DIY Hydroponics: Everything That You Need To Know

Hydroponics is a farming technique that goes back to 1627, however it wasn’t promoted until 1929 by the scientist William Frederick. Hydroponics is a soilless gardening method that depends on water and other nutrients. We will show you right here how to start your favorite hydroponics system and all that you need to know about.

The Easiest Hydroponics System

Deep Water Culture (DWC) hydroponics system is the easiest that you can start with when you are trying this new farming technique. All you need is a net pot to support your plants while allowing their roots to be free; a reservoir, that could be a basket or anything of your choice, you just need to make sure that it’s opaque. You want to fill the reservoir with a solution of the right nutrients and then place the plants that are supported in net pots in the tinted basket. You will need an air pump to provide the needed oxygen for your plants.

• Advantages of this system: the structure enhances the absorption of nutrients and water which will accelerate the growth without the need for soil. What’s great about choosing this system is that it’s the easiest to make. It doesn’t require a lot of expensive materials.
• Disadvantages: the water temperature is hard to be maintained without outside help. If you went for a non-recirculating system, your solution would likely become too hot for the good of your plants. The air pump is critical to making sure your plants are getting enough oxygen. Maintenance might be a bit hard to fully grasp at first, however, this is the easiest gardening system once you learn more about it and how to keep pH and nutrients at ultimate levels.

Water Temperature Plays A Significant Role

Using a water heater of a chiller is critical in keeping your solution at the best temperature depending on the weather outside. Water temperature should be between 65°F and 80°F.  This article will explain more on the ideal hydroponics water temp.

All Nutrients Your Plants Need

Nutrients for hydroponics systems differ a lot from the nutrients you use for soil-based plants. Soil nutrients don’t contain all the micro-elements your hydroponics system needs. You need to choose the best nutrients depending on the plants you are willing to grow. Nutrients for vegetables are different from those for flowers, but the common elements usually are iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine. The most important thing to keep in mind while buying your fertilizers is their pH-technology. It would be the best if you bought a pH meter to make sure that your plants and making the most of the solution and that it’s not killing them.

Why You Should Give It A Try

Other than the fact that you don’t need soil for this technique, hydroponics has other great advantages because of the direct contact they have with nutrients and water. Plants grow faster with at least a 20% rate, and they yield more than the normal techniques with at least 25%. The fact that this gardening technique saves a lot of water, and is a lot easier to maintain without all the pests and issues found in normal techniques is why you should give it a try. Just don’t forget to change your solution every two to three weeks.