Hydroponic systems
A hydroponic system can help you to achieve great results with your growing. Growing in a hydroponic system allows you to significantly encourage growth rates and increase yields. There are many different types of hydroponic system on the market. The best hydroponic system for you will depend on your ability and needs. Here we detail some of the most common hydroponic systems on the market.
Hydroponics systems
Pot Culture Hydroponic Systems
A Pot Culture hydroponic system or Pot Culture hydroponic grow kit is ideal if you're a beginner. Pot culture is the simplest and cheapest hydroponic system.
A Pot Culture hydroponic system or Pot Culture hydroponic grow kit consists of a pot, hydroponic growing media and a drainage tray to collect the hydroponic nutrient solution. It's up to you, the indoor grower to feed your plant through the top of your Pot Culture hydroponic system or Pot Culture hydroponic grow kit.
Whilst a Pot Culture hydroponic system or Pot Culture hydroponic grow kit is the simplest hydroponic system to use, it does not allow you to yield as much as most other hydroponics systems. It can also take longer to reach harvest.
NFT hydroponic Systems
An NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit is easy to use and simple to maintain. NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit operate with no hydroponic media and the hydroponic nutrient solution can be used for up to a week. Thus, an NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit allows you to achieve high growth rates and bumper yields at minimum cost.
With the aid of a pump, a 'thin film' of hydroponic nutrient solution, from the grow tank, regularly flows through a plastic channel and past the roots of the plants. The hydroponic nutrient solution then drains back into the tank and is recirculated to the plants. As a result, a root mat develops partially in and above the recirculating solution.
When growing in an NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit, it's important that the 'thin film' is kept moving and doesn't become a puddle. You should take the term 'thin film' to mean shallow. This will ensure the roots have access to plenty of oxygen.
Also, with an NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit, you need to check the nutrient strength and the pH level on a daily basis. A pH meter and EF/CF meter will be needed for this.
If, like many growers, you do choose to use an NFT hydroponic system or NFT hydroponic grow kit for your hydroponic indoor growing projects, we recommend that you purchase a high quality air pump. Otherwise, if your air pump fails, the roots of your plants will dry out.
Drip Irrigation Hydroponic Systems
Drip systems are also known as 'run to waste'.
A drip irrigation hydroponic system and drip irrigation hydroponic grow kit allow for an optimum root environment, which encourages fast growth rates. This is because a drip emitter evenly and periodically supplies each plant with fresh balanced hydroponic nutrient.
With a drip irrigation hydroponic system or drip irrigation hydroponic grow kit, a high pressure pump and drip emitters irrigate the hydroponic nutrient solution into the hydroponic growing media on a timed cycle. As a result, each plant has access to fresh hydroponic nutrient, water and oxygen. Used hydroponic nutrient is flushed away by the input of fresh hydroponic nutrient. Although it's advisable to allow the hydroponic nutrient solution to run to waste, it can be reused.
The roots of the plants tend to be grown in Rockwool slabs or CoCo Coir slabs. Both hydroponic growing media can hold a large amount of hydroponic nutrient. This not only provides an excellent root environment, it also offers a safeguard in the event of electricity failure or a pump breakdown.
When growing in a a href="category.aspx?categoryID=7&subCategoryID=76" title="Drip irrigation hydroponic system">drip irrigation hydroponic system or drip irrigation hydroponic grow kit, it's important to check the hydroponic nutrient solution strength and pH level on daily basis. As these factors increase, so should the number of cycles.
Flood and Drain Hydroponic Systems
A Flood and Drain hydroponic system or Flood and Drain hydroponic grow kit allows you to achieve great results with minimum fuss. With a Flood and Drain hydroponic system or Flood and Drain hydroponic grow kit, a pump periodically floods the hydroponic growing media (which contains your plants) with a hydroponic nutrient solution. Before reflooding, the hydroponic nutrient solution is allowed to drain and dry out. This draws oxygen to the root zone, stimulating growth.
When growing in a Flood and Drain hydroponic system or Flood and Drain hydroponic grow kit it's important that you use the right hydroponic growing media. At Aquaculture-hydroponics, we recommend that you use clay pebbles because they hold plenty of water whilst still supplying the root zone with lots of oxygen.
Also, if you are growing in a Flood and Drain hydroponic system or Flood and Drain hydroponic grow kit, ensure there's enough hydroponic nutrient solution to flood the media tray to about three quarters of the media's depth. However, don't flood for too long or too often. If you do choose to use clay pebbles when growing in a Flood and Drain hydroponic system or Flood and Drain hydroponic grow kit, 1-2 floods a day should suffice.