HYDROPONICSThe Wonderful World of Growing

Hydroponics – Growing of plants without soil

Nutrients are delivered to the plant in an aqueous solution

The scope of gardening is expanded Hydroponics takes place on every

continent in some form for food or commercial use

Advantages

Higher crop yield Less water required Possibility to grow crops outside of

climate No need for crop rotation Continual growth throughout the

year Little risk of weeds or parasites

Disadvantages

Cost (initial cost) Higher maintenance (constant

supervision, pH testing, lighting adjustments)

Requires specialized knowledge and equipment

Six Systems of Hydroponics

Ebb and Flow Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Aeropnic Water Culture Wick Drip

Wick System

Wicks anchored in a medium stretch down to a reservoir and draw solution upward to reach the rootsDisadvantage

Plants don’t grow to full maturity because of limited aeration and root volume

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

NFT uses little or no medium and uses a continuous solution flow over the roots

Can produce large-scale crops cheaply in parts of the world where soil quality is poor

NFT can produce 106 times more lettuce annually on a 2.5 acre operation than by conventional farming

NFT Cont.

The greatest problem facing NFT has been root die back caused by inadequate oxygen in the area around the root system

This causes water stress which causes wilting and blossom end rot of fruit crops such as tomatoes

This system is susceptible to equipment failure and problems arise due to support of the plant

Ebb and Flow

The most popular system due to its low maintenance and low cost

Utilizes a growing bed full of medium that is flooded with solution and allowed to drain

Best suited for growing seedlings, transplants, and ornamental potted plants

Ebb and Flow Cont.

There is little risk of equipment failure because there is a growing medium that retains water and allows oxygen to get to the roots

Ebb & Flow systems allow for uniform fill and complete drainage during the irrigation cycle thus leading to uniformity in plant growth

This type of system can be made automatic with the use of computers

Drip System

Drip systems use pumps to carry the solution to the medium, and gravity to drain it back to a reservoir

These are reliable, require low maintenance and can withstand short term equipment failure because of the growing medium

They are suitable for large scale growing of all types of plants

Drip System Cont.

A disadvantage of the drip system is that it is expensive and difficult to set up

Drip systems can use a variety of growing mediums and are available in a wide range of configurations

Aeroponics

Uses sprayers to bathe the roots with a nutrient-oxygen mist

Plants are artificially suspended Used most widely in lab studies, but

not for large-scale commercial use due to expense of setup and maintenance

Aeroponics Cont.

NASA has experimented with the combination of Aeroponics and NFT in order to conserve nutrients for the use of hydroponics in space

The chief advantage of this type of system is efficient utilization of greenhouse space by arranging the plants vertically

A disadvantage of Aeroponics is regulating the consistency of the sprayers to assure constant nutrient flow

Nutrients Solutions

The key to success of a hydroponics system

Contains various combos of nutrients specifically engineered to mimic those in soil

Made up of: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, and Copper

Nutrients Solutions Cont.

Nitrogen – Production of leaves and growth of stem

Phosphorous – Development of flowers, fruits, leaves and stems and growth of roots

Calcium – Spurs root growth and helps plant absorb potassium

Magnesium – Helps distribute phosphorous throughout the plant

Nutrients Solutions Cont.

Sulfur – Heightens the effectiveness of phosphorous and used in the production of energy

Iron – Important in the production of chlorophyll

Manganese – Aids in the absorption of nitrogen

Zinc – Necessary in the transfer of energy Copper – Needed in the production of

chlorophyll

pH Values

The acidity or alkalinity of the nutrient solution

pH readings are from 0-14 0-6 acidic, 7 neutral, 8-14 alkaline

The recommended pH is between 6-6.5

pH Value Affects

Affected by many factors Temperature Amount of light Evaporation Type of plant Amount of nutrients

Checking the pH level of the solution is vital to healthy plant growth

Adjusting pH Level

Adjusting the pH level of the nutrient solution can be done simply Add baking soda to neutralize an acidic

solution Add white vinegar to neutralize a basic

solution

Resources/Bibliography

Boak, Robert. "Hydroponics" PowerShow. PowerShow, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

Dayton, Marisol. "An Overview on Types of Hydroponic Systems." Helium. Helium, 25 July 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

"Sustainable Farming - Types of Hydroponic Systems." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.