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Hydroponics for Beginners

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By: Charlene Rennick

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At first glance, it may seem like starting a hydroponic garden is complicated.  There are a lot of unusual terms used to describe systems that are unique to hydroponic gardening.  It isn’t as difficult as it may seem.  Starting a hydroponic system can be a gradual process in which you begin with a few small, inexpensive supplies.  Hydroponics can be as low maintenance as a kitchen herb garden or as large a project as growing food for a country like Columbia in South America.

Let’s start with becoming familiar with some of names for growing systems. A hydroponic system can be identified as a bare root system or a substrate system. Bare root systems include deep flow, nutrient film technique and aeroponic systems.  Substrate (meaning a surface on which the plant or organism grows) systems use a growing media such as rockwool, perlite, pebbles, or coir.

Hydroponic systems can be described as active or passive. In an active hydroponic system, the nutrient-rich water is moved using a pump.  In passive hydroponic systems, the natural osmosis or action of the growing medium is how the nutrients are moved to the roots for absorption.   Passive systems are the more inexpensive route, but can be too wet for healthy plant growth.

Another way of describing hydroponic systems is to say they are recovery or non-recovery based.  Recovery systems recirculate (recover) or recycle the nutrient-rich water.  Non-recovery means the opposite; the nutrient solution is used only once.

Now that we understand some of the lingo, let’s apply it to some choices for hydroponic equipment.  Here are some variations:

  • The Wick System
  • The Ebb and Flow System
  • The Nutrient Film Technique
  • The Continuous Drip

The Wick System is passive and a non-recovery type of hydroponic system.  An inexpensive candle wick or thicker oil lantern wick is used to move the nutrient solution from the growing medium to the root system of the plant.   This is does not require a pump. 

The Ebb and Flow system is an active recovery type of hydroponic system.  It is an active system because a pump is used to move the nutrient solution to the roots of the plant.  The pump and the nutrient solution are kept inside a reservoir.  When the pump is on, it propels the solution to a raised tray where the roots of the plant rest.  The pump stays on for 20-30 minutes and when the nutrient solution reaches a certain level, the overflow tube drains the water back down into the reservoir. This makes the Ebb and Flow system, a recovery method.    When the pump pushes the nutrient solution up to the root system, it displaces the oxygen depleted air and replaces it with oxygen rich air. This hydroponic system is low maintenance and provides better opportunities for growth than the Wick System.

The Nutrient Film Technique is another active recovery type of hydroponic operation.  Like the Ebb and Flow system, a pump is used to move the nutrient-rich water from a reservoir to the root system.  The difference is that the solution is pumped into a grow tube where the roots are exposed.  The grow tube is slanted downwards where gravity assists the solution back into the reservoir.  The roots need some type of small porous stones to trap oxygen inside the tube.  Growing mediums are not needed because the plants are supported by a collar or basket.  Although this method is very effective, it is a higher maintenance system because the roots are completely dependent upon the constant flow of pumped nutrients for sustenance.

The Continuous Drip method of hydroponic growth can be either an active recovery or non-recovery type of system.  Continuous drip uses a pump in a reservoir and has a nutrient supply line connected to each plant.  A drip emitter controls the amount of solution allowed for each plant.  If a drip tray is installed under each row of plants it makes this system a recovery method of hydroponic gardening.   Rockwool is often used in the Continuous Drip method of hydroponics to stabilize the plant. 

Regulating Hydroponic Garden Temperature

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By: Charlene Rennick

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Outdoor gardens regulate their own climate without human intervention.  Sunlight generates heat that is naturally blown away by the seasonal breezes.  When you bring the delights from your outdoor space into your home, this natural element needs to be duplicated.  Hydroponic gardens need to have a wind source in order to help control the temperature in the air.

Clean air purifies the environment for plants by bringing fresh oxygen into the cultivation climate.  For natural growth to occur, the plant needs unrestricted access to air.  This is called aeration.  There is a direct relationship between plant disease and aeration.  Plants that do not receive fresh, moving air have a much higher incidence of diseases and a lower rate of growth.  When plants are aerated, it helps to control the temperature.  Aerating helps maximize the carbon dioxide available for the growing vegetation.  In the natural world, it is hard to separate air and temperature; air flow helps the plant’s stem to grow stronger.   As the plant grows, it waves gently in the natural breezes and adapts to the air movement by increasing the stability of its root base.

