HYDROPONICS FOR BEGINNERS

ULTIMATE 2021 GUIDE TO GROW INDOOR YOUR FAVORITE VEGETABLES WITHOUT SOIL. ALL DETAILS TO BUILD YOUR DIY HYDROPONICS SYSTEM AND CUDDLE YOUR “LITTLE GIRLS”

RICHARD GREEN

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCING HYDROPONICS

CHAPTER 2. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HYDROPONICS

CHAPTER 3. TYPES OF HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

CHAPTER 4. INDOOR HYDROPONICS

CHAPTER 5. HYDROPONICS TECHNIQUES FOR INDOOR WITHOUT SOIL

CHAPTER 6. NECESSARY TOOLS AND RELATIVE COSTS

CHAPTER 7. STARTING HYDROPONICS CULTIVATION

CHAPTER 8. MONITORING EQUIPMENT

CHAPTER 9. HOW TO UNDERSTAND IF A PLANT IS SICK

CHAPTER 10. NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS

CHAPTER 11. HOW TO FIX COMMON NUTRITION PROBLEMS

CHAPTER 12. HOW TO AVOID INSECTS

CHAPTER 13. BEST PLANTS FOR HYDROPONICS

CHAPTER 14. MYTHS TO AVOID

CHAPTER 15. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

CONCLUSION

Introduction

The possibility of Hydroponics (gardening without soil) has been around since the hour of King Solomon. There are a couple of focal points with hydroponic gardening over customary gardening - for instance, the pace of growth of a hydroponic plant can be up to half quicker than a soil plant grown under similar conditions.

What's more, the yield of the plant is likewise more prominent!

The explanation behind this is the plants get their sustenance encouraged straightforwardly into their underlying foundations from nutrient-rich water. Since this water is so high in nutrient substance, the plant needn't bother with huge roots to look for nourishment. What's more, since the plant consumes less energy in growing roots, it has more energy accessible to be gainful over the root line! Hydroponically grown vegetables are robust, vigorous, and reliably dependable. This form of gardening is perfect and amazingly simple, and it requires next to no effort.

Hydroponic gardening is additionally advantageous to the environment. For instance, hydroponic gardening utilizes impressively less water than soil gardening considering the consistent reuse of the nutrient solutions. And furthermore, fewer pesticides are essential in hydroponic yields—they are not as fundamental. Furthermore, topsoil disintegration isn't even an issue since hydroponic gardening systems utilize no topsoil.

How precisely does a hydroponically grown plant get its sustenance—nourishment it normally gets from the soil? All things considered, these nutrients come in fluid or powdered blends and can be bought at a hydroponic inventory store. Furthermore, like soil, hydroponic systems can be treated with organic or concoction nutrients. In any case, you should realize that an organic hydroponic system can be extensively more work to keep up since the organic mixes have a propensity cluster.

Hydroponic systems are normally categorized as aloof or dynamic. A functioning hydroponic system moves the nutrient solution with a siphon. A detached hydroponic system depends on the narrow activity of the growing medium or a wick.

The process of Hydroponics involves using a reservoir that has the plant roots suspended in a saltwater solution. The root system of the plant is then filled with this solution, and special nutrient fluid is fed into the system periodically to maintain the quality and quantity of the water inside the reservoir.

In an aloof system, the nutrient-rich solution is absorbed by the medium or the wick and went along to the plant's underlying foundations. Yet, a drawback with this technique is that they are typically excessively wet and don't supply enough oxygen to the root system for the best growth rates.

Hydroponic systems are additionally portrayed as recuperation or non-recuperation. In recuperation systems, the nutrient solution is re-flowed for reuse. In a non-recuperation system, nonetheless, the nutrient solution isn't recouped.

You might be uncertain of whether to purchase or construct a hydroponic system. On the off chance that you have a "designing personality" and need to manufacture one, consider getting one first just to get acquainted with the inward workings. Purchase a system that doesn't cost a ton of cash. It will give you a superior comprehension of how Hydroponics works, and the hands-on experience can be worth the expense of the system as you will have the option to reuse the parts when you choose to assemble one.

Hydroponics is not for everyone, so we understand. However, we have found that many people have a hard time imagining how to grow plants without soil. We hope this introduction will help you to consider the advantages hydroponics offers.

Chapter 1.  Introducing Hydroponics

Hydroponics is so popular in part due to the fact it can be used just about anywhere with just about any amount of space. Whether you have just a desktop, a shelf, or even a large plot of land, you can create a hydroponic set-up for yourself. You can do this in just about any space and in any sort of climate. Not only will that set-up allow you to do everything with less space, but you will also be able to use significantly less water.

Within this, we are going to take a look at what the fundamentals of hydroponic gardening are so you can then begin to make use of them yourself. We will go over how it tends to allow for the transfer of everything the plants will need to grow, as well as how it can be used to create a sustainable and lucrative way in which you are going to grow your own plants at any price point. Though you can absolutely spend large amounts of money, it is not a requirement, and you can learn to use these methods in ways that are sustainable, both environmentally and for your wallet.

What Hydroponics Is

Hydroponics is a form of soilless gardening. Now, you may be thinking that soil is necessary for plants to grow—after all, that is where they get their nutrients. However, you can replace it with the use of a nutrient-rich solution within the water. With this solution provided to the plants through their roots, they are actually able to begin growing incredibly efficiently. They come into direct contact with the proper amount of the nutrients that they need, which means that they are not limited by what they happen to get naturally over time.

They can precisely absorb what they need to avoid running into the problem of simply not having enough of what they need to grow. This means they can grow quicker and stronger. Oftentimes, in Hydroponics, you will see the plants begin to grow better. They grow up to 25% quicker, allowing you to produce sooner, and the production is usually boosted up to 30% compared to the same plants that have grown within the soil.

These statistics are incredibly compelling for this process—it implies that ultimately, the plants you decide to grow within hydroponic systems are going to grow quicker and produce more, which can then be either harvested for yourself or used to sell. You will then have produced sooner.

Ultimately, that bodes well for Hydroponics, especially when you consider the fact you can grow quicker and with less space and less water than many of the more traditional methods of growth. When you are watering plants that grow in soil, you are saturating all of the soil for them to grow. Some of that water is going to fall into the ground, sinking below the plants and being returned to aquifers or even just evaporate away. This means you will have to make use of water that you will not even be benefitting from, meaning there will always be that degree of overhead loss. You will be spending more money than you are losing.

Overall, hydroponic systems make use of roots being either bathed in a solution that will allow for the roots to absorb their nutrients or creating some sort of system that gives the plants some degree of the media used to pack in and support the roots, which is then bathed in the solution .

Either way, Hydroponics focuses on using water with some nutrients mixed into it to allow for the roots not to have to work so hard to get their necessary nutritional value. When the plants are no longer invested in growing their root system to be expansive to allow for a greater chance of absorption, they can instead focus on how best to grow the plants above the roots.

As you read through this, you will be introduced to all sorts of methods that could work. You will see how some people can make all sorts of hydroponics systems work for them, allowing you to make your own decisions on which kinds you want to implement. Some of them require electricity and technology, while others require nothing other than an area for you to keep water and an area to suspend your plants and their roots. You will be able to figure out if you want to do this on a larger or smaller scale to determine what is going to be right for you.

Chapter 2.  The Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroponics

Advantages

No Soils Required

One might say you can develop crops in places where the land is restricted, doesn't exist, or is intensely sullied. During the 1940s, Hydroponics was effectively used to supply new vegetables for troops in Wake Island, a refueling stop for Pan American aircrafts. This is a far-off arable territory in the Pacific Ocean. Likewise, Hydroponics has been considered as the cultivating of things to come to develop nourishments for space travelers in space (where there is no soil) by NASA.

Utilize Space and Area

Because every one of that plant's needs is given and kept up in a framework, you can develop in your little condo or the extra rooms if you have a few spaces.

Plants' foundations typically grow and spread out, looking for nourishment and oxygen in the soil. This isn't the situation in Hydroponics, where the roots are soaked in a tank loaded with oxygenated supplement arrangement and legitimately contact with fundamental minerals. This implies you can develop your plants a lot nearer, and thus enormous space reserve funds.

Atmosphere Control

Like in nurseries, hydroponic producers can have absolute authority over the atmosphere-temperature, moistness, light intensification, and air synthesis. Right now, you can develop nourishments throughout the entire year, paying little mind to the season. Ranchers can create nourishments at a fitting time to boost their business benefits.

Hydroponics Is Water-Sparing

Plants developed hydroponically can utilize just 10% of water contrasted with field-grown ones. Right now, it is recycled. Plants will take up the fundamental waters, while run-off ones will be caught and returned to the framework. Water loss just happens in two structures—vanishing and breaks from the framework (however, an effective hydroponic arrangement will limit or don't have any holes).

It is estimated that horticulture uses something near to 80% water of the ground and surface water in the US.

Although water will become a basic problem later on, when food creation is expected to increase by 70%, as indicated in the FAQ, Hydroponics is seen as a practical answer for large-scale food generation.

Successful Utilization of Supplements

In Hydroponics, you have 100% control of the supplements (nourishments) that plants need. Before planting, cultivators can check what plants require and the specific measures of supplements required at specific stages and blend them in with water appropriately. Supplements are saved in the tank, so there are no losses or changes of supplements like they are in the soil.

pH Control of the Arrangement

The entirety of the minerals is contained in the water. That implies you can gauge and alter your water blend's pH levels significantly more effectively contrasted with the soils. That guarantees the ideal supplements take-up for plants.

Better Development Rate

Is it true that in hydroponics, plants grow faster than in soil? Indeed, it is.

You work for yourself and to direct the entire condition for your plants' development—temperature, lights, dampness, and particularly supplements. Plants are put in perfect conditions, while supplements are given at adequate amounts and come into direct contact with the root frameworks. Consequently, plants never again squander important vitality scanning for weakened supplements in the soil. Rather, they shift the entirety of their attention to developing and creating natural products.

Less Vermin and Sicknesses

Also, like weeds, getting rid of soils helps make your plants less vulnerable to soil-borne nuisances such as flying bugs, squirrels, and woodchucks, and diseases such as Fusarium species, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia species. Also, when developing inside a shut framework, the plant specialists can take control of the most encompassing factors without much of a stretch.

Less Utilization of Bug Spray and Herbicides

Since you are using no soils and keeping in mind that the weeds, irritations, and plant diseases are significantly decreased, there are fewer synthetic compounds involved. This causes you to develop cleaner and more beneficial foods. The cut of bug spray and herbicides is a solid purpose of Hydroponics when the criteria for current life and sanitation are increasingly more set on top.

Work and Helps

Apart from spending less time working, watering, growing and, disinfecting weeds and nuisances, you will appreciate the saved time because plant development is proven to be greater in Hydroponics. When horticulture is wanted to be more innovation-based, Hydroponics has room in it.

Disadvantages

A Hydroponic Nursery Requires Your Time and Responsibility

Much the same as any things beneficial in life, persevering and mindful disposition gives good yields. In any case, in soil-borne partners, plants can be left alone for quite a long time and weeks. The unstoppable force of life and soils will help manage if something isn't adjusting. That is not the situation in Hydroponics. Plants will cease to exist more quickly without legitimate care and enough information. Remember that your plants are relying upon you for their endurance. You should take great care of your plants and the framework upon an introductory establishment. Then you can automatize the entire thing later, yet you, despite everything, need to measure and forestall the unforeseen issues of the tasks and do visit support.

Encounters and Specialized Information

You are running an arrangement of numerous sorts of gear, which requires a vital specific ability for the gadgets used, what plants you can develop, and how they can endure and flourish in a soilless domain. Slip-ups in setting up the frameworks and plants' development capacity right now, and you wind up demolishing your entire advancement.

Natural Discussions

There have been some warmed contentions about whether Hydroponics ought to be certified as natural or not. Researches are discussing whether plants developed hydroponically will get microbiomes as they are in the soil. Be that as it may, people around the globe have developed hydroponic plants—lettuces, tomatoes, strawberries, and so forth for a long time, particularly in Australia, Tokyo, Netherlands, and the United States. They have given food to many people. You can't anticipate flawlessness from anything in life. In any event, for soil development, there are still more dangers of pesticides, bugs, and so on contrasted with Hydroponics. There are some natural developing strategies proposed for Hydroponic producers. For instance, a few cultivators give microbiomes to plants by using natural developing media, for example, coconut coir, and including worms. Normal-made supplements are ordinarily used, for example, angles, bones, horse feed, cottonseeds, neems, and so on .

