subject: What To Know About A Hydroponic System And How It Can Help You [print this page] Are you willing to start your first home garden? Then you must become familiar with a hydroponic system first. This term's history can be traced to the Greek words "hydro", which means water and "ponos" which means labour. In the modern context it refers to the technique used to grow plants in an artificial medium in the absence of soil. It is ideal for growing plants indoors. Before you get one you should remember some important things.
A hydroponic system uses nutrients dissolved in water for growing plants and it is the result of a 19th century research. It completely eradicates some problems prevalent in the traditional methods of gardening. One such problem is soil-borne diseases, due to the absence of soil, no plants are affected by them in this system. The plants are seldom affected by pests when using this growing method.
These systems come in different models; some of the widely used ones are an Aeroponic system, Ebb and Flow system, Wick system and Drip systems. An Aeroponic system is the most advanced one amongst all of the choices. The plants are grown without any growing medium or growth rock, allowing the roots to get maximum air. The nutrients and water are sprayed on the plants and a timer is used to monitor root health between timed intervals.
An Ebb and Flow system uses a pan filled with nutrients and water on which the growing medium is directly placed. The pan needs to be changed every few days and is easy to maintain. As the roots are in direct contact with water, oxygen and nutrients, the root absorption is maximized. In a Wick system little maintenance is required and is very easy to setup. Due to these benefits it is one of the most widely used systems. In involves creating a hole in the bottom of the pot and then inserting a wick through that hole.
Drip systems are mostly preferred by professionals and hobbyists. The nutrients are kept in a container and are distributed to the plants with the help of a drip irrigation system. These systems are primarily used for commercial purposes as they give good yields of plants and vegetables.
They provide a lot of advantages over the traditional methods of gardening. It saves you from the hassle of crop rotation present in traditional methods. Crop rotation is done because the valuable nutrients are lost from the soil. As the nutrients are directly put in the plants these systems do not need crop rotation. In addition these systems have no soil-borne, pests or weeding problems. So, now that you know the details of hydroponic systems, you are ready to start your own home hydroponic garden.
