December 24, 2011
What You Need To Know About Hydroponics
When you grow plants without soil, this is called hydroponics. It is widely used to grow lush, healthy indoor plants and good quality vegetables, fruits and herbs. Plants absorb nutrients as simple ions in water. Dissolving in the water are the nutrients in the soil and the plant roots also absorb them. When the plants get adequate nutrients, the soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. With the use of proper nutrients and the right artificial light source, an indoor gardener can achieve amazing results. There should be controlled light, temperature, water, CO2, oxygen, pH and nutrients in a complete controlled environmental agricultural system.
You can say that Hydroponics is efficient and simple. On alternate days a pH check is done and the water level is topped up. The nutrient is changed every 7 – 12 days. Often, a timer is used to turn the light and garden on and off automatically. Deep water, amongst the different forms of Hydroponics, is the purest form since the roots are directly exposed to the nutrient solution. In deep water systems, a small air pump to keep the solution well oxygenated is also used.
Another method of Hydroponics is the Ebb & Flow or Flooding & Draining systems. The root system and growing mediums like Rockwool are soaked at specific intervals. The Ebb & Flow method makes it easier to cultivate plants in minimal space. The roots are allowed to drop down into an aerated nutrient solution in Deep Water Culture or DWC. This solution is aerated with the help of standard aquarium pumps and sir stones. From time to time, the solution must be topped up. With the exception that the pump delivers a continuous tickle of nutrients and water, drip feeding is similar to Ebb & Flow. Every hour, the emitters run 5 to 10 minutes.
Another method of Hydroponics is Wick feeding, where the plant draws water with the help of a wick which runs from the base of the plant container to a bottle of nutrient feed solution. The solution travels up to the plant through the wick through the capillary action. In Raft cultivation, inserted inside sheets of expanded polystyrene with the roots hanging down through the holes are the plants. Then, the sheet is floated in a shallow tank of nutrient solution. The plants grow through light-proof plastic films placed over shallow, gently sloping channels in Nutrient film technique or NFT. What happens to the roots is that they grow into dense mats with a thin film of nutrients passing over them. Aeroponics is where the roots of a plant are suspended in a midst or fog of nutrient rich solution and it’s a class of Hydroponics.
Different media are used for Hydroponics. Expanded clay, Rockwool, Coco coir, Perlite, Vermiculite and Oasis root cubes are some of them. People are looking for a safer alternative due to constant problems of chemicals and other contaminants in the food supply. Fitting the requirements appropriately are Hydroponics.
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Filed under Lawn Care by Margaret Burgess