Water and Power Dangers

In a Hydroponic framework, for the most part, you use water and power. Be careful with power in a mix of water in the surrounding area. Always put safety first when working with the water frameworks and electric hardware, particularly in business nurseries.

Framework Failure Dangers

You are using power to deal with the entire framework. So, assume you don't set up an emergency life support for a forced blackout, the framework will quit working promptly, and plants may dry out quickly and will kick the bucket in a few hours. Thus, a reinforcement power source and plan should consistently be arranged, particularly for larger-scale frameworks.

Beginning Costs

Be sure to spend less than a hundred to a couple of dollars (depending on your nursery scale) to buy hardware for your first establishment. Whatever the frameworks you fabricate, you will require compartments, lights, a siphon, a clock, growing media, and supplements. When the framework has been set up, the cost will be decreased to just supplements and power (to keep the water framework running and lighting).

Chapter 3.  Types of Hydroponic System

Passive System

In a passive system, the roots of the plants are in constant contact with the nutrient solution, and the plants are supported with suspension. This system's main drawback is that it's hard to support your plants as they grow.

A passive system, however, is a basic system and is easy to set up for a beginner effortlessly. This system is portable and cost-effective. A passive system example is The Wick system. This system uses a polyester, nylon or rayon wick, or lamp wick to supply the roots with nutrient solution. Vermiculite, Perlite, or LECA are widely used growth materials.

A pot above the nutrient tray solution is supported, and a wick soaked in a nutrient solution is passed into the nutrient tray through the drainage hole. You have to leave within the pot 10 cm of the wick and ruffle the ends for better nutrient solution circulation.

Active System

Active systems are more effective and efficient; pumps are used to supply the plants with nutrient solutions, and a gravity system to drain excess solution that is then reused. Different types of materials, such as Perlite, Rockwool, expanded clay pebbles, or coconut coir, can be used as a quick drain system. If you use coconut coir, you can achieve a higher air retention ratio by combining the same Perlite amount with the coir.

In addition to being generally more efficient and therefore more competitive, a nice feature of active hydroponic systems is how quickly they can be integrated into an engineered greenhouse. The automation system does not need to be complicated to deliver outstanding results. Just as a fan can be connected to a temperature control thermostat, a timer can be connected to a pump to supply the plants with nutrients as needed.

If such a device is properly designed, the crop could be fed by a large nutrient reservoir for weeks before a refill is required. In this scenario, the garden will continue to thrive indefinitely without the need for continuous monitoring as long as the system is reliable.

The main difference between an active and passive system is that an active system includes a mechanical means to recirculate the nutrient solution using pumps to provide the nutrient solution. In contrast, a passive system relies on capillary action, absorption, and/or gravity force to replenish nutrient roots .

Types of Active Systems

The following are the various types of active system:

- Ebb and Flow system

- Nutrient Film Technique

- Drip System or Top Feed

- Aeroponics

- Dutch Bucket Method

- Raft Method

Ebb and Flow System

An Ebb and Flow System is also called a flood and drain system. Maintenance and set-up are not expensive and hence is a popular system. Both long-term and short-term produce well growing in this type of system. Here, the nutrient solution can flood the material for 15 minutes every hour or two.

Popular growth material is expanded clay pebbles, Perlite, or Rockwool. Ebb and Flow systems can be automated using a computer. There is a uniform distribution of nutrient solution to all the plants in this type of system.

Nutrient Film Technique

Allen Cooper at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in Little Hampton, England, pioneered the Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT. More products can be grown using this system. In this growing technique, plants are placed on top of an inverted V-shaped channel, sealed on all sides into a box-like tunnel, through which a thin film of nutrient solution passes down.

A combination of a pump and reservoir located below the channels collects the nutrient and recycles it through the system. Roots grow down the channel, receiving oxygen directly from the inside of the trough, while gravitationally receiving water and nutrients from the thin film of nutrients carried along the channel's bottom. In order to protect against dehydration, the enclosed channels maintain 100% humidity.

With this method, outstanding performance can be achieved. However, it becomes difficult to maintain the "nutrient film" once the roots at the bottom of the channel form large mats and become entangled. The resulting puddling may lead to increased root zone stagnation, depleting oxygen, and fresh nutrient roots.

On the other hand, efficiency is excellent because it limits evaporation through the closed channel. Problems may arise in the event of a power failure or total collapse of equipment. This method is mostly used by lettuce farmers.

Drip System or Top Feed System

One of the main advantages of this system is that it can withstand short-term power/equipment failure. Rockwool is the medium used here. The nutrient solution is dripped onto the plants, and the remainder of the water is pumped back to the tank. It is timed to supply the nutrient solution. Setting up a drip system is costly and difficult. However, it is popular with growers of tomatoes and peppers.

Aeroponics

The latest technology to be introduced in agriculture is Aeroponics, which provides plants with nutrients and is suspended in midair. Nutrients are sprayed to the roots; they are given maximum oxygen through their exposure to air. The plants are usually suspended from baskets at the top of a closed trough or cylinder (similar to those in which strawberries are packed).

The supply of nutrients and oxygen in this system is maximized. This method is also the most nutrient-efficient, as you only need to provide what the plants need, and any non-absorbed nutrient is drained back into the reservoir and recycled much like the previous methods .

To prevent dehydration, it is of utmost importance to maintain the atmosphere in which the roots grow at 100 percent relative humidity. The main drawback of this system is the pump and reservoir functioning in the event of power failure. Without the spray of nutrient-enriched water, root systems will not remain healthy for long. They're going to

dry up fast and die.

The increased oxygenation received by the root structure of the plant, however, benefits growth at an unprecedented level and has been scientifically proven to increase crop yields as much as ten times over soil. Establishing this system is expensive and is used more frequently in laboratory studies .

Dutch Bucket Method

This method is properly named as it was first developed in the Netherlands and is now commonly used for strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers by commercial growers there. The Dutch Bucket method enables the grower to use almost any growing medium, including coconut fiber, perlite, LECA stone, gravel, and even sand.

The Dutch Bucket is a 2.5-gallon bucket with a unique drain fitting which, as a preventive measure, maintains a small nutrient reserve at the bottom. For vast, long-term crops like vine tomatoes, cucumbers, and roses, this approach is best suited. Each bucket is fed by a single or double dripper independently of the nutrient solution and drains a common drain tube made from a 1.5-inch PVC pipe through the bucket.

The reservoir of the system is positioned just below the drainpipe level, and gravity carries the solution back. Then a pump recirculates the nutrient solution back to the drippers to restart the feeding cycle. The inset photo outlines how a small recess on the bottom of each bucket allows it to sit flush on top of a drainpipe.

Dutch buckets can be placed at just about every suitable distance, but farmers (and plants) prefer not less than 10 inches spacing in the middle. The rafting method is an effective procedure for growing lettuce and other crops of short height. Styrofoam sheets are used in this system to float plants set in baskets on top of nutrient solution.

Chapter 4.  Indoor Hydroponics

Regarding Hydroponics, there are important factors to consider, which are listed below.

Humidity

In order to maintain conditions suitable for plant growth, it is necessary to provide several parameters, the first of which is humidity. In conditions of high humidity, the leaves of plants grow larger. Their maximum growth is observed at 60-80%. But it is better not to stick to the extreme numbers and set the humidity at 65-75%. Cuttings will need more moisture—up to 90%, and 60% is enough for seed germination. During late flowering, it is best to use minimal humidity to avoid mold.

Humidity is a relative concept: there is much more water in hot air than in cold air. The used percentage humidity parameter is associated with water, which the air can hold at a given temperature. This indicator is completely unrelated to the total water content in the air. At ten degrees and 100%, the relative humidity of water in the air will be half as much as at the same humidity, but at 20°C. This means that any increase in temperature in the room will lead to a decrease in humidity.

Accordingly, if the lighting turns off and the temperature drops, the humidity increases, so it is worth darkening the room for the dark period of the cycle, also running the hood for a few minutes to remove excess moisture. Otherwise, it will settle on the leaves in the form of dew and can serve as an environment in which pathogens multiply. If the lighting is on, the humidity drops, so do not immediately start the hood to keep CO2 produced at night.

If the humidity has dropped below 40%, and the air outside is too dry to raise the humidity, ventilation is indispensable—you will need a household humidifier. The air outside is usually cooler than the one in the room; therefore, once inside, it heats up and loses moisture. So even if the air outside is initially humid, it is not suitable for increasing humidity in the greenhouse.

In cold weather, it is better to cover the ventilation so that the air in the room warms up. Plants produce a lot of moisture, so it is even possible to use a dehumidifier. Plants prefer stability, so sharp changes in humidity are best avoided. If the leaves are bent up, this may be due to a rapid loss of moisture rather than an unbalanced diet, so do not rush to add corrective substances—it may be a matter of humidity .

Ventilation

Ventilation is needed, powerful and reliable, capable of updating all the air in the room in one minute. However, if the fan is too powerful, it will be difficult to ensure constant humidity. You can use an exhaust fan that can replace the air in the room in 4-6 minutes—this is enough, and the atmosphere will be stable in the room.

It is necessary to use different types of ventilation in parallel, an exhaust fan mounted on an outlet in the wall under the ceiling—it will blow air from the room.

An outlet with an air intake located on the floor, in the opposite corner to the hood of the room, while the air intake must supply air from the basement or from the north wall of the house, it will not interfere with installing a protective net from dust and insects if this does not interfere with the passage of air.

Circulation fans will make the air in the room homogeneous, exclude cold or hot abnormal zones, direct them better directly to the stems, which will allow air to be removed from under the crown, making the spread of diseases and insects more difficult.

The exhaust fan is calculated simply. The volume of the room in cubic meters is multiplied by 12 (updating every five minutes-12 times per hour). The resulting figure is an indicator of the corresponding fan. But there can be various barriers to the airflow. Thus, a carbon filter significantly reduces fan performance if air from the outside enters through the pipe; each of its elbows is an additional obstacle. Too small air intake will reduce fresh air. All these factors can be taken into account by taking a fan with a performance 25% higher than the calculated one.

Carbon Dioxide

The plant feeds on sunlight while consuming the carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis, during which the carbohydrate necessary for the plant is formed and oxygen is released. This reaction is a source of energy for metabolism and, ultimately, for all life on earth since plants is food for all life forms, including humans.

But the plant also breathes while oxygen is absorbed, which, when combined with a carbohydrate, releases carbon dioxide and energy. The plant breathes day and night, absorbing CO2 for photosynthesis and releasing it when breathing. As a result, more oxygen is released than carbon dioxide, although oxygen is not released at night.

Gas exchange of the plant is carried out through the pores-stomata, which are located on the underside of the leaves. In dry, hot weather, stomata close, and the plant slows down metabolism. But even when they are wide open, water vapor vaporized by the plant interferes with the absorption of CO2. In the hydroponic cultivation method, the root zone has an unlimited water supply, the stomata do not close, and a good supply of carbon dioxide supports the plants in continuous growth mode.

When the first plants appeared millions of years ago, the atmosphere was much more saturated with carbon dioxide than now. Perhaps that is why the mechanism of its absorption is imperfect, and additional doses of CO2 to plants are useful. Increased carbon dioxide helps plants withstand elevated temperatures. Permanent ventilation will ensure the flow of this gas and remove excess moisture.

A piece of rather amusing advice to talk about plants has a practical basis—a person exhales quite a lot of carbon dioxide during a conversation, to which plants respond with active growth. If you want to provide the greenhouse with additional CO2, you can use sugar with yeast or vinegar with baking soda. You can buy ready-made carbon dioxide in a bottle, although the issue of regulating the amount of gas in the room is not so simple. Some sensors measure CO2 and maintain its level automatically .

The Optimal Temperature in Hydroponics

The temperature of the air is a very important external factor for the hydroponic plant culture site. This factor largely controls the speed of chemical reactions, enzymatic metabolism, and the development of plants (germination, a transformation of vegetative buds into reproductive buds).

