hydroponics for beginners

Complete Hydroponics for Beginners Guide: 6 Hydroponics Systems you Should know

Ahhhh the future! Yup, when we say hydroponics is the future, there no denying it. Even a layman knows that it is. The world is changing, global warming and all. The water is becoming scarce or is already scarce in many places. The allocated land is getting smaller day by day. The one true solution to these two humongous problems, and many others is hydroponics.

In areas where conventional agriculture is simply not feasible, hydroponics allows people to grow food. This science enables the people of these regions to enjoy locally grown produce and increase their production of food. In high-density areas, where land is at risk, hydroponics is indeed beneficial.

This article will offer a brief introduction into hydroponics for beginners and will give you a great start towards making a hydroponic garden on your own.

What is hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a form of horticulture. It is a method of growing plants, generally crops, without soil. It uses water in the absence of soil, supplies nutrients, water intake, and oxygen for plant life. Hydroponics continues to be a form of water management and crop production that is eternal and versatile. Hydroponics is a means of skipping the soil, submerging itself in a separate substance to support the plant’s roots, and growing crops directly in rich water. Establishing your hydroponic system can be very frustrating at times. It is difficult to find out how it all works, how to pick a method, when to evolve, and how to grow plants. Although there are other elements to remember, the five above are the most core components of any hydroponic system. You will start to discover exactly what your plants need to survive by tracking and modifying these main variables.

Principles of Hydroponics for beginners

Many new gardeners become interested in hydroponic gardening because it allows them to grow their herbs year-round in a variety of locations. There are also so many different types of plants that can be grown with this method the possibilities of the gardener interested in hydroponics are nearly endless.   The basic idea behind a hydroponic system is that the plants do not have to be in soil to grow adequately, instead, they just need to have the nutrients and water that they need in order to grow healthy and strong.  There are many different types of hydroponic systems on the market, from types that a person can buy pre-made to those that the individual can build from easy to find materials.

Basic Principles of hydroponics to keep in mind

There are several primary types of nutrients that plants need to grow.  There are three main elements that are needed and these are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.  If the plants have these nutrients in the proper balance then they are best enabled to grow. 

There are also some secondary elements that are needed for the plants to grow healthy and strong and these contain primarily calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and sodium.  There are other secondary ingredients that will have to be monitored during the growth cycle of the plants, but these are the main elements that are needed.  If these elements are not kept in the proper balance, then the water that the plant is growing in will become toxic to it and it will die. For this reason DIY hydroponics systems can be somewhat difficult to maintain, however there are some amazing smart hydroponics systems on the market that are great for beginners.

In addition to the pH balance in the water, there also has to be a growth lighting system that is put in place for the plants to grow properly.  There are different types of lighting that can be used and each has different effects on the plants that are grown.  What is interesting is that plants naturally use different types of lighting during their growth cycle to get what they need.  For instance, when they are on a high growth cycle, plants will use the blue light, so using this type of light in the hydroponic system during this stage is ideal.  When the plants are in the flowering stage, they will use the red or orange light of the color spectrum, so using that type of light in the hydroponic system during that stage is ideal.

Types of hydroponics systems

Here are a list of the types of basic, popular and effective hydroponic systems that are being used around the world. These can be great ways to jump into hydroponics for beginners as well as systems that can be used for the more advanced grower.

Wick systems:

This is one of the simplest and oldest hydroponic techniques, often regarded a “passive” system because it does not require pumps to function.

In this arrangement, water and nutrients pass from a reservoir to the roots of a plant through a wick. The plants are suspended in growing substrates and are held in place in a tank of nutrient-rich solution. One end of the wick is placed in the culture medium and the other end falls into the nutrient solution. The wick is usually made of absorbent rope or fiber and quickly absorbs nutrients while regularly delivering them to plant roots.

Deep water culture Hydroponic Systems:

Another simple and easy to build hydroponic system. The plants themselves are kept in mesh pots with growing media and placed so that the roots hang in a container with nutrient solution and water. In this way, the roots receive regular nutrition. Air pumps and air stones (as in aquariums) are used to oxygenate the water by pumping bubbles through the solution.

