Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

Hydroponic plants are becoming increasingly popular not only with greenhouse business owners, but also with progressive-minded homeowners. The methods of growing vegetables and herbs without soil attract with their compactness, aesthetics and cleanliness. To get a good harvest in your own garden without leaving your apartment, it is enough to follow the simple rules for caring for plants.

What is hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a streamlined and balanced system that allows you to get high yields by growing your garden crops in water using nutrients. Depending on the modification and cultivation method, a lightweight substrate (eg expanded clay) can be used in the system. Hydro-aeration complexes are also distinguished, in which water is supplied by the tidal method.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

What plants can be grown hydroponically?

The best option would be to grow lush plants in a hydroponic plant. This includes various types of edible greens, such as parsley, dill, salads, basil, onions, rosemary, mint, etc. As well as indoor plants such as ficus, dieffenbachia, philodendron, asparagus, ivy and more.

Of the vegetable crops, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are best suited to the hydroponic cultivation method. Legumes and berries feel great in the aquatic environment. Even bananas can be grown in hydroponic installations if the temperature and light conditions are observed, as well as the correct feeding.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

But not every plant can be grown on a nutrient solution. Some crops are temperature-sensitive, prone to moderate watering, or require frequent and difficult maintenance. It is not recommended to grow at home:

  • Roots. Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips and others. These plants require special watering. If the root system receives too much moisture, the tubers begin to rot.
  • Mushrooms, as well as crops characterized by active root growth.
  • Plants that need constant cleaning of the bush, removal of dying leaves and inflorescences. Otherwise, crumbling petals will quickly clog the entire installation. These crops include some types of begonias and balsam.
  • Do not plant hydrangeas, clivia, lyasalia, or other decorative flowers that form buds during dormancy at lower temperatures in hydroponic devices.

In addition, a certain group of crops requires an individual approach, special agricultural techniques and a special nutrient solution.

Features of the method

There are many advantages to growing crops without soil. It allows you to get a high-quality harvest throughout the year, and its implementation does not require large physical and financial costs. But this does not mean that vegetables grow autonomously, without human intervention. The main feature of hydroponics is the need for daily monitoring of fluid levels, nutrient levels and general plant health.

Necessary equipment

To cultivate plants hydroponically, you will need the following devices:

  • Solution tank. Depending on the chosen modification, they can be 1 or 2. As a tank, you can use plastic canisters, containers, buckets and even ordinary three-liter cylinders. The size of the container will depend on the number of seedlings in the system. However, for large landings, it is better to use several medium-sized tanks rather than one large one. The optimal containers for storing the nutrient solution are considered to be tanks with a volume of up to 50 liters. Another important point is that the container should have a flat and tight-fitting lid. And transparent or light containers are pre-pasted over with reflective foil or painted over with dark paint. This will prevent the water from blooming.
  • Two-channel pump. This is a required installation element, whatever configuration you mount. Thanks to him, the water circulates through the system, saturating the horses of the plants.
  • Hoses and sprayers. With drip and capillary irrigation, you cannot do without such elements. They provide an economical, spot-on delivery of nutrient solution to the roots of the seedlings.
  • Aquarium compressor. This detail is not considered mandatory, but if possible, it is better to install the device. Thus, the water will be continuously saturated with oxygen, enhancing the positive effect. Sometimes the role of the compressor is played by stones that are placed under the outlets of the pumping pipes. Striking the stones, the water splashes and absorbs oxygen.
  • Pots. If possible, it is better to prepare specialized mesh flowerpots for seedlings. Otherwise, thin plastic containers are perfect. To make the plants better saturated with the solution, holes are made in its walls with a small drill.
  • Substrates are needed in capillary or tidal systems to keep seedlings in pots. It can be a special peat mixture, coarse sand, expanded clay, etc.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

You will also need special complex fertilizers, the choice of which will depend on the crops grown. The set of related tools corresponds to the modification of the installation, but in most cases a drill, screws, sealant and a utility knife are sufficient.

A device for determining the amount of nutrients in water will not be superfluous. For this, TDS meters are used. In some cases, you may need a water thermometer. But only if we are talking about the cultivation of tropical exotic plants.

Correct watering

According to calculations, one adult plant per day should have three liters of nutrient solution with proper fluid circulation in the system. In this case, the correct supply of fluid is considered every two hours.

However, it should be borne in mind that moisture consumption can vary depending on the crop, air temperature and the irrigation system used. Therefore, it is necessary to check the level of the solution in the system at the same time every day.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

Top dressing of plants

When using a separate tank for the nutrient solution, fertilizer is added directly to the tank and mixed with the rest of the liquid by running water through the system.

If a closed structure is used, for example, made of PVC pipes, then it is recommended to mix the nutrients with a small amount of liquid and enter into the system with the next addition of liquid.

The frequency of feeding is indicated on the package, as well as the required amount of the substance. As a rule, vegetables are fed every 3-4 weeks. Ornamental plants can be fertilized every two months. The bulk of the fertilizer is applied during the period of active growth and completely stops 2-3 weeks before harvesting.

Plant Care

The lack of soil makes it much easier to care for the seedlings. No need to weed the beds from weeds, loosen the top layer. No dirt and most pests. The main concern comes down to daily inspection and removal of affected plants.

It is important to monitor the general condition of the bushes: pale foliage, lethargy may indicate a lack of moisture or nutrients. An excess of fertilizer often manifests itself in the appearance of spots or dry out the edges of the leaves. Too long and pale shoots indicate a lack of lighting.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

Using cultivation methods “without land”, it is necessary to remove dead leaves and peduncles in a timely manner so that they do not clog the pipes. And, of course, renew the nutrient solution in time. If there is an unpleasant odor or signs of infection on the plants, you need to rinse the equipment, completely renew the liquid.

Varieties of hydroponic systems

The history of the ancient world shows that hydroponic techniques were successfully exploited thousands of years ago. One of the wonders of the world today is considered the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were equipped with the type of capillary irrigation. Although some botanists dispute this opinion, claiming that there was soil in the gutters. That is, it is impossible to call gardens a semblance of hydroponic cultivation in today’s understanding of this term.

Hydroponics at home: do it yourself greens

Inhabitants of South America were engaged in cultivation without soil. An equally interesting idea was the decision of the Mexicans to breed plants on rafts. Compared to today’s technologies, these methods can be compared to tidal irrigation.

The principle of systemic irrigation of seedlings is successfully used by today’s growers and gives positive results. Hydroponic installations (especially their home versions) are constantly being improved and adapted to their own conditions. But they are all based on three main constructs:

  1. Ebb and flow. To implement it, you will need a powerful pump. The solution floods the root portion at regular intervals. The rest of the time, the roots remain in the air (in a closed system, which prevents winding) and are saturated with oxygen.
  2. Capillary irrigation. The only modification of a hydroponic plant in which a pump is not required. Plants are fixed with a substrate, the nutrient solution randomly flows down the gutters.
  3. Drip irrigation. The entire cultivation period takes place without a substrate. The aqueous solution is supplied with a pump through special tubes with spray nozzles. Fine water dust settles on the roots. Part of the moisture is absorbed, and the excess is returned to the tank through the drainage channels.

The choice of a suitable hydroponic plant for growing plants should be based on the crops being grown and the possibilities of the room. The most compact are tidal and capillary installations, which can be conveniently placed in a vertical position.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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