The temperature that the farmer must maintain in his space of culture depends above all on the geographical origin of the cultivated plant. Indeed, these have special requirements in terms of temperature throughout their development—for germination, vegetative growth, floral induction.

It should be of note that metabolism is the set of chemical transformations that take place in cells or living organisms. These reactions can be divided into two:

1. Catabolism: The process of degradation of molecules followed by the release of energy.

2. Anabolism: Brings together the synthesis reactions of macromolecules that demand energy consumption.

How to measure the temperature, what are the biological, chemical, physical processes depending on the temperature, and then manage this climatic factor for optimal development of the plants? To know the temperature in his space of culture, the horticulturist will use a thermometer. Originally, this instrument consists of a glass tube in which expends a quantity of mercury or colored alcohol. These instruments are simple and of sufficient accuracy for horticultural use. However, mercury thermometers can easily break down and spill the toxic metal into the growing space. With high temperatures, mercury vaporizes in the air and can be inhaled by people in the growing space.

As a reminder, when an accident occurs with a thermometer, mercury must be collected in a cardboard box, put in an airtight plastic bag, and taken to a pharmacist or specialized waste treatment center. Never use a vacuum cleaner to remove mercury from a broken thermometer. (The heat will vaporize the mercury into the atmosphere, it is not eliminated, but it is transferred from the ground to the air).

The digital thermometers are less harmful to the environment and more convenient for the farmer. The measurement of the temperature is carried out using a junction diode in which circulates a constant electric field. The temperature variation of the culture space varies the dynamic resistance of the dipole. The temperature is displayed directly on a screen (LCD), and most of these instruments also indicate the minima and maxima .

Some models have an external temperature sensor (probe) that allows you to know the temperature outside and inside the shelter. This is important for heating management; the greater the difference in temperature with the outside, the more it will be necessary to heat to reach the desired temperature (setpoint temperature).

Place the Hydroponic installation

The best place to place a hydroponic installation is an enclosed space. A basement or a greenhouse is well suited. Also, the hydroponic system can be placed in a small room without windows or in the courtyard of a private house.

The base for the installation of the structure must be strictly even and stable so that the water and the nutrient components present in it are distributed evenly. When installing the structure outdoors, pay attention to the control of liquid evaporation and ensure reliable protection of the hydroponic installation from the wind.

Installing the system on the street as a whole is an extremely inconvenient option. Besides, you will have to constantly monitor that the hydroponic installation does not cool down and bring it into the room even with slight decreases in air temperature. In the case of assembling the system in the house, you will have to make more efforts to organize additional lighting. When choosing a suitable place, take into account personal preferences—do what you prefer.

Chapter 5.  Hydroponics Techniques for Indoor without Soil

Before we start tinkering with something, we should outline the basic principles of the method in a few words.

The thing is to firmly hold, using a suitable base, in a vertical position, a moisture-absorbing organic substrate, which should simultaneously serve as a source of nutrient solution and a medium for the growth of plant roots. The filler in the finished base, or substrate, is periodically moistened with the prepared nutrient solution. Planting or sowing seeds is carried out through the holes in the base on all available vertical and horizontal surfaces.

Common in some places, the so-called strawberry barrel is the simplest suitable base. Any barrel that is unsuitable for anything else is suitable here unless it has been used before to store materials harmful to plants (chemicals, paints, etc.). In the walls of the barrel, drill holes with a diameter of 4–5 cm at a distance of 15–20 cm from one another.

Only at the bottom of the barrel, leave a belt of 15–20 cm wide intact. Before filling the barrel with a substrate, a small hole is drilled in its bottom through which excess liquid can flow. For the same purpose, large gravel is used, laid on the bottom of the barrel with a layer 1 cm high.

Now stock up on an empty tin can and a bunch of brushwood or a bunch of twigs. We put the jar (it should be 15–20 cm high) in the middle of the gravel layer and vertically set up a bunch of brushwood or twigs, and fill the rest of the barrel space to the top with a substrate.

Barrels prepared in this way are planted mainly with strawberries, which preserve decorative qualities throughout the growing season and, also, continuously produce fruit.

The substrate is poured with a nutrient solution from above, using a watering can, and the brushwood in the center of the barrel ensures a quick and even distribution of the liquid. Finally, a small bar is nailed at an angle above each hole to drain rainwater flowing down from above. The finished barrel can also be painted with oil paint, choosing a color to your liking. After painting, the barrel is completely ready.

Vertical Hydroponics

The materials necessary for the construction of the first small experimental walls can be collected without much labor and almost without cost, especially if you delve into your own pantry. Metal rods, planks, slats, trim boards, a few nails, and a bit of wire, and maybe the old wire mesh, you can probably find anytime, anywhere.

A prudent amateur will, first of all, think about the pre-treatment of building material. It is highly advisable to impregnate lumber with a substance that protects them well from moisture to protect them from rapid destruction. It is strongly recommended that you carefully paint over all metal parts (nets, wire, rods) with ordinary bitumen paint. This is done not only to protect against rust but also because, as it turned out, metal parts not coated with paint can react with a nutrient solution, as a result of which substances very toxic to plants can pass into the solution. This, of course, must be prevented. Therefore, you should choose only such means of impregnation and insulation, which certainly do not contain plant poisons (paints, which include the so-called heavy metals, are extremely toxic).

If the proposed structure, for example, for the garden, is stationary, then four poles are simply driven into the ground in the right place and, you set them at the same height, connected for greater stability with rails of the appropriate thickness. Then the foundation is ready.

If it is planned to put a flower wall on a terrace, in a garden, or elsewhere, then, of course, the portable base must meet these requirements. Therefore, we first build a solid base in the form of a wall about 50 cm long, 50 cm high, and 30 cm wide.

With such dimensions, a wall completely planted with plants will weigh about 65 kg and can still be carried.

As a next step, we will take care of limiting the side surfaces, and here you can go in different ways. It is very advisable to make a crate of narrow vertical rails with a distance between them of 5–7 cm. In this case, with the usually observed subsidence of the substrate mass, plants already planted between the planks will not be damaged. Since the mass of the substrate moistened with the nutrient solution is heavy, it accordingly exerts considerable pressure on the side rails. To prevent the strips from bulging out on more or less high walls, a reinforcing horizontal bar should be strengthened every 40 to 50 cm on the side surfaces, which, also, is connected by a wire to a similar bar on the opposite wall of the base. If this is done, then you need not worry about the side surfaces.

Another, often chosen and leading to the same goal, is the use of wire mesh. Any nets with mesh sizes from 50 to a maximum of 75 mm are suitable for this if they are coated with an insulating layer of bitumen paint. The advantage of nets is that after a short time, they become invisible to the eye since a thin wire is immersed in the mass of the substrate or masked by plants. The disadvantage of the grid is that when the mass of the substrate settles, the plants in individual cells are suspended on the grid and are damaged.

However, this can be avoided with a sufficiently careful filling of the mesh with a substrate. Lateral swellings are especially easy to form on wire meshes, so you need to take care of suitable screeds.

Hydroponic "Life Hacks"

Separate barrels or walls are planted with plants from above or from all sides. By this, however, the choice of forms is by no means exhausted. You can easily build planted columns, half columns, cubes, as well as arbitrary shapes like trellises, pyramids, garlands, hanging curtain rods and pots, etc. There is no need to dwell on the manufacture of the basis for all of these forms. Therefore, we confine ourselves to only general provisions for all forms.

When choosing a shape and determining the size of the frame, you can more closely follow personal tastes and adapt to the particularities of the place. However, it is always necessary to reckon with the following—plants must have a sufficient volume of substrate for the roots and have a stock of the solution corresponding to their size and number. The height and length of the structure can be chosen completely arbitrarily, but the width (thickness of the substrate layer) must have the following minimum dimensions—when planting with plants on all sides, at least 30 cm, when planting with plants on one side—at least 18 cm.

If this condition is met, you can be sure that the supply of nutrient solution to the plants is enough for 8 to 10 days.

We have already seen that vertical beds or walls can be stationary or mobile. They can even be put on wheels. To use the terrace as a flowering screen under the position of the sun, an enterprising gardener built several metal frames that could be made together like building blocks and made of large floral walls. When decorating the stage, stands, and assembly halls, they always successfully replace the slightly treasured greenery of palm trees and evergreen shrubs.

Various vertical walls can also be used to decorate walls and parts of buildings. They can be suspended at any height, and the rear surface adjacent to the walls of the building can be impermeable to moisture (for example, from tin coated with an insulating layer or from the roofing material, roofing felt, or plastic film) so that the walls of the building do not suffer. It is very advisable to put a couple of bars between the back surface of the base and the wall of the building, which will provide better ventilation .

Here, by the way, it should be noted that it is already possible to obtain bases made industrially from asbestos cement or metal. Since they are in good shape and made very reasonably, they certainly deserve attention.

Gardening Tricks

A wall of moss or peat can also be used for internal gardening. However, in this case, it is necessary to provide some kind of receiver to drain a possible excess of nutrient solution. The receiver can be a painted tin can or even a plastic tub installed under the base or suspended from it. You should immediately make a device for draining the liquid with a known dexterity—it can be a faucet or just a siphon tube. If all this is provided for, we can be calm for the completely updated conditions for indoor plants that have been created.

Here, in fact, are all the most important guidelines that must be observed when building the foundations for growing plants on a substrate of moss or peat. It should only be recalled that when planting young plants, you need to take into account the space required for a fully developed plant. For example, if a fully planted foundation should ultimately have a length of 2 m, then a 2.6 m long frame is sufficient because the height of the plant on the end surfaces will be at least 0.2 m. In conclusion, another indication for the site owner demanding on himself familiar with the craft of a bricklayer, a flower wall can be folded out of brick, or better yet, of uncut stone. To do this, first lay the foundation with a width of about 60 cm and the desired length. The top of the foundation is leveled, and a groove is made in it to drain excess fluid with an inclination to one side.

There is no need for the whole process of work; you should only warn that cement should not be saved. The strength of the structure will significantly increase if you use a solution with a narrow ratio of sand to cement (2:1 or 3:1). When the masonry is finished, you need to hold the brush and cover the inner surface of the masonry and the top of the cement, i.e., all surfaces that will come in contact with the substrate, bitumen paint, to prevent the influence of lime or bricks on the nutrient solution.

A layer of coarse quartz sand with a thickness of 5–8 cm is first poured into the finished base. It will ensure the rapid removal of excess moisture. Then the substrate is stuffed, which should be much moistened to speed up the process of natural subsidence. After this, you can start planting the plants.

Another important point! You can greatly facilitate your work if at the beginning of the masonry, at the end of the wall above the lower end of the gutter, several stones or bricks are fixed so that they can be easily removed. Then, using poker, you can easily dig out the substrate from the usually inaccessible narrow space. Another detail, curly seams made of white cement, give a special decorative effect to a wall made of bright red facing brick.

Chapter 6.  Necessary Tools and Relative Costs

Atmosphere Controls

Present-day nurseries employ propelled condition control helps, for example, transfers, humidistats, indoor regulators, CO2 infusion systems, and fans, which are regularly constrained by a focal PC. Littler systems employ different individual control units.

Automatic Timer

Automatic timers are used to release water into the garden, releasing nutrients into the water, etc. Timers play a huge role in keeping your plants healthy. You must buy a timer that is of good quality and will work well throughout the year .

You can also opt for a manual timer, but it will require you to switch it off and back on every day at the same time, which can prove to be a hassle. Automatic timers are more reliable and more comfortable to operate and can last you longer.

Grow Lights

Grow lights are essential when it comes to growing plants using the hydroponics system. Grow lights help grow plants normally in the absence of sunlight. Grow lights are designed to help plants prepare their foods and grow normally. You must use stronger grow lights for those plants that require 10 to 12 straight hours of sun and lighter ones for those that require lesser hours of sun. You must pay attention to the quality of the grow lights and make sure that you buy only high-quality ones as otherwise, you will end up compromising on plant health. Good quality lights might be a little expensive compared to low-quality ones but will last you longer and help you grow healthy plants.

Here are some grow lights to consider.

