Hydroponic gardening is much simpler to accomplish than it may seem, as long as the right tools and materials are accessible to the gardener. A growing percentage of stores now offer pre-made hydroponic system kits that provide the basic materials required for gardening. For beginning gardeners and hobbyists, these kits may be a perfect starting solution.
Hydroponic gardens are those that utilize growing mediums alternative to soil. This concept removes the many inconvenient aspects of soil use and will still provide a healthy, vibrant garden. In fact, because the nutrients are provided directly to the plant, it is not uncommon for hydroponic gardens to have larger or greater amounts of produce and herbs.
What Is Needed
There are many different methods of hydroponic gardening available to the beginner, so, before anything else, the gardener must decide what type of garden to build. Hydroponic garden kits often come with easy-to-follow instructions. However, if the gardener decides to design his own garden, he will need greater than the basic information to reach success.
Two containers are a necessary starting point for beginning a hydroponic garden. One container will serve to hold the plants and must be designed to suspend over the nutrient solution. The most simple methods to accomplishing this are to tie the container to a hanger or to wedge the container on a bridge over the nutrient solution.
The second container will hold the nutrient solution and water reservoir and so must not leak. When building the suspension system for your containers, take care to remember that only some of the plant’s roots should be submerged in the nutrient solution. Allowing some of the roots to hang mid-air allows aeration necessary to the plant’s survival.
The nutrient solution to feed your plants can be as simple as fertilizer or plant food dissolved in water. Some people prefer to let this solution deplete completely before replenishing the supply, while others keep a constant amount of solution in the container.
Advantages Of Hydroponic Herb Gardening
Hydroponic gardening tends to produce healthier plants and larger produce. Because the plants are exposed directly to the nutrient solution, their root systems will be less complex, allowing for more plants to be grown in a smaller area.
Despite the inferior size of the plants’ root systems, addressing the plants’ nutritional needs directly also tends to grow more and larger crops. Hydroponic gardeners will also discover fewer instances of illness and disease in their plants since many of these ailments are caused by soil-borne pathogens.