Hydroponic Gardening – A Practical Guide to Growing Plants Without Soil

Find the Best Hydroponic Supplies For Your Project.

Why hydroponics? People choose to engage in the hobby of growing plants hydroponically for a variety of reasons. First, hydroponic planting can result in high crop yields, because gardeners can more precisely control the flow of nutrients for their plants. Second, toxins can leak into outdoor soil. By growing hydroponically, gardeners can avoid this potential catastrophe of carcinogens leaking into homegrown plants.

Starting At Department Stores To Find Hydroponic Supplies

Hydroponic hobbyists can find many of their starting hydroponic gardening supplies cheaply at local department stores. While many hobbyists would not think to look for hydroponic supplies at regular department stores, they often may be found there, if they look hard enough, but are often disguised as other things, such as aquarium supplies. Shopping for hydroponic supplies at discount retail stores saves high fees from expensive specialty stores and online shipping transactions.

It is usually not ideal to plant seeds directly in a home hydroponic setup; gardeners usually germinate them first, so the first hydroponic supplies that gardeners need to buy are materials to germinate seeds. Soil is not ideal for use to germinate seeds, because soil is not sterile. Diseases inside soil can cause seedlings to die prematurely; after all, hydroponics gardeners intentionally stay away from soil, right? There are many different mediums to use to germinate seeds, such as rockwool and peat pellets. Peat pellets are available very cheaply at Wal-Mart and like stores. A set of 12 peat discs, along with a mini-greenhouse and reservoir costs less than $2.00, and this is good enough to get any seed started.

While waiting for up to two weeks for the seeds to germinate and seedlings to form, hobbyists can begin gathering the rest of their hydroponic supplies. Since hydroponic plants use a nutrient solution to feed plants, a reservoir must be incorporated into every hydroponic system. Aquariums and rubber storage bins are ideal for this, and are available at department stores everywhere. If the sides of the reservoir are clear, a can of black spray paint is also needed to make the sides of the reservoir opaque, in order to prevent the growth of plant-destroying algae, and is also available at any department store.

Hobbyists who use an air pump or bubble bucket system can buy cheap aquarium air pumps instead of more expensive ones sold at hydroponic supply stores. An air pump sufficient enough to aerate 5-15 gallon reservoir costs less than $5.00 at Wal-Mart.

Plant seeds can also be purchased at most department stores, from vegetables to flowers, and these include organic mixes as well. Most seed packets cost between ten and twenty cents. Any and all plants are suitable from hydroponic growth, so it really does not matter what you buy or where you buy these hydroponic supplies.

Finish Shopping For Hydroponic Supplies At Garden Specialty Stores

There are some hydroponic supplies that usually have to be bought at specialty stores. These include nutrient mixtures. Regular plant food mixtures sold at regular department stores are typically compatible only with soil growth. The problem with these mixtures is they do not have enough trace minerals for growth, since soil contains trace minerals in abundance.

Even in the most remote areas, you find can find everything you need to grow your own hydroponic gardens. Hydroponic supplies are also available at many online specialty stores, and offer a varied approach to the hobby and science of hydroponics.

Tips for Purchasing Hydroponic Gardening Supplies

Hydroponic gardening pertains to gardening that takes place in a growing medium rather than soil. This type of gardening can be done indoors or out and any time of the year. If you are trying out hydroponic gardening for the first time, it can get overwhelming to figure out what hydroponic gardening supplies you might need for various crops. However, by learning the basics of this gardening method, you can begin to collect the hydroponic gardening supplies you need for a successful gardening adventure.

Growing Medium
The first step in collecting hydroponic gardening supplies will be to choose a growing medium for your plants. These mediums come in an array of types and sizes, but many new gardeners find that the easiest way to start is with rock wool blocks which can hold seeds directly. These blocks come in different sizes, depending on the type of crops you are planting. You can begin with smaller blocks for many of your seeds and transplant them into larger blocks as the seedlings grow. Another common type of growing medium is expanded clay, which is a common choice for potted plants and is as readily available as the rock wool.

Nutrient Solution
Since the growing medium does not provide any sort of nutrient base for your plants, you will also need a nutrient solution in your hydroponic gardening supplies to keep your plants growing strong and healthy. While you can mix your own nutrient solution according to the needs of your individual crops, this method can become quite costly when you factor in the different fertilizers needed along with an accurate weight device to help you mix solutions correctly. It is easier by far to purchase a ready made solution designed for whatever type of crop you are growing. You can find nutrient solutions at any garden center that carries hydroponic gardening supplies.

Lighting
If you will doing your hydroponic vegetable gardening outdoors, the sun will supply all the light you need. However, if you will be gardening indoors, you will need to add artificial lighting to your list of hydroponic gardening supplies. There are many different types of lighting available for this purpose, but not all are going to be as good for you, your plants or your electrical bill. Choose lighting that is energy efficient first and foremost, since the lights will be on pretty much all the time. It is also important to use lighting that is comfortable to work around and that your plants will respond favorably to.

Year round gardening is easy with the right hydroponic gardening supplies to get you started. If you are interested in stretching your green thumb into hydroponics, check out the hydroponic gardening supplies at your local garden center or through online retailers.

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