Facts About Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a system by which plants are grown in water without the use of soil. The plants are anchored in an inert medium such as gravel or clay pellets. The roots of the plants grow downward through the medium and take up nutrient rich water, thus eliminating the need for soil.




Types

Three common systems used in hydroponics are ebb and flow, lettuce raft and Dutch bucket. Ebb and flow is made up of a small container filled with perlite or similar medium, a bucket of nutrient rich water and a hose to connect them. The bucket is raised to allow the water to drain into the container of perlite, in which seedlings have been placed. The bucket is then lowered and the water drains back into the bucket.
The lettuce raft consists of a piece of Styrofoam cut to fit in a container that is 4 to 6 inches deep and rectangular in shape. Holes are cut in the Styrofoam for net pots, which hold the inert medium and the plant. The Styrofoam floats on top of the nutrient rich water in the container, allowing the roots to be submersed in the water. An air stone is used to aerate the water.
The Dutch bucket system makes use of reservoirs. An external bucket acts as a reservoir, from which water is pumped into a bucket that holds the plant. Several buckets can be made to work from the single external reservoir.