Hydroponics is the science of growing plant matter without the use of traditional soil. If you’ve never tried to grow indoors without soil, you are missing out. Some people do it because they have physical limitations that don’t allow them to spend hours weeding and digging. Some do it because of short outdoor growing seasons. Some do it to make a ton of money selling their product. Instead of soil, growers generally use a mixture of inert organic and inorganic materials. The composition isn’t as important as the real use; to anchor plants to give them a solid place to send roots and grow strong.
The Waiting Game
For the vast majority of casual gardeners, the growing season runs based on calendar dates. They wait until mid to late winter to even start to plan that years’ garden. Some folks are more serious about their hobby, planning the next year’s plot even before that years’ harvest is gone. Traditional farms operate much the same way, although they may use plant starts instead of seeds to get a jump on growing. Not all farmers in cold climates limit themselves to a short season any longer. They grow in huge greenhouses with or without additional grow lights. Those cute red tomatoes with the bright green stems you buy at the grocery store are an example of hydroponics. Read my blog article about hydroponic tomatoes. Much of the lettuce is now grow in this manner. More product in less space using fewer hours of labor equals higher consistent profits.
Enter Hydroponics
With the hydroponic method of growing, the month or season makes little difference. By growing indoors under as near ideal conditions as possible, calculating future yields accurately is possible. While every crop may be slightly different, even under similar conditions, once a gardener learns basic hydroponics, they can reasonably expect to be able to enjoy year-round crops, no matter what they plant. By using mother plants, cloning methods can be used to continue planting after planting, for months and even years, all from one mother plant. More on cloning in a future post.Let’s take a look at the basic hydroponic components.
The Necessities
Just as in nature, plant life still needs the same major components; light, heat, moisture, air, and nutrients to even survive. While a seed doesn’t need light to sprout, too long without it means sure death for the plant.
- Light
Light in a hydroponic system is generally artificial, and although natural light can be added, it isn’t necessary with proper lighting equipment and usage. Read about lights in our lighting basics article. Browse lights in the store.
- Heat
Heat is another requirement of proper growing. While there are cold weather crops that do well below 50 degrees, most plants will only thrive at temperatures over 60. Heat mats, space heaters, or other sources would need to be supplied if conditions are less than ideal.
- Moisture
In order for a seed to germinate, a certain amount of moisture needs to be present. Too much moisture can rot seeds. Along with humidity control, maintaining proper watering and dry cycles are vital to a quality result. The water must also be of good quality and tested properly. Some city or hard water systems have some minerals already and adding more may harm plants. Knowing what is in your water is important.
- Air
Air is a necessary component of plant life and automatically provided to outdoor plants. Fresh air helps maintain proper humidity levels and helps to prevent mold and mildew problems. Air circulation is actually good for the plants and most indoor grow setups incorporate both fresh air and a circulating fan to help move leaves to strengthen stems.
- Nutrients
Nutrients are the food a plant needs for growth and reproduction. Just like a human, without proper nutrition, we would eventually show signs of malnutrition. Many plant disorders can be traced to specific nutrient deficiencies. Overfeeding can also cause unwanted results and can kill your plants.
Making the Change
Some may loathe the gardening process after putting in so much time and energy into their plot year after year only to have something go awry. Weather is the most problematic issue with severe storms capable of wiping out a late season crop. Too much rain and not enough sunlight can cause rot and mold, an inviting habitat for many root eating insects. Lack of food can kill weaken plants and though fertilizer is usually applied at planting, it slowly loses its strength over time and without reapplication plants wilt and become less resistant to disease and damaging insects. Many home farmers use compost, a type of soil rich in valuable nutrients in lieu of expensive or synthetic fertilizer ingredients. If you want to have more control over the growing process, read on.
Get with the Plan
I cannot stress enough the need to study firstly whether or not your lifestyle is conducive to indoor growing. Watching videos, reading hydroponic books, or joining a group online or locally can help you to decide if hydroponic gardening is right for you. Or just dive in and see what works. It’s up to you, but you do need to bear one very important thing in mind; a hydroponic gardening system cannot sustain itself, it needs frequent interaction and checking as one missing element can ruin an entire crop.
Space
Crowded plants are not happy plants. They just don’t thrive in tight spaces unless trained properly Pruning may be necessary but if your crop requires 4 square feet per plant, you better plan on having that much space available if you expect high yields. Also, try to locate a space where as many needs can be met easily. Depending on your climate, you may be growing inside to avoid the heat or the cold, so locate your grow room in a place where you won’t have to add cold or heated air. Having a nearby water source saves having to cart in gallons of water each week. Some people who initially set up a grow closet or tent in a bedroom found out that emitted pollens can be an irritant and can be another factor in placement.
Power
Even a mid-level hydroponic setup will require several wall plugs at a minimum. Overloading a single outlet or circuit is ill-advised and certainly not recommended. Try to utilize plugs from two separate circuits if possible to minimize overloading one branch. Consulting a licensed electrician is advised if there are any questions.
Time
Your work or vacation schedule may not allow you to tend your garden if you have to travel. While timers can help automate feeding and other needs, some of the equipment is pricey and if not monitored, could result in system failure. Another component of time is patience. Allowing a crop to fully mature may be hard to wait for, but worth the wait if done properly.
Money
Let’s be honest right up front; this isn’t going to be cost effective compared to terra gardening in many ways unless you are growing cash crops. While outdoors we can theoretically plant a seed and watch it grow, every need must be met by you, artificial Mother Nature. You cannot simply hoist a single regular light bulb over a seedling and expect that all its needs are met properly. Grow lights for hydroponics can be costly with some over a thousand dollars each. To be sure, lights in that price range are extremely bright, some consuming over 1200 watts can spike your electric bill. Again, proper sizing and planning are always a good idea.
Privacy
There is no doubt that recent legislative changes making legal medical and recreational marijuana legal in many states are boosting the sales of hydroponic growing equipment. In many states, however, it is an illegal and still jailable offense. If you have nosy neighbors who might call the cops after noticing a purple light glowing from your window at all hours, you may need to take additional measures to conceal your grow. Even if you DON’T have anything to hide, who wants the local S.W.A.T. team kicking in your door at three in the morning, only to discover you are growing lettuce for your pets and salads? The same goes for smell if growing marijuana. There are grow rooms and grow tents with charcoal filters. We’ll cover some of the specifics of marijuana growing later.
Conclusion
Deciding to grow hydroponically doesn’t mean you can’t still play outside in the dirt. For sure, most people wouldn’t grow flowers indoors unless it was for profit. You don’t even have to go full hydroponic. You could use the same nutrients and light but grow your plants in buckets using special potting mixes. These get watered with a can much like any planter. The downside is forgetting to water. Because grow lights can become hot, plants need extra water and cannot be allowed to stay any dry longer than recommended. Many people have special setup specifically for plant starts. These are just a few basic things necessary to grow a quality hydroponic garden. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page.
No comments:
Post a Comment