We figured out how to grow hydroponics, which plants can be grown using this method, examined the types of hydroponic systems: aero-hydroponic and aeroponics, a deep-water culture system, nutrient layer technique, wick system, and periodic flooding system. Now it’s important to understand how to make hydroponics yourself and whether this method is available for an inexperienced grower at home.
Hydroponics: how to do it yourself, is it worth it to mess with the solution and hydroponic systems, special pots, choose substrates, or is it better to use the usual method of growing in the ground - these are the questions of a beginner grower. It is obvious, however, that there are problems and questions with “ordinary cultivation”: how to lighten, what to feed, when to transplant, etc. That is, “habitual” cultivation, like hydroponic, is impossible without an understanding of technology. And to understand how to grow hydroponics correctly is no more difficult than to understand the basics of growing in soil using DIY deep water culture hydroponic system.
Advantages of hydroponic grooving:
? high yield, because plant nutrients come in strict dosage and just when necessary;
? the roots have enough oxygen and fluid, which is difficult to control with the soil method;
? easier to control watering;
? no problems with soil pests and diseases;
? simple transplant: roots are not injured;
? saving on soil: the substrate can be used repeatedly;
? saving on water and nutrient solutions: 50 liters of solution is enough for 50 plants per year;
? environmental friendliness: the plant does not accumulate harmful substances present in the soil;
? cleanliness and lack of odor.
Home hydroponic systems
Materials on how to grow hydroponics are available online - with photos and videos. In some of them it is written that all methods of hydroponic cultivation are periodic flooding, aeroponics and aero hydroponics, wick and deep-water systems, nutrient bed techniques, etc. - can be adapted for home use. For example, the technique of periodic flooding is used using two containers connected by a hose. One of the containers is a reservoir with water, in the second - plants in a special neutral substrate and/or perlite. By moving the container with water higher, the grower allows the nutrient solution to penetrate into the container where the plants grow. By removing it lower, the grower makes the nutrient fluid drains back into the tank.
Hydroponics at home: how to make it even easier? Experienced home growers recommend hydropots for the first experiment with hydroponics - two pots, the smaller of which is inserted into the larger one. The inner pot is filled with the substrate in which the plant is placed, and has many holes. Both pots are made of material that does not react with the nutrient solution; the outer pot is opaque (under the influence of sunlight, the liquid may bloom). The plant is fixed in the inner pot using a substrate (e.g. coconut coir) and granules (e.g. agro perlite or vermiculite). The level of nutrient solution in the outer tank is regulated using a special tube with a float. There are three marks on the float: “minimum”, “maximum”, “optimum”. At the "maximum", the solution covers the roots completely, leaving no room for air,
This method is an option for the first hydroponic installation.
How to plant hydroponics in hydropots:
? you will need two pots - internal and external, made of plastic, clay or other inert material;
? the distance between the bottom of the inner and outer - 6-10 cm;
? if the inner pot is plastic, it is easy to make the necessary holes in it using a heated knife: on the bottom and walls, 1 cm in diameter;
? the nutrient solution should be poured so that it covers the inner pot by ¼ of its size (it is better to use a water level meter with a float);
? the best filler for hydropots is granular materials, their mixture with an inert substrate (for example, with coconut). Important: the filler must be washed and sterilized;
? plants are planted in a substrate and placed in an outdoor pot filled with water;
? rinse the roots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, rotten and dead - cut off;
? you can change the water for a special nutrient solution in a week;
? when the roots penetrate outward through the openings of the inner pot, the level of the nutrient solution is reduced for better oxygenation.
A separate question is how to make a nutrient solution for hydroponics yourself. The recipe available for beginners is to dilute ready-made concentrate in water, which is sold in a grocery store.
