Hydro Blog
Welcome to the Hydro Blog. What I am hoping to accomplish is to educate the new Hydroponics user, and provide tips and new information on this fun and rewarding area of hydroponics gardening. If you came here because you are interested in growing any thing illegal, then you should hit the back button, as I do not approve of this sort of activity. If you are interested in growing vegetables, fruits and flowers, then you are at the right place.
(Issue 2) February 12,2008
Ok, you have decided to try your hand at hydroponics, but how will you get started? Like most people that have asked this question, it will be hard to pick from the various systems that can be used to grow using hydroponics. While there are many complex ways to go about this, it is probably smart just to start simple and work up from there. Below are short descriptions of various systems that might be used:
Water Culture Systems
Water culture systems include the nutrient film technique (NFT), aeroponics, and the aeration method. None of these systems use a medium, and directly expose plant roots to a nutrient.
Nutrient Film Technique (NTF)
Plant roots are bathed in a continuous flow of nutrients. Nutrients that are usually recycled. This type of system is simple, and can be expanded into systems that cover acres of greenhouse space. The basic principle of a nutrient film technique system is that the roots of plant's have access to a constantly running and very shallow stream (film) of nutrient solution flowing down an enclosed gutter. The flow of nutrient is controlled by a pump that is submerged in a nutrient tank. The pump runs continuously and provides liquids and oxygen to the plants roots.
Aeration (Bubbler) System
The aeration system is a simple system to build and use and is the authors favorite. Notice that the system is composed of a simple plastic nutrient tank made from a plastic container with a lid, and a small aquarium air pump to bubble oxygen to the roots of plants immersed in the nutrient solution. Plants are then suspended above the nutrient solution by a small cup or pot that is inserted into holes cut in the container lid. The plant roots are submerged in the tank's nutrient solution. A layer of inert material, such as gravel, clay pebbles, or vermiculite, is placed in the pots or cups to provide stability for the plants while allowing the roots to grow down into the nutrient solution.
Aeroponic System
The aeroponic system is more advanced than other types of the hydroponics systems. It is similar to the NFT system, in that nutrients are supplied to the roots of a plant; but different in that it is supplied through a fine mist. In this system, the roots remain suspended and immersed in a culture or growing chamber, where they are sprayed with a mist of nutrient solution at short intervals. The nutrient solution is taken form a nutrient solution tank by a pump which feeds the mister nozzles or foggers. A timer programmed for very short irrigating cycles controls the pump. Like the NFT system, if the pump fails or there is a power interruption, the plants’ roots will dry quickly and result in plant loss. The liquid fed to the misters or foggers must be filtered, as they can quickly be clogged which could effect their performance. The aeroponics system at the moment is not a very popular system, but can cause fantastic growth rates of plant when it is done right. These systems are great for plant cloning.
Floating Bed or Raft System
Another simple system is the floating bed or raft system. In this system, the plants are anchored in a floating platform made of Styrofoam and placed directly on the surface of the nutrient solution which is contained in a tank. The exposed roots of the plant are completely submerged in this solution. Oxygen is added to the solution by bubbling air from an air pump. Larger raft systems also recirculated the nutrient while adding oxygen. Huge amounts of lettuce can be grown with this type of system. This system is generally used for small plants that need very large quantities of water, as in the case of lettuce. It would be possible with this sort of system to produce lettuce all year long if placed indoors and artificial light is used. Again, This type of system is simple, and can be expanded into systems that cover acres of greenhouse space.
(More to come)
(Issue 1)Feburary 1st. 2008
Why Hydroponics
Here is why I like Hydroponics.
In the last few years, people have become much more aware of what they are eating and how it was produced. I had a recent conversation with a good friend of mine who could not understand why I was concerned about food safety. His response was that all food is inspected by the government. While a little of this may be true, for the most part, only a very small portion of the food that this country consumes is actually inspected, and even worse, little or absolutely nothing is known about the growing conditions. If human nature has anything to do with growing food and making money, and I can say as a fact that it does, then your health will not be considered if a crop of expensive vegetables can be saved with pesticides. This is called the bottom line, and if you realize this, then you should be concerned how food is produced and what it contains. As a child, I was always amused when my Grandmother always said that when growing a garden, you should plan to feed the bugs as well. This statement was actually true, as my Grandmother never used pesticides in any of her gardens, and the only bug prevention was picking any obvious bugs off plants which quickly became part of the soil, and keeping the garden well watered and healthy as possible. The chicken manure and kitchen waste provided the only fertilizer the plants ever got. Needless to say, as I look back on this, I was never worried about going into that garden and picking a juicy ripe tomato and eating it right there. It never occurred to me to wash it off, or even worse, take some soap and water to it!
Yuck Chemicals!
When I explain that I grow most of my vegetables using hydroponics, there are usually two responses I get from people. The first is very enjoyable, as it usually starts with a little history of hydroponics, and ends with a real interest shown by the listener. The second response is the chemical response. "Gee, don't you grow your plants in water containing chemicals?" or just a big "Yuck". Normally my response to the chemical thing is to ask them what they think I do with all those chemicals. Usually this leads to a understanding on my part that the chemical response is caused by ignorance. The definition of ignorance is not something bad, but just means that they do not have all the facts. These facts are:
The whole living world is made up of, and uses chemicals.
The chemicals that I use in my hydroponics garden are the same ones that exist in the soil of
an organic garden. I just don't use soil.
Plants in an organic garden need the same chemicals that a plant in my hydroponics garden
need.
A lot of the chemicals they (organic gardens) use and I use exist in common drinking water.
This Blog began with a question. As in all good things worth doing, the answer to any question may come from you and your experiences, or just your own personal choices. When I first started hydroponic gardening, it felt a little strange. In the area where I live there was only 1 hydroponics store, and was too far away to spend any time bending the poor store owner's ears. I quickly found that hydroponics was not a daily topic of conversation with anyone I knew, and just mentioning the word caused puzzled looks on peoples faces. At home, things were no different. My wife was just as puzzled as anyone else. With all these walls to climb over, I was quickly deciding that this may not be the fun hobby that I thought it could be. But, was I wrong! The thing that finally convinced me of the true value of hydroponics was a book written by Howard M. Resh, Ph.D called "Hydroponic Food Production". This is one of those five pound books that look a little intimidating when first picked up, but I quickly found that I had purchased just what I needed. Reading through this book encouraged me to take my first step at hydroponics growing.
It also made me think of how this technology could feed the world, and how a person who had very few financial resources could use this technology. Eventually, I decided that hydroponics growing could be just as earth friendly as organic gardening, but much more practical in a lot more places. What I have hope to offer you in this blog are my personal experiences with hydroponics. I do not have any back ground in horticulture and attended no colleges. My best education with growing tomatoes is based on just eating one, and knowing that I wanted more. So the answer to the question "Why Hydroponic" is a personal one. The answer is that I believe in it. Perhaps you will too when you have finished trying this great way to grow food. Please come back often as I add to this blog every couple of days.
Cheers!
Dennis DeLaurier
Round Rock Texas