What does hydroponic mean?
Hydroponics means growing plants in water without the use of soil. Hydroponic growing is a wonderful technique, by letting the plant dip their roots in a nutrient-rich solution that carries all of the 17 necessary nutrients and elements that plants search for while in soil. Systems are designed for users, beginners or professionals, to grow plants, herbs, vegetables and even fruit inside their homes. Whether you have a balcony, a terrace, rooftop of your apartment building, you can install a hydroponic growing system and grow your own plants, vegetables, herbs and fruit. Just remember to measure the area first before installing growing equipment. For those who don’t have that, you can just use a sunny window and install indoor hydroponic growing equipment.
Hydrax Agri explains Hydroponics:
Plants don’t really need soil, they just need the nutrients and water which they obtain from the soil. So if we look at growing plants hydroponically we see that the soil is actually just a housing mechanism for the plants and can be replaced with any other housing mechanism. From warm weather outdoors to year-round indoors, growing plants hydroponically can be very advantageous, like:
Ø Fast growing
Ø Increased yields in small spaces
Ø Clean plants
Ø Ease of harvest
Ø No soil-related insects
Because hydroponically grown plants dip their roots in nutrient-rich solution they get the nutrients they need much quicker than those grown in a conventional way and the systems of distributing the solution to the plants work on timers with a computer, but that doesn’t mean you can just set the timer and leave, you’ll have to pay attention to the plants as they grow at a greater speed than those not hydroponically grown.
Types of hydroponic grow methods:
One of the greatest things about hydroponics is that you don’t need a very big space to install the hydroponic growing equipment, a tiny space will do just fine. Just remember to take into account the water weight when installing the equipment in the certain area you want to install it. Now that you know you want to start growing hydroponically you will need to look at the different methods or systems you’ll want to use that best fits what you want to grow. Before we go into the six main types of hydroponic systems you’ll want to look at growing your plants in, you’ll first have to decide whether you want it to be an active or passive system and an open or closed system.
Ø Active system uses pumps to circulate the water and solution through.
Ø Passive system uses gravity to move the water and solution from one end to the other.
Ø Open system is where the water is captured and then reused
Ø Closed system is where the water gets recirculated over and over again
Most home-based hydroponic systems are closed systems to save water. Now let’s look at the six main types, bear in mind each one has its one advantages, they are:
Ø Wick system
Ø DWC (Deep Water Culture)
Ø Ebb-and-flow (Flood-and-drain system)
Ø Drip system
Ø NFT (Nutrient film technique)
Ø Aeroponic
Ø Deep water hydroponic system
Craft Soil and Mediums:
We at Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies are distributors of top quality Craft Soil and growing mediums in South Africa. Craft Soil is one of the most popular growing mediums/media for plants because it is natural and easily accessible across the world. If you decide to use Craft Soil please see instructions on the product for best results. If you’re wondering what exactly we mean by Craft Soil and mediums/media, well remember we said that plants don’t need soil to grow in. Now some plants, like tomatoes for example are more of your larger and heavy plants so when growing the roots needs something strong to hold onto, so instead of using actual soil, we recommend using Craft Soil or other mediums/media, with these mediums/media the water and nutrients gets supplied evenly through the plants and won’t get sucked up like with normal soil.
At Hydrax Hydro we offer a broad range of soilless mediums/media such as rock wool, perlite, vermiculite, and coco coir (or coco peat). Now don’t let the names scare you they aren’t as complex as they sound, they all serve the purpose of supporting the plant while growing, giving the roots something to hold onto, and at the same time not absorbing any of the nutrients the plant needs to grow. With these mediums, there is a system that will work best to keep it moist and keep true to the hydroponic growing technology and that is the wick system, one of the six main types of growing methods.
Something else everyone needs to know about soilless medium/media is that they are typically porous in order to hold oxygen and the solution rich water, but doesn’t absorb it as we said earlier. Always take into account the weight of the medium/media that you are choosing with the weight of the water as well and also the actual size of your hydroponic equipment, you don’t want to use big gravel stones for a small pot.
Hydroponic Nutrient
Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies are distributors of high quality indoor, outdoor and greenhouse hydroponic nutrient fertilizers and nutrient solutions in South Africa. Our collection of hydroponic nutrient solutions caters for a wide variety of agricultural requirements and preferences. Whether you’re an avid gardener or a beginner, you will want to find the best nutrients for your plants. Certain nutrients are made for soil while others are made for hydroponic growing. Giving your plant the right nutrients at each growing stage result in optimal production. Some of the brands we supply and distribute is Biobizz, Green House Powder Feeding and Umya Nutrients. We will go into detail regarding Umya a bit later, but for now, let’s look at the first two.