Led Lights

LED lights are great for growing indoor plants. People who grow marijuana indoors mostly use them. Cannabis plants thrive under LED lights and can be used to grow healthy plants. LED lights can either be full-spectrum lights or single lights. Multi- spectrum lights come in handy when you wish to grow plants that are at different stages of growth. LED lights make a good choice as their lifespan ranges between 20,000 and 100,000 hours. This is quite high for grow bulbs. But most LED lights are quite expensive and can cost anywhere between $100 and $1000.

Fluorescent Bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs are usually used for plants that have just started sprouting. They are quite mild and will suit a variety of plants, all in different stages of growth. Fluorescent bulbs can be slightly less expensive than LED bulbs. They will not be suitable for all plants.

HID

High-intensity discharge lights are those that are used in grow rooms. They do not glow as brightly as LED ones but can last longer. They are suitable for a variety of plants and can last about 50,000 hours. Make sure you choose the right light to suit your plants. Remember that most lights heat up quite a bit, and so you have to ensure that you make use of a fan to cool the plants down and prevent them from heating up too much and burning.

Growing Chamber

You will need a growing chamber or a growing tray. This will hold the set system. It can be made of any type of antithetical material. Most people use pots that can be found at any general retailer that is near you.

Growing Medium

Soil is never used in hydroponic growing. A few systems can boost the growth of plants, enabling the exposed roots to have most of the supplement arrangement. In different systems, the roots are upheld by a growing medium. A few sorts of media additionally help in moisture and supplement maintenance.

Different media are more qualified for specific plants and systems. It is ideal to look into the entirety of your alternatives and to get a few suggestions for systems and media before putting resources into or building activity. Well known growing media include:

- Composted bark: It is normally natural and can be used for seed germination.

- Expanded earth: Pellets are prepared in a hot stove, which causes them to expand, making a permeable finished result.

- Gravel: Any sort can be used. However, rock can add minerals to supplement. Continuously ensure it is spotless.

- Oasis: This artificial, froth-based material is usually referred to from its use as a course of action based in the flower business.

- Peat greenery: This medium is a carbonized and compacted vegetable tissue that has been somewhat disintegrated.

- Perlite: Volcanic Glass is mined from magma streams and warmed in heaters to a high temperature, causing the modest quantity of moisture inside to expand.

- Pumice: This is a smooth material shaped by volcanic movement. Pumice is lightweight due to its enormous number of depressions delivered by the ejection of water fume at a high temperature as magma surfaces.

- Rockwool: This is made by liquefying rock at a high temperature and then turning it into strands.

- Sand: This medium shifts in structure, and it is generally used with another medium.

- Vermiculite: Like Perlite, except for that, it has a moderately high trade limit, which means it can hold nutrients for later use.

Various materials can (and are) used as a growing medium. Hydroponic plant specialists will, in general, be a collection of inventiveness and evidence.

Lighting and Heat

Photosynthesis is crucial to all plant life. It can only happen when their atmosphere is sufficiently warm. If the temperature falls too low or fluctuates through the day, the photosynthesis will be stunted or even not occur. The temperate conditions that the plant is accustomed to greatly affect how the plants grow using a system. If the temperature is lower than what they are used to, then they will grow very slowly; this is the opposite of what you want to happen. Most plants will thrive at 65 degrees Fahrenheit but not any lower. It is highly suggested to keep their environmental temperature at 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plants are used to dropping temperatures during the night a little bit but do not allow them to drop too much. Do not allow temperatures to fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you find that even though your plants are at the right temperature, they seem to be too warm, set them on the floor.

Location

First off, you must choose the right spot to have your hydroponics garden. The garden should be in a spot where it can thrive and grow in size. The space you choose has to be big enough for the pipes and reservoir to fit in and have enough space around to move. Remember that a hydroponics garden can do well both indoors and outdoors. You have to pick a spot where it will be easier for the plants to receive the vital necessities to thrive, such as light and proper aeration. If you are going to create an indoor garden, then you have to install lights that will act as grow lights and help your plants grow well. You might also require a dehumidifier and a fan to keep the plants cool.

Money

It is obvious that you will require money to set up the garden. You have to set aside a budget so that you can quickly set up your hydroponics garden. An average garden can cost anywhere between $100 and $500 depending on the size, the chosen materials, and the plants that you wish to grow. The budget must include the equipment to use, the seeds or saplings, the growing material, nutrients, etc. All these should be top quality so that you can have a healthy, flourishing garden.

Nutrients

Nutrients form an essential part of the hydroponics garden. You have to mix them in the right quantities and ensure that all plants receive the nutrients. Each plant requires a different nutrient, and so you must combine them in the right proportions. Once the nutrients have been mixed in, you must wait for at least 30 minutes before you add them to the plants.

Make sure you keep an eye on the pH level of water, as it is vital to maintain the right pH levels to enhance plant growth. The temperature of the water should be ideal for the plants and not too hot or too cold as it can affect root health. Follow the instructions provided on the nutrient pack to mix them in the right proportions.

pH Meter

A pH meter is an absolute must when it comes to growing plants using the hydroponics system. The pH meter helps you test the pH levels in the soil. Some plants require an acidic base, while some need a neutral one. You have to maintain the level of whatever is ideal for the plants and will only lead to the upkeep of their health and keep them from getting damaged. If the levels are too low or too high, then you can add a few solutions to bring back balance.

Plants

Choose the right plants to sow into the systems. Some plants do better than others and so, pick out the ones that are specifically designed to suit Hydroponics. Different hydroponic systems suit different plants, such as the NFT system suits fruits, while the drip system is ideal for growing herbs. Pick the one based on the type of product you wish to grow so that you can make the most of your hydroponics garden. Try to sow 5 to 6 at first and monitor them for a couple of months to check how they respond before going for more plants.

Pump Set

A pump set is required regardless of the hydroponics system that you are setting up. Pumps help in pumping the water and nutrients into the system. Your plants will thrive if you choose a set that is good quality and pumps in the right amount of water. A pump set is also used to remove excess water from the system. Automatic pumps help in draining water efficiently and also letting it in. You will also need an air pump or an aeration pump that adds air to the system. You can pick between the submersible and non-submersible pumps as both works equally well. But make sure you pay attention to the quality and buy only high-quality pumps.

Tank

A tank or reservoir is needed to maintain the water and the nutrients that are drawn in by the systems. The water is drawn through pumps that supply it to the hydroponics system. Make sure you choose a tank that is made of strong material and can hold the water and nutrients required to provide to your garden. The material should be high quality so that it is easier to maintain and does not easily turn dirty. Self-cleaning tanks are preferred and will help you maintain your garden for longer.

Chapter 7.  Starting Hydroponics Cultivation

Now that you know the six main hydroponic systems, it is time to discuss other parts that go into the hydroponic system. Your hydroponic system needs lighting, water, the right climate, culture, water supply, wind barriers, and more. There are also other techniques to discuss, like germination net and floating rafts. You may discover that some of these topics will help you build the best hydroponic system based on the main systems.

Lighting for Hydroponics

Grow lights are sold in various stores and designed specifically for gardening. Your system may not require to have grown lights year-round. It depends on where your garden is located and the amount of natural light you have available to you. When you choose a grow light, you want something that emits the right frequency for photosynthesis. LED grow lights are available and often best for costs. Fluorescent lamps are not cost-effective but are typically used because they simulate natural light .

Best Site

Choosing the location of your hydroponics garden will depend on numerous factors. The climate you live in may require an indoor hydroponics garden.

Best Climate

The best climate is the one that fits the plants you are going to grow. You will want to study the plants for temperature, water, and nutrient needs before creating your hydroponic system. Many of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow well in temperatures between 60- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit, but some plants are climate-sensitive. If you do not have an indoor space for your garden, such as a greenhouse, you are going to need to determine when you can grow your plants. Living in the mountains, you only have three months of an outdoor growing season versus a greenhouse, which offers you year-round growth.

Best Ground Conditions

Most hydroponic systems are not going to use the ground. You are, instead, going to pot your plants in growers with a medium. What you need for your growers is a stable location where you are not going to lose your plants because they tip over. A flat space or a natural hill that will tilt certain hydroponic systems can also be better .

Water Needs

Each plant will have its own water and nutrient needs. You do not want to over or underwater your plants because this will cause death or troubled growth. Again, it is all about the plants you intend on growing.

Best Layout

For the layout, you have certain nutrients and ways to bring those nutrients into your hydroponics system.

Water Culture

Water culture is a nutrient solution with certain elements used for growing. It must have a proper pH balance for the types of plants you are growing. Water culture is either pumped in via sprayers, spreaders, or a single hose.

Sand Culture

A sand culture is where the sand is a medium used for the roots to have stability, and plenty of irrigation, so the roots do not rot or gain bacteria. The water can run through the sand culture and flow out the bottom of your hydroponics tank .

Aggregate Culture

This is a coarse medium, often gravel, allowing for the roots to drain properly yet get the nutrients and oxygen required for growing your plants perfectly.

Sub-irrigation

Sub-irrigation systems are water nutrient solution systems that are below ground. If you intend on using sand, gravel, or another medium already in your backyard, then a sub-irrigation system can be used as the water supply. The tubes will run underground, watering the roots, and the water will flow away in the ground.

Water Supply

The water supply needs to be in a reservoir for a recycling system. This reservoir will contain the water culture at the perfect pH balance to help your plants grow. A simple tube or special equipment can be used.

Special Equipment

Special types of equipment are options you can add to your hydroponics system. Depending on the climate and size of your garden, you might find the following helpful .

Wind Barriers

Wind barriers are for use in high wind areas, such as the plains. You want to make sure your plant is not going to fall over or be destroyed in a gust of wind. Since your plant is sitting in water and a small amount of medium, there is a chance for your plant to become unrooted in the wind.

Shades

Shades are specially designed to protect your plant against direct sunlight. Several plants do not survive well in direct sunlight but need warmth. With proper shades, you can have the plants you need in the shade at certain points throughout the day, such as when the sun is at its highest or most direct point.

Supports

Various plants like tomatoes will vine. They require supports to ensure the stems are not going to break or become uprooted. Other plants can also become heavy under the fruit they are bearing and bend. Supports offer a way to stop this from happening.

Sprayers

This is a type of nozzle system that allows all plants to obtain a proper water culture without getting too much water at once .

Spreaders

If you are growing your plants in the ground, then you want a spreader for the seeds. Spreaders ensure you can get enough seeds in the ground at the right distance to avoid too close growth. When the growth of certain plants is too close, some plants will die, or you have to work to minimize the number of plants. This wastes seeds.

Other Techniques

There are other techniques you can use to ensure the growth of your plants. Some of these options work great for in-ground hydroponic systems.

Germination Net

Germination nets allow for proper seed control, as well as protect against erosion. These nets can keep the weeds from growing through the ground and affecting your hydroponic garden.

Floating Rafts

When you build containers for your hydroponic garden, you might wish to support certain plants. Floating rafts allow the roots to go through holes and for the plants to grow out of the holes. The rafts simply float in a water nutrient solution .

Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are great for watermelons and similar plants, where the roots need to be wet, but you also want to keep the fruit from falling into the water. With hanging baskets, the roots remain in the solution, but the vines are outside.

Sprouting Cabinets

Sprouting cabinets work best for herbs. These cabinets allow you to grow your plants from seeds and keep smaller plants inside. You have an entire contained system, complete with water. You typically need to add water since it will not be attached to a recycling system. Usually, these cabinets have doors and lights to ensure a moist growing environment for herbs.

Botuliform Devices

Botuliform devices are sausage-shaped containers where you have liquid plant food inside. These are great for algae-eating plants. You can grow a variety of crops and have proper lighting within the system.

Grass and Green Forage Growing

Special devices exist for growing alfalfa, grass, and other foraging-type plants. You have trays where the roots can grow together to gain a big section of grass or other green foraging plants. These trays can then be used to plant an entire section for your lawn or to be given to animals you raise.

Layflats

Layflats are waterproof poly materials that are also lightproof and airtight. For Hydroponics, you can use this to prevent weeds from growing through the ground.

Chapter 8.  Monitoring Equipment

pH Meter

pH is a measure of how acidic or how alkaline water is. A pH of 7 is neutral. pH levels that range from 1 to 6 are acidic, and levels from 8 to 14 are considered alkaline or basic.

