A Guide to Growing a Hydroponic Garden

A hydroponic system lets gardeners grow different types of vegetables and fruits without soil, which is very convenient for those who are thinking of growing a garden in places that are not very common. For example, the U.S. Navy plants veggies in submarines using hydroponics. Although hydroponics typically refers to the method of growing in water, such growing technique can likewise integrate plants grown with aerial roots or even flooded with hydroponic nutrient solution.

A hydroponic system could help plants conserve water as well as prevent problems that have to do with traditional gardening using soil, such as pests and diseases transferred from the soil to the plants. In order to enjoy such benefits, you will have to set up the hydroponic system carefully to provide your plants with everything they need to grow and flourish.

1. Find an area with lots of air circulation, then set up a hydroponics system there. If you want an indoor area, choose a place which is not exposed to direct sunlight; maintains temperatures ranging from 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, is able survive spilling of water once in a while, and has water and electricity source. One smart choice is the basement.

2. Grab a container or a big tray, an empty tank for example, and drill 1 1/2 inch holes in lid of the tray or container where plants will grow. Also, cut one-inch think holes in a Styrofoam sheet, to float on the surface of the water. Drill some more holes in random for aeration and fill the container with plain water.

3. Set up a 2-bulb, 4-foot fluorescent light which gives cool white light for a hydroponic system set up indoors. Such light supports most green and leafy vegetables. Mount it so that they're 3-4 inches above your plants.

4. Then put plants in the holes. Pack cotton or a similar material around the stems of your plants, so they'll stay in place. Submerge roots in the water.

5. Apply fertilizer every other week with hydroponics nutrient solution, that has micronutrients and phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. Increase the frequency of giving fertilizer to once per week as your plants grow. Every day, add plain water and fill your container up to few inches before the brim. This is because water evaporates.

6. To oxygenate the roots of your plants, pump air bubbles into the water, spacing the bubbles 1/2 to 1 inch apart. An aerator used for a fish tank will do for a small container or tray.

More Tips:

Before you begin planting, you could plant your seeds in peat moss or rock wool, and rinse the potting materials and transplant the seedlings into the tank when they have started to have leaves.

Warning:

Never add hydroponics nutrient solution if you top up the water. Otherwise this would lead to fertilizer overdose which could burn your plants.

If you are looking for hydroponics nutrients that could help you grow productive, disease-resistant plants, check out CX Hydroponics by clicking on the link.