Information on hydroponic gardening
This article is to give you some information on hydroponic gardening. More specifically, indoor hydroponic gardening. I will tell you what to do, and what to avoid doing.
This information can be applied to most all of the crops or plants you will be growing. Some people will think that this only applies if you want to learn how to grow marijuana or learn how to grow pot. This not my intention. Though it will work for that. So let’s dive into my list.
10 Things You Need to Know About Hydroponics Gardening
1. Hydroponics is twice as fast as using soil.
2. It isn’t near as messy. No dirt, no mess.
3. You can grow indoors or outside.
4. Little or no difference in quality between hydro and soil.
5. There are several ways to get the nutrients to the plants.
6. Lights do make a difference.
7. The initial set-up can be a bit more.
8. Why use CO2.
9. The drawbacks to hydroponics.
10. It is all worth it.
10 Things You Need to Know About Hydroponics Gardening
Here is my “Famous” Quote of the Day
Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it. ~Author Unknown
In this article I will go over each of the 10 items on my list. This will give you enough information to make a decision whether hydroponics gardening is for you.
10 isn’t that a perfect number. You get a 10 in the olympics, you’re perfect. If you’re a guy and you’re rating the women you see, 10 is perfect. I sure that women do the same thing. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 is always the top. So let’s get into the “10″
1. Hydroponics is twice as fast as using soil. When using hydroponics, the plants are getting so much nutrients so fast they do what they do best, they grow. If you were to just keep eating and eating, you to would grow fast. Problem is you would grow out or around, not up.
2. It isn’t near as messy as dirt. When using soil to grow with, you have to bring in lots of dirt. Depending on how big your garden is, will determine how much dirt you will need. Consider you will need AT LEAST one gallon of dirt for each plant, and that’s at the end. You will have to transplant a couple of time before you get to that one gallon container.
3. You can grow indoors or out. I like growing indoors because you don’t have as many issue’s to deal with, like rain, wind, brutal sun, or animals. Outdoors you don’t have to worry as much about leaks, though you shouldn’t have any. It does happen once in awhile.
4. Little or no difference in quality between hydro and soil. I’ve heard both sides of the story. Hydro isn’t as good. It depends on who you talk to. This is almost as bad as arguing relegion or politics. Nobody and everybody is right. I’m a hydro guy so you know how I feel about it.
5. There are several ways to get the nutrients to the plants. My personal favorite is the drip system. It allows a steady amount of water/nutrients to the plants at all times. Another system you can use is the wick system, you put a rope or “wick” into a bucket or reservoir and the water is drawn up to the plants. One more system is the ebb and flow system. A reservoir holds the nutrients, and a timer is used to flood the plants. When its done flooding, the nutrients drain back into the reservoir. This is where you can have problems with leaks. To much flooding and pretty soon the nutrients are on the ground. If you’re indoors that can be a real mess.
6. Lights do make a difference. Depending on what you’re growing and what stage the plants are in determines which lights to use. The usual rule of thumb is, metal halide for vegatative growth and high pressure sodium for flowering or fruit growth. I DO NOT recommend using florescent lights, they just don’t work as well as the metal halide or HPS.
7. The initial set-up can be more. Yes it does cost a bit more to get started, but you make it up in your plants growing faster and not having to replace the soil after each crop.
8. Why use CO2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is what all plants thrive on. They take in CO2 and release oxygen. All the rain forest clearing is cutting down the amount of foliage growing so there is less oxygen being produced. The more CO2 a plant gets the faster it grows and the bigger it gets. I’m sure you can imagine what that means. It works best during the flowering cycle.
9. The draw backs to hydroponics. There are a few, but when I tell you what they are you won’t mind. The first one is, the plants aren’t to forgiving if you forget to water them or if it gets to hot inside. You have to be on top of it at all times. The good thing about that is, this is why you are growing indoors. You get to watch your plants grow everyday. Isn’t that what it’s all about. (No the hokey pokey is what it’s all about)
10. It is all worth it. This one doesn’t need a lot of explanation. When you get done with your first crop, you’ll say “that was worth it”
Wasn’t that fun? Yeah right! Well you now know all about Growing with Hydroponics. I hope it convinced you to use hydro instead of soil. Gardening is a labour of love, I’m sure you are going to love it. Below you will find where you can go to find more info.
Jim Broderick, author of “How to Build Your Own Hydroponics Grow Closet”, invites you to check out my website http://growingcloset.com . While you’re there subscribe to my monthly newsletter “Things Are Looking Pretty Green”. Each month I will give you new tips and tricks to hydroponics and information about using a grow closet. You can’t go wrong on the price, it’s FREE. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at jmbrod3@growingcloset.com.
Find out more about hydroponics and growing closets at growingcloset.COM
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