Hydroponic History

A Lesson In Hydroponic History

Hydroponic gardening enjoyed a very powerful but brief stint of popularity in the 1970s. It seemed that hydroponics would soon take over the more conventional forms of farming and become our primary source of food in what we nervously referred to as "The Future."

Now that "The Future" is here, what happened to all of our hydroponic gardens? It was predicted in the 1980s that all of our food would be grown hydroponically by now, yet it's still a challenge to find even one hydroponic farm in a traditional agricultural setting. So what happened?

Stories And Examples

Hydroponic history actually extends much further back than the 1970s. In fact, hydroponic history studies tell us that the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon (dating all the way back to 600 B.C.E.) may have been the first successful hydroponic gardening story.

There is a very interesting story in the hydroponic history books that tells about the Central American Aztecs in the 11th century. This hydroponic history story tells us that the Aztecs lived in an area where there was no land to grow crops. Rather than starve, the Aztecs improvised a hydroponic solution. They wove rafts out of reeds and other plant material, then placed soil from the bottom of a lake and placed it on the rafts. The rafts were left to float on the river, and plants were rooted in the soil. When the plants grew, their roots penetrated through to the lake below.

Many centuries later, an American scientist named William F. Gericke became the father of modern hydroponics, even inventing the term "hydroponic" itself. It was the 1930s and the first time that the general public really got excited about the possibilities of hydroponic growing. While Gericke's advancements did go down in hydroponic history, his method didn't gain a mainstream following.

During WWII, American and British armed forces took up the cause of hydroponic farming to feed soldiers who might otherwise have not had access to fresh produce. This interesting bit of hydroponic history is all but lost amid other tales of the war, but many soldiers had hydroponic farming to thank for their health during this time.

Later, the 1970s brought about a renewed interest in environmental causes and healthy foods, two things that are now associated with hydroponic farming. If hydroponic history had taught us anything by this time, it was that this growing method could be extremely successful if applied in a sensible way. Unfortunately, hydroponics again failed to gain a successful mainstream following.

Recently, worries of global warming and soil exhaustion have driven farmers, casual gardeners, and many others to examine the possibility of hydroponics again. Although we can't say what the future will bring, we can tell from these hydroponic history stories that a soil-less farming future is definitely within our grasp if we should choose to explore it.

Used Hydroponic Equipment

Cut The Cost Of Hydroponic Gardening With Used Hydroponic Equipment

Hydroponic gardening is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity, the likes of which gardeners haven't seen since the introduction of this fun and space-friendly form of gardening. If you've always wanted to try it but don't think you can afford all of the specialized equipment, there may be help for you.

You're Not Alone

Many hydroponic supplies companies are now selling used hydroponic equipment along with their new stock. They may sell on consignment, or they may buy used hydroponic equipment from other sources to sell back to you, the beginning hydroponic gardener.

Additionally, there are plenty of agricultural supply companies jumping on the hydroponics bandwagon. They sell used hydroponic equipment from time to time, though most won't carry new equipment because it's not their main source of business. If hydroponic gardening seems intimidating or too expensive, take heart. Once you get started and your new plants are sprouting and thriving, all of your hard work will be well worth it.

If you'd rather buy directly from a person, you can find used hydroponic equipment advertised in the newspaper, on online gardening forums, and even on some online classified ad sites. The used hydroponic equipment is usually sold for just a fraction of its original cost, and since individuals can sell for a lower price than companies, this is often the most cost-effective way to get your used hydroponic equipment.

What Type of Equipment Will I Need?

When you get started in hydroponics, you'll need a few basic pieces of used hydroponic equipment. The most basic of these needs are a light source and a grow box or other containers for your plants, such as buckets. You'll also need supplies, like nutrient mix and seeds or starter plants. There are many other pieces of used hydroponic equipment that you will need and/or want down the line, but these are the things that you positively can not grow without.

Some equipment which you might need in the beginning (or might not, depending on your particular setup) is an enclosure such as a greenhouse and a fitted irrigation system. These pieces of equipment can be improvised or done away with altogether, depending on how and where you intend to grow.

The cost to get started in hydroponic gardening varies greatly. If you are buying used hydroponic equipment instead of new, the cost will obviously be lessened significantly. Additionally, the type of plants you plan to grow, your growing space, and your choice of growing media will all affect your initial expenditure.

Tabletop Hydroponic Garden

The Tabletop Hydroponic Garden

A hydroponic system is the technique to grow plants without using soil. In this technique, nutrient rich water solution is used to feed the plants. A tabletop hydroponic garden is nothing but a miniature form of greenhouse. Needless to say, it is an excellent beauty object to enhance the look and feel of an interior. While making a tabletop hydroponic garden, you can grow fresh vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruits and plants. Typically, the design of the tabletop hydroponic garden is so methodical and stylish that augments the entire beauty of the room.

Necessary Components

In the tabletop hydroponic garden, a planting bed is installed. This can be of any size which is suitable to place according to your convenience. The plants of tabletop hydroponic gardens grow in the growing medium, which is an inert pH balanced solution helpful for providing the necessary odorless support to the plants, especially the roots. This growing medium can preserve moisture with an outstanding capacity. The entire planting system along with the growing system is covered with the help of a transparent and well-vented greenhouse cover.