Temperatures for hydroponic gardens should stay between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.   The humidity level should be in the range of 50 and 75 percent which can be measured with a hygrometer.  Keeping air circulation going is important for aeration, carbon dioxide absorption, temperature moderation and growth.  Temperature and humidity work together to support the plant’s transpiration and respiration cycles which is part of the process of photosynthesis.  If the air temperature is too warm, it will cause the moisture in the air to evaporate too quickly, thus preventing the plant from absorbing what it needs to survive through transpiration.  An excess of moisture or humidity in the air can make the plant vulnerable to mildew and fungus growth.  Good air circulation will prevent this.

Through the process of photosynthesis, the plant breaks oxygen down and uses it to manufacture energy.  When the plant is deprived of oxygen, the root system does not develop which eventually leads to the death of the plant.  Plants that are grown in aeroponic kitchen gardens have 100 percent access to carbon dioxide.  Ideal carbon dioxide levels for aeroponically grown plants should be between 450 parts per milligram to 780 parts per milligram for photosynthesis to occur.

If you are lucky enough to live in a temperate climate, opening a window and turning on a fan now and then should do the trick.  Remember that most climates have slightly cooler temperatures at night and warmer ones during the day.

Photosynthesis: It‘s the Same for Hydroponic Gardens

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By: Charlene Rennick

All plants need air, light, water and minerals to thrive.  Each one of these elements has reliable qualities that make it able to sustain plant growth.  Depending on the type of plant, the air is dry or humid, the light is strong or weak, the water is plentiful or sparse, the temperature is specific and the soil is acid or alkaline. 

How Much Light is Enough for Hydroponic Gardening?

Outdoor gardening is pretty self-sufficient in terms of regulating the air and light flow.  There’s not much you can do to adjust wind and sun; however, hydroponic gardeners have to provide air and water flow, intensity and interval of light and the quantity and range of minerals.  Without this, photosynthesis will not occur.  Photosynthesis is as important to a plant as digestion is to a human.

All plants are green. Even when it is another colour and no green is visible, there is always a layer of green chlorophyll underneath. 

Photosynthesis begins when the right kind of light hits the green pigment in the plant’s leaves called chlorophyll.  When the light interacts with the chlorophyll, it mixes with carbon dioxide and water to make oxygen and sugar.  The sugar is oxidized through a process called respiration, which makes carbon dioxide and water into energy.  Other micro-nutrients present inside the growing medium are absorbed by the root system.  These contribute to the plant’s strength.  The by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen which the plant releases into the atmosphere.  The fact that humans require oxygen to survive makes the human-plant relationship, symbiotic.

Is Hydroponic Growth Complicated?

When the plant respirates, it emits carbon dioxide.  Tiny openings on the underside of the leaf, called stomata, absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen or vice versa, depending on whether the plant is photosynthesizing or respirating.  Because carbon dioxide exists in the atmosphere in very small quantities, the stomata have to be wide open during the hours that the leaves are absorbing light (photosynthesis).  If the humidity is too low, this can cause evaporation of the plant’s moisture.  The root system needs extra water to compensate for this.  If water is sparse, the leaves will suffer and look wilted. This is called transpiration. To avoid transpiration, hydroponic gardens need an atmosphere that is humid enough for the plant to achieve a balance between respiration and photosynthesis.

Sounds complicated?  It isn’t really.  As long as you have a room thermometer and a hydrometer to track the heat/humidity levels in the air, you can keep the environment in the range for your type of vegetation and the plant will do the rest of the work.

Go Hydroponic: Go Biodegradable

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by: Charlene Rennick

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Starting a hydroponic garden is a choice many people make based on a love of gardening, a concern for healthier food, a commitment to pesticide-free plants or as an effort to interact with the environment in a way that does not produce harm. 

Biodegradable means that the material will break down into elements that are natural and do not harm the Earth, without any additional chemical or toxic intervention.  Natural ingredients are inherently biodegradable.  Plant, animal and natural mineral-based products have a co-existing, organic microorganism that biodegrades the material without any help at all. Sometimes, these organic materials break down into the soil and become mixed in with the earth.  This process is called composting.  Other times they biodegrade into the water or the atmosphere, with or without the presence of oxygen, or the help of other living organisms such as earthworms.