Biobizz is 100% certified organic, which includes a line of organic substrate, liquid fertilizers, and substrate enhancers for all your farming needs. Using organic products and organic nutrients, just make sure to minimize the impact the products have on the earth, we don’t want to destroy something while growing something else. What we mean by that is the products don’t include any harmful metals, artificial additives, or synthetic pesticides. Making this product good for the health of the plant as well as the health of the people. Using 100% organic products guarantees an impressive harvest, both in quality and quantity.
Now for the Green House Powder Feeder, this product has been designed to feed the plants during the flowering phase, giving the plants just the right amount of potassium, magnesium, and phosphor. It also contains lots of micronutrients which helps with the plants flowering production. Mixing the powder is fairly straight forward, just use regular tap water with a temperature of about 18-22 degrees Celsius. Mix it well for 2-3 minutes and supply to plants. The actual mixed nutrient solution can be stored at room temperature in a lightproof container for up to 7 days.
Hydroponic nutrients can be used in a wide range of hydroponic systems, like:
Ø Wick system
Ø DWC (Deep Water Culture)
Ø Ebb-and-floe (Flood-and-drain)
Ø Drip system (Recovery or non-recovery)
Ø NFT (Nutrient film technique)
Ø Aeroponic
Ø Deep water hydroponic system
Something to remember when you are growing with hydroponics is that the plants will only get the vitamins and minerals you give them, so you have to make sure you choose the right nutrients for the right plants and also you have to look at your budget and the size of you hydroponic system you installed or want to install. There are 5 key nutrients all plants need: nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous. Now every plant through each growth stage might need more or less of each of these nutrients, but all must be included in the growth.
Growth tents:
Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies are one of the leading suppliers of growth tents in South Africa. You can find anything from indoor growth tents to, small 4 plant tent up to your 12 plant growth tent. The two brands we offer our customers are the Mars Hydro Grow Tent and the BudBox Grow Tent.
Let’s have a look at the Mars Hydro Grow Tent. These tents are very quick and easy to assemble and provide a controlled horticultural environment. It has a top-quality double thick Mylar with a 99% efficient reflective surface. What happens is when the light gets distributed through the tent from the outside, through the vented flaps with a screen the tents are produced with, it will reflect and give it to the plants inside. The inside of the tent is designed to reflect the light from LED grow lights, as well as other, HID grow light such as Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), making this tent outperform any other tents available out there. Some of the wonderful features include, 2x stronger and thicker sides than any of the competitors, steel construction, supports 65kg fixtures, removable waterproof floor liner, and lastly completely non-toxic bug and disease resistance.
The other brand that we mentioned is the BudBx Grow Tent. The tent features a strong framework to support more weight as well as a metal click-lock to keep the tent stable and sturdy. The fabric is of high quality and precise stitching helps keep light in at all times. To prevent any light leaks the tent is fitted with a green-tinted viewing window for you to keep an eye on your growing environment. Some of the features of the BudBox Growing Tent is, it comes with a tough, thick durable yet lightweight outer shell that’s easy to fit in minutes and also a large ventilation panel/s for increased passive airflow. Plants need PAR light to grow and flower, PAR stands for Photosynthetic Active Radiation. Plants love blue and red light, with blue lights helping the plants stems and leaves grow stronger and the red light helps with flowering. Now the BudBox Grow Tents flat white material reflects more PAR light directly to your plants while eliminating the unused spectrum. The material will always run cooler than your standard Mylar tent and thus decreasing the chance of hot spots which can damage your plants.
Always remember to follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturers, if any grow tent is improperly installed and/or maintained, there is the potential for damage or possible injury or death.
Growing the conventional way, outside in the soil can be tricky business, there is so much to look out for, the seasons changing, the diseases and critters eating away at your crops and you have to make sure the soil is actually fitted enough to grow something. That sounds like too much of a hassle, even growing something outside with hydroponics you still have to make sure the plants get enough sunlight and you still have to watch out for critters.