Moreover, typically a 600ml reservoir bottle is installed in the tabletop hydroponic garden. This aids in automated dispensing of the nutrient solution. When you buy the tabletop hydroponic garden system, you will be supplied nutrient balanced formula specifically formulated for hydroponic system. This is an essential ingredient for the healthy growth of the plants. This formulation contains all the necessary trace elements and minerals in their most untainted form, which is easily soluble in the water.

Selecting the Plants

Although hydroponic plants are healthier than traditionally grown plants, not all plants can be cultivated using hydroponic systems. The same is true when you are using a tabletop hydroponic garden. A wide numbers of people actually prefer to grow flowers in their tabletop hydroponic gardens. If you want to do the same, you may try to cultivate asters, forget-me-nots, California poppies, chrysanthemums, dwarf zinnias, ageratum, candy tuft, and dianthus. Otherwise, if you are interested to grow herbs, fruits or vegetables, you may plow chives, dill, sage, fennel, thyme, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, sweet basil, chili peppers, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and strawberries

Fundamental Environmental Factors

Similar to any other hydroponic system, the tabletop hydroponic garden depends on fundamental environmental factors like water solution pH balanced nutrition, appropriate light in addition to sunlight, humidity, and temperature. Typically it should be placed in light for 10 to 18 hours a day. The ideal temperature must vary between 65°F and 76°F. A certain amount of humidity is very essential for healthy growth and development of the seedlings. Additionally, general care is also important such as pinching off and discarding all the dead leaves, removing any sort of fallen leaves as well as debris from the planting bed.

PVC Piping in the Hydroponic Garden

Know The Fundaments Of PVC Piping in the Hydroponic Garden Before Installing

The use of PVC piping in the hydroponic garden facilitates the rapid cropping system in a unique and effective manner. Since PVC piping is very cost effective and hard-wearing, it is an excellent means to deliver nutrients to the plants, shelved in the baskets. These obtrude in the PVC piping used in the hydroponic garden depends on the type of the crops. Either four or six inches diameter-sized PVC piping in the hydroponic garden can be used, depending on the type of the crop and budget limit.

Difference Between Four And Six Sized Piping

The size of the PVC piping used in the hydroponic garden varies based on their nutrition insertion techniques. Four inch PVC piping takes up an individual source injector placed at the end point of the drain fitting, due to its shorter length. This confirms the nutrient circulation is optimum without any possibilities of stagnation. On the other hand, six inch PVC piping used in the hydroponic garden takes up an inner length measuring up to ½' diameter, which sprints the overall piping length. This system enables a profuse of excessively oxygenated nutrient supply.

Planning The Piping System

The look and feel of the system largely depends on the way you have installed PVC piping in the hydroponic garden. Necessarily, it needs to be set in such a fashion that customization becomes easy. For the growth compartment, you may either use four or six inches of PVC piping depending on the specific needs. In most of the cases, people prefer to choose the four inch system for their indoor plants, since these plants mostly do not have large roots. However, if you plan to grow outside, some plants may even become as lengthy as 10 feet or more. So, consider 6 inches there.

Life Cycle And Approximate Budget

Although the price varies depending on the stores and brands, a general overview is given regarding the life cycle and approximate budget for installing PVC piping in the hydroponic garden. The typical lifespan of a four inch diameter PVC piping is around 4 months or less and it is extensively used for indoor purpose. Its overall length is less than 36 feet in size. The approximate budget for using PVC piping the hydroponic garden is less than USD 150.

On the other hand, the budget usually varies between USD 150 and USD 300 for the PVC piping used for outdoor purpose. The lifespan is also higher compared to that of four inches PVC piping. While each foot of four inches PVC piping has the capacity to hold 0.33 gallons of water, each foot of six inches PVC piping holds nearly one gallon of water. Buy as per your requirement fits.

Multi Flow Hydroponic System

Creating A Multi Flow Hydroponic System

Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solutions with or without the use of artificial medium. Artificial medium would include things such as sand, gravel, vermiculite, peat, coir, and sawdust to name a few. In other words, you don’t need soil in order to grow many kinds of plants. Foods that are grown hydroponically are more nutritious and not full of chemicals and byproducts. Of all the issues that have to do with hydroponic growing, the multi flow hydroponic system is one of the most important.

Greentrees Hydroponics Company

One of the best options when it comes to a multi flow hydroponic system is the one offered by the Greentrees Hydroponics Company. This is basically an ebb and flow type hydroponic system that uses gravity as its major source of moving water through the system.

The main part of this system is a controller unit assembly, and this consists of a 3.5 gallon container and it also has a timer and relay box that is mounted on the side. There are two gallon pots that are used in this multi flow hydroponic system and the two gallon growing containers actually sit inside of the other two gallon pots which serve as the watering cells. That sounds really cool, huh?

Hydroponics Wholesale Company

Anyone who is interested in buying their own multi flow hydroponic system should know that there are a few companies in particular that they should go to check out. One is the Hydroponics Wholesale Company, which features one multi flow hydroponic system in particular that is a best seller.

Moving parts from one bucket to another with this system is very easy and all that the person needs to pull out the inner pot and set it at a new site. All of the multi flow hydroponic systems offered by this company come with a built in timer, 55 gallon reservoir, level controller, 24 pots, tubing, pump, and the original multi flow hydroponic system itself.

