Getting Started with Hydroponics
April 14th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Many people who lack a backyard in which to grow a garden are turning to hydroponics. It is also a favorite pastime of year round gardeners who like to grow plants throughout the winter months, not just in the summer.
Hydroponic gardening offers many challenges. Yet there are numerous advantages to this gardening technique as well. Hydroponics can actually produce larger plants and fruit as well as greater overall yield. This is all possible with less work than that involved in a regular garden.
Weeding, for example, is much less of an issue in the typical hydroponic setup. The growing medium makes it hard for the weeds to get started and they’re easily pushed out when they do.
But it’s harder to manage the nutrient and water requirements. Light control is more important, and pH adjustment is critical. In a soil-based garden, many of these factors are self-regulating. But in hydroponics, they need a little extra care from the gardener.
Buying a kit is the easiest way to get going on a hydroponics garden. Since you don’t have to do a lot of research regarding what you need to purchase, these kits are particularly valuable to the novice. They come complete with everything you need, from trays to tubing and air pumps to lights.
Terrific Landscaping Ideas For Your Garden
But you’ll still need to properly tend your hydroponic garden. You need to feed the proper nutrients to your plants. You’ll have to set up a feeding system and monitor it regularly. Automatic watering systems will need to be arranged.
Just like with your outdoor garden, you have to pay attention to pests and disease in a hydroponic setup. Harmful substances such as mildew and bacteria thrive in an environment that’s continuously moist. Many common garden pests will still need to be dealt with.
There are actually several media in which you can grow plants hydroponically. Some hydroponic gardeners prefer an all-water system. Here, plants grow in a tray filled with nutrient solution, and are supported by strings to keep them straight. Other gardeners enjoy working with media such as rockwool and perlite.
A convenient way to grow a hydroponic garden is in a greenhouse. It makes it much easier to monitor various growing conditions such as water, light and air.
Another option is using hydroponic grow boxes, which are also known as grow tents. This is a compact, completely enclosed unit that contains everything your plants need to thrive. Ventilation and lighting systems are standard equipment. Grow boxes simplify the whole process of hydroponic gardening by providing an ideal environment for your plants.
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