What Is Hydroponic Gardening And How Does It Work?

Take a plant out of the soil, and a lot of people believe that it will be dead after just a few days. However, hydroponic gardening proves otherwise. There is no soil used instead, the roots of a plant are soaked in a nutrient solution of water, and the plants grow quicker and in a more orderly fashion and are larger than they could be if grown in a garden bed.

If you've ever asked yourself how a head of lettuce manages to sprout on your kitchen counter without a speck of soil, wonder no more. Hydroponic cultivation removes the medium of soil to supply only the essentials for a plant to grow (water, nutrients, light, and oxygen at the roots) and provides them directly, eliminating the soil as an intermediary.

What Is Hydroponic Gardening, Exactly?

Hydroponic gardening is a process in which plants are grown using a soil-less medium, where the nutrients for the plants are provided using a water-based nutrient solution. "Hydro" means "water," and "ponos" means "labor" in Greek, which is a perfect name for this kind of growing process since it is almost fully based on the action taking place in the water.

Soil serves the plants with three things anchoring the roots, holding water, and containing nutrients. But in hydroponic gardening, these three things are divided into separate processes.

For example, a planting medium such as clay pebbles and rockwool anchors the plants, the water is held in a tank, and nutrients are given to plants through a mixed nutrient solution. The plants do not use any energy to search for nutrients in the soil, and they can use the extra energy for growing. That is one of the reasons hydroponic gardening is faster than the regular soil-based growing process and also the reason for the popularity of hydroponics among those people who do not have gardens.

How Does a Hydroponic Gardening System Work?

Every hydroponic gardening system solves three problems – the supply of nutrients, getting oxygen, and keeping the right chemistry of the water. It is true regardless of the complexity of the system, from research greenhouses to hydroponic home gardening.

Supply of Nutrients. Hydroponics uses the combination of water and mixed nutrients consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The surface absorption of nutrients in roots leads to the fast display of nutrient deficiency or toxicity in hydroponically grown plants.

Oxygen in the roots. This is the area where beginners usually make mistakes. Roots immersed in fully anoxic and stagnant water die within days, so the major part of hydroponic systems uses either an air section of the root zone (aeroponic towers), water running over the roots all the time (nutrient film technique), or oxygenation of the water with the help of an air stone and pump (deep water culture).

PH and nutrient availability. Normally hydroponic plants prefer the pH range from 5.5 to 6.5. Outside of that range, the roots cannot uptake some of the nutrients even if they are present in the solution, meaning that a plant might be completely in a nutrient solution but suffer from nutrient deficiency due to the wrong pH.

Popular Types of Home Hydroponic Growing Systems

Indoor hydroponic cultivation does not refer to a specific technique. Some designs are repeated several times and each appeals to a different type of grower.

Deep water culture (DWC). Plants' roots are suspended in the oxygenated medium. Very easy to make and very simple to use for beginners, although this technique is best suited for fast-growing plants like leaf lettuce and basil but not for the plants bearing fruits.

Nutrient film technique (NFT). The constant flow of a thin film of nutrient solution over the roots through the inclined channel. Little amounts of water and nutrient solution are used, but one pump failure lasting only for an hour can desiccate and kill the roots, making the system dependent on the constant source of electricity.

Ebb and Flow. The tray expands with the nutrient solution in accordance with the schedule, and then all the solution returns back to the reservoir. Allows roots to get a constant supply of oxygen during non-flooding period and accommodate plants of a wide range of sizes.

Vertical aeroponic towers. Roots hang inside a column and get misted with nutrient solution at intervals, which exposes them to more oxygen than any submerged method. This is the setup behind most compact home hydroponic farming towers, since the vertical design fits 20 or more plants into roughly two square feet of floor space, a real advantage for anyone growing indoors or on a small balcony.

Why People Are Switching to Hydroponic Gardening at Home

Hydroponic home farming is not a matter of coincidence. Its advantages over a soil-based garden bed are obvious and can be easily measured.

Fast-growing. Since all the nutrients and oxygen are provided directly to the plant instead of migrating through the soil, plants in hydroponics usually mature 30 to 50 percent faster than in soil. A head of lettuce that usually matures in 60-70 days in the garden can be harvested in 30-40 days in hydroponics.