Now look if that is something you want to take on and it’s something you enjoy doing, by all means, please go forth and plant away, but if that is something you dread and the reason why you haven’t started planting anything fear not, we here at Hydro Hydrax have the solution for you. With a growth tent, you can have all the fun of growing crops without the hassle of everything you fear. And let’s not forget the wonderful thing about a growth tent is that you can have year-round crops because you don’t depend on the seasons changing, you have a constant season inside your tent the whole time, all of this in the comfort of your own home, or garage if you have one and prefer that.
The setting up of a growth tent is also not as difficult as one might think. And there you have it, everything you need for growing indoors.
LED Grow Lights
When growing hydroponics indoors one of the most important factors to decide is which lights to use. LED lights have not always been popular, but thanks to technological advancements LED lights is a force to be reckoned with. With modern LED lighting, you will be able to save energy and money. LED manufacturers have developed special lenses to point the light directly to the plants and increase penetration, resulting in bigger yields for the same amount of light compared to the other lighting solutions.
When compared to the HID light, LED lighting will save you about 40% of the energy consumption. So, the energy savings are enormous. Furthermore, they take up less space, emit light faster, and are more durable and shock-resistant than HID lights.
Another big advantage is the risk of fire. HID lights can become very hot while good LED lights can run a bit cooler even after several hours of being turned on.
We here at Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies distribute high class LED grow lights for your hydroponic indoor systems as well as those of you who use a grow tent, the LED lights are perfect grow tent lights. We are one of the top suppliers for grow lights in South Africa. The two companies we use are Mars Hydro Lights and Kroptek Sunblast LED Lights.
Just like the Mars Hydro Grow Tent, the Mars Hydro Lights do not disappoint, they are manufactured for home growers all the way to professional growers. The purpose of the company is to help growers get the most suitable light and highest yield for a lower cost. The Mars Hydro lights can be used in the greenhouse grow, vertical grow and indoor grow (includes grow tents). The wonderful thing about Mars Hydro light is they are produced to give a more natural light so no glasses are required and the aluminium cover and reflector dispense better heat and light.
The objective of Kroptek is to create and enable a cost-effective light source for organic farming everywhere in the world. By doing this it will have a positive impact on the environment, reducing freshwater consumption with the hydroponic system, energy needs from LED lights which use less energy than normal lights and reducing carbon footprint by 90% (subject to setup, location and crop type). Kroptek has been innovating with their LED lights in that they have been focusing their research on achieving a light solution that will give you top quality with enhanced yield in crops. In their research, they have come up with a LED light that prioritises replicating natural light throughout the spectrum giving you a combination of blue and red light, but adding green light as well which though their studies indicates in positively impacts plant health.
Kroptek’s lights are fully waterproof, uses fan-less cooling technology and comes with a 90-degree lens angle which means that the hanging distance is equal to the coverage area.
It is important to remember that plants need darkness just as much as they need light. Similar to humans and animals, plants also need a rest period to refresh and revitalise. Using an indoor grow light, you want to stimulate this photoperiod with 15-16 hours of light and 10-12 hours of darkness. It’s best to have your lights connected to a timer to switch it on and off giving your plants 10-12 hours of darkness every day.
The plants you want to grow will have different requirements when it comes to light exposure. Short-day plants require longer periods of darkness, thus being exposed to light for more than 12 hours a day these plants will not bud, for example, strawberries and cauliflower. While long-day plants require long periods of light, up to 18 hours, like lettuce and potatoes. If you have neutral plants like eggplants or corn, you can have them in any type of light they will still produce.
If you have a mixture of all three, then you have to find a happy medium for all the plants to be happy in, so set your timer for the plants to be exposed to 12-14 hours of light will be perfect and produce strong yields.
When choosing your hydroponic lighting system you have to take into account the four main parts, which is the bulb, the reflector hood, the remote ballast and the timer.
Ø Bulb: Choosing an LED or HID bulb. The HID bulb is your cheaper bulbs, popular for home growers, good for both flowering and vegetative growth. LED bulbs are more expensive, but uses little power and gives off virtually no heat, and can simulate the colour temp of sunlight.
Ø Reflector hood: This is the reflective casing around the bulb and helps increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the bulb.
Ø Remote ballast: This is a power box that powers the light, it is the most expensive part but it does supply the majority of the power. Make sure to not leave it on the floor as it has to avoid moisture.
Ø Timer: This is to automatically switch your lights on and off.
Hydroponic systems
With the increase in popularity of hydroponic growing, one must first look at the environment one wishes to grow in and then the system that is going to fit your environment.
At Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies we supply a wide variety of growing systems in South Africa, let’s take a closer look at the six types of hydroponic systems we have here at Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies.
Ø Wick System: This is the easiest and simplest type of growing system that you can use. This system doesn’t require any use of aerators, pumps or electricity. In the majority of the wick systems, plants are placed directly within an absorbent substance like perlite or vermiculite, a nylon wick is then positioned around the plant before it is sent down into the nutrient solution. This system is ideal for small gardens and herbs because plants aren’t able to obtain a significant amount of nutrients. It is also ideal for plants that don’t require a substantial amount of water. You’ll want to avoid plants like peppers or tomatoes as they heavy-feeding plants and require more nutrients. Water and nutrients aren’t absorbed easily which can cause toxic mineral salt build-up, so remember to flush away any extra nutrients with fresh water every 1-2 weeks.
Ø Water Culture: This is another simplistic system and the way it works is it places the rots directly into the nutrient solution. While the wick system places certain materials between the plants, the water culture system bypasses all those barriers and only secures the plants in the water and nutrient solution using net pots. Because the roots are directly placed into the water and nutrient solution oxygen and nutrients are absorbed easily and directly making the growing process of the plants that much quicker. When using this system just make sure the growing area and environment are clean as the plants can develop root diseases if not clean.
Ø Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain): This is a very popular system for home gardeners. With this system plants are placed in a grow bed and secured with a medium like rockwool or perlite, which can also be purchased at Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies, then once the plants are carefully planted the grow bed will be flooded with a nutrient-rich solution until the water reaches a couple of centimetres below the top layer of the growing medium making sure the water doesn’t overflow. A pump will be fitted and will be set on a timer flooding the grow bed and draining the water back into the pump a couple of times during the day. This system is perfect for any plant, if you want to plant bigger plants though you have to make sure your environment in which you are placing the system is big enough as the plants are planted spaciously from each other.
Ø Drip System: This is an easy to use system that can be altered for different types of plants, that is why this is a great system for anyone wanting to start growing with hydroponics. How this system works is at the end of each tube is a drip emitter that controls the amount of nutrient-rich solution that is being sent straight to the plant base. Adjusting the flow to meet your required needs for the plants makes this system so easy to use. You can have a circulating or non-circulating system, a circulating system just means that the water and nutrient-rich solution is sent back to the tank where it circulates back to the plant through the drip system.
Ø N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technology): This system scales very well and is commonly used by commercial growers as well home growers. This system is suitable for pretty much any size plant, you’ll only need to adjust the channels when growing larger plants. So how it works is the water and nutrient-rich solution is kept in a large reservoir. From there, the solution is pumped into sloped channels, it runs down the slope and over the roots of the plants providing the nutrients they need back into the reservoir. The best way for housing the plants in the channels is with net pots.
Ø Aeroponic system: This system can become difficult to build but it is easy to understand and it does use the least amount of water than any of the other systems mentioned. How it works, the plants grow while being suspended in the air with mist nozzles, connected to a pump, below the plants spraying nutrient-rich solution up towards the plants and onto the roots. The remaining water and solution will fall into the reservoir being circulated and sprayed onto the roots again. You can grow any size of plants in this system but if you wish to plant larger plants you’ll have to make sure the reservoir is deep enough and the mist pump strong enough to feed the whole root of the plants.
Now you know the differences between each system and how it is used and what types of plants you can grow. The only next step for you is to decide when and where you want to start growing.
Fabric Grow Bags
At Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies, you can get the best grow bags in South Africa, we provide you with different sizes for any plant you want to take on. Grow bags are bags used to hold soil or any other growing medium you choose to use, for growing plants, similar to clay or plastic pots. If you haven’t heard of grow bags, you will want to check them out! Our grow bags can make gardening that much easier, both for indoors and outdoors growing. It has been noticed that growing plants in our grow bags results in healthier roots than plants in pots. Grow bags are more durable than plastic bags and also breathe better, this is especially important as many people underestimate the importance of getting enough oxygen to the root of the plant. Grow bags are easier to move, hang, and store than pots.
Even though grow bags are wonderful to use growing outdoors, indoors, in a grow tent or in a greenhouse, there is definitely no shortage of pros as to why you must use a grow bag for your next plant adventure, but like everything in life, nothing is perfect and there are a couple of cons in using a grow bag. Let’s have a closer look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
Ø It can be used anywhere, from rented yards to small balconies.
