Growing Natural With Organic Hydroponic Nutrients

Organic foods have become very popular with a growing awareness on the harmful effects of too many chemicals in our food. Part of the philosophy behind organic farming is a method of farming that does not impact the earth. In this respect hydroponics is the perfect way to farm. It does not use soil so it does not contaminate or destroy the soil.

It also uses less water than traditional farming methods. However the one thing that prevents many hydroponics farmers from gaining organic certification is the nutrients used in hydroponic agriculture. If you would like to enjoy totally organic plants and vegetables then you need to use organic hydroponic nutrients. There is a growing awareness about the need to go organic and more products are available to help those wishing to go organic.

Proper Fertilizers

When you are growing plants the organic hydroponic method it is important to use the right types of fertilizers. Fertilizer that is widely available for conventional types of gardening or not suitable. This is because ordinary fertilizer does not contain all the nutrients that hydroponic plants need. Plants grown in the ground are able to absorb nutrients from the soil, something that hydroponic plants are not able to do.

All About Nutrients

When you decide to grown plants the hydroponic way it is absolutely necessary to have the best nutrients possible. This is because hydroponics will only thrive when supplied with the right nutrients. Truly organic hydroponic nutrients can be hard to come by as not all organic hydroponic nutrients work well.

Inorganic nutrients actually work better than organic hydroponic nutrients so it might take you a little trial and error to find the right hydroponic nutrient formula. Another difference you might notice when buying organic hydroponic nutrients is that organic products can be a lot more expensive than inorganic nutrients.

The Advantage Of Nutrients

Besides no chemical build up in the plants that you grow hydroponically you also have the advantage of bigger harvests than traditionally grown plants. When you grow plants with organic hydroponic nutrients you also have the advantage of choosing the right nutrients for a specific cycle of a plant’s life.

The environmental benefits of using organic hydroponic nutrients are also great. Not only will you benefit from chemical free plants but the Earth also gets to benefit from the lack of chemicals used in this method of gardening and growing plants. Not only do you get to eat healthier food but you also help out the environment.

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.