Types of Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponics is a method of growing vegetables and plants, being incorporated by gardeners in their indoor gardening methods. Instead of putting seeds in the ground and waiting for them to grow, hydroponic systems make use of a special solution high in nutrients which enhances the growth of plants. The high concentrates of water and fertilizer from this solution give the plant all the nurture it needs, without having to be planted in soil.

Hydroponic most important benefit is the fact that this system protects plants from negative influence such as insects, temperature changes and disease. Hydroponics might turn out to be the most popular gardening method because more and more people live in cities without ground space to plant flowers or plants. Furthermore, hydroponic gardening offers us a unique way of overcoming the need for soil, since plants can be grown without it.

Hydroponic gardening comprises several types such as wick, deep water culture, aeroponics, ebb and flow system subirrigation, drip and nutrient film technique; all these systems offer advantages to those interested in hydroponics depending how they wish to grow plants. Hydroponic gardening can take place in a nutrient solution or in a growing medium. The nutrient solution represents the liquid nutrients that the plant roots feed with while the growing medium is a type of substance which contains sand, clay and rockwool and in which plants are grown.

For deep water culture, you will need a plastic bucket with a net; the plant is placed in the net while the net is held over the nutrient solution surface by the lid of the bucket; thus, only the roots of the plant are submerged. If you want this hydroponic system to work, you will have to use an air stone which oxygenates the nutrient solution, being great for plant roots.

Hydroponics is recommended also because it doesn’t require a large quantity of water, aeroponic gardening being the best option for those who have a limited amount of water available. The roots of the plants are sprayed with the nutrient solution without being placed in a growing medium. Aeroponics is the system which uses the smallest quantity of water.

The ebb and flow system is a type of growing medium culture. The growing medium used by gardeners is clay and the plants are put in clay which rests in a tray. The nutrient solution is held by another tray and at certain time intervals the clay tray is flooded with the nutrient solution. Passive subirrigation is recommended if you wish to grow plants in a humid environment. The plants are nestled in a growing medium in a container and the container is placed in a thin layer of liquid. This method is easy because it requires only an occasional refill and replacement of the nutrient solution, providing an excellent humid climate.

Hydroponics can also take place by means of the wick system, which is a passive system; the nutrient solution is drawn from the reservoir into the growing medium with a wick. The drawback of this system is the fact that plants that use large amounts of water may use the nutrient solution faster than the wick can supply it. Hydroponic drip systems are the most widely used type of systems in the world, because the operation is simple and a timer controls a submersed pump. Hydroponics will definitely gain more and more grounds due to its numerous advantages.