An important idea to bear in mind is the end result of materials breaking down into the environment.  What does the product break down into and what kinds of substances are formed along the way?  An authentically biodegradable substance will break down into carbon dioxide (an element necessary for plant survival), water and minerals that are safe for the ecosystem.

The word, biodegradable, is often misused.  Manufacturers apply it to products that are not truly biodegradable.  Detergents and plastics rarely biodegrade into a natural element or even into the crude oil from which they were made.

Here are a few examples of the length of time it takes some material to biodegrade:

Cotton rags 1-5 months
Paper 2-5 months
Rope 3-14 months
Orange peels 6 months
Wool socks 1-5 years
Cigarette butts 1-12 years
Plastic coated paper milk cartons 5 years
Leather shoes 25-40 years
Nylon fabric 30-40 years
Tin cans 50-100 years
Aluminum cans 80-100 years
Plastic 6-pack holder rings 450 years
Glass bottles 1 million years
Plastic bottles forever

When the process of biodegrading is complete, the elements can be singularly re-used or combined to make a new product. 

Recently, mankind has made many successful advances that imitate nature’s own self-sufficient and reproductive system of sustaining life.  Hydroponically grown plants use biodegradable materials (coir, peat moss, water, natural elements) and produce green waste.  Green waste is a combination of re-usable growing media, plants that failed to thrive, cuttings, matured blossoms and over-ripened fruit or vegetables.

When food waste or green waste breaks down, it produces a gas called methane (CH4) which is made up of four hydrogen molecules and one carbon molecule.  Methane is an alternative fuel source, but because it is a gas, can be difficult to capture and transport.  If methane is not contained, it contributes to global warming.  It also produces heat.  For these reasons, composting is ideal if it is buried and turned over often to contain the methane.

Green Earth science has made many discoveries in the past few decades.  Hydroponic gardens are a great innovation that contributes to the conservation of water, environmentally-friendly growing methods and biodegradable practises. 

Nutrients for Hydroponic Gardening Systems

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by: Charlene Rennick

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The scientific criteria for organic is:  elements called carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen must be present.  This means that anything that grows is ‘organic’ by definition.

The Earth’s atmosphere is about seventy-eight percent nitrogen, twenty percent oxygen and two percent carbon dioxide, a compound mixture of carbon and oxygen.  Water is a compound mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.  The plant needs all four of these elements to survive.  Even if only one element is missing, the plant will die. 

Because these elements are present naturally in the atmosphere, most people don’t think about adding nitrogen or checking to make sure the plant is manufacturing enough carbon. These four necessities must be present in the air, water, nutrients and soil that sustain the plant.  It is important to be aware of this when moving your garden from an outdoor atmosphere where they occur naturally, to a hydroponic atmosphere where they are created.  Always purchase nutrients that say they are for hydroponic gardens as these are quite different from a basic, all-purpose vitamin designed for outdoor use.

The growing media has its own ideal elemental composition. There should be a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Beware of any hydroponic mixture that claims to have everything your plants needs in one single container; compound mixtures are by nature, a staple for optimal plant nutrition.  Let’s look at a trouble-shooting guide to help diagnose deficiencies of each element in plants.

Nitrogen is the agent that is responsible for proper absorption of plant nutrients and manufacturing chlorophyll.  Too much nitrogen causes an excess of growth, a deeper green than is normal and may delay the fruit from becoming mature.  Sometimes, too much nitrogen attracts extra insects.  Too little nitrogen causes skinny stems that can’t support flowers or fruit.  The leaves will be yellow, small and might have some odd purple colour.

Phosphorous gives the plant energy to grow.  Too little causes stunted growth in the stems and root system.  The leaves often curl, droop or become yellow.  Too much phosphorous causes a deficiency of copper characterized by pale leaves with yellow spots and a lack of zinc which causes small leaves with crinkled edges.

Potassium balances the sugar and starch ratio for the plant.  Too little potassium slows down growth, makes the plant vulnerable to fungus and causes leaf moulting.  Too much potassium depletes the plant of magnesium resulting in yellowing of the leaves between the veins and failure to bloom.

Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) are known as macro nutrients.  Most plant nutrients are sold in 3-part solutions of N-P-K which allow customizing and adapting the mixture according to the type of plant, its stage of growth, and the condition of the soil.   This is especially important for hydroponic gardeners who are responsible for building a healthy environment for their plants.