Ø Can be used in an area with bad soil, if you live in an area where the soil isn’t particularly good for the type of crop you want to grow, you can use a grow bag with healthy soil to grow your crop in.
Ø Easy to use, they are cost-effective and you don’t need all those fancy tools to get started. Even the most beginner of gardeners can grow impressive crops.
Ø Bags are breathable, making overwatering a thing of the past and increasing the drainage of the water through the soil. Oxygen is also distributed more through the grow bags which is highly beneficial for the roots.
Ø Talking about roots, grow bags improve the overall root health. Plants create a more robust root system in grow bags.
Cons:
Ø The durability of the bags aren’t as high as your more hard-bodied containers. Grow bags can only last for about 2-6 seasons depending on the quality of the bag and the environment it is exposed to.
Ø With that said the cost can become high as well, seeing as the bags doesn’t last long you can start to see some numbers running up in buying new grow bags.
Ø Aesthetics is something people actually care about, even though grow bags aren’t as pretty as your ceramic or terra cotta pots, in my opinion, it’s the plant that is the star of the show, not the bag and if you place your grow bags in a creative fashion it can actually look very chic and pretty.
Ø Some of the grow bags on the market aren’t eco-friendly and that can become a problem once it’s time to discard them. But this opens up a whole new door of opportunity for biodegradable grow bags.
Ø With the grow bags being so breathable and overwatering nothing to worry about, something you’ll have to consider is the fact that now the soil becomes dry too quickly and you’ll need to keep on supplying sufficient amounts of water which can become quite costly.
Ø The mobility of the grow bags can become a problem especially once you start choosing the bigger grow bags like your 20 gallons and up because they don’t have a sturdy structure they tend to tear easily, so just be careful when you decide on the size of the bag if you want a bigger gallon bag to choose a plant that is not going to cause the bag to fall over or tear.
With all that said we here at Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies stand behind our product and promise you that once you try out one of our grow bags, seeing the magnificent difference it will bring to your crops, you’ll be in awe.
Additives and Boosters
Hydrax Hydroponic Supplies are distributors of quality additives and boosters in South Africa, everything you need for your hydroponic garden. At our online hydroponic store, you will find several additives, boosters, stimulators and supplements for your plants. Balanced and complete nutrition is the key to a successful garden and we make sure you have the right additives to boost your plants. We distribute two of the top class brands for your additive and booster needs, Bio-Grow from BioBizz organic products and Umya nutrient supplements and additives. Plant boosters and additives are important because they are part of nutrients that will help your plants grow.
Bio-Grow from BioBizz is a liquid organic nutrient fertilizer. With the main ingredient in this product being molasses it can’t be used in a hydroponic system and has to be hand-fed into the soil. Bio-Grow is rich in about 70 trace elements including, humic acids, kelp, vitamin B1, B2, C and E; making this product one of the best plant boosters out there. Some key features that are included in the Bio-Grow product are its high nitrogen concentration, all-organic complete fertiliser and ideal for organic gardeners growing in soil or cocopeat.
Previously we mentioned Umya nutrients, now it is time to go into more detail regarding Umya nutrients. This is a proudly South African company, manufacturing all of its products locally and to the highest standards. They have a wide variety of fertilizers and supplements for you to choose from. They have a deep love and passion for their gardens and the land that nourishes us all. Their products contain a broad spectrum of macro and micronutrients of any potted or garden plants, taking them from seed to successful harvest with ease. They have a variety of liquid fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers and foliar products, including foliar spray for plants.
Using organic additives and boosters are very beneficial for your plants and crops. It is definitely something you need to look into if you are looking to grow healthy plants while keeping the soil healthy as well.
Pest and Disease Control
Garden pest and disease control is something gardeners have been dealing with for years. Whether they are mammals, birds or insects, cultivated plants seem to have targets on their back. If left unchecked, an infestation can end up ruining your crop. There are a wide variety of treatments available that will quickly knock down a pest population. A magnifying glass and regular inspection can save your garden from ruin. Often, pests are hidden on the underside of leaves. The most important thing is to monitor your plants regularly.
It is really important to do something to control the outbreak. We highly recommend natural or organic gardening practices. You can find all the best pest and disease control products here at Hydrax Hydroponics Supplies and all of our listed products are environmentally friendly. When a pest insect problem arises, implementing a natural or organic treatment is the best way to contribute to a healthier way of living.
