An overview of Hydroponics Systems

Hydroponics gardening is a fantastic way to garden indoors. A soilless method of gardening, you can utilize a growing medium (or not) and feed the plants using a nutrient solution. Grow lights are used to ensure that plants receive adequate light so that photosynthesis occurs. There are many different hydroponics systems available, with different advantages to each. Learning a bit about each hydroponics system will help you discover which ones might be best for you and your plants.

In the static solution culture method, plants grow in glass or plastic containers that hold nutrient. The plants are held above the liquid by resting on the lid of the container. A hole is cut in the lid to allow the roots through, so that they can reach the nutrient. Oxygen is also important to plant growth, so some form of aeration is needed in the solution. This is most often accomplished in home uses with an aquarium pump. The maintenance is fairly minimal, because you only need to refill or change the solution regularly. Instead of a lid, some gardeners use a sheet of thin plastic to hold the plants right on the surface of the liquid nutrient. With a hole cut in the plastic, this ensures that the roots are always in contact with the solution. This is an easy method for home gardeners to use.

Aeroponics is technically not hydroponics, but it is related. Neither uses soil in which to grow plants. In aeroponics, however, plants grow in a mist or air environment. The plants are held in suspension on a support, and the roots are misted with nutrient solution at regular intervals. The advantage to this system is that it grows great plants while saving on energy and water. It usually takes less of both to grow the same number of plants aeroponically as it would hydroponically.

Deep-water culture allows for very fast growth in plants, because, not unlike static solution culture, plants are suspended over nutrient solution, and the roots dangle in the solution. An aquarium air pump is used to oxygenate the solution, helping the plant roots to take in a great deal of oxygen, leading to quick growth. You can actually connect several plastic containers used for deep-water culture together, and recirculate the water into each container. The advantage of this system is the rapid growth you get out of the plants.

All systems require adequate grow lights. If hydroponics gardening is a new activity for you, you might find it easier to get grow light kits. These ensembles will have all of the necessary components to get your lighting system up and running quickly and easily. Grow lights make a big difference in how well your plants will grow, so be sure to invest in those that are suited to your plants and the environment in which you grow them.

Susan Slobac avidly pursues hydroponics gardening and has experimented with numerous hydroponics systems. In this article she covers the details on deep water culture, aeroponics and other hydroponics systems.