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Hydroponic Garden

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A hydroponic garden is used for the growing of plants without soil. Instead, these techniques may utilize only a mineral liquid solution. They also may make use of non-soil mediums. Either way, these options are beneficial for a number of reasons.

The top two advantages held by these methods over traditional agricultural techniques are as follows:
•Hydroponics offer significantly higher crop yields.
•They offer a method of growing plants where traditional methods do not work or are not ideal. These include arid climates as well as areas with dense urban concentrations.

Other benefits of these gardening techniques include faster as well as more consistent plant growth. The quality of plant species grown through these methods is exceptional, with freedom from many soil-related diseases. In addition to this, the operations are primarily automatic, requiring less labor. Also, weeds are rare to be found within a hydroponic garden. Cleaner, sweeter, and more luscious yields may be expected to result from these methods.

There are several different techniques when it comes to the growing of plants without soil. These include:

•Ebb and Flow Systems – In this growing technique, a medium will be used to provide stability to the root systems of plants. One example of a medium which may be used is perlite, a volcanic glass which is amorphous and includes a high water content. This medium is used purely for stability. This means that it does not provide any nutrients for the flora which it stabilizes.

The medium (and plant) is placed within a tray. In a separate tray, below the first, is a reservoir of water and the mineral solutions. At certain intervals, this liquid mixture is pumped into the tray containing the medium. This allows the plant to absorb all that it needs from the solution.

Gravity serves to eventually drain the liquids back to the reservoir. This prevents the plant from being over watered.

•Drip Systems – These are very similar to ebb and flow set-up. However, the liquid or solution is provided to the plants from a series of tubes located above (hence the use of the term "drip" in the title.)

•Wick Systems – A medium is also required for this hydroponic technique. Again, the plants are placed within a medium, within a tray. In addition to perlite, rockwool is commonly used for providing stability. Each tray includes a nylon rope extending from the roots beyond the tray to the top of a reservoir. The rope serves to absorb the solution. The name comes from this way through which nutrients are wicked up to the roots of the plant. This is a very simple technique which requires no pumps or other mechanical equipment.

•Nutrient Film Technique – No mediums are utilized for Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT. Instead, plants are placed within sloping channels. Water and nutrients run down these channels, then are pumped back to the top for reuse.

•Aeroponics – This hydroponic garden option also requires no medium. Plants are placed within a tray with their roots dangling below. They are then placed in a box with an amount of solution at the bottom. A pump continuously drains the water and nutrient solution, and sprays it over the top of the plants in a form of a fine mist.

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