Getting started with hydroponics can be a challenge. There are several important decisions you need to make early on in the process, and this can be difficult because you may not have the confidence in your knowledge to make these decisions. You will need to decide on which type of system you want to use, as well as how much you are willing to spend, which kind of plants you want to grow and on top of this you need to figure out how everything works to produce high yields and strong, healthy plants. This article can only go so in-depth, but we still want to make sure you’re prepared with the basics. We would always recommend you go away and do more research on the various aspects of your plan just to be sure. To help you get started, we will be covering how hydroponics works, a few examples of popular systems and plants to grow in them. If you have specific questions and concerns, we’d encourage you to reach out to the community online or speak to an experienced retailer.
Very simply, hydroponics works by simulating the natural environment that plants grow in by artificially supplementing them with everything they need for proper growth. While traditionally grown plants take water and nutrients from the soil, hydroponics systems deliver water and nutrients via an aquatic system. These aquatic systems take different forms depending on the type of system you’re using. For example, the deep water culture (DWC) style of system permanently suspends the plant roots in water and relies on an air pump to deliver adequate oxygen to the roots. Nutrients are added to the system in the form of crystals that need to be dissolved, or as liquids that can be diluted in the tank. One of the major things that plants need to thrive is light. When they are growing normally outdoors, they will take in sunlight and use it to fuel photosynthetic processes to create energy. Without adequate sunlight, plants can’t produce their own food and will gradually start to become pale and sad looking. Hydroponics prevents this by supplementing the light levels using something like a CFL grow light or an LED rig. Lights need to be strong enough to provide enough energy to plants, so check your requirements and specifications before buying them.
As we’ve touched on, DWC systems tend to be extremely popular for beginners. They can be set up in a range of specifications to suit your needs and the space you have available. As they have very few moving parts they are easy to run and simple to repair. The only things that you need to keep an eye on are the output of your air pump and the status of your lighting. Another system popular with beginners is the drip feed system. Rather than having the roots in water full time, drip feed systems will deliver a constant steady stream of water to the roots or they can be set to deliver water to a certain schedule if your plants need to dry out a little between waterings. The good thing about these systems is that they are more water efficient and you don’t need to worry about installing an air pump. There are more complex systems out there such as ebb and flow systems, aeroponics and more, if you want to you should go ahead and read more about these if our two simple recommended systems don’t appeal to you.
Next you can start thinking about the plants you want to grow. Many people prefer to grow food they can consume so fruits and vegetables tend to be a good starting point. Choose relatively short-lived plants to start with such as lettuce, but you can also try your hand at slightly more challenging plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers. If you don’t want to grow vegetables, you can grow your regular house plants using hydroponics for an exotic display, or the garden variety flowers and foliage you love but may not have a garden to enjoy them in.There are many different types of plant you can grow that will turn a profit. Some are not legal in the UK so you need to be aware of the law around certain plants, but others can be grown and sold as supplements such as ginseng and herbs.