Different plants have their preferences regarding pH levels. To ensure the best possible growth, you need to have a way of testing and then adjusting the pH level of your water.

For example:

- Cabbage likes pH levels of 7.5

- Tomatoes like a pH of 6-6.5

- Sweet potatoes like a pH of 5.2-6

- Peppers like a pH of 5.5-7

- Lettuce and broccoli like a pH of 6-7

A pH meter can be obtained from local hydroponics stores or online. You need to calibrate the sensor with the calibration powder that comes with the meter. A basic pH meter will cost you $10 to $20 .

A Basic pH Meter

Don't use paper test strips for the water because they are inaccurate. Most of the time, a pH meter is offered in combination with a TDS or EC meter.

EC Mete r

Electrical conductivity is a measurement of how easily electricity passes through the water; the higher the ion content, the better it is at conducting electricity.

All water has ions in it. When you add nutrients to the water, you are increasing the ion content, effectively increasing the electrical conductivity. EC or Electrical Conductivity is an integral part of the hydroponics equation. The simplest way of explaining this is as a guide to salts dissolved in water. Its unit is Siemens per meter, but in Hydroponics, we use millisiemens per meter.

In short, the higher the number of salts in the water, the higher the conductivity. Water that has no salt (distilled water) will have zero conductivity.

Lettuce likes an EC of 1.2 (or 1.2 millisiemens), while basil likes an EC of 2. That is why it is so important to know your EC and what your plants prefer; it will help you to ensure your system is at the right level.

However, electrical conductivity needs are also affected by the weather. When it is hot, the plants evaporate more water. That is why you need to decrease the EC in the hot summer months. In colder winter months, you need to increase the EC.

- In warm weather, you need to decrease the EC.

- In cold weather, you need to increase the EC.

An EC meter doesn't tell you the specific amount of which mineral or fertilizer is in the water. If you only use a nutrient solution using the right ratios, you shouldn't worry. Just because it doesn't monitor individual nutrients doesn't mean it's not useful. Salt levels that are too high will damage your plants.

You generally need to keep them between 0.8 and 1.2 for leafy greens and between 2 and 3.5 for fruiting crops like tomatoes.

Sometimes, you see the recommended nutrient levels listed as CF. CF is the conductivity factor. This is like EC, used in Europe. If you multiply EC by ten, you will obtain CF.

For example, lettuce grows best in an EC of 0.8 to 1.2. This is a CF of 8 to 12.

TDS Meter

TDS stands for total dissolved salts. You may hear some hydroponics growers referring to the TDS and not EC. These are both used to determine the strength of your hydroponic solution. If you buy a TDS meter, there will also be an option to switch to EC readings.

It is crucial to understand that TDS is a calculated figure. TDS readings are converted from an EC reading. The problem occurs when you don't know which calculation method was used to produce the TDS; there are several different ones.

In general, EC and CF readings are used in Europe, while TDS is an American measurement. But, regardless of which measurement you choose to use, they are both effectively the same thing: a measure of the nutrient levels in your solution.

The NaCl Conversion Factor

This is effectively measuring salt in the water. The conversion factor for this mineral is your micro-Siemens figure multiplied by any number between 0.47 and 0.5. You'll find most TDS meters use 0.5. This is the easiest one for you to remember and calculate. Most of the meters sold will use the NaCl conversion factor.

As an example, if you have a reading of 1 EC (1 mili-Siemens or 1000 micro-Siemens), you will have a TDS reading of 500ppm.

Natural Water Conversion Factor

This conversion factor is referred to as the 4-4-2; this quantifies its contents—forty percent sodium sulfate, forty percent sodium bicarbonate, and twenty percent sodium chloride.

Again, the conversion factor is a range, this time between 0.65 and 0.85. Most TDS meters will use 0.7 .

For example, 1 EC (1000 micro-Siemens) will be 700 ppm with a TDS meter that uses natural water conversion.

Potassium Chloride KCI Conversion Factor

This conversion factor is not a range this time. It is simply a figure of 0.55. Your EC meter reading of 1 EC or 1000 micro-Siemens will equate to 550 ppm.

These are not all the possible conversion options, but they are the most common. The first, NaCl, is the most used today.

Dissolved Oxygen Sensor

Plant roots need oxygen to remain healthy and ensure the plant grows properly. The dissolved oxygen sensor will help you to understand how much oxygen is available in the water and ensure it's enough to keep your plants healthy.

If plants don't get enough oxygen to their roots, they can die. A minimum of 5 ppm is recommended.

A dissolved oxygen meter will be expensive for the hobbyist to buy, especially when you are starting. That is why dissolved oxygen meters are generally not purchased by people who do Hydroponics for fun. A good meter can cost you $170 to $500 for a reputable brand .

You do not need to invest in one if you oxygenate the water. Oxygenation of the water can be done by using an air pump with an air stone in the water tank. Depending on the method of growing, you don't need to aerate the water.

The dissolved oxygen in the water will be at its lowest during the summer. The water heats up, and the dissolved oxygen becomes less available. While your plants can do very well in winter, they might lack oxygen during summer .

Net Pots

In some systems, you are going to need net pots to hold the plants. This is mostly true for deep water culture (DWC), Kratky, wick systems, Aeroponics, fogponics, Dutch buckets, and possibly vertical towers.

Make sure you get the net pots with a blip on top to keep them from falling through. The standard size for lettuce is two inches (five centimeters). If you want to use tomatoes with Dutch buckets, six inches (fifteen centimeters) is recommended. The 3 and 2-inch (7 and 5 cm) net pots are also good options.

If you are creating a new system on a budget, there are a variety of other options that can be used instead of buying net pots, for example, plastic cups with lots of holes in them or simply fine netting on a wireframe. Use your imagination! Consider a set of 6-inch (15 cm) net pots for a 5-gallon (18 liters) bucket.

Chapter 9.  How to Understand if a Plant Is Sick

Sometimes, even the best, most meticulously maintained gardens would run into problems. This is only natural when you involve nature, after all. However, you can figure out what is going on with your garden relatively easily if you have a guide that you can use to figure it out.

The Plant Has Rusty Leaves

Rusty spots are little brownish splotches across the green surfaces.

They have many different common causes, including:

- Bugs or pests: If bugs and pests eat at the plant, they will cause brownish spotting where the plant has begun to die

- Deficiency: This is usually due to a problem with either roots or nutrient solution. Check the roots first and then the solution. If the roots are brownish, you can usually assume that the nutrient solution needs to be balanced out.

The Leaves Are Turning Yellow

When the leaves turn yellow when they are not supposed to be, it is usually a sign of oxygen deprivation—especially if the yellowing is happening near the bottom of the plant. It is a sign that you will need to fix something with your water, or it could be that you have fungus covering up your roots and making it problematic for your plants to absorb what they need.

Check on the roots. If they look slimy, brown, or black, they are likely the problem, and that problem was most likely caused by mold or disease. If not, you will want to double-check your nutrient solution. There is a good chance that your plant is simply deficient in nutrients, and you can fix the problem with just a little bit of effort.

The Leaves Have White Spots

White spots on leaves are almost always mildew, and they are bad. This is a sign that your plants are struggling to develop at all. If you see white dots, you are going to want to first check to see if you can see any signs of pests, and if not, then add some fungicide.

The Leaf Tips Are Burning

Sometimes, the tips of the leaves of a plant begin to burn, typically related to the nutrient solution. This is almost always a problem with the solution being too concentrated. It is oftentimes a sign that there is a salt buildup and that salt is hurting the plant. If not the nutrient solution or the roots, it could be that the light is too intense, especially if the leaves themselves look excessively burnt. You will want to check this as well. It could also be a sign that your nutrient solution is being drained too rapidly and that you require a larger reservoir to hold more water to prevent this problem with salt concentration.

The Leaves Are Wilted

Wilting leaves is oftentimes a sign that the plant is getting too hot or too much light. You will need to make the appropriate adjustments to ensure that you get the temperature right. Do not forget the temperature of the nutrient solution in your check.

The Leaves Are Curled

Curling leaves are rarely good things, but they can be quite telltale. Upwardly curved leaves are typically the end result of a problem with the pH. Remember, when pH is off, nutrients are deficient, typically because of the problem with the plant not being able to take in the nutrients when the pH is not right in the first place. In particular, calcium deficiency becomes common when the pH is wrong, and calcium is highly important. You will need to check your nutrient solution to determine the cause.

When the leaves curl down instead, there is the opposite problem—typically, there is too much fertilizing instead of not enough. You will want to then dilute down the nutrient solution to the recommended levels to ensure that the parameters are being met accordingly.

Plants Are Growing Too Tall

When plants grow tall and skinny, it is usually a problem with the lighting. In particular, the plants will usually need a lighter space when you find them growing like this. This is a huge problem—if your plants cannot get enough lighting, they are going to struggle later on. This is usually referred to as being "leggy." The natural solution, then, is to fix the lighting for your system to ensure that the plants are getting the right amount of light to ensure their own health.

This could also be a problem with temperature; however—you will want to take a look at the temperature at which you are growing. Is it a bit warmer than it is supposed to be? If so, you have an easy solution—you would simply lower the temperatures to ensure that everything grows as it is supposed to, allowing for more development in the right ways .

The Leaves Turn Purple After Flowering

Sometimes, after flowering, you may notice that your leaves begin to change color. They begin to turn purple instead, especially toward the end of the stage in which you can expect flowers. This can look quite concerning—but there is usually a pretty reasonable explanation for this. It is usually a problem with a phosphorus deficiency. Flowers are quite demanding on phosphorus, and adjusting the nutrient solution and then providing the plant with a fresh nutrient solution is sometimes the easiest fix that can be employed.

You can also take a look at the temperature, especially during nighttime periods. Sometimes, that nighttime period temperature can get too cold, and that can cause problems.

The Flowers Are Rotting

Rotting flowers are the exact opposite of what you want to see when you are growing your own garden. It can be terrifying to see all of that hard work begins to wilt and fall off of your plant. Unfortunately, this is typically caused by a fungus that is not likely to be eliminated easily. When you see plants that have their flowers all dying off, usually, removing the plant and culling it from your system is the right answer to protect your garden and ensured that you do not run into those same problems again in the future. This will also prevent that infection from spreading further as well.

My Plant Isn’t Growing

If you notice that your system does not seem to be growing much at all, there could be a common reason for it—it could be that your plants simply are not getting the right parameters that they need. When you realize that your yields seem small or when your plants are simply not growing much at all, you must take a look at the parameters. Check temperature, lighting, and nutrient solution to ensure that everything looks optimized for the plants that you are growing.

The Roots Are Brown

Chapter 10.  Nutrient Solutions

EC

Electrical conductivity is a hydroponic context that shows how well your water will be able to conduct electricity throughout it. It helps you to understand the concentration of your solution so you will be able to get a better idea of how effective it will be. Essentially, the entire purpose of the EC of your system is to determine the concentration, and therefore what the nutrient levels are. The nutritional value that you add to your system is through the nutritional salts that you get as fertilizers and add to the system to ensure that the system can then support itself. Usually, the common measurement for EC is roughly 1 gram of salt to 1 liter of water.

pH

It determines how much hydronium ion is present; the water itself is a pH of 7.0. Less than 7 becomes acidic, and over 7 is said to be alkaline. This will help with the absorption of elements and therefore goes hand in hand with EC. If the pH is wrong, the plant will not be able to properly take in the nutrient solution, meaning that it will not grow properly. For most plants, the pH is likely to be somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5. If you find that your nutrient solution is regularly at pH levels that are too high or low for the plants that you are growing, it is highly recommended that you adjust your system to get it back into that range, following the instructions included on the bottle.

Macronutrients

Your plant will have several nutrients that are deemed macronutrients.

Primary Macronutrients NPK

The primary macronutrients are also sometimes referred to as NPK—Nitrogen, phosphorus, and Potassium. These three nutrients are the ones that are commonly seen on the front of all fertilizers in the three-number ratio. If a fertilizer that says 10-12-14 would have 10% nitrogen content, 12% phosphorus content, and 14% potassium content. Nitrogen is the most important element. It allows for the growth of the plants themselves, as well as the creation of the chlorophyll that gives plants their characteristic green color. Phosphorus allows for the development of DNA to help with processing it as well as creating the DNA that goes into flowering. Potassium is commonly used to allow for the plant to process CO2 uptake and allows for the activation of important enzymes for the plant to function .

