What Is Hydroponic Gardening

Avoid the mess and small harvest of soil-grown plants. Knowing the ins and outs of hydroponics will help you grow bigger and better crops without the messy soil.

wmassmastergardeners.org gathered the following information about hydroponic gardening and the various systems you can start using at home.

What Is Hydroponics?

The simplest definition of hydroponic gardening is “growing plants without soil.” Hydroponically growing food allows growers to produce higher yields at any time of the year, in any location in the world, and with far fewer resources. Here’s what you need to make it work:

Fresh Water - Fresh filtered water with a pH of 5.8 to 6.5 is best for most plants grown hydroponically. Water acidity can be easily adjusted with solutions readily available at nurseries, garden centers, or hydroponic stores.

Hydroponic garden systems use less water than traditional soil-based garden systems. Watering your plants in such “closed” systems do not suffer the same rates of evaporation. Furthermore, water used in hydroponic systems can be filtered, re-loaded with nutrients, and returned to the plants again so that water is continuously recycled.

Nutrients (Fertilizer) - Like soil-grown plants, your hydroponically grown plants need calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, among other nutrients to thrive. This nutrient mixture should be included in the water supporting your plants and either be homemade or purchased in stores or online.

Oxygen - Plant roots seek nutrients, water, and oxygen. When those roots are growing in a hydroponic garden, the water delivers all of this to them. Hydroponic oxygen delivery is accomplished much in the same way aquarium water is oxygenated. Accomplish this by using an air pump, air stone, or simply leaving space between the base of your plants and the water reservoir.

Root Structural Support - You can grow your plants without soil, but the roots will still seek something to grip. Common materials include perlite, horticultural vermiculite, peat moss, rock wool, and coconut fiber. Avoid material that compacts or doesn’t retain moisture; these can cause more harm than good.

Light - When growing hydroponics indoors, you may need to install extra or special lighting. Different plant species will have specific light requirements, referred to as Daily Light Integral or DLI (the number of photons received during one day in a particular location and area).

Note: While many other elements factor into hydroponics, the above are the five fundamental elements of any hydroponic system.

Hydroponic Gardening How-To

Whether you purchase a hydroponic system or plan to build one yourself, consider the principles of the following four systems:

The Wick System - Mechanically, this system is the most straightforward, as it uses no pumps or moving parts. This system moves nutrient-rich water from the reservoir to root systems using a candle or lantern type wick. While this system is easy and inexpensive to maintain, it is not ideal for water-hungry crops like tomatoes or lettuce. Ssuch plants consume the nutrient solution faster than the wick can supply it. The wick system is an excellent choice for peppers and herbs.

Continuous Drip System - This simple system employs a timer controlling a pump submerged in the reservoir with individual supply lines running to and feeding each plant. Drip systems are the most used type of hydroponics system globally. They can be set up as a "recovery" drip system collecting and reusing excess/runoff solution or a non-recovery system requiring a precise timer that provides enough nutrient solution to the plants while minimizing runoff.

The Ebb and Flow System - often referred to as a flood and drain system, this one is more complex in design but remains exceptionally versatile. This system works by flooding the growing medium with a water-nutrient solution, then it drains back into the reservoir. Here’s how it’s done:

The reservoir contains the nutrient-rich solution and pump
When the pump turns on, the solution is delivered to the upper tray and the root systems of the plants
The pump remains on for a flood cycle (about 20 to 30 minutes)
Overflowing water returns to the reservoir and
After the flood cycle ends, the solution drains back into the reservoir

During the flood cycle, oxygen-poor air is pushed out of the root system by the upward moving nutrient solution. As the nutrient solution drains back into the reservoir, oxygen-rich air is pulled into the growing medium.

Nutrient Film Technique - This system uses a nutrient-rich water solution reservoir and pump that continually moves the water in a loop through a growing tray, with plant roots suspended in air, absorbing nutrients as the solution flows by. This system converts the ebb and flow system into a continuously flowing system.

While efficient, this system can be unforgiving. With no growing medium to retain moisture, long interruptions of the nutrient flow can dry out the roots and potentially kill the plants.

How To Do Hydroponic Gardening at Home

In this article, you discovered what hydroponic gardening is, what elements are required for healthy growth, and the systems you can use at home.

Hydroponically growing crops can produce larger, healthier plants with significantly more abundant harvests regardless of the season or region.

Insisting on soil-grown crops leaves your plants vulnerable to disease, infestation, small harvest production, and stunted growth.

Sources:
extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=2756
sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2019/hydroponics-the-power-of-water-to-grow-food/
pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-084/426-084.html
nps.gov/articles/hydroponics.htm

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