There are many other great companies as well that one can go to if they are looking to purchase multi flow hydroponic systems, but those mentioned here are definitely two of the very best. It is important when shopping for an item such as a hydroponic system to take time and put serious consideration in because this is a very important item and one that most likely will come with a hefty price tag.

Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening Indoors

A Basic Overview On Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening – Indoors And Outdoors

In simple words, hydroponic gardening implies a garden where plants are cultivated in water. In other words, hydroponic gardening refers to a garden where no soil is necessary for the cultivation of plants. If you have planned to do hydroponic vegetable gardening indoors, you can be rest assured that you can employ the hydroponic technique to a wide variety of plants. No matter where you have set your arrangement, outdoors or indoors, hydroponic vegetable gardening promises you high quality product in much lesser cultivation time.

Benefits Over Traditional Gardening

There are several benefits of hydroponic vegetable gardening, both indoors and outdoors. Although the entire technique stands on water-based nutrition supply, the requirement of water is much lesser in hydroponic vegetable gardening, both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, when you do not have sufficient fertile land for cultivation, this technique is ideally fit to meet your needs. Hydroponic vegetable gardening indoors facilitates the growers and enthusiasts to grow vegetables like tomatoes and carrots inside their room, which is virtually impossible in traditional systems.

Reason To Choose This System

You do not need to weed or dig. You can do it wherever you want. Only a limited amount of pesticides are used. Virtually, hydroponic plants are at lesser risk for any sort of diseases. When you will be gardening hydroponic vegetables indoors or outdoors, you will be surprised to see the higher quality and health of those plants, compared to those one cultivated using a traditional system. Since the entire system is independent of soil and you are able to control the temperature and humidity of the system, you can use it to cultivate your vegetables throughout the year.

The Essential Requirements

No matter what outdoors or indoors, hydroponic vegetable gardening requires skill and knowledge. At the initial phases, it is always advised to take suggestion from the professionals or standard guidebooks. The essential requirements for hydroponic vegetable gardening, both indoors and outdoors are water, air, nutrient supply and sunlight. However, for indoor hydroponic vegetable gardening, you need to install few different light sources such as metal halide lamps, Gro-lights, sunlight coming from a south facing door or window, luminescent light bulbs, sodium vapor lamp, or fluorescent lights.

About Nutrient Solutions

Both outdoors and indoors hydroponic vegetable gardening needs a fertilizer or solution which is particularly formulated for using in the hydroponic system. This solution used in hydroponic system is not the same as used in traditional soiling system. The ready-made nutrient solution is available in the local organic or hydroponic gardening supply stores. You can also buy it online via different online hydroponic gardening stores as well.

Hydroponic Tomatoes

Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes

We all know how valuable tomatoes are in our regular recipes. Dating back to the Inca civilization, tomatoes were treated with great importance. This is why it is considered as one of the most authentic aboriginal crops in America. The University of Arizona's research and development program on hydroponic tomatoes started during 1960s. In this article, we will shed light on the fundamentals of growing hydroponic tomatoes as adopted from University of Arizona reports.

Environmental Control System

Photosynthesis is the leading factor of optimum growth and high level of production. It is so vital to the overall production, that only one percent of decline in the light can lead to one percent decline in the production. If the degree of photosynthesis is declined as a result of cloudy weather, it may result in pale tomato leaves low in sugary content. However, when a hydroponic growing system is used in the greenhouse environment, an additional source of artificial light is supplemented to complement the requirement of light used in the photosynthesis process.

Temperatures

The lights available both day and night influence the plant vitality, size of the leaf, expansion rate of the leaf, as well as fruit development time. When the plant is subject to low temperatures at night, the growth rate of the plant is declined along with a reduced leaf size. Hence, the temperature needs to be closely monitored and maintained at an optimum level, which is virtually impossible in traditional setups. However, for the production of hydroponic tomatoes it can be set 70° to 79°F for the day time and 61° to 65° for night time throughout the year.

Seeding

A wide variety of tomatoes are developed for the purpose of hydroponic production. All of these hydroponic tomatoes have indefinite morphology, which means the vegetative growth rate of these tomato plants is not limited to its flowering. Apollo, Dombito, Belmondo, Trend, Caruso, Perfecto, Trust and Lama are few varieties of hydroponic tomatoes. The seeds of hydroponic tomatoes are quite costly. This influences some newcomers to consider developing seeds from the adult plants; however, those successive plants may not necessarily inherit these qualities.

Propagation Media

The propagation media needs to be carefully infused before sowing of the seeds in order to ensure consistent and homogeneous sharing of moisturizer. Tomato seeds are to be sown by keeping a gap of ¼ to 3/8 inches. Seeding can be done in an inert medium like rockwool blocks, which are available in a wide variety of sizes. Overhead watering is the fundamental requirement for germination of seeds. Under any circumstances, the temperature during irrigation should be set at 64°F and the span of available light per day should be around 14 hours to 18 hours.

Hydroponic Systems

The Basics In Types Of Hydroponic Systems

Most gardeners and crop growers have at least heard of hydroponics. If you want to learn more about it yourself, you should know that there are at least four categories of hydroponic systems. The different systems are water culture, wick, drip, and also a nutrient film technique. While these are the basic systems, you should know that you will likely see multiple variations a hundred times over.

