Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient solutions in water. This way, people are able to grow plants indoors and there are many benefits of using the hydroponics method.
Most hydroponics stores claim that plants will grow at least 20% faster with hydroponics compared to soil. Not only are you able to save time, but also space. Since the water contains all of the nutrients that the plants need to grow, they don’t need to spread their roots out, which means you can then grow a lot more plants. This is especially appealing to urban gardeners who want to grow a lot of plants but don’t have enough space.
By switching to the hydroponics method, you can also save up to 90% of your water. The method involves using reservoirs that prevent evaporation and they’re sealed to prevent water from seeping out. So basically, the plants only use as much water as they need and the rest remains in the reservoir, left to be used later. This water can last your plant for a few days – even a week – and you are saving a lot more water compared to watering your plants daily.
One of the most frustrating, tedious tasks for gardeners is pulling out weeds from their gardens. With hydroponics, you don’t have any weeds and also, you’re not getting the typical soil-borne diseases and pests that usually wreak havoc on your plants.
So now you’re interested, read on to find out which hydroponic supplies you should buy and how to get started on your garden!
When it comes to hydroponics systems, there are usually six types that you can choose from. These are:
- Deep Water Culture
- Ebb and Flow ( 12 pot flood and drain )
- Wicking
- Drip
- Aeroponic
- Nutrient Film Technique
However, most beginners usually find that a Deep Water Culture (DWC) system is the easiest type to use since it requires the least amount of hydroponics supplies, materials and knowledge to get started.
In a DWC, all you need to do is fill up a reservoir with your nutrient solution (both can easily be found on Amazon or various online stores) and suspend your plants roots in the solution so they receive the constant supply of oxygen, nutrients and water. You then add a continuous oxygen supply to oxygenate to nutrient solution – a common way to do this is to buy an air pump and air stone to pump bubbles. This is essential as it prevents the plant’s roots from “drowning” as the plants will suck the oxygen they need out of the water.
The last thing you need to do is make sure you place your hydroponics system somewhere that your plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight per day. If that’s not possible, of course you can use artificial indoor grow lights that are perfect for hydroponic plants.
Although it may sound complicated, the DWC system is an extremely simple set up that is very low-maintenance, making it the ideal hydroponics system for a beginner to use.
