Plant growers now have many reasons to try out hydroponics as an innovative and easy method of gardening. What makes hydroponics so exciting is the fact that it doesn’t require soil to grow plants. This method of planting will allow you to get full control over the environment, controlling pests, and it is also found that the hydroponics plants grow about 25% faster than soil-based plants.
Hydroponics is also a lot of fun, and it also lets people grow plants in a smaller area or indoor. You can grow plants even on the deck, a table inside the house, or patio and raise vegetables, fruits, or anything in a hydroponics setup.
The basics of soil-free planting
Hydroponics is a growing field, and many new methods and systems get introduced in it day by day. If you are looking forward to trying it out, there is something to fit the need of any budget and lifestyle. On planting indoors, they will thrive on artificial light and space in the patio of the deck can also be used if in the right weather conditions.
All you have to take care of is that the nutritional needs of the plants must be appropriately met and the water into which the roots grow need to be saturated with the right nutrient formula. You may have to spend a few dollars to set it up based on the need. If you are a novice in gardening without soil, then it is advisable to start it at a minimal level first with a small investment and use an inexpensive system to experiment.
Supplying nutrients
You can use any ordinary fertiliser as in case of soil-based planting, but it should dissolve in water to be absorbed by the roots easily. A fertiliser will work only if it has full nutrients needed in the right proportion. Plants require various elements in the right balance to survive. Some of the critical components to be ensured in the nutritional supplementation are:
- Nitrogen
- Copper
- Zinc
- Calcium and
- Potassium
These should be supplemented with adequate oxygen supply also to ensure good health of plants. To complete the composition, Epsom salts also need to be added with fertiliser. For those gardeners who don’t want to use the fertilisers for hydroponics systems, there are specially made fertilisers available which are composed to meet the needs of hydroponics plants.
Self-made hydroponics systems
It is not difficult for anyone to make a hydroponics system at home all by your own. We can use any basic containers which will hold water for deep water culture like an old ice chest, a tub, storage bin, or even a wading pool of your child to make it.
Adding an aquarium pump to the system will ensure adequate oxygen supply to the water and boost the plant growth. Ebb and flow type hydroponics is another type which may be costlier than deep water culture systems. However, ebb and flow systems may be ideal for some plants to grow healthier. Don’t forget to use indoor Gorilla grow tents and extension kit for the best result.