Water Culture

If you are just getting your feet wet in terms of learning hydroponic systems, try the water culture method first as it is the easiest method. You have a tank or storage area filled with the mineral and nutrient liquid solution in which the plants are floating in on a Styrofoam platform. An air pump aerates the water of this holding tank and the bubbles provide a way to bubble up not only the oxygen needed in the roots but also the nutrient solution as well. While this is the easiest system, especially for teaching, it is not conducive to large scale growth projects.

Wick Method

The wick method of hydroponic systems is fairly easy to operate as well and is known as a passive technique in which to keep your plants watered with the proper nutrients. You have a growing tray with a medium like pea gravel which is situated over a holding tank containing the liquid nutrient solution. There are wicks which go from the holding tank to the growth medium to carry the needed water and nutrient solution in a steady manner.

Drip System

With drip hydroponic systems, you again have your plant growth tray with the medium and plants in it and then suspended over the holding tank with the liquid nutrients. There is a submersible pump in the holding tank running on a timer which kicks on at various intervals to drip a nutrient solution at the base of the plants. Excess nutrient liquid runs off and back into the holding tank for recycling and an air pump is still needed for aeration.

Nutrient Film

Hydroponic systems which use the nutrient film method are very similar to the drip method except that the solution is dripped in the bottom of the plant growth tray instead of at each plant base. The flow is constant with no timer and a submersible pump is needed to keep up the constant flow with a drain for excess liquid to go back into the holding tank.

There are several other hydroponic systems that are in use today like the aeroponic and ebb and flow techniques. Each of the hydroponic methods used have their pros and cons. If you are just starting out yourself or you are trying to teach a child, the water culture or drip method is the best option.

Hydroponic Strawberries

Where To Buy Hydroponic Strawberries

As hydroponic strawberries are getting to be more in demand, there are a few pieces of information about strawberries that are hydroponically grown which any potential buyer should be aware of. For one, strawberries that are grown from seed will usually take at least a couple of years to mature but this is not always the ideal situation for hydroponic growers.

For Growers

The best way for hydroponic growers to grow strawberries is for them to determine which particular hydroponic growing method is going to be suitable for their specific location and number of plants. It is also important to carefully remove any runners or new strawberry plants from containers and remove as much of the earth as they can by gently shaking and massaging around at the roots.

There are many advantages to food that has been grown hydroponically, and hydroponic strawberries are especially popular. There are many great companies that offer hydroponic strawberries, a few in particular which will be discussed in more detail here.

Where To Look

One of the best companies that offer hydroponic strawberries is the Horizon Hydroponics Company. They are actually recognized as being the Internet’s premier provider of hydroponic and indoor gardening supplies and besides hydroponic strawberries they also offer plant grow lights, hydroponic systems, fertilizer, grow medium, plant propagation, environmental control product, and a variety of used equipment.

Simply Hydro is another company that offers hydroponic strawberries and they offer them at very low prices. They not only offer strawberries but a wealth of other hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables as well, and this is great because it gives everyone a wide selection regardless of their particular food preferences.

Get More Information

One of the best tips toy can take is to take advantage of all the different resources that are available. When it comes to getting information of any sort the Internet is always one of the best options. With the Internet a person is able to browse through literally hundreds of different websites in a matter of minutes and find the information that they need quickly and easily.

Simply go into any search engine on the Internet and type in the appropriate wording and then the corresponding answers will come up. This is a great way to get information and is extremely convenient as well. With the Internet, a person does not even need to leave the comfort of their own home and this, of course, is a great thing.

Hydroponic Retail Store

Inside A Hydroponic Retail Store

A hydroponic retail store sells a variety of products used in hydroponic cultivation at retail prices. These range from technological components required to set up a hydroponic greenhouse to backup power sources (batteries and generators) and informative materials like books and magazines dealing with the science of hydroponic cultivation. In addition, a hydroponic retail store also stocks gadgets and accessories that are required for the efficient maintenance of hydroponic systems. Following are the main kinds of products and facilities available at a typical hydroponic retail store.

Growing Systems

The essential and major sale items of all hydroponic retail stores are hydroponic systems. These include the structure of the hydroponic greenhouse (the planters) along with components required to connect it with sources of supplying nutrition (reservoirs, pumps etc.) and other accessories. The price of a particular system varies according to its size, material, and the number and quality of its accessories.

Lighting Sources

Artificial lighting is a vital component of hydroponic production. Every hydroponic retail store has a variety of lighting sources like High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, conversion bulbs, and fluorescent lamps. Also available are components that are used in directing and controlling artificial light incident on the hydroponic plants, e.g. light reflectors, hoods, and light cooling kits.

Hydroponic Nutrients

One thing that a hydroponic cultivator will repeatedly need to get from a hydroponic retail store is one or more kinds of hydroponic nutrients that provide nitrogen and other vital elements to plants. Most of the hydroponic nutrients are in the form of liquid solutions.

The general hydroponic nutrients available at retail stores can be used by all horticulturalists to enrich the quality of their production. In addition, hydroponic retail stores provide beneficial microbes that increase productivity by preventing roots from rotting and enhancing root mass.

Pest Controls

Hydroponic plants are not entirely free of diseases and pests, and hydroponic retail stores sell specially prepared pest-controlling formulas, mostly sold as non-toxic sprays. Natural pesticides comprising biodegradable substances are also available for preventing hydroponic plants from rotting.

