Whether you’re a green thumb looking for a Do-It-Yourself gardening method, or an entrepreneur looking to start your own agricultural business, hydroponics is the solution to a simpler, more cost-effective, and hassle-free plant growth. In this article, we will discuss how Hydroponics can do wonders and why you should take advantage of it.
What Is It?
Simply put, hydroponics refers to an agricultural method where plants are grown in
What Do You Need?
This is an instructional intended for beginners. Here, we will make use of the simplest, affordable, yet quality, materials in order to make a basic hydroponics set-up.
- Grow Tray / Hydroponic Tray – This is a vessel used for holding plants when applying the hydroponic system. Hydroponic trays are usually shallow and wide to provide room for plant growth. Ideally, prepare one with a lid.
- Heater Mat – This mat is responsible for providing warmth and heat to the grow tray as it nourishes the seeds inside it. Heater mats are necessary if you plan on growing seeds in a cool place.
- Starter Cubes / Starter Plant Plugs – These are usually pots of organic mass or stone wool (inert insulators out of rocks and stones) that hold the seeds in place as they grow inside the hydroponic trays.
- Ziploc Bag (Optional) – Other people use this to allow seeds to germinate faster, subsequently putting the sprouts inside the trays.
- Light – This can be natural light or artificially-generated light called grow lights.
How Is It Done?
- Preparing the Starter Plant Plugs
- Submerge your plant plugs under clean water for an estimate of one hour.
- After the soaking is done, place some seeds inside the plug holes. For other seeds that do not germinate, you may add more.
- As soon as they grow, you may take out unhealthy ones to give space for the healthier ones to sprout.
- Preparing the Hydroponic Tray
- Place approximately one inch of liquid fertilizer (half potent) or clean water.
- Position the light source.
- Arrange the heater mat, if necessary.
- You may close the lid to let the humidity and warmth stay inside the tray.
- Setting Plant Plugs Inside Hydroponic Tray
- Place the starter cubes or starter plugs inside the hydroponic tray.
- Put additional water or half-potent liquid fertilizer as soon as the supply in the tray decreases.
When Can we Transplant?
As to when the transplant can take place, maintain the half-potent liquid fertilizer until your seedlings grow bigger. As soon as they do, you can now use the pure (fully-potent) solution to sustain their growing process. Their rate of growth depends on the kind of plants you are trying to grow. In around two weeks to four, the roots of the seedlings will start to branch out from the cube or plug’s bottom. After this, sprouts will begin to emerge. Once they reach a height of approximately three inches and numerous leaves are already visible, your plants are now ready for transplant.
After-Transplant Maintenance
- Watering the Plants – It is suggested that you water your plants from up top with the liquid nutrient fertilizer. Doing so keeps them from being dried out. This also provides the roots ample time to grow in a downward manner.
- Artificial Lights – Do not put your lights too near your plants. This may cause them to burn.
What Are the Benefits of Using Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is known for its approach to a more fruitful and advantageous agricultural undertaking. It isn’t shocking why plant-growers in this era are preferring to explore this method. Just take a look at all its benefits!
- Year-Round Planting – Because of this method’s need for accessible and convenient resources and materials, growing plants can be done at any time of the day and on any day of the year.
- Soil-Free Methodology – With the current-world scene’s limited land area, this alternative is preferred by more and more people because of its hassle-free and
soil -free process. - Space-Saving – Since the materials needed to plant using this system are so minimal and manageable, you won’t require much space – allowing you to use the area more efficiently. You can ideally plant anywhere.
- Conservation of Resources – Hydroponics gives you the freedom of controlling the variables present in the entire process, thus, resources are conserved and preserved for further future planting. And because you can do so, you can grow more regardless of the planting environment.
- Quicker Plant Growth – Due to the fact that hydroponics makes use of a more focused tactic, evident in the use of a more potent approach in providing for the plant’s nutrients and essential needs, the rate of plant growth is increased.
- Weed-Free Growth – Because weeds are mostly associated and caused by the
soil , your plants will grow healthy and weed-free. - Less Pests and Insects – Fewer Pesticides and Insecticides – Also because of the
soil -free approach, your plants now are less prone tosoil -originating pests and insects, thus requiring less use of the chemicals to eliminate the said problem. - Time-Saving – Basically, because of the control you have over all the plant essentials as well as its quick hassle-free growth, the hydroponics approach saves you a lot of precious time – thanks to less work and maintenance.
What Are the Risks of Using Hydroponics?
As with every other thing in life, hydroponics has some disadvantages to it. They are somehow rather trivial since most are fixable and preventable. Nonetheless, it’s still better to keep yourself informed.
