Hydroponic System Basics

Hydroponic systems can get pretty fancy, especially when aeroponics are incorporated. To get started growing hydroponic vegetables or any hydroponic plants, a simple system will suffice. There are lots of do it yourself hydroponic guides out there, but if you want to be creative and try your own design, here are a few basic requirements you will need to plan to incorporate into your hydroponic system:

• Plants need light to perform photosynthesis, hydroponic nutrient reservoirs are better off without light. Dark materials and thermal insulation are good for making nutrient tanks. They can also be partially or completely buried to help control nutrient temp.
• Optimum nutrient temperature varies for each variety of plant or vegetable, but in general hydroponics nutrient solutions should be kept between 60 deg. and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Aquarium heaters and commercial chillers are the best ways to control nutrient Temp.
• The best hydroponic systems have a design that provides plants with a well oxygenated or aerated nutrient solution that is at the right temperature for the crop of choice. As the temp. of the nutrient soln. increases, its oxygen holding capacity decreases. DO, O2, or dissolved oxygen meters are not necessary, but they can be a valuable tool for the hydroponic grower.
• Hydroponic systems must provide the roots of plants and vegetables with oxygen. There are some simple ways to aerate hydroponic nutrient solutions, but aquarium air stones and air pumps are the easiest.
• Simple timers and small magnetic drive pumps can be used to circulate hydroponic nutrient solutions. Magnetic drive pumps are the best pumps to use for hydroponics because they are efficient and do not allow harmful oil based lubricants to come into contact with and contaminate your growing system.
• Growing mediums must be compatible with the type of hydroponic system that they are used in. Coco-coir is great when mixed 50/50 with lecca or hydroton in auto pot systems, but may clog pumps in circulating systems such as NFT, ebb and flow or flood and drain, and deep water culture or lettuce raft systems. Sure to grow and rapid rooter plugs are great for circulating hydroponic systems and can be used with lecca or hydroton in net pots to support the growth of larger plants and vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes as they mature.

Keep your design simple. When it comes to hydroponic growing systems, the less complicated the safer the plants and vegetables will be. When systems fail to give plants what they need plants are likely to suffer or if the roots are allowed to dry out the plants will likely die. For healthy and happy hydroponic plants plants monitor pH regularly. Keeping a pH of 5.8 -6.2 will keep most plants and vegetables happy, but check for plant specific pH requirements.
Remember to treat growing with your new hydroponic system as an expiriment. Keep written reccords of your growing trials to fine tune your system making it as productive as possible. Make adjustments to your system as needed and don't forget to have fun!

God Bless and Happy Hydroponic Growing!

Growing Healthy Hydroponic Vegetables: Getting Started

First harvest of Lapham's Living Lettuce

Trials in Sure to Grow Cubes

Basil growing in a homemade Hydroponic / Aeroponic Hybrid growing chamber in a homemade greenhouse built using a carport frame and left over scraps from a commercial greenhouse

These are some pictures of my first trials growing hydroponic vegetables. Just get started on a small scale and do not be afraid to make mistakes. Growing healthy hydroponics vegetables indoors is fun and easy! Experiment with different plants and different systems to see what works best for you.

• I had great success growing organic basil from seed in rapid rooter plugs.
  
• Growing Living Lettuce was best with the STG cubes in a raft or deep water culture system.
• For growing tomatoes I had the best results witha 50/50% mix of hydroton or lecca expanded clay pellets and coco-coir.
• In the hybrid hydroponic / aeroponic growing chamber, I also had good results growing a variety os peppers which were started from seed in rapid rooter plugs then placed into grow cups and filled in with lecca or hydroton expanded clay pellets. This was the same method used for growing basil and it prooved to be very successful.

In order to get started growing healthy hydroponic vegetables, all you need is to do some research online, read some books or make a trip to your local hydroponic supply store. They should be able to get you set up with the materials that youll need to begin indoors or outdoors. Do not feel pressured to buy any expensive growing systems or kits. You can do it your self for much less money.
God Bless and happy growing!

Growing Healthy Hydroponic Vegetables

I have commercially grown healthy hydroponic vegetables including heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, sweet and hot peppers, arugula, and basil for fun, food and commercial retail. This blog will be a discussion board for any growers or first time gardeners wishing to share info.