Secondary Macronutrients

These are nutrients that are still absorbed in higher quantities but a bit less than the primary three. The secondary nutrients are calcium, sulfur, and magnesium. Calcium is required to ensure proper cell development. Sulfur creates proteins that will be used to help with enzymes and vitamin production. Magnesium is crucial for oxygen creation during photosynthesis. Potassium is necessary to help plants with their ability to photosynthesize as well, leading to protein synthesis.

Micronutrients

Beyond those macronutrients, several other micronutrients serve very important roles as well, though they are required in lesser increments.

The most important of these micronutrients include:

- Zinc: This allows for the development of chlorophyll and enabling the plant to metabolize and process nitrogen.

- Boron: This allows for the plant to, in tandem with calcium, create cell membranes, as well as helps with the reproduction process.

- Iron: This allows for help with energy and nitrogen fixation, along with also being important with the creation of chlorophyll.

- Manganese: This helps with the growth of the plant and aids in creating oxygen during the photosynthesis process.

Selecting Your Fertilizer

Two options are available to you when it comes to selecting your fertilizer. You can make use of dry fertilizers (simply mix into your water to create your nutrient solution), or you can make use of liquid fertilizers, which are concentrated liquid that is mixed into your water to create your nutrient solution.

Dry Fertilizer

Dry fertilizer is the cheaper of the two options, and it is perfectly acceptable to make use of it. The thing is, when you use dry fertilizer, you have to mix it well, and you have to measure out several different fertilizers at the same time when you go to use it.

Liquid Fertilizer

Liquid fertilizer is usually more convenient because you just measure a liquid amount and dump it into the right amount of water. Because it is already liquefied, it is easy to emulsify into the water to create a nutrient solution. The downside is it is more expensive to buy .

Root Stimulants

These are essential for hydroponics. Without these, you cannot get cuttings to root. These will improve the size and growth rate of your plant’s roots so that they can better take up nutrients. Your plants need the roots as structural support as well; without strong roots, they can’t stand up properly or support fruit. Root stimulants are also useful if your plants have root rot, as this can help grow new roots before it becomes a problem.

Bloom Maximizers & Vitamins

These are additives that are high in phosphorus and potassium. These should be added on top of your base nutrient because the plant is using more of these specific elements to produce flowers. They are one of the most expensive additives and can be extremely strong. If you are harvesting for flowers or you want extra flowers, start feeding your plants these items. Certain vitamins like B1 boost a plant’s immune system prevents disease, and strengthen the roots against root rot.

Bacteria & Enzymes

The plant’s roots need bacteria to be able to absorb certain nutrients. These solutions contain a fungus Mycorrhizae, which attaches to the roots and exchanges the plant sugars there for nutrients. Adding this to the solution helps improve plant uptake. You will want a Mycorrhizae solution specifically designed for hydroponics. You can also find enzyme solutions in some areas. Enzymes are active components in your system which break down some of the larger macronutrients into a smaller molecular form, which plants can absorb better. They are also useful for preventing algae and can help plants absorb starches better. Both enzymes and bacteria can be added to your nutrient at any time in your plant life cycle.

Sweetener

Chapter 11.  How to Fix Common Nutrition Problems

Make Sure It Is Always Clean

Before starting out, make sure all your equipment is clean. Your plant box, for example, should be cleaned using a ten percent bleach solution. Whenever there are any dead parts of a plant, make sure they are cut off as soon as possible. When organic matter starts decaying, it may attract the growth of fungus gnats. Swiftly get rid of plants when you realize they are diseased; else, the infection may spread.

During water change in the reservoir, use a ten percent bleach solution to clean the tank before replacing the water.

Your slabs or big trays should also be washed, especially when you’ve had to deal with a root rot problem.

Drippers

This is for growers who use the drip system. You should get extra drippers and keep them handy so that you can easily replace clogged-up ones. Also, keep vinegar around in your grow room and have your drippers thrown in it when they get clogged; this is done to clean them up .

Reservoir Nutrient Solution

To be on the safe side, replace your nutrient to solution once every week. Topping up the reservoir isn’t such a bad idea, but the only problem is that your solution may be infected with root rot or may no longer contain essential micro-nutrients. If your nutrient solution reservoir contains a diluted solution that is ready for use, lower the pH with the help of lemon juice or phosphoric acid.

Observe and Learn

Pay close attention to your system, and record things like the temperature, pH, EC, light level, and carbon dioxide every day. This will help you see clearly what you’re doing wrong and what you’re getting right.

If you notice that your plants are not flourishing, go back to your records and find out what the issue might be. Every content must be balanced, nothing lopsided. You can alter parameters slowly, one at a time, to see the results you get.

If the reservoir water temperature is too low, heat it a bit. If flowering and fruiting prove difficult for you and your plants, try increasing the difference between the temperature in the day and the temperature at night. If this also doesn’t do, increase the injection of carbon dioxide in the day .

Calcium Deficiency

Always check to make sure your plants aren’t deficient. For example, when you notice a downward curl of young leaves, then it may be indicative of a calcium deficiency. If the downward curl happens in older leaves, then the issue may be from the root, which in turn also affects the intake of calcium.

Calcium deficiency occurs when there isn’t sufficient movement of water through the plant. Since calcium travels through the plant’s water stream, not the plant’s nutrient stream, when it is insufficient, it means it is most likely a climate problem. In high humidity, calcium uptake becomes difficult, even when calcium is abundant in the nutrient solution. So, it is not a nutrient solution problem.

Huge fluctuations in the humidity of daytime and nighttime may also affect the flow of Calcium through the plant. This could ultimately cause BER (Blossom-End Root). Poor root development could also lead to poor calcium uptake and BER. Roots often develop poorly as a result of a root pathogen known as Pythium or temperatures of low substrates.

The root that is behind the root-tip is the area through which calcium gets taken up. So, if these new root tips are not formed, the uptake of calcium is drastically reduced .

Pay Attention to Your Plants

Your plants should be your top priority. Pay attention to their leaf color, their shape, are there bugs? Are they looking perky? Whenever you notice a slight misnomer, fix it as early as possible. Also, record everything you notice about your plants so that you have a full picture of the plant’s progress or deterioration.

At least every three days, test the balance of nutrients, check water levels and the pH in the solution, to be sure there is no shortage of essential nutrients, pH problem, or water problem. There are various ways to check the pH of the solution in the hydroponic system; digital meters, paper test strips, and liquid pH test kits. Digital meters are technologically advanced ways of checking pH, with a digital pen as the most popular meter type. The most cost-effective way to check for pH is with the paper test strips, while the popular one used by hobby gardeners is the liquid pH test kit.

When you are adding water to your system, add the nutrient solution to it, else you risk diluting the container liquid and ruining the nutrient balance of the system.

The plant growth patterns should also not elude you. Whenever you notice that there are diseases or pests, get rid of them fast. At some point in the growth of plants, especially when they’ve matured, clip them to help them grow better and with more vigor.

Once the plants are ripe or mature, harvest them to enable even more production.

Pay attention to the wind and light levels so that you can easily adjust them when they are too low or too high. To adjust, you can get rid of screen cloth, or find a more protected area for the system, so that your plants don’t get damaged. If it is the rainy season, be sure your nutrient levels have not been diluted, as this could affect your plant growth if overlooked.

Be sure the pump is always working and is efficiently supplying the necessary nutrients to the plants. Every three weeks, the nutrient reservoir should be changed, and at given periods, cleanse your system using hydrogen peroxide and clean water so that no build-up could be harmful to the system and so that the piping stays clean.

Advice

Everyone will always have something to say, including your family, friends, and even hobbyists. You mustn’t always swallow hook, line, and sinker whatever advice you’re given. The fact that it worked for Person A doesn’t always mean it will work for person X, Y, and Z. Your growing conditions are different, and it’s best to experience and observe what is best for your plants yourself.

Water Temperature

Every hydroponic water temperature is usually between 68 degrees and 72 degrees F. To maintain your temperature, you can make use of a water chiller to lower and a water heater to increase temperatures. This way, you make sure that the water you’re supplying to your plants is not too cold or too hot.

Fertigation System

Fertigation is the process through which fertilizers are injected into an irrigation system. You must pay attention to your fertilizer distribution in the water supply; your plants have nothing else to fall back to if you get the nutrient levels or water levels wrong.

This is unlike the soils that can provide a buffer for acids, bases, and salts you may have added to your system. Since the hydroponic system has no buffer, you need to be careful; else, your plants may experience chemical shock.

However, admittedly, it isn’t as easy to always get the right fertilizer amount. It is complicated, having the fertilizer mix into the water supply and ensuring that the pH is suitable enough to enable the plants to take in the nutrient solution in the correct amounts. Without the fertigation system, you may find it difficult and will have to continue carrying out trials and errors till you arrive at the perfect pH. Fertigation allows for efficiency in your fertilizer supply, leading to stability and better growth of your plants.

Make no mistake, you will still have to test the pH levels, but this time, your process will be a lot more accurate. Learn to calibrate your system, at least once every month, to make sure that the fertilizer supplied is done in the right amounts and that the pH levels are as exactly as they should be.

It won't take out testing the pH levels. However, it will make it with the goal that the perfect measure of manure is appropriated each time all the more accurately, making the procedure smoother. Cultivators ought to adjust their framework in any event once per month, in a perfect world once at regular intervals, to guarantee the perfect measure of manure is being applied, and to ensure pH levels are at the place they ought to be.

This is also better when compared with hiring manual labor. You only spend on the fertigation system once, and it serves you for years, unlike manual labor that you keep paying for as long as you need it. Labor costs are currently on the rise so that a fertigation system will save more cost for you in the long run .

Clean Your Hydroponic System Regularly

You can master all of these skills, but if you do not learn to keep your hydroponic system clean, all that knowledge and skills might as well be flushed down the drain. It is by cleaning your hydroponic system regularly that you keep diseases and pests off your plants.

The room in which your plants are grown should be completely sterilized, and your nutrient reservoir should be cleaned at least twice a month. To do this, empty the reservoir and then fill it up, but only halfway, adding some bleach solution (diluted) so that the reservoir can be cleaned effectively. In cleaning, ensure that you observe the reservoir for a build-up of solids, especially in the tubes. Don’t also leave out the grow trays or buckets. Else you may eventually have to deal with pathogen build-up. Use bleach for them while cleaning and scrub them until they come out spotless before finally rinsing off. The best time to do this is after each harvest.

Chapter 12.  How to Avoid Insects

The term pest control often conjures up images of people using sprays filled with chemicals. You might think that using such methods is rather extreme. But if you spot your wonderful tomatoes surrounded by ants or your beautiful flowers suddenly attacked by flies, then you might think of drowning those creatures in pesticides.

However, what might sound like a frightening scenario can typically be solved by taking a few precautionary steps. If all else fails and you still would like to consider using sprays, then do not worry.

The thing about pesticides is that they have an instant (and noticeable) effect. You can see the number of pests on your plants reduced. Nevertheless, there are certain effects in the long term—such as depleting the health of your soil and slightly poisoning your water—that might prove disastrous for you in the future. You might have to change the soil entirely. If you are using a raised bed, then this might not be a problem. However, if you have decided to plant directly into the earth, then getting rid of that entire pesticide residue is a strenuous process.

Here is another thing that you should keep in mind; sometimes, getting rid of the pests may not be necessary. If you have aphids roaming around on your plants, then see if you have helpful insects that dine on these aphids. In fact, certain farmers are known to let the pests live. This is because they usually have some form of predator that can take care of the pest problem. This has two beneficial results:

- You do not have to spend time (and money, in some situations) on pest control activities.

- You let someone (or something) else take care of the problem for you. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Even if that friend just happens to have four legs, wings, or antennae.