Informative Material

A number of hydroponic retail stores sell magazines and books that provide useful information on the techniques of growing hydroponic plants, news about progress in hydroponics, reviews of useful hydroponic products, and tips on better hydroponic production.

Some hydroponic retails stores also offer online sales of products and information about various issues related to hydroponic cultivation. They have an FAQ section that answers commonly asked questions of customers and a person who needs guidance on basic hydroponic matters can consult this information at any online hydroponic retail store.

Hydroponic Potatoes

Get Started Growing Hydroponic Potatoes In Your Home

In the world of hydroponic gardening, root vegetables are known to be a challenge. Hydroponic potatoes seem like the best idea ever, but once you start growing them you might find it to be a little more difficult than you expected. While it is possible to grow hydroponic potatoes in a special water solution, this is a more advanced setup that will probably be beyond the scope of the beginner. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make the process easier and more successful.

No Special Equipment Needed

Hydroponic gardening pioneers have used all sorts of media for growing hydroponic potatoes. Straw is one of the earliest types of medium used, but with the advancement of hydroponic technology the trend has shifted toward using sand, wood chips, or perlite. These media are particularly effective for growing hydroponic potatoes and other tubers because of tubers' need for low moisture and low nitrogen.

If you would like to get started growing hydroponic potatoes without a complicated hydroponic garden setup or a lot of specialized equipment, it's very simple to do. Your first step will be to obtain a few "seed" potatoes. While you can grow hydroponic potatoes from the eyes of potatoes you buy in the grocery store, these potatoes are often engineered to not bear any new potatoes.

Once you have your seed potatoes, cut each in half and leave them out on a plate to dry for about a week. When your seed potatoes are dried out, plant them about 2-3 inches down in the growing media. Your hydroponic potatoes will begin to sprout within a few days.

As your new hydroponic potatoes grow, it's important to keep the base of the plants and any new potatoes in the dark. Covering the entire vine with straw is a cheap and easy way to achieve this. The other important point to remember is that growing potatoes like to stay cool. If you allow your hydroponic potatoes setup to exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit at any time, they will not produce new potatoes.

When your hydroponic potatoes are producing a crop, harvesting is very simple. Just reach into the growing medium and feel around for the largest potato. Pluck this one from the vine, and continue picking the biggest potato whenever you need one. This ensures that the other potatoes have plenty of room to grow.

Potatoes in general are a somewhat fickle plant, and your plants may or may not continue to reproduce. If not, don't worry – simply try again with new root potatoes. Experimenting with different growing media may help your hydroponic potatoes grow faster and produce more.

Hydroponic Plants

A Brief Overview On Hydroponic Plants

The quality of hydroponic plants is quite higher than in plants produced using traditional systems. Moreover, the required cropping time is much less for hydroponic plants compared to that of traditionally grown plants. However, not all plants can be grown following hydroponic system. The plants which can be grown using hydroponic system are chives, dill, sage, fennel, thyme, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, sweet basil, chili peppers, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, asters, forget-me-nots, California poppies, chrysanthemums, dwarf zinnias, ageratum, candy tuft, and dianthus.

Nutrition

In order to grow healthily, plants need adequate amount of minerals as well as trace elements in appropriate proportions, no matter where they are growing, whether it is a soil based production or hydroponic system. Hydroponic plants get the facility to obtain much higher levels of nutritional benefit. For hydroponic plants, since water delivers the nutrient mix to the plants, the maximum possible delivery of the nutrients can be ensured. Additionally, the accurate measurement of nutrient supplies can be established for hydroponic plants. This helps in eliminating or preventing undesired nutrient compounds.

Light

The hydroponic plants use the light energy available within the hydroponic system in order to grow, to stay healthy and to reproduce. You can place your hydroponic system anywhere and allow it to receive profuse sunlight. However, during summertime, it is better to avoid placing the hydroponic plants directly under the sunlight.

Additionally, almost all the hydroponic systems use artificial light systems, which promote growth. In order to have an automated lighting system for your hydroponic plants, you may suspend one or more fluorescent lights or install lights over the head of the hydroponic plants (but keep a safe distance of at least one foot over them). You may also connect the lighting system to a timer, giving 10-18 hours of light per day.

Humidity And Temperature

Humidity is an essential component of the development of seedlings. This is why the humid tropical zones of the world are so rich with vegetation. When you care to grow hydroponic plants, you must design the environment of the hydroponic system in such a fashion that it is able to preserve certain amount of humidity inside the system. The temperature of an ideal hydroponic system may vary between 65°F and 76°F. Additionally, it needs to set up in such a manner that the nighttime temperature must not go above the daytime temperature. Perfect temperature and humidity conditions help the plants to grow strong and healthy.

Hydroponic Nutrients

Hydroponic Nutrients Grow Excellent Plants

Hydroponic nutrients are available for growing excellent plants without the soil used by ordinary plants. This method has been used for growing plants for some time, and it is now possible to grow plants in a small apartment because of the great hydroponic nutrients that are available. There are many brilliant scientists who study the growth of plants for better harvests both large and small. Scientists study the best methods for growing acres of plants with soil and proper nutrients, and some scientists study the growth of plants with hydroponic nutrients. The use of these hydroponic nutrients constantly improves because of the information gathered by these experts.