What does pH stand for?

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by: Charlene Rennick

Have you ever wondered why the “p” in “pH” is a lower-case letter while the “H” is capitalized?  What does it mean?

The “p” stands for potential and the “H” stands for Hydrogen.  Okay, so that makes it as clear as mud.  What is potential Hydrogen?   A scientific explanation would state that pH refers to the plant’s ability to attract hydrogen ions.  A less scientific explanation says pH is the acid/alkaline balance. 

Translated into a language those of us without the Ph D can understand, pH level refers to the amount of acid and alkaline contained inside of both the water and the growing medium or soil.  If the environment is too acidic, that means the plant will not attract enough hydrogen, while an environment that is too alkaline will attract too much hydrogen.  An environment that continually fluctuates from one extreme on the pH scale to the other is unhealthy for the plant.

Hydrogen is one of four elements any living plant needs to survive.  Without hydrogen, the plant would wilt and not be able to take in nutrients.  Because the plant contains hydrogen, it continues to absorb hydrogen through the water via a process called osmosis.  This hydrogen-osmosis cycle is what keeps the nutrients traveling from the water into the plant.  Once a plant has died due to lack of water, there is no amount of water that can be added to it that will cause the plant to be revived.

The level of pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 with 0 representing the highest concentration of acid and 14 representative of the most alkaline.   Seven is the magic figure for pH because it means that there is a balance of acid and alkaline in the solution and is often referred to as pH neutral.  It is usually sufficient to say that a pH neutral environment is perfect for most plants, but some vegetation requires water or a growing medium that is more acidic than alkaline in order to flourish or have the right colour of blossoms, while other plants prefer the opposite.  Testing strips for pH can be purchased to determine exactly what the acid/alkaline balance is in your water, growing medium or soil.  This makes it easy to adjust the level for home gardeners or for mixing nutrients for your own hydroponic garden.

If I Can’t Use Soil, What Else is There?

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by: Charlene Rennick

Soil-based gardens support plant growth because the nutrients present in the ground are absorbed by the root system inside a vehicle called water.  Without water, the dry compound is ineffective in transporting food to and throughout the network of roots. 

Because hydroponic systems do not use soil, the growing mediums have to be able to mimic the same process by which the plant absorbs nutrients.  The growing medium for hydroponic gardens has to be porous in order to leave spaces for water and nutrients to collect. 

Aerogarden Kitchen Herb Garden

The key to success is to achieve a balance between too little space and too much space.  If the pores are too large, the air and water will slip through too quickly and deprive the plant the opportunity to absorb the nutrients they need for growth.  If the pores are too small, there are no basins in which water can be collected.

The growing medium used in hydroponic gardening is not an organic soil.  The most popular alternatives used in hydroponic gardens are:

  • Coir
    This is the fibre from the husk of the coconut fruit. It comes in bricks which expand in size after soaking in water.  It is sterile, clean and protects the plant from root disease and fungus.  The colour does not transfer and does not stain clothes, carpets or any other surface.
  • Perlite
    These are tiny, light-weight, fluffy spheres of volcanic glass with a relatively high water content. They are clean and sterile, but are too light to be used in large-scale hydroponic plantations.  They are prone to disappearing inside the water run-off and need to be replaced often.
  • Clay pellets
    These are PH neutral and reusable, but can stain clothes or furniture and are dusty when dry.
  • Pea gravel
    This convention small, round stone is clean and reusable but might be too heavy for personal, indoor hydroponic gardens.
  • Rockwool
    This compound is spun from molten lava into long spindly fibres. It has declined in hydroponic popularity because of the environmentally harmful emissions it produces during manufacturing.
  • Perfect Starts
    These cubes are a newcomer in the hydroponic market as a starter medium made from organic compost and polymer to bind it together in a malleable form.  It can be used as a starting sponge to sprout seeds.

Not only are these choices better for indoor gardening than soil, but they are a conserved natural by-product from other commercial enterprises.  Using the husk from the coconut uses more of the plant.  Small pieces of clay, gravel and volcanic glass recycle some of the left-over substances that might otherwise go to waste.

Advantages of using alternative growing mediums in a hydroponic garden are that they are biodegradable, inexpensive, accessible for anyone to purchase and convenient to work with indoors.  In addition, these hydroponic gardening bases reduce one of the biggest problems for outdoor agriculturalists: disease and pests. 

