Hydroponic growing methods

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Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Hydroponics means that plants can be grown without the need for soil. Plants use their roots to obtain the nutrients they need to grow, and the nutrients normally come from the soil they grow in. It is possible to substitute soil for a mixture of water and concentrated nutrients in order to grow plants. The roots of the plants are still the main source of nutrition, however they are able to intake much higher levels from the nutrient solution than they would soil.

There are two different types of hydroponics, both of which can be carried out using cheap hydroponic systems. One is solution culture and the other is medium culture. Solution culture uses pure nutrient solution for growing. Static solution is where the plants are grown in containers of nutrient solution that is changed regularly to maintain optimum nutrient levels. Continuous flow solution means the plants are in containers that have a constant flow of nutrient solution running over their roots, this eliminates the need for regular changing of the solution as it can be regulated in a central tank. Dependant on the complexity of the growing system being set up, a technique called Nutrient Film Technique or NFT for short, may be used. This method needs the water level to be so low it is simply a film of water, hence the name. but also allows them to get as much oxygen as they need through the exposed roots.

Medium culture means some form of substance for the roots to set in is used, such as clay pellets or gravel. The solution then flows through the medium, giving the plants adequate nutrition. Gravel is one of the cheapest and easiest mediums to use in homemade hydroponic systems as it is very easy to sterilise and re-use. Weight is the only real disadvantage.

Lights are also used to promote growth using hydroponic growing systems. Depending on the location of the plants, there are many lights that can be used to help growth. The spectrum of light can be chosed for particular needs. You can get lights that produce the spectrum that creates more daylight hours for the plants. You can buy lights that also provide the right spectrum to encourage growth.

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