Hydroponics – The Gardening Without Soil. A Practical Handbook for Beginners, Hobbyists and Commercial Growers

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Incorporating Variety Into Your Homemade Hydroponics Setup

Homemade hydroponics setups are not just for growing marijuana and other illicit drugs. People are attracted to the hobby of hydroponics for a variety of reasons. Some people live in apartments and do not have a dedicated outdoor growing space. Others reside in harsh climates with short growing seasons—or just want to be able to grow their gardens year-round. Still others are attracted to the scientific experimentation of hydroponics—mixing and optimizing your own homemade hydroponics solutions takes a lot of effort, but yields great rewards. Some people are attracted to hydroponics because of the nutritional value of the organic plants, which avoids toxins that might be present in backyard or commercial soil.

Types of Hydroponics Setups That Can Be Homemade

There are three basic types of hydroponic setups: drip, air pump, and ebb and flow. Each of these methods can be used to grow virtually any plant by anyone from beginners to advanced hobbyists. In addition to the three basic types of homemade hydroponics setups, more advanced methods include aeroponics and the nutrient film technique.

The most basic type of homemade hydroponic setups is the air pump, or bubble bucket system. Bubble buckets are a homemade hydroponics setup that uses a static nutrient solution to grow plants. The key part of this basic system is its use of an air pump, which aerates the water and consequently helps the nutrients bond with root hairs. The nutrient solution needs to be changed at a minimum of once a week, in order to maintain the correct balance of nutrients for optimal growth.

Drip feed systems, also known as trickle feeds, are a homemade hydroponics setup that can be made by drilling holes in PVC pipe. This is a bit more advanced, but improves on the design of the air pump system, and can be used with various setups. In this design, a tube pipes the nutrient solution to each plant individually, and then leftover solution drips down into the reservoir for reuse.

Ebb and flow systems are a bit more expensive, and while they are more complicated to build initially (unless you buy expensive, pre-fabricated kits), they require relatively little maintenance and grow very nice plants. Similar to the air pump system, this homemade hydroponics setup uses a reservoir filled with a nutrient solution, which is kept below the pump roots. Periodically, a pump on a timer draws the solution to the plants roots. As the solution is withdrawn from the roots, oxygen-laden air is sucked into place, providing needed oxygen to the plant roots
At one time or another, most dedicated hobbyists use all three of these methods in their homemade hydroponics setup. In order to get the most of your hydroponics addiction, try all three setups for maximum enjoyment.

Creating Your Own Homemade Hydroponic Nutrients

For people dedicated to “do-it-yourself” (DIY) homemade hydroponics, building their own reservoirs from aquariums or rubber storage bins might not seem like a strange idea. Yet even the most dedicated DIY hydroponic gardeners balk at the idea of using homemade hydroponic nutrients, as opposed to the pre-fabricated nutrients form garden stores. Though they might be scarier to use than the guaranteed success of pre-fabricated formulas, mixing their own homemade hydroponic nutrients is the next logical step for many hydroponics enthusiasts seeking to take their obsession to a new level.

Hydroponics uses a solution of nutrients in water to feed and grow plants, instead of more traditional pot-and-soil methods. Hydroponics can be used to grow virtually any plant out there—from houseplants and herbs to food crops and pretty flowers. Hydroponics can be incorporated either indoors or outdoors; hobbyists grow their plants everywhere, sometimes using elaborate homemade hydroponic setups in closets that incorporate large fluorescent lights to aid in photosynthesis and other times using only simple windowsill setups.

Materials Needed To Create Homemade Hydroponic Nutrients

Creating homemade hydroponic nutrients is not easy, and is not recommended for those creating a hydroponic garden for the first time. For those who already have a couple of successful gardens under their belts, homemade hydroponic nutrients are not only a viable alternative to the expensive nutrient solutions found in online gardening stores, but they also are a way that gardeners, by experimenting with different nutrient mixtures, can tweak their gardens to improve yields.

The three main nutrients that are needed for ALL plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Nitrogen helps plans grow and produce leaves. Phosphorus helps plants flower and grow fruit. Potassium allows plants to use energy they receive from the process of photosynthesis. Homemade hydroponic nutrient solutions must include all three of these in order to be feasible.

In addition to the main nutrients, trace elements are also necessary for thriving hydroponic plants. How much of these to mix into a homemade hydroponic nutrient recipe often depends on what type of plant is being grown. The optimal nutrient mixture for an acidic tomato plant for example, would be very different from what might be needed by a parsley plant. Gardeners experiment with various mixtures of homemade hydroponic nutrients in order to find the right mixture for their plants, which adds to the fun and stimulation of hydroponics. These ten trace elements that must be incorporated in homemade hydroponic nutrient solutions are chlorine, calcium, boron, manganese, iron, sulfur, zinc, copper, magnesium, and molybdenum.

What You Need To Know About Water

Plants use water to distribute minerals and aid in photosynthesis. Beware if you have a water softener—chemically softened water is not appropriate for your homemade hydroponics setup because it is too alkaline and can ultimately kill your plants. Most other water sources are fine, but hydroponic hobbyists should seriously consider using tap water in their homemade hydroponic nutrient solutions, since tap water contains many of the trace elements that can help your plants grow strong and healthy.

The Secret Of Non-Circulating Hydroponics: An Instructional Manual For Entrepreneurs & Hobbyists

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Non-circulating hydroponics is where the future of hydroponics is heading. No pumps or power, this method of growing is ideal for earning extra income, providing food for your family or a commercial enterprise. Easy and low cost set up make this method of hydroponics ideal for anyone. Don't be fooled thinking you need the pumps. Check out this ho[Read More]