Vacation-Friendly Houseplants

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by: Charlene Rennick

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How well do you have to know someone to ask them to come in and water your plants for you while you languish for two weeks on the beach?  Does bringing over some junk mail deposited in your mailbox, but addressed to your neighbour, count as acquainted? 

Desperate, you leave the key to your house and all your worldly belongings with a neighbour you barely know.  After two weeks of veritable bliss, you return home.  As you climb over the pile of newspapers to open the front door, your heart rate begins to pick up speed.  You slowly open the front door, afraid that if you open your eyes you will see a bare room. You let out the breath you have been holding as the familiar silhouettes of your antique furniture begin to take shape in the darkness.  As your eyes scan the room, you notice that something is missing from the bay window.  Curious, you try to remember what was there.  Dolefully, you realize that the gap you see used to be filled with the lush greenery of your treasured houseplants.

Oh, what a sight.  Your favourite fauna is a nothing but a yellow twig draped over the side of the pot, stiff as a board and so dead that the roots and the soil have become one unit, merged forever like a cement shoe.  Muttering under your breath, you bid farewell to that relaxed “I just got back from my vacation” feeling, swallow back unshed tears and gently bury the remains of the root system, cemented soil and all, in the back yard clinging to the hope that some of the roots might still be alive.  

This scenario does not have to be the end to your vacation!  You don’t have to choose between a home full of living things, fresh herbs in your grandmother’s recipe for spaghetti sauce or summer holidays complimented by a career that requires travelling. 

Hydroponically grown plants are the less stressful solution.  Because a hydroponics growing system requires no soil and recycles its own clean, nutrient-rich water, they do not need the same kind of constant care that a traditional soil-based plant needs. Hydroponic systems rely on less water and natural light is usually supplemented with grow lights. These systems can be automated with timers. In addition, because  plants grown by hydroponic methods are fed the natural minerals and salts that they need, they are healthier than their soil-based relatives. 

Fruit Free From Fruit Flies

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by: Charlene Rennick

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Fruit Free From Fruit Flies.  Say that five times. 

Have you ever wondered where those tiny, flying bugs come from that seem to congregate around your fruit basket?  Quite likely, they have arrived inside your house as a hitchhiker on your favourite variety of apple.  While washing your fruit gets rid of most of the fruit fly eggs, it can be time-consuming and impractical.  How do you wash the bananas without separating the bunch, creating brown spots and reducing the shelf life of the fruit?  Seriously.  Are you prepared to wash an entire box of clementines?

Fruit flies have an incredible capacity for reproduction.  Their entire lifecycle is about 10 days long.  That means that in less than two weeks, they hatch, become an adult, chose a breeding partner, and lay about 500 eggs before they peacefully expire on your ripened tomatoes. 

Once you invite one fruit fly into your home, an infestation from the whole extended family is almost unavoidable due to their non-preferential breeding habits.  If they cannot find a fruit or a vegetable to use as a fruit fly motel, they will accept the soil from your house plants, making them a very stubborn and unwanted house guest.

So how do you avoid these prolific pests?  Simply-Hydroponics.com offers gardening solutions that avoid the potential for fruit fly infestations.   Since fruit flies require soil and organic material to reproduce, hydroponically grown produce eliminates the conditions they need to be able to breed.  Hydroponic gardens use only clean water sources and non-organic material to support the plant’s root system.  Fruit flies are often exported in from the outdoor environment on ripened or fermented fruits and on produce that has not been refrigerated.   Fruit flies also lay eggs in fruit that is over ripe or that has cracked skin.  Tomatoes are especially popular.

Emptying recycle boxes often, rinsing food residue from recyclable containers and cleaning the inside of the blue box with soap and water can prevent insects from inhabiting your garage or nesting close to your front door.  Refrigerating fresh fruit and vegetables overnight can kill any eggs that have entered your domain inside a grocery bag.  Washing produce as you cook keeps bacteria and larvae from contaminating your food.  Switching to a cleaner, healthier hydroponic gardening base inside your home can provide you with a fresh, clean and wholesome alternative to soil-based plants.  And hydroponic gardening keeps those fruits flies from feasting on your flowers.

Please consult www.Simply-Hydroponics.com for indoor, pest-free gardening solutions.