Let’s look at some of the most common indoor plant pests:
Ø Spider mites
Ø Thrips
Ø Aphids
Ø Whiteflies
Ø Fungus Gnats
Now let’s look at some common indoor plant diseases:
Ø Powdery Mildew
Ø Downy Mildew
Ø Gray Mold
Ø Root Rot
Ø Iron Deficiency
Those are some common pests and diseases, but there are many more not listed, it’s always important to do your research in regards to the pets and diseases you have to look out for when choosing the plants you want to grow.
One of the brands we supply here at Hydrax Hydroponics is Biogrow organic products for pest and disease control. They have a wide variety of products for, insect control, disease control, pest control, snail and slug control, foliar feeding and also weed, moss and algae control to name a few.
You can use the products individually but it has actually been designed to be used in unison with each other, so you can mix and match the products to get the best fit for your plants’ problem.
Here are some of the products they have:
Ø Pyrol: Insecticide
Ø Copper Soap: Natural organic fungicide.
Ø Phyta: Suspension that will stimulate growth.
Ø Biotrissol: Organic foliar feed.
Ø Ferramol: Organic rain fast pellets for snails and slugs. Animal and eco-friendly.
Ø Finalsan Herbicidal Soap: Natural herbicide which kills moss and algae.
Ø Radivit: Universal compost activator.
Ø Bioneem: Bio pesticide.
Ø Vegol: Organic, broad-spectrum insecticide.
Ø Neudosan: Natural organic contact insecticide. Useful against soft-bodied insects.
Ø Hi-Clean: Eco-friendly, non-allergenic general cleaning agent.
Ø Biochar: High carbon product that increases the fertility of the soil.
Always take care of not only your plants but also the environment around them, because you can’t grow healthy plants if the environment isn’t healthy as well. Using all organic products for your plants, whether in a hydroponic system, indoor grow tents or outside, is the best option to go if you want high yields, amazing crops and beautiful plants that are not causing any harm to the environment around it.
What does hydroponic mean?
Hydroponics means growing plants in water without the use of soil. Hydroponic growing is a wonderful technique, by letting the plant dip their roots in a nutrient-rich solution that carries all of the 17 necessary nutrients and elements that plants search for while in soil. Systems are designed for users, beginners or professionals, to grow plants, herbs, vegetables and even fruit inside their homes. Whether you have a balcony, a terrace, rooftop of your apartment building, you can install a hydroponic growing system and grow your own plants, vegetable, herbs and fruit. Just remember to measure the area first before installing growing equipment. For those who don’t have that, you can just use a window that has good sunlight and install indoor hydroponic growing equipment.
Hydrax Agri explains Hydroponics:
Plants don’t really need soil, they just need the nutrients and water which they obtain from the soil. So if we look at growing plants hydroponically we see that the soil is actually just a housing mechanism for the plants and can be replaced with any other housing mechanism. From warm weather outdoors to year-round indoors, growing plants hydroponically can be very advantageous, like:
Fast-growing
Increased yields in small spaces
Clean plants
Ease of harvest
No soil-related insects
Because hydroponically grown plants dip their roots in nutrient-rich solution they get the nutrients they need much quicker than those grown in a conventional way and the systems of distributing the solution to the plants work on timers with a computer, but that doesn’t mean you can just set the timer and leave, you’ll have to pay attention to the plants as they grow at a greater speed than those not hydroponically grown.
Types of hydroponic grow methods:
Some of the greatest things about hydroponics are that you don’t need a very big space to install the hydroponic growing equipment, a tiny space will do just fine. Just remember to take into account the water weight when installing the equipment in a certain area you want to install it. Now that you know you want to start growing hydroponically you will need to look at the different methods or systems you’ll want to use that best fits what you want to grow. Before we go into the six main types of hydroponic systems you’ll want to look at growing your plants in, you’ll first have to decide whether you want it to be an active or passive system and an open or closed system.
The active system uses pumps to circulate the water and solution.
The passive system uses gravity to move the water and solution from one end to the other.
An open system is where the water is captured and then reused
A closed system is where the water gets recirculated over and over again
Most home-based hydroponic systems are closed systems to save water. Now let’s look at the six main types, bear in mind each one has its one advantages, they are:
Wick system
DWC (Deep Water Culture)
Ebb-and-flow (Flood-and-drain system)
Drip system
NFT (Nutrient film technique)
Aeroponic
Deepwater hydroponic system
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