- Expertise Requirement – While anyone can start their own small hydroponic system, creating a rather larger one can be quite complicated. With all kinds of tools and equipment necessary for optimal planting and growth, knowledge on this approach and preferably experience as well are needed to sustain larger undertakings.
- Organic or Not? To this day, debates are still going on with regard to whether or not plants grown in the hydroponic setting are organic or not due to the fact that they may not be getting microbiomes since they’re not cultivated in
soil . However, some planters have tried exploring the use of organic growers and introducing them to the existing hydroponic system. Nevertheless, continued research and studies are still being done for this said issue.
- Electricity and Water – In this approach, you will use mostly electricity and water. As we all know, accidentally putting both in contact leads to electrocution, which is why safety and care should always be observed at all times.
- Power Source – Because the process makes use of electricity, power shortages or outages can hinder and result in problems with your plant’s growing environment. This, however, can be avoided if you have back-up generators at bay.
FAQ’s
What are the benefits of hydroponics?
When it comes to growing your own food, nothing is more important than having an efficient and effective garden. And one of the most efficient methods for growing plants is hydroponics, which uses water instead of soil. Hydroponics can be used for a variety of crops, including herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and it can also be used indoors.
Hydroponic gardening isn’t as difficult or time consuming as traditional gardening, and it doesn’t require much space. But if you don’t know how to grow plants hydroponically, you may be wasting money. Why Grow Plants Hydroponically? When it comes to hydroponic gardening, there are many reasons why it’s beneficial for anyone interested in growing plants.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important reasons why you should consider growing your own vegetables hydroponically.
Healthy Plants: A hydroponic garden allows you to grow healthy plants that aren’t affected by pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals that can be harmful to your health. You can grow your own organic herbs and spices too, which is always healthier than the store-bought versions.
Cheaper: Growing your own food is cheaper than buying it. You don’t have to pay for the cost of shipping or even storing the produce. You also won’t have to spend money on any packaging materials or containers.
Healthier: Your plants are going to be healthier because they won’t be exposed to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals that can be harmful to your health. You can even add beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi to your soil to make sure your plants are as healthy as possible.
Easy to Grow: Hydroponic gardening is super easy.
All you need is a little water, nutrients, and a hydroponics system. Most hydroponic systems are low-cost, easy to setup, and can be used indoors or out. Better for the Environment: The amount of water required to grow your plants in soil is massive. It takes up a lot of space, energy, and resources. Plus, it requires a lot of land that could be better used for other purposes.
Are hydroponics the future?
Hydroponic growing is the most environmentally friendly way to grow your plants. It’s a common practice in horticulture and gardening. It’s becoming more popular with home growers because it’s cheaper, easier to maintain, and doesn’t require as much space. Hydroponic grow lights are used to grow plants using nutrient-rich water and light. They’re perfect for indoor gardening!
Some people are turning their backyards into a mini-farm, by growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in their gardens. So things are changing in many areas of society, not just at the industrial scale..
“I think they will be the future, but I don’t think they’ll replace farming. Farming is still necessary. We have a food crisis, and you have to feed the world. So, I think we’re going to keep farming as well. I don’t see how we can go on without it.” –Dr. Robert Young
Dr. Robert Young is a professor at the University of Florida, where he teaches agricultural systems and policy. He is also the Director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, and serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Agriculture.
What are the disadvantages of a hydroponic system?
The main disadvantage is that you need to monitor your plants and nutrients. If you're not monitoring them, then you're likely to run into problems. A secondary disadvantage is that you have to water the plants, but it's possible to automate that process. Finally, the biggest disadvantage is that you can't grow many plants in one container. With this method, you can only grow one plant at a time.
Are You Convinced?
Now that you know all the basics of hydroponics – what it is, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages. It is time to decide whether or not this approach is beneficial enough to try. Personally, after examining its risks and benefits, I would definitely say this is worth a shot. Not to mention, it’s starter-friendly! So what’s it going to be?
Josephine is an enthusiastic gardener who loves to spend her spare time tending to her garden. She is passionate about growing her own food, and aspires to one day have her own vegetable garden. Josephine is also an animal lover and often takes in stray cats and dogs. She enjoys spending time with her pets in the garden, and is often seen playing with them or watering her plants. Josephine is an avid reader and enjoys learning about new gardening techniques and plants. She is always looking for ways to improve her garden and make it more beautiful. She is a great friend, always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. Josephine‘s passion for gardening and love of animals make her a wonderful addition to any garden.
