Indoor Hydroponic Systems Let You Garden Year Round
Sarah Thomas
Do you love gardening? There is nothing quite like going out to
your own garden and picking fresh ripe vegetables for your daily
meals. If you love gardening as much as I do, then you probably
feel a little sad when it all comes to an end each fall.
Well. I have found a way to have fresh vegetable growing all
year by growing them with indoor hydroponic systems. It takes a
little work to get set up, but then so does traditional
gardening.
Hydroponics means soilless gardening. That’s right. You can
grow lush healthy plants and vegetables without any soil
whatsoever. Hydroponics actually is not new technology. I has
been in use many years on the commercial and research levels.
It has only been the past few years that hydroponic systems
have taken off in the home use sector. Now you can buy indoor
hydroponic systems in kits so it is easier to get set up.
There are actually several different ways to grow plants with
an indoor hydroponic system. Soil is not used, but other
growing material is. This material may be water, gravel, sand,
or vermiculite. Water needs to be able to flow through the
medium so the more porous it is, the better it will be for they
plants to grow. One could even use bran, moss or coconut fiber
as a medium for indoor hydroponic systems.
The lifeblood of indoor hydroponic systems is the nutrient
solution which is added to the water and bathes the roots. The
nutrient solution was first developed in the 1890s and
continues to be used today. It contains phosphorous, nitrogen,
potassium, and trace minerals. This nutrient solution is used
in the place of fertilizer.
The fun thing about indoor hydroponic systems is that you can
design and build your own system if you want. If that sounds
like too much trouble you can buy parts or entire kits. When
you design your own system you can use whatever is available to
you such as an old aquarium which can be used as a tank for the
nutrient solution.
In addition to the tank or the reservoir, you will also need
artificial lighting. Lighting that is specifically designed for
growing plants, or grow lights, should be used. These can be
obtained easily at any garden shop.
You will also need an air pump to maintain the proper levels of
oxygen in the nutrient solution for the plant roots. An aquarium
air stone works just fine. Anything can be used that aerates the
water and makes bubbles.
A growing tray or tubes are needed to support your plants.
Design them in such a way that the plant roots can hang below
the tray to come into contact with the nutrient solution.
The easiest thing to do is to buy a kit that has all the indoor
hydroponic system parts in one easy package. This is especially
helpful if you know little about designing and building things,
particularly hydroponics systems. Once you see the system in
action and have a good grasp of how it all comes together, you
may want to design your own system from then on.
If you are wondering what types of plants can be grown in
indoor hydroponic systems, you will be pleased to know that you
can grow anything you want from tomatoes, to mushrooms, to green
vegetables, and anything else you want to try.
About The Author: Sarah Thomas provides articles on
http://www.organic-today.com . You
can find more of her work at
the site hydroponicsnews.com.
See Also:
Index of Gardens & Gardening
All About Organic Gardening
Search our site for any Home, Lawn or Garden Info