Water use. Closed hydroponic systems reuse the same water, which is the reason why these systems require 90 percent less water than soil gardening for the same yield.

No weeding, no soil-borne pests. Since there is no soil, there are no places for weed seeds to germinate and fewer places for the soil-borne pests to hide. It is not completely pest-proof (the fungus gnats and aphids can still appear), but the level of the pressure from pests is definitely lower.

Space efficiency. Vertical hydroponic systems, such as ALTO Garden towers, allow putting a dozen of plants into two or three square meters of garden space, which is an obvious advantage for any indoor grower.

The downside is that hydroponics requires constant attention. One mistake, like a missed pump failure in NFT or the lack of nutrient solution in the tank, can lead to a quick death of the plant that previously was in good condition. Soil can forgive neglect but water cannot. It is the rule of home hydroponics that should be remembered before everything else – daily monitoring is better than weekly monitoring.

Setting Up Home Hydroponic Farming for the First Time

Starting up a beginner hydroponic gardening setup is actually pretty simple equipment-wise. Beginners to home hydroponic growing often stumble over the sequence they set things up in, not what they use, so do these things more or less in order.

Pick the system type. The small DWC bucket or a compact tower is the best starting point for hydroponics; NFT and ebb and flow setups are more suitable for people who are familiar with hydroponics basics.

Choose the growing medium. The rockwool cubes, clay pebbles, or coco coir are used to keep the seedling in place without adding any nutrients.

Mix the nutrient solution. You should follow the instructions regarding the concentration of the solution (measured usually in parts per million, normally ranging from 800 to 1500 ppm depending on the plant and its growth stage) and test the pH before adding the seedlings.

Add oxygenation. The air pump and stone for DWC, a timer-controlled pump for NFT, and an ebb and flow or misting cycle for aeroponic towers.

Set the lighting schedule. Leafy greens usually require 14 to 16 hours of light per day; fruiting plants like tomatoes require 16-18 hours.

Monitor daily for the first two weeks. Check the water level, pH, and nutrient strength every day until it becomes a habit.

Maintenance Tips for a Healthy Hydroponic Gardening System

• Check pH every 2 to 3 days; it varies since the plants absorb the nutrients unevenly.
• Top off the reservoir with pure water between the full changes of the nutrient solution, since the plants usually absorb water faster than nutrients.
• Change the full nutrient solution every 1 to 2 weeks or sooner if the water starts smelling or clouding.
• Clean the pumps and misting nozzles once a month; the mineral buildup is the most common cause of a sudden bad performance of the system.
• Check the roots. Healthy roots should be white or pale tan; the brown, slimy roots are an indication of oxygen shortage or root rot.

All of these habits take no more than 10 minutes per day once they become a routine, which explains the popularity of home hydroponics among people looking for fresh produce without any backyard garden.

Conclusion

Hydroponics is neither a fad nor a science project but a more effective way to provide a plant with nutrients. When the pH is adjusted and roots have a constant supply of oxygen, the hydroponic system works mostly by itself with quick leafy greens in a month and ever-growing herbs. Start small and pay attention to the roots and everything will probably happen by itself.

FAQ

1. Can I switch a plant from soil to hydroponic gardening midway through its growth?
   Yes, but it is a risky thing to do because of the need to rinse the roots thoroughly. This step is necessary in order to avoid introducing the bacteria into the system and clogging the pumps. Also, be prepared for the shock period, which lasts for a few days.
2. Why do my hydroponic plants look healthy one day and wilted the next?
   This is most likely a problem with oxygen supply or a pump failure. Check the water circulation within minutes after wilting, since roots without oxygen can die in just a few hours.
3. Is a vertical aeroponic tower better than a basic DWC bucket for a first-time grower?
   The DWC bucket is easier to use and has fewer parts to fail, so it is a better choice for beginners. However, the tower system fits more plants in a smaller space and allows for a better oxygen supply water,so it is worth the learning curve.
4. How much nutrient solution does hydroponic home farming use per week?
   It depends on the plant size and the system used, but a small system with 6 to 12 plants usually requires 1 to 3 gallons of nutrient solution per week.
5. Can root vegetables like carrots be grown in hydroponic gardening systems?
   No, they can't. Most hydroponic systems are designed for leafy greens, herbs, and fruit-bearing plants whose roots do not need to expand underground the way it is the case with carrots and potatoes.