Ordinary plants are grown using soil combined with appropriate nutrients, but hydroponic nutrients make it possible to grow plants without the usual soil. Researchers have studied the necessities and processes for growing plants for a very long time. In ordinary plants, the soil is used to hold the nutrients necessary for the growth of the plants. The soil is only necessary as a receptacle to hold the nutrients. Hydroponic nutrients dissolve in water so the roots of plants can absorb them like they do with the nutrients captured in soil.

Hydroponic Nutrients Can Feed Many Plant Types

Hydroponic nutrients can be used to grow many different types of plants in very ordinary containers or jars. This makes it possible to grow these plants in confined spaces such as a small balcony in an apartment or a bathroom shelf. Some scientists have developed methods to use hydroponic nutrients to grow commercial amounts of plants. These systems are used to grow tomatoes, peppers and other crops. These commercial crops are grown with different combinations of hydroponic nutrients.

Saving water is one of the great advantages of using hydroponic nutrients. Water can be scarce in some areas of the world, yet the population in these areas needs to have food to survive. Crops grown with these special nutrients save the growers incredible amounts of water which saves the growers money. There is some evidence that vegetables grown with these nutrients retain more nutritional value than the same vegetable grown in ordinary circumstances. There are several advantages to hydroponic growing including the absence of weeds and some common plant diseases. These plants can also be grown without the use of pesticides which makes them better for the consumer. The use of these nutrients has shown great promise so growers will probably continue to increase the use of these nutrients.

Hydroponic Lighting

Types Of Artificial Hydroponic Lighting

Light is the source of energy used by plants for making their food (via photosynthesis), growing, and producing flowers, fruit, and seeds. The primary source of light for all plants is the sun. However, artificial lighting is often needed for providing energy to plants grown on a small scale, like those in hydroponic gardens.

There are various types of artificial hydroponic lighting that is used by small-scale hydroponic cultivators for nurturing their plants. More important of these lighting types include high intensity discharge lamps, high pressure sodium lamps, conversion bulbs, and fluorescent lighting.

High Intensity Discharge Lamps

High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps produce a greater amount of light than standard halogen bulbs. They are of three main kinds: mercury vapor lamps, metal halide (MH) lamps, and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. MH and HPS lamps are the preferred kinds of artificial hydroponic lighting because they are spectrum selective.

Spectrum selective means that they emit light in a range of wavelengths that support optimum growth and production of hydroponic plants. When natural sunlight is absent, or very little of it is available, MH lamps are the best source of artificial light for plants. HPS lamps are more useful when used as an adjunct to natural sunlight.

Conversion Bulbs

Conversion bulbs are more specialized sources of hydroponic lighting since the intensity of their output can be adjusted by changing lamps, according to the growth-dependent needs of plants. These bulbs are designed in such a way that they run off one kind of ballast and emit light spectrum of another kind.

Thus, there are high-pressure sodium conversion (HPSC) bulbs that burn in a metal halide ballast, and metal halide conversion (MHC) bulbs that burn in an HPS ballast. The metal halide conversion bulb mostly emits blue light, used in the growing stages of hydroponic plants while the red light emitted by HPS conversion bulbs is useful in the later stages of fruiting and flowering.

Fluorescent Lamps

Fluorescent lamps are another kind of artificial hydroponic lighting that is particularly useful in the initial stages of growing plants hydroponically, i.e. in the early stages of sprouting seedlings and developing roots. Fluorescent lamps produce a little amount of light and are usually placed close to hydroponic plants.

The main advantages of using florescent lamps include their lower cost, efficiency in energy conservation, and low production (and hence low dissipation) of heat. However, compared with the HID lamps, fluorescent lamps are not a very effective source of artificial hydroponic lighting.

Hydroponic Kits

Ease Into Hydroponics With Hydroponic Kits

When it comes to a new growth technique for the amateur gardener, it always pays to start off small and work your way up as you go along. This principle applies to hydroponics, the method by which plants are grown without soil. Hydroponic kits are the best way to get your feet wet and decide if this new growth method is right for you.

Choosing The Right Kit

Before you can choose from the many hydroponic kits on the market today, you should decide which hydroponic system is best for your beginning needs. For the most part, the water culture and the wick method are the easiest to understand and set-up, particularly on a small scale. However, you are just as likely to find uncomplicated ebb and flow or nutrient film kit options as well.

Price may well be a deciding factor and both the system as well as the size will dictate how much the hydroponic kits will cost. Simple kits will start near $100 and climb up to hundreds of dollars based on the amount of extra equipment as well as the number of plants you plan to cultivate at one time.

One of the most popular types of hydroponic kits involves growing different types of herbs in a deep water culture hydroponic environment. Herbs are among the easiest to grow hydroponically because they are hardy and recover well should you over or under-water them. Plus, when you are successful with your first hydroponic herbs, you can use them right away in cooking and other uses.

You may decide you want to try your hand at growing vegetables that grow on a vine like beans, squash or tomatoes. In this instance, the hydroponic kits you want to look for should have a plastic rack to allow for plant vine growth and climbing. The nutrient film technique is the most popular system to use when it comes to growing these types of plants.

Gaining Experience

You may end up trying several hydroponic kits, experimenting with different systems such as the drip, ebb and flow or nutrient film technique before finding one that you are most comfortable with. However, once you do, you can start to branch out beyond the pre-made hydroponic kits and start adding on to your existing system. This is what budding hydroponic gardeners end up doing once they understand the process along with the nuances of proper water control, temperature, lighting and more.