Another thing to keep in mind; your problem might not be related to pests. It is easy to think that certain creatures have wreaked havoc on your lovely garden. Actually, it is certainly tempting to think that way. However, in many cases, the situation might just be because of other factors. Is there enough moisture for the plants? Are strong winds causing harm to them? Was there heavy rainfall recently? Did it hail? Even water pollution could be another factor to consider. You see, all these factors cause unnecessary stress on the plants, which further begins to attract the pests in your area. Trying to get to the root of the problem might help you effectively remove the pests without using any pest control techniques (including pesticides) .

The idea behind evaluating your garden is to know what kind of problem you are dealing with. That may help you decide if you would like to head over to the following step, which is integrated pest management, or “IPM” for short.

In IPM, farmers and gardeners take gradually stronger steps to get rid of the pests in their garden. They start by working on the conditions that help the growth of the crops. Are these conditions beneficial? Do the crops have everything they need? Once they can work around these conditions, they seek to establish a level of damage they can accept. Once that is done, they move on to using methods that have minimal toxicity. If that does not work, they begin using toxic or invasive methods.

Join the Resistance!

The first thing that you should do is focus on creating pest-resistant plants. You see, gardeners and farmers often work with a plethora of plant species. Some of these plants have some unique traits. One of those unique traits is the ability of the plant to have disease resistance. This means that the plant suffers minimal damage from a specific disease, like how the human immune system builds resistance against diseases.

Many of the modern plants have built resistance to many diseases that could cause considerable damage. What’s more, you can find plants that also have resistance to certain insects. For example, you can find special types of squash that can keep away certain types of beetles. This might help you effectively find a solution against these pests without having to resort to other methods of pest control.

In fact, when you are purchasing plants, you might receive information about what pests those plants resist. After knowing what pests are common in your area, you can match the plant to that particular pest.

Inviting Fewer Pests

While you might be confident that you have taken all the precautionary steps to keep away pests, there might be certain reasons your garden is still attracting those nasty critters.

Mixed Plants

Most insects have receptors that allow them to target their favorite plants. It is how bees can seek out nectar so easily. If you have the plants that insects are waiting to attack and you have done nothing to protect those plants, then you might as well schedule buffet hours for the insects!

What you can do to avoid this situation is to plant your crops in small batches throughout your garden. Then you can add other plants into the mix (preferably those that have resistance against the pests in your area). This confuses the insects, tricking them into believing that perhaps your garden does not have the food they are looking for. Additionally, you might be able to avoid diseases from spreading when you mix plant breeds.

Timing

Certain pests often arrive during certain climates. This fact might give you an idea of the kind of threat you are dealing with. When plants are young, they do not have the strength to ward off pests effectively, which is why you can plant your crops early so that by the time pest climate arrives, your crops have strong tissues. In some cases, insects often leave eggs behind in gardens. When the larvae hatch, they find a ready source of food in the plants around them. For this reason, you could also plant your crops a few weeks after the larvae have hatched, allowing you to starve the pests before working on your garden.

Here is a pro tip, speak to farmers in your area about the emergence of pests. They have extensive knowledge about when these pests might come out during a particular season, allowing you to know how long to wait before planting your crops.

Crop Rotation

You can move around the crops to new locations in your greenhouse each year. This does not give pests a particular spot to target. Shifting locations confuses the pests, who might be used to finding plants in a specific spot of the garden. Certain insects often lay their eggs in one location when they realize that they know where they can find a ready supply of food. However, by moving your crops around, larvae that hatch might not find their food source. Before they can discover food, they might starve, and you might be able to get rid of them without much effort. Do note that crop rotation is most commonly possible with annual plants when they can be cycled year after year.

Go Easy on the Fertilizer

This might be a common mistake for beginners. Gardeners who are starting out might worry about the amount of fertilizer that they use. Many farmers use too much to avoid using too little. Unfortunately, too much fertilizer can cause harm to plants, just the way too little can. In fact, you could say that increasing the amount of fertilizer to a plant is like giving steroids to them! For example, soil nutrients provide nitrogen to the plant. This is good in moderate quantities. By adding more fertilizer, you increase the supply of nitrogen. Providing excess amounts of nitrogen might cause rapid growth in plants. This causes them to end up being juicy. This might not sound all that bad. Who doesn’t love juicy food? You and every other multi-legged creature will be waiting to get a bite out of those plants. Pests might become attracted to that unnatural growth, finding a rich source of food for them and their offspring .

Clean Up Other Materials

If you notice fallen leaves, fruits, or other objects in your garden that should not typically be there, then make sure you clear them out. These objects and debris might carry organisms and pests on them that could be transferred to your plants. This increases the chances of infecting your plants with diseases or sending pests into their midst. Once you have cleaned up, see if you can also cultivate the soil when you get the opportunity. This reveals any hidden pest eggs. Additionally, if there are any larvae, you might just let predators (or even the weather) get rid of them.

Make Friends With Creatures

I am not asking you to invite creatures into your house for tea and supper. What I mean is to allow the growth of certain organisms that could help you get rid of pests. For example, certain types of spiders leave your plants alone but find abundant food in the pests that might live there. You can always encourage the growth of these pest-hunters, as you can call them.

Insecticides

They are a form of pesticide that is manufactured specifically to damage, eliminate or repel one or more species of insects. You can discover insecticides in various forms, such as sprays, gels, and even traps. Pick one based on the pest that is attacking your garden.

Once you have selected your insecticide, it is better to know the below tips:

- I would recommend using just one type of insecticide in your garden. Adding two or more insecticides diminishes their effect and may inadvertently cause harm to your garden.

- Remember that not all insecticides take the same time to remove pests from your garden. You might have to wait longer for certain types to work.

- Try to see if you really need the spray. For example, if you want to get rid of ants, you could use bait instead (after all, ants are attracted to nearby food sources).

Chapter 13.  Best Plants for Hydroponics

Vegetables

When it comes to vegetables, there are a ton of options available to us. We’ll be looking at a handful of these but first, let’s tackle some general rules of thumb.

First up are those vegetables that grow underneath the soil. These are vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes. These plants can still be grown in a hydroponic system, but they require extra work compared to those that grow above the surface, like lettuce, cabbage, and beans. This means that those under-the-soil plants require a little more advanced skill, and you may want to get some experience with your hydroponic system before you try to tackle them.

The other rule of thumb is that we should try to avoid crops like corn and zucchini and anything that relies on growing lots of vines. These types of plants take up a ton of space and just aren’t very practical crops for hydroponic systems. Instead of focusing on a plant type that isn’t practical, we can make better use of our space and systems.

Beans

There are many different types of beans, from green beans to pole beans, lima beans to pinto beans. Depending on the type of bean you plant, you may want to consider adding a trellis to your setup. Beans offer a wide variety of what you can add them to, and they make a great side dish to just about any meal. When it comes to temperature, beans prefer a warm area. They also prefer a pH level of around 6.0.

If you are growing your beans from seeds, you can expect them to take between three and eight days to germinate. From there, you can expect another six to eight weeks before it is time to harvest. After harvesting begins, the crop can be continued for about another three or four months.

Cucumbers

Like beans, there are a few different options when it comes to what kind of cucumber we can grow. There are thick-skinned American slicers, smooth-skinned Lebanese cucumbers, seedless European cucumbers. So, a wide variety, and the best news is they all grow pretty well in a hydroponic setup. Where beans prefer a warm temperature, cucumbers prefer straight-up hot. They like to be a step beyond just warm. They also prefer a pH level between 5.5 and 6.0

It only takes between three and ten days for cucumbers to begin to germinate. They take between eight to ten weeks to get ready for harvesting. When it comes to harvesting cucumbers, make sure that the cucumbers have taken on a dark green color and that they are firm when you grasp them. Because each cucumber grows at a different rate, you can expect the harvesting to take some time as you don’t want to pick them before they are ready.

Kale

Kale is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that makes a great addition to just about any meal. There are so many health benefits to kale that it is often considered a superfood. Kale actually prefers a slightly cooler temperature; it grows best in a range between cool to warm. Like cucumbers, kale prefers a 5.5 to 6.0 pH level.

Seed to germination only takes four to seven days. However, to get harvesting takes between nine and eleven weeks. It’s a little bit longer to grow kale than either beans or cucumbers, but you can harvest it in such a way so that it continues to grow. If you only harvest 30% of your kale when it comes the time, this lets it quickly regrow. Doing this means that you can easily keep this superfood in your garden and in your diet.

Lettuce

As you have been reading through this book, I would bet it’s safe to say that no plant has popped up more often in our discussion than lettuce. This is because lettuce absolutely thrives in hydroponic growing conditions, which is great since lettuce can be used to make salads, give some texture and flavor to our sandwiches and burgers, and is just an all-round versatile vegetable to have in the kitchen.

Growing lettuce offers a lot of variety. While lettuce prefers a cool temperature and a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0, it works in any of the hydroponic systems which you have made. For this reason, lettuce makes a great entry plant for getting into hydroponics. Lettuce only takes a couple of days to germinate, but the time to harvest depends on what kind of lettuce you decided on growing. For example, loose-leaf lettuce only takes forty-five to fifty days to get to harvest. Romaine lettuce can take up to eighty-five days.

Peppers

Like tomatoes, peppers are technically a fruit but are so tightly linked to vegetable-based dishes and crops that many people think of them as vegetables. For that reason, we’ll be looking at both peppers and tomatoes in this section. Peppers share a lot of similarities to tomatoes in their growing preferences; peppers like a pH level between 5.5 and 6.0 and a temperature in the range of warm to hot.

You can start peppers from seed or seedling. It takes about two to three months for your peppers to mature. When considering what kind of peppers to grow, know that jalapeno, habanero, mazurka, Fellini, Nairobi, and Cubico peppers all do fantastic in hydroponic growing.

Radishes

Like lettuce, radishes are one of the easiest plants to grow, whether it is in a traditional soil garden or in a hydroponic setup. Radishes are best grown from seed rather than a seedling, and it only takes between three to seven days to begin seeing seedlings from them. Radishes grow well in a setup with lettuce because both plants like cool temperatures and a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0.

What’s really good about radishes is that they don’t need any lights, unlike most plants. This means that if the cost of getting lights is too much for you right out the gate, radishes offer a way of trying out hydroponic gardening before dropping that cash. What’s craziest of all is that radishes can grow super-fast, sometimes being ready to harvest within a month!

Spinach

Another plant that grows well in combination with lettuce and radishes is spinach. Spinach enjoys cool temperatures and a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0, so it fits in perfectly. It needs a little lighter than radishes do, but it doesn’t require very much at all.

It’ll take about seven to ten days to go from seed to seedling with spinach and can be ready to harvest within six weeks. Harvesting can last up to twelve weeks, depending on how you do. You can harvest the spinach in full, or you can pull off some leaves at a time. This makes spinach another great option for those first getting into hydroponic gardening.

Tomatoes

Okay, okay, we all know that tomatoes are technically fruit. But we’re looking at it here because together with the rest of the vegetables in this section, add tomatoes, and you have one great salad! Tomatoes will grow best in a hot environment, and you will want to set up a trellis in your grow tray. They also like a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5.

There is a wide variety of tomatoes, from the traditional ones we are looking at here to those small cherry tomatoes that make delicious appetizers. Germination can be expected between five to ten days, and it will take a month or two before you begin to see fruit. You can expect it to take between fifty and a hundred days to be ready for harvesting, and you will be able to tell by the size and color of the tomatoes .

Fruits

Nothing tastes sweeter than fruit that you have grown yourself. Hydroponic gardening offers a great way to grow some fruit inside the comfort of your own house. Like vegetables, there are many options available to us, but we’ll be focusing on those that grow the best.

Blueberries

Great for snacks, baking, and even adding vitamins to your morning meal, blueberries are a fantastic crop to grow. However, blueberries can be quite difficult to germinate from seeds, so it is recommended that you transplant blueberry plants instead. Blueberries are one of the slower plants to begin bearing fruit and can even take over a year to get to the point of producing. They like themselves a pH level between 4.5 and 6.0 in a warm climate.

Strawberries

The most popular of all the fruits that we can grow hydroponically, you can find strawberries being grown in smaller personal hydroponic setups and in the larger commercial growing operations. Preferring a warm temperature and a pH level of 6.0, strawberries grow best in a nutrient film technique system.

Strawberries that are grown from seeds can take up to three years to mature to harvesting levels, meaning that, like blueberries, they are a long-term crop. Together, blueberries and strawberries make for great fruit crops, which can produce for several years if you can give them the growing time they need.

