any of these problems. Artificial plant lighting is supplied when needed, so no lack of sunlight to diminish the yields, and the chance of pests and diseases entering the growroom is unlikely, but if it happens it can be much easier to treat and eradicate the problem, and best of all the nutrients required by the plants are delivered directly to the roots, providing fast efficient growth and extra big yields. Hydroponics is far quicker than soil and can provide more harvests per year, clearly a winning solution that has finally been recognised by many people as a way of producing crops regularly and efficiently all year round. It has been researched and developed so much over the last ten years by many people in many countries around the world, even NASA are using hydroponics as a means of supplying food crops in space, the future looks good for us all.

Grow Your Own

With artificial plant lighting, growroom ventilation and a hydroponic system and nutrients you too can produce your very own crops, all year round and in the comfort of your own home. Go on give it a try you will be amazed with the results possible, you can buy all the supplies you will need online from GreenSea Hydroponics and grow your own.