Hydroponic Herb Garden

A Hydroponic Herb Garden Fits The Bill

There is nothing quite so refreshing as a crisp green salad with fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Fresh herbs to flavor the family dinner are a goal for all great cooks. Fresh herbs and vegetables can be grown in the family garden during the summer, but these wonderful ingredients can also be grown in the family home during the winter. A hydroponic herb garden can yield some wonderful ingredients for the family feasts and brilliant experts have designed tools to grow these ingredients inside without the soil of the family garden.

A hydroponic herb garden can be grown with the techniques of these brilliant scientists in extra space on the kitchen counter or the family basement. Herbs and other plants are usually grown in the soil, but this soil is really just a place to put the necessary nutrients. If the herbs and other plants can get these nutrients without the soil, they will grow. Some of the plants grown with hydroponic techniques will grow faster and stronger than the plants grown with traditional techniques. The techniques developed for hydroponic growing can help individuals grow a hydroponic herb garden that will yield these wonderful ingredients for use in preparing meals.

A Hydroponic Herb Garden Can Be Ready Through The Year

The good news about a hydroponic herb garden is that it can be ready in the dead of winter or the sunshine of the summer months. The tools prepared for a hydroponic herb garden can be placed in any available space. A gardener does not have to get down on their knees in the dirt to grow a hydroponic herb garden. There are no weeds that need to be pulled from a hydroponic herb garden and pesticides are not necessary to grow wonderful plants. There are many possibilities for the contents of a hydroponic herb garden.

Fresh basil sprinkled on a leg of lamb or some fresh oregano on a favorite dish can be grown and cooked in the same kitchen by the same person. Experts have designed the tools for hydroponic growing, but they have provided tools that anyone can easily use. School children can grow a great herb garden in their classroom after reading and following some simple directions. Those people who would like to grow an herb garden can find ready made units that will be appropriate for use at home. These units can be small enough to grow a few plants on the kitchen table or larger units that will accommodate many plants.

Hydroponic Growing System

Hydroponic Growing System: A Unique Home Garden

Hydroponic growing systems run fantastically if they are placed in a well-lighted location, either outdoors or indoors. You can place your unique garden over a bench, table or any other heights, which will allow the system to drain the water to another location in regular intervals, say once in a month. Once you know the skills to maintain your home garden, you become the owner of a whole herd of healthy and lively fast-maturing plants.

As we know, a hydroponic growing system is much more efficient compared to the traditional soil growing system. Since a hydroponic growing system gives the gardeners the flexibility of taking a great control over all the influential factors essential for healthy growth of the plants, it offers more benefits over the traditional system, which is inevitable dependent on various environmental factors like life cycle and availability of soil nutrients.

Benefits Of Water Absorption

In the hydroponic growing system, plants absorb nutrients from water-based solutions. Hence, it is virtually impossible to feed the plants more than it can actually handle since the roots can not absorb after saturation point. However, the condition is significantly different when it comes about feeding from soil nutrients; since odds are there that soil may damage the root due to water clogging. Still, be careful while mixing the solution, so that excessively concentrated hydroponic solution that may damage the roots does not occur.

Higher Level Of Productivity

A hydroponic growing system is much more productive compared to the traditional growing system. Not only for plants, but for you also the system is proven to be productive, since it occupies much lesser time and labor. Since the nutrients are water soluble, it is easily available to the roots of the plants. On the other hand, since the nutrients mix so easily, you do not need to waste your time and energy by spreading the nutrients in the soil or looking for soil rich in nutrients. You do not need to invest your time in weeding or digging as well.

More Environmentally Friendly

Cultivating with the help of hydroponic growing system is more environmentally friendly, since almost all the time fertilizers are reused within this system and there is no specific need for pesticide or other chemical weed killers. This certainly offers beneficial support to the environment by minimizing the risk of chemical residue. This is why hydroponic plants are much healthier than traditionally grown plants and they are richer with essential vitamins, minerals and other useful nutrients.

Hydroponic Growing

Hydroponic Growing Produces Marvelous Plants

Water is expensive, scarce and necessary for growing most of the crops that are needed to feed the world. Fortunately, there is a method for growing crops that does not need as much water, soil or pesticides. Hydroponic growing is very promising because plants can be grown using this method using much less water. Many fruits and vegetables are not completely healthy for people because some of these are grown using pesticides. Hydroponic growing is so desirable because dangerous pesticides are not necessary for successful crops. Plants need nutrients. They do not need soil except to hold the nutrients necessary for the growth of a plant.

Hydroponic growing is not new, but it is increasing in popularity. Scientists have studied the use of hydroponic growing, and their work has improved the use of this method for larger crops than in the past. Hydroponic growing uses the nutrients necessary for the growth of plants, but unlike traditional methods, the necessary nutrients are not contained in soil. Traditional growing requires the soil to hold the necessary nutrients. These nutrients can be dissolved in water for the growth of a plant rather than in soil. The popular plants that have been grown with traditional methods can also be cultivated with hydroponic growing.