Herbs

Herbs make a great addition to any hydroponic setup. This is because it has been shown that herbs grown hydroponically have twenty to forty percent more aromatic oils than herbs that have been grown in a traditional soil garden. This means that you get more out of your hydroponic herbs with less use. This allows you to use less for the same end goal in your cooking, which means that your herbs will last you longer.

The best system for growing herbs is the ebb and flow system. Hydroponic herb gardens have been becoming a norm across the world because of their effectiveness. There are now even restaurants that grow their own hydroponic herb gardens on site because it is the most effective way to get fresh herbs of amazing quality.

Basil is the most popular of the herbs, with basil making up about 50% of the herb market in Europe. Both basil and mint like a warm environment and a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5. Similarly, chives prefer a warm to hot temperature and a pH sitting squarely around 6.0. This means that if you are careful with the temperature and pH level you can grow all three of these wonderful herbs in the same hydroponic setup.

An herb garden is a great way to get started with hydroponics. They can stay harvestable for incredibly long periods; they taste better than herbs grown in soil and make great additions to just about any meal. Not only that but herb gardens tend to be smaller than vegetable or fruit gardens and so a hydroponic herb garden will take up less space and can save some money in setup costs.

Chapter 14.  Myths to Avoid

Myth: Hydroponics is a New Technology

This is a very common myth that is very popular amongst the traditionalists among us. However, as said earlier, it is just a myth. Hydroponic gardening is a very old and ancient field. It is believed that the pharaohs of Egypt loved fruits and vegetables that were grown hydroponically. Even the famous wonder of the Ancient World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, were supposed to be hydroponic gardens. In India, plants are grown directly in a coconut husk, hydro at the most grassroots level. It is thus proven that hydroponic gardening is not at all a new technique but an old and ancient science of cultivation.

Myth: Hydroponics is Artificial or Unnatural

Once again, this myth is highly popular amongst traditional thinkers. Such people think that growing plants in water is against nature and is artificial. This is absolute rubbish. The growth of plants is a real and naturally occurring thing and cannot be done artificially. Plants need certain things to grow and thrive and they normally take these things from the soil. In hydroponics, we just replace the soil with water. Plants still can absorb whatever they need from the water and grow well. Unless you consider water unnatural, then you simply cannot consider hydroponic gardening unnatural.

Hydroponic gardening does not involve any kind of genetic mutation or introduction of any unwarranted and mysterious chemicals. This is not a steroid-inducing system but is a perfectly natural and safe method of growing crops.

Myth: Hydroponics Harms the Environment

This is a ridiculous myth. Hydroponic gardening does not harm the environment at all. In fact, it helps the environment. Water is one of our most precious resources and because of hydroponic gardening, around 70 to 90 % of water can be saved as compared to the conventional form of gardening. Hydroponic gardening also does not have any fertilizer runoff. This runoff can pollute the soil and rivers, lakes, etc.

Myth: Hydroponics is Very Complicated and Cannot Be Done at Home Unless You Are Exceptionally Talented

Hydroponics is a very easy system of gardening that can be done by almost anyone with a love of plants. An inexpensive hydroponic system can be constructed with simple things such as a bucket, hydroponic growing medium, and hydroponic nutrients. You can definitely use advanced technology and science to create an exceptionally sophisticated hydroponic garden to produce high amounts of yield, but you can also use simple, cheap, yet effective instruments and equipment if you want to do hydroponic gardening just as a hobby. As said earlier anyone can pick up hydroponic gardening, anyone means people of all ages.

Myth: Hydroponics is Far too Expensive

You can definitely use expensive and advanced technology and science to create an exceptionally sophisticated hydroponic garden to produce high amounts of yield, but you can also use simple, cheap, yet effective instruments and equipment if you want to do hydroponic gardening just as a hobby. You can work on a limited budget yet produce excellent and fantastic results with ease if you are dedicated to your garden.

Myth: Not Widespread and Limited to Developed Nations

This is a rather bizarre and ridiculous myth. Hydroponic gardening is done in every corner of the world.

People do hydroponic gardening in places where the climate is unsuitable for the growth of plants or in nations where the quality of soil is not suitable for a good yield. It is also commonly used in developed and developing nations such as the USA where the soil has been abused and is no longer cultivable. In British Columbia, 90% of all the greenhouse industry is now based upon the hydroponic gardening system .

Myth: Hydroponics Must Be Done Indoors

Hydroponics is generally cultivated indoors because people have no place to cultivate plants outside but relax. You can easily grow a hydroponic garden outdoors as well. A benefit of constructing a hydroponic garden indoors is the fact that you can control the lights. Outdoors you need to depend on the sun for the light. It not impossible or hard to do hydroponic gardening outdoors. It is even possible to do soil gardening inside the house if you know how to do it.

Myth: Hydroponics Don’t Need Pesticides

Well, this myth is very common but unfortunately false. You do need pesticides for a hydroponic garden, but the soil-born pests are eliminated naturally because there being no soil. There are other kinds of pests that you need to protect your plants from. You should ideally only use pesticides when you feel that your plants are under attack. To avoid the attack of pests, keep a close eye on your system. Never enter the darkroom when you are unclean or have come from outdoors especially from a garden or a park.

Myth: Hydroponics Produce Huge Plants

This myth is slightly true. Every seed like every other living thing has a genetic code that has all the coding that determines the size, weight, yield, etc. of the plant that the seed will produce. Hydroponics is a well-developed system, but it is not a magical system that can force a seed of cherry tomato to grow a beefsteak tomato plant. Yes, it can help you to grow the best cherry tomatoes with the seed though.

It is quite hard to grow a seed to its highest point in the soil as the makeup of the soil varies from place to place. Although the components of the soil can be controlled and manipulated, you cannot have 100% control over them. However, in the case of hydroponic gardening, you have total control and freedom over the components. You can easily manipulate them, to grow the best plants easily. Hydroponic gardening also consumes a lesser amount of energy as compared to soil gardening. This reserved energy is used by the plants to produce more and more yield. The plants become healthy, their foliage is dense and their flower and fruits delightful.

It is believed that identical cucumber plants that are planted in the soil produce 7,000 pounds per acre in soil, but the plants planted in water produce 28,000 pounds per acre when grown hydroponically. Similarly, the production of tomatoes increases dramatically as well. Tomato yields that ranged from five to ten tons per acre in the soil will produce from 60 to 300 tons per hydroponic acre. This is not only the case for tomatoes and cucumbers, but almost every plant can benefit immensely if grown hydroponically .

Myth: Hydroponics Is Used Primarily for Illegal Purposes

Chapter 15.  Sources of Information

The internet is an amazing resource for hydroponics information because there are so many people out there sharing their knowledge with others. But since the internet is a highly interconnected network of computers, it's not always easy to know who's really sharing their knowledge and expertise.

The Internet and the World Wide Web are full of information about growing plants. The majority of this information is from the research and manufacturing sources who are promoting their own products or services. Using this information can be a good idea if you are using it correctly, but it can also be misleading if it is not appropriate to your needs.

The best way to get accurate information on growing plant materials and systems is to talk to the people who produce them and have experience with them. They are the people who can give you an honest appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of a product or system. They will be able to provide you with up-to-date information on growing conditions at different sites, harvesting practices, and any other relevant details that might be unique to the site you are interested in .

There are several sources of information about hydroponics available on the Internet. The resources listed below should provide you with the information you need to know for growing plants in a hydroponic system.

"Best Website For Your Future Supply Needs" website: This website is managed by the Hydroponics Association of Canada and is an excellent resource. It has lots of customer reviews and links to reliable information about hydroponics supplies.

Hydroponics Canada website: This website is managed by the Hydroponics Association of Canada and is an excellent resource. It has lots of customer reviews and links to reliable information about hydroponics supplies.

HydroFarm website: This website is managed by HydroFarm, a hydroponic retailer in the U.S. They have an extensive range of products that include both commercial and consumer items. They also have a great blog that provides useful information on hydroponics supplies.

Lowe's Garden website: This nationwide provider of garden goods offers a comprehensive online catalog for their products that includes information about various types of lighting equipment, cultivation supplies, fertilizers, minerals, soil additives, insecticides, pesticides, tools, and other plant care essentials related to gardening, farming, and horticulture. There are also FAQs and other helpful information to help you find the appropriate products in your needs for your gardening needs.

Hydroponic growing tools are available from many different sources. It is important to have a selection of tools that will meet the needs of your greenhouse. We offer several varieties of hydroponic tools to meet the specific needs of your greenhouse. Here are some of the sources of information that you may want to explore.

- Online Catalogs

- Local Retail Stores

- Competitors' Websites and Catalogs

- Trade Shows or other Industry Groups

In this day and age with the mass availability of information sources, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what is reliable. A good way to ease the process is to approach your research from a question-based rather than an answer-based point of view.

Where do you place your faith? With Google, Wikipedia, or America Online (AOL)? There are many information sources available that will give you all the answers you need. While Wikipedia is a great starting point, it is filled with misinformation and inaccuracies. Besides, very few sources will tell you why something is the way it is, why an item was made how it was, or what purpose an object was designed for. It can be difficult to determine which sources have accurate information and which sources do not, but it can be done. Think about what you are looking for and then find out where to find that information from.

Conclusion

Hydroponics is an excellent method for growing your own plants, herbs, and vegetables. It does not require any soil or sunlight. This makes it great for beginners as well as professionals in various fields.

Hydroponic gardening requires little to no effort to maintain. You don't have to water your plants manually with a hose or deal with the problems that come with using conventional gardening methods. This means that you can start growing your own herbs and vegetables right away without having to wait for the soil to dry out.

You don't have to mess around with using fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. There are all kinds of products that you can use in hydroponics, but you don't have to get them from a store; instead, all of the products you need are readily available right at home in your kitchen.

It's more effective than regular gardening methods for growing plants like tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, and other types of products in your garden. With hydroponic gardening, your plants grow much taller than they would if they were grown in soil. These plants will also be healthier because there is no need to deal with pests or diseases that might contaminate your healthy food supply.

If you decide to make a living growing thing hydroponically, or even just to make a little money on the side, you will need to take into consideration just what is needed to begin your own hydroponic business. If you intend to set up a large system, then you will first need to choose a space that is big enough to set up a system that will be large enough for the number of plants that you will need. You can rent or buy a greenhouse or even build a small one on your own land if you have space, and local codes will allow it. Actually, setting up the hardware of the business will require some outlay of cash since once you have the available space, then you will need to set up the systems. You will need components for assembling the systems, racks, lights, fans to circulate the air, and seeds and plants.

You can make money with hydroponics gardening. Start by seeing if there is a local demand for hydroponically grown products. See what is in demand where you live. By knowing where a need exists, where there is a local shortage, then you will be able to plan to fill that need. If you can fill this need with harvests from your hydroponic garden, you will have found your area. Demand will constantly change during the year, and you will need to be able to adjust your supply to meet that demand. Every plant that you grow will have an offseason, and you must be prepared to change your crops as needed. The small grocer and local restaurant will most likely be your best customers. And don’t be afraid to visit these places and ask them what they have trouble getting regular supplies of. If you can supply fresh tomatoes or strawberries in the middle of winter, you might be the restaurant owner’s new best friend. Sometimes the need is with fresh herbs, like rosemary and basil. You won’t know what the local need is until you ask, and then you can plan to grow your crops according to need.

Hydroponics gardening will eventually take over a large part of the effort to feed the people of the world. Hydroponics gardening is the new best friend of the agricultural world of the future. You can get in on the ground floor of a potentially booming business. Even if you only grow enough product for your own use, you will be contributing to the future of alternative farming.

Use what you learned in this book to get your system set up. You have learned all about the importance of proper pH levels and correctly mixed nutrient solutions. Use all of this information, including the section on the best plants to grow in a beginner hydroponics system, and set up your garden and begin to grow your fresh products. Pay close attention to the section on the possible components you will need for your hydroponic garden. Don’t forget to keep your system clean and sterile and to check the pH levels daily, and adjust as needed. The information in this book will enable you to be able to start an amazing hydroponic garden .

Table of Contents

Table of Contents