Hydroponic Systems
What is a cheap and effective way to grow hydroponically?
How often should I water my plants in my hydroponic system?
What is Ebb and Flow?
How long should I water my plants in an Ebb & Flow?
How do Drip systems work?
How often do I water with a Drip system?
What is NFT?
How often should my pump go on and off for a NFT or Aeroponic system?


What is the difference between Aeroponics and Hydroponics?
What is the best system for growing lettuce in?
How is capillary matting used in hydroponic systems/



It depends on how many plants you wish to grow. If you are growing only one or twoyou could purchase an individual hydroponic pot such as the Air Farm or you could build your own.

If you are planning to grow 5 or morel plants , you'll probably end up using a Drip System or an Ebb and Flow. See below for more information on these kinds of systems.


How often should I water my plants in my hydroponic system?


How much you need to water depends on three things: the type of plants you're growing, the size of the plants, and the type of medium you're using.

The first thing to decide is if your grow medium retains or repells water. You'll want your medium to dry out somewhat between waterings, so if you are using a medium that holds a lot of water, you'll need to water less frequently. If you are using a medium that retains almost no water, you will need to water more frequently (some growers using a very repellant medum such as hydroton often water constantly, with out on/off cycles)

Second, keep your eye on your plants before and after waterings. This is a surefire way to tell if you're watering them too much or too little. If your plants wilt before you water, but perk up immediately afterwards-they're thirsty. You should water them a little more. But if your plants wilt right after water, you're overdoing it. Give your plants a little more time between waterings. Our suggestion is to start off watering your plants 2 to 3 times a day. (if the environment is very hot, you'll need to water more. ) Increase slowly as needed to reach the optimum watering schedule for your plan.


What is Ebb and Flow?


The plants in an Ebb and Flow are usually grown in pots with their roots supported by a medium of perlite, rockwool or expanded clay pebbles. The pots sit in a plastic tray which in turn sits above a reservoir filled with nutrient solution. The growing tray must be higher than the reservoir because the system relies on gravity to do part of the work.

A pump in the reservoir is connected to the bottom of the tray. When the pump turns on, the tray fills with water. When the water level reaches a pre-determined height, through the use of the overflow fitting, the water falls back into the reservoir. When the pump turns off, the water runs back down through the pump into the reservoir.

Ebb and Flow allows for high density planting while providing a well oxygenated root system. The ebb & flow method supplies fresh oxygen to the root system of plants in two ways. First, as the tray is flooded with nutrient solution, carbon dioxide rich air is pushed out from around the root system. When the pump is turned off, the tray is drained and oxygen rich air is drawn down to the roots. This oxygen is then used by the plants until the next cycle begins. W hen the nutrient solution drains through the flow, it also creates a splash upon impact, adding much additional aeration.

Click Here to learn a little more and see some ebb and flow illustrations.


How long should I water my plants in an Ebb & Flow system?


In an Ebb & Flow system, you are flooding a tray with nutrient solution to feed your plants. The roots are basically underwater for a period of time. You don't want to keep the roots flooded for too long of you'll risk drowning them. Here's what we suggest: water just long enough to completely flood your tray and then let the system drain. Most timers are set for 30 minute increments, so you may have to flood the tray a little longer than it takes to reach overflow level. That's ok. Just don't keep your roots submerged for longer than 1 hour. (Remember plant roots are like people, they need oxygen. If you keep your plant's roots submerged in water for too long and the poor things will die.)

Most growers choose to control irrigation with a timer. A typical schedule would involve several short one-hour water cycles per day, but the duration and frequencies of watering cycles varies from one system to another and is dependent on the crop, the plant size and environmental conditions.


How do Drip systems work?


Drip systems operate very simply. A pump has tubing connected to it which then branches off to smaller tubes feeding many plants. It works just like a drip irrigation system in your yard. Nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant where it then trickles down through the grow media and into the roots and finally drains into the reservoir where it is reused.

Drip systems are the most widely used hydroponic systems in the world. They are commonly used in commercial facilities for growing long term crops like tomatoes and peppers. Drip systems provide plenty of aeration (more than ebb and flow) because plant roots are never totally submerged, but are never allowed to dry out. There is also the additional aeration that occurs from water falling back into the reservoir.

Click Here to learn more about drip systems.


How often do I water with a Drip system?


A Drip system may be left to run continuously or it may be turned on and off with a timer. A good standard to go by is on for an hour and off for an hour, however we suggest experimenting to see what works best for you and your plants.

What is NFT?


Nutrient Film Technique systems are some of the most productive available, and they are often the chosen method of commercial growing. Plant roots are grown in a light-tight and shallow channel. Nutrient solution is continuously circulated, flowing over the roots up to 24 hours per day. The name of this growing method was so coined in order to stress that the depth of the liquid flowing past the roots should be very shallow in order to ensure that sufficient oxygen is supplied.

A wide range of vegetables and ornamental crops may be grown in an NFT system. Depending on channel width, NFT is great for plants as diverse as tomatoes and lettuce.



What is the difference between Aeroponics and Hydroponics?


Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics. The roots of the growing plants are suspended in the air, and they are misted by high pressure sprayers. The sprayers break the nutrient into small particles and saturate the roots. The levels of oxygen in the water are kept high by the constant circulation of the water. Experiments with aeroponics have shown that plants can grow up to 50% faster than in regular hydroponic systems.


How often should my pump go on and off for a NFT or Aeroponic system?


In these kinds of systems where there is no growing media to hold any moisture, the roots of plants can dry out very quickly. Watering cycles need to be frequent and it will be up to you to determine what that takes. Some NFT growers leave their systems on continuously. To be on the safe side, you could begin with watering every half hour and slowly ease off until you find the perfect point.

What is the best system for growing lettuce in?


The 'best' way is for you to decide, but many commercial lettuce growers choose to use NFT systems for a variety of reasons. A few of these are as follows: NFT is less labor intensive than some other kinds of systems, as there is less grow media to deal with (that also makes it less expensive to product lettuce,) The systems are easy to clean, and finally, the style of NFT growing is well suited to the quick growth and frequent harvesting of lettuce.

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How is capillary matting used in a hydroponic system?


Cappilary matting is an inactive sheet of growing medium which retains and distributes water evenly thoughout its area. It is often used with potted, soil plants as a way to bring water to plant roots without watering each plant. The capillary action of the mat and potting soil draws moisture up to plant roots for a constant supply. Plants draw only on as much water as they need.

Capillary matting is often used in NFT systems to ensure that young plant roots receive enough moisture and nutrients. It also serves as a buffer in case the pump stops working.In ebb and flow systems, capillary matting can be used to surround the grow rmedium and keeps medium moist and helps deliver nutrient-rich water to the starter cubes on top of the system.It can also be used to "wick" the nutrient up from a reservoir and to plants, thus (in theory) getting rid of the need for a pump.