What's a passive system?
A Passive system works without a pump. Nutrient is drawn up to the roots as the plant demands it.
What's an active system?
An active system uses a pump to flow nutrients around the roots of the plant.
What's a media - based system?
With a media – based system, a growing medium supports the plant and holds the nutrient solution surrounding the roots.
What's a water culture system?
This type of system operates without media. A continuous flow of nutrient is supplied to the roots in order to prevent them from drying out.
What's Pot culture?
Pot culture is the simplest hydroponic system. All that’s needed is a pot, some soilless media and a drainage tray to collect the nutrient solution. It’s up to you, the grower, however, to feed the plant through the top of the pot.
What's Ebb and flow/Flood and drain?
With Ebb and flow, a pump periodically floods a bed of clay pebbles, which contain the plants, with a nutrient solution. Before reflooding, the nutrient is allowed to drain and dry out. This stimulates growth as the drying out draws oxygen to the root zone.
What's Nutrient Film Technique/NFT?
With the aid of a pump, a ‘thin film’ of nutrient solution, from a grow tank, regularly flows through plastic channels and past the roots of the plants. The nutrient solution then drains back into the tank before being recirculated to the plants. As a result, a root mat develops partially in and above the recirculating solution.
What's Aeroponics?
An Aeroponics system requires no growing medium. Plants are placed through the holes of a panel with their roots suspended in mid-air. A mister then sprays the roots periodically with a nutrient solution to ensure they stay moist.
What's a drip system?
With a drip system, a high pressure pump and drip emitters irrigate the nutrient into growing media on a timed cycle. As a result, each plant has access to fresh nutrient, water and oxygen. Used nutrient is flushed away by the input of fresh nutrient. Although it’s advisable to allow the nutrient solution to run to waste, it can be reused.