Hydroponic Growing Has Many Benefits

Water is scarce in many places and expensive in most places. Growing crops and plants with traditional methods requires water. Hydroponic growing uses water, but in much smaller quantities than traditional methods. Plant experts study the appropriate and necessary nutrients for different types of plants. The growers can then use these nutrients without soil to grow the plants. After obtaining the information available from the study of hydroponic growing, even amateurs can grow with these techniques. Many people spoil their plants by giving too much or too little water. This will not be a problem with this type of growing.

Hydroponic growing can be done in ordinary jars in limited space. This means that a person can grow a plant on the balcony of a small apartment or a classroom shelf. These methods can also be used on acres of land. There are different methods of hydroponic growing, but these methods all use the hydroponic nutrients without soil to grow plants. This type of growing can produce tomatoes, peppers and other types of plants. These techniques are used in many different countries including Israel, the United States, Nicaragua and Europe. Growers who are able to avoid the use of pesticides can produce plants which are very attractive to many consumers.

Hydroponic Growers

A Fundamental Guide To Hydroponic Growers

The term 'hydroponic' implies 'water working' and virtually the hydroponic system facilitates growing of plants with the help of water-based nutrient solutions. Soil is absolutely not necessary for this system. The application of hydroponics is based on the hypothesis that soil is totally not required for the growth and development of plants.

Since soil is nothing but the container of nutrients and a holder which grips the plant roots by offering the essential structure to stand straight. When you remove the requirement of soil, you are practically reducing the risk of soil borne diseases, while gaining an accurate control over the essential nutritional diet of the plants.

Benefits Compared To Soil-Based Growing

Since there is no soil, there is no risk for soil borne diseases. When hydroponic growers use this system, they can easily deliver exact amount of nutrients for the plants require in specifically the accurate proportion so that the plants can be grown faster with possible highest quality. Since the nutrients are water soluble, hydroponic growers in particular invest lesser amount of energy and effort during cultivation process as compared to the traditional growers. They even do not need to spread the nutrients in the soil or do not have to put effort in searching for highly fertile land for their cultivation purpose. In general, hydroponic growers enjoy the benefit of minimum space occupancy with this excellent system.

Variety Of Plants

Virtually hydroponic growers can grow a wide variety of plants such as tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, cucumbers and different herbs. These are, in fact, commercially valuable crops. Hydroponic growers, who are more interested in commercial benefits, choose what to cultivate depending on the market condition and potential profits.

Apart from that, many hobbyists, enthusiasts and professional hydroponic growers cultivate different types of flowers or fruit plants such as strawberries, carrots, asters, forget-me-nots, California poppies, chrysanthemums, dwarf zinnias, ageratum, candy tuft, and dianthus.

Significance As Business

The market of hydroponics is rising. If you would like to find your name as one of best known professional hydroponic growers in near future, you have to invest in purchasing equipment, and proper designing plans. Additionally, you should have outstanding management and marketing expertise. In general, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in purchasing healthy food. Needless to say, hydroponic produces probably have no better alternative. So if you are an enthusiast hydroponic growers with excellent marketing skills, you may further develop your passion to a successful business.

Hydroponic Grow Boxes

Hydroponic Grow Boxes: Beginner's Best Friend

Hydroponic grow boxes are the perfect choice for gardening beginners or enthusiasts. However, many professional cultivators also depend on hydroponic grow boxes for growing their crops with indoor setups. Typically, these hydroponic boxes are easy to use since they are available with plug and play features. Here are few specific features of typical hydroponic grow boxes.

Light

Since light is essential for healthy growth of plants, so light is an integral component of entire cropping system. Hydroponic grow boxes facilitate full-spectrum lighting system, which is able to generate an optimum amount of lumens as necessary for appropriate photosynthesis. (A lumen is a unit of the perceived power of a light). This lighting system is simply perfect for all stages of plant development.

Oxygenation

Typically, hydroponic grow boxes accommodate highly oxygenated nutrient solutions. This helps the roots and the plants to grow healthily and vigorously. In some cases, large sized aerator stones are used to ensure the availability of highly oxygenated solution. The healthy growth and development is highly influenced by the high content of oxygen in the nutrient content.

Hi-Tech Maintenance Facility

Almost all the hydroponic grow boxes are designed to facilitate hi-tech maintenance support for healthy growing of the plants. The side panel of these hydroponic boxes can be easily removed, which promotes an easy maintenance of the plants within the hydroponic system. Additionally, an advanced timer setup is attached to automate the lighting system.

Mounted Fan

A mounted fan is always attached to the hydroponic grow boxes. It helps in exhausting hot air from inside. Apart from the mounted fan, many advanced hydroponic boxes also facilitate a front fan for the purpose of exhausting hot air from internal side of the hydroponic unit. Additionally, a cooling fan is also installed which ensures a maximum possible cooling system.

Additional Accessories

In most of the cases, the hydroponic grow boxes meet the entire needs to set up an indoor hydroponic system. This is why a majority of the manufacturers of hydroponic grow boxes offers Rockwool cubes where the plants grow. In recent days, hydroponic boxes are available in different sizes and shapes, such as in the form of CPU of a PC.

With the benefit of advanced technology, hydroponic grow boxes are designed to facilitate ample light, but very less amount of heat. These advanced hydroponic boxes are extremely helpful when you are particularly interested in growing crops in limited space. Ideally and effectively designed hydroponic grow boxes help your plants to grow healthy and happy.