Getting Started Hydroponic Gardening
There are hundreds of possibilities when it comes to building or buying a hydroponic system. Choosing to buy your system means you will have the advantage of engineered, proven and reliable design. Important factors will quickly narrow down your options, such as how much room you have available, your budget and of course how much time you have to devote to building and operating your system. Automation is obviously an important factor. Lighting needs to turn on and off at certain intervals in order to simulate nature. Timers need to turn off pumps and fans at certain intervals and of course to conserve electricity. Humans aren't perfect and we do forget, timers are inexpensive and they do not forget. You can't be expected to be available at all times to tend to these things nor would you want to try.
How much space you have available is important. Although hydroponic gardening does offer the advantage of requiring less space than an average garden, plants still need room to grow. What type of plants you plan on growing is an important factor. Herbs, for example, require very little space while tomato crops require a lot of room although they can be reasonably trimmed and reduced in size. If you plan on expanding your garden later, certain design elements can be built into your system now for future expansion.
In the end your budget will determine what type and size of garden you will produce. If time is worth more than money to you then you will probably be considering buying your system and everything you need. If, on the other hand, you are a do-it-yourself type of person who enjoys spending your spare time building something useful with your own hands, then building your system is probably right for you. This is also an inexpensive introduction for anyone interested in getting started in hydroponic gardening. Proper horticultural Lighting is expensive and unless you have access to a good source of sun light such as a green house or sun room you will definitely want to invest in a High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting system. Normal vertical windows don't work well for indoor gardening. Although they do offer enough needed light for low light plants and for most house plants to just get by, an indoor garden without proper lighting will most likely not succeed or produce the amazing results capable of a hydroponic garden coupled with a good HID lighting system. Materials for a homemade system are, for the most part, pretty affordable. Most DIY systems consist of parts available at most hardware stores and home centers. You could actually build a basic system with material you probably already have around your house. Pumps are usually the biggest investment in most DIY systems. Although recently fountain water pumps prices have fallen and a good long lasting pump capable of producing the pressure needed for large systems are now available for $20 or $30.
How much space you have available is important. Although hydroponic gardening does offer the advantage of requiring less space than an average garden, plants still need room to grow. What type of plants you plan on growing is an important factor. Herbs, for example, require very little space while tomato crops require a lot of room although they can be reasonably trimmed and reduced in size. If you plan on expanding your garden later, certain design elements can be built into your system now for future expansion.
In the end your budget will determine what type and size of garden you will produce. If time is worth more than money to you then you will probably be considering buying your system and everything you need. If, on the other hand, you are a do-it-yourself type of person who enjoys spending your spare time building something useful with your own hands, then building your system is probably right for you. This is also an inexpensive introduction for anyone interested in getting started in hydroponic gardening. Proper horticultural Lighting is expensive and unless you have access to a good source of sun light such as a green house or sun room you will definitely want to invest in a High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting system. Normal vertical windows don't work well for indoor gardening. Although they do offer enough needed light for low light plants and for most house plants to just get by, an indoor garden without proper lighting will most likely not succeed or produce the amazing results capable of a hydroponic garden coupled with a good HID lighting system. Materials for a homemade system are, for the most part, pretty affordable. Most DIY systems consist of parts available at most hardware stores and home centers. You could actually build a basic system with material you probably already have around your house. Pumps are usually the biggest investment in most DIY systems. Although recently fountain water pumps prices have fallen and a good long lasting pump capable of producing the pressure needed for large systems are now available for $20 or $30.
Hydroponic systems can be either active or passive. An active system uses a mechanical pump to deliver nutrient to the plant's roots, and a passive system uses capillary action, absorption and gravity to deliver nutrient. A passive system, although not as effective, offers low operating costs and dependability because they do not need mechanical pumps or electrical devices, such as timers, that commonly fail or wear out.
The basic wick system is an example of a passive system. Although unpopular, it is a very simple and inexpensive way for beginners to gain skill. Most will choose a more advanced, active system.
Because I am providing instruction on producing your own working system, as the author, I do need to inform you of the inherent dangers in building a homemade system. An improperly built homemade system can be hazardous.
Mixing electrolytes and electricity can be deadly, causing fire and electrocution. Using unsafe parts such as non-food grade plastics and metal can leach harmful chemicals unfit for ingestion and, in some cases, inhalation. If improperly sealed a homemade system can leak several gallons of water causing damage to your home. These dangers are completely avoidable and rare. Just be cautious and don't do anything that you do not know how to do, such as rewiring a water pump or installing an outdoor electrical outlet without a proper GFI switch.
There are many different types of hydroponic systems and new techniques are developed all the time. The most commonly used today for the home gardener are Wick, WaterFarms, Ebb & Flow, Dutch Bucket, and drip systems, Nutrient Flow Technique(NFT), Raft systems, Ein Gedi System (EGS), Aeroponics and recently micro sonic pulse emitters (Dry Fog) are gaining popularity.