Hydroponic Nutrient Film Systems:

Nutrient Film Technique systems deliver a nutrient solution to plants in a constant flow along gently sloping growth channel. The plants are placed in individual mesh pots and supported with a suitable growing medium. The roots grow in the growth canal, where they are in constant contact with the nutrient solution. Once the solution moves from one end of the growth channel to the other end, it falls into a reservoir, before being recirculated through the system to be reused.

We believe this is the best technique and suitable for both home and commercial hydroponics.

Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Systems:

In this method, the roots are not constantly exposed to the nutrient. Instead, they are placed in a tray containing a culture medium. As the name suggests, plants are “flooded” with nutrients from a reservoir and then the solution is “drained” by gravity into the same reservoir. The drained liquid is oxygenated using an air stone and is reused. Flooding is controlled by a timer and a water pump and the reservoir is flooded in this way several times a day, depending on the size and type of crop, and other factors.

Aeroponic systems:

Aeroponics systems are quite technical and advanced, and are generally not recommended for beginners. However, they can be one of the most productive hydroponic systems. The roots are suspended in the air and then sprayed with a fine mist of nutrient solution. Growers can choose to spray the roots at intervals or continuously.

Hydroponic drip system:

The most widely used hydroponic systems for commercial companies because they are easy to use even on a commercial scale. Here the plants are placed in a suitable growing medium and slowly fed with a nutrient solution through a drip line connected to a pump and a timer.

No soil is needed in a hydroponic system. You can grow crops in places where the land is limited or is heavily contaminated. The hydroponic gardening system makes better use of space and location. Hydroponics is water-saving. This profoundly affects climate change. The nutrients are used to their maximum capacity in hydroponics to have higher growth rates. Hydroponics is an area that is developing and has yet to achieve its true potential. People appreciate the satisfaction of growing their food, the improved taste, and the saved money that they profit from doing it on their own. 

Benefits of hydroponic gardening

Hydroponic gardening can be done outdoors in warm weather or indoors all year round and has many benefits including:

  • Efficient use of water and resources.
  • Without weeding
  • Rapid growth
  • High performance in a small space
  • No critters that steal crops
  • Clean vegetables
  • Ease of harvest
  • Consistent quality
  • No insects or soil related diseases

One of the best things about hydroponics is that it can be done in a small space: a balcony, a small patio, the roof of a building; it is the perfect method for starting an indoor garden. Since this is a stand-alone system, a hydroponic setup can be tailored to any size you choose (taking into account the weight of the water) to support yourself, your friends, your family, neighborhood or even a commercial one which can fulfill the needs of a whole town. Considering how much money you want to spend, what plants you want to grow, and what high-tech you want to use, there are plenty of options to choose from. To avoid making costly mistakes, do some research and choose the right method for you and your space.

How do I start a hydroponic garden?

First, decide whether you want to build a DIY or buy one.

For DIY one, it’s easy to build your own basic hydroponic system in many ways. Use a plastic storage container as a reservoir, an air pump to aerate the nutrient solution, or a submersible pump to circulate the liquid, and growing media or mesh pots to hold the plants. For those who have experience working with PVC pipes, there are many space-saving configurations that can be built to contain plants and transport water from one end to the other.

If you are not very practical, the easiest for the beginner (although it may be more expensive) is to buy a kit or a ready-to-plant setup. Buying one is easy, as is installing it. The initial cost is higher but consider it as a future investment. All your money will be back in two to three years. These hydroponic systems can range in size from a simple drip pot to a garden with PVC pipes or a growing tower with pumps.

Unless you are growing in a greenhouse, to get the 12-14 hours of daily light needed for good growth, additional lighting will also be needed. Depending on what you’re growing, this can be a basic LED grow light, which works for lettuce, vegetables, and herbs; or high intensity discharge lamps (HID) for flowering plants and fruits.

 easy-to-grow crops like lettuce or basil, and move on to more difficult crops as you gain confidence. Once your feet get wet, hydroponics can be a rewarding alternative to traditional gardening!

Start small and grow big!

Just start. Get into in it little by little because the world is only for those who keep it up with it and adopt innovations and advancements. Natural selection at its working! There will be a time when you’ll be self-made professional. Adios, for now.

hydroponics for beginners
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