You have a genuine problem and the solution is worth it! The soil of some regions of the world is not workable and has poor growth capacity. Still, you have a big option for plantation in the form of hydroponic gardening.
Hydroponic farming is the soilless growth of the plants and they grow in water using a mineral nutrient solution. Although the hydroponic system is quite automated still you have to manage the composition of nutrients and provide the plants with the ideal growing condition. You have to give a controlled environment to the plants and regulate the supply of nutrients in the solution.
In addition to the watering composition and frequency, lighting is one of the major factors in hydroponic farming. You can provide better lighting in a vertical system where plants are not crowded and shade is minimum. Hydroponic farming is a 3-D gardening approach that can be used to grow plants in multilevel growing beds.
There are many ways to start a hydroponic garden but all of the systems are based on these 6 basic hydroponic systems. So, if you want to start a hydroponic garden, you can use any of these approaches.
The Wick system is the simplest and easiest of all and you can easily establish your garden using a wick system as it does not involve any complex or electronic components.
When you have to work on this system, you need a water reservoir, growing tray, growing medium, seedlings, water, and hydroponic fertilizer. First of all, create a water reservoir containing water and nutrients for the growth of plants. This tray will be beneath the tray holding the plants and growing medium. Next, you have to connect wicks to the growing tray. If there is not any hole there, use a drill or screwdriver to make a hole. This will help the plant to draw up water to the growing plants. When you have made this all set up a growing tray by taking medium and seedling. This will be above the water reservoir. When selecting the growing medium for hydroponic gardening, be sure that the medium does not drain too fast and it can work with the capillary action of the system. You can use perlite, vermiculite, or soilless mixes.
If there is enough natural light, that’s great. But if there is a need for lighting, you can use incandescent light bulbs, LED, or fluorescent light.
The water culture system is another simple and easy to make set up especially for beginners. In this system, plants are placed in a Styrofoam tray that floats over the reservoir.
You need a water reservoir, Styrofoam sheet, seedlings in net pots, air stone and pump to make a water culture system. When you have all these things, fill the reservoir with water and nutrients. An important arrangement in the water culture system is air stone. The air stone is just like the bubblers found in the aquarium and its main purpose is to supply oxygen to the water tank. This air stone is connected to the pump outside the water reservoir and pushes the air to distribute oxygen through the tank. When this is done, cut a Styrofoam sheet to float on the reservoir. Make some holes in the sheet and place net pots containing plant seedlings and medium. The net pots are plastic containers that have holes in the bottom. These holes help the roots of growing plants to submerge in the nutrient solution. Manage the light of the set up with incandescent bulbs, LED, or fluorescent light, if necessary.
The drip system is one of the most widely used hydroponic systems in the world. In this system, a water submersed pump drips the water to all plants via a drip line. The drip system can be either recovery or non-recovery drip system depending on the reuse of surplus water.
If you want to grow plants through a drip system, you must have a water reservoir, grow tray, air pump and submersible water pump, drip emitters, timer, medium, tubing, and seedlings in pots. The very first thing you have to do is set up a water reservoir with aeration. Fill the container with water and nutrient solution and then place an aerator to oxygenate the water. Next, you have to make the growing tray set up by placing plant pots in a growing tray with drip emitters. Now, connect the submersible pump to the tubing and provide plant roots with the water. Drip emitters will individually water the growing roots or seedlings. Also, connect the pump to the timer so that plants are automatically irrigated several times a day. Like other systems, you can also use bulbs for proper lighting.
An Ebb and flow system is quite versatile but a bit complex in the design. In this hydroponic gardening approach, nutrient water solution is flooded to the growing tray where plants get the required nutrients and extra water is drained back to the reservoir.
When you need to design an ebb and flow system in your garden, you must have a water reservoir, growing tray, fill and drain tube, submersible pump, timer, seedlings in net pots. Make a water reservoir and supply it with water nutrient solution. Set up a growing tray that is a shallow container in which you have to place pots with seedlings. Now, connect the tubes, fill tube, and drain tube, to the reservoir. You have to attach the fill tube to the submersible pump and timer as this tube gives the flow from the water tank to the growing tray. While drain tube floods back the water from the growing tray to the water container. This tube is not connected to any pump and gravity pulls the water in underneath the tub. Manage lighting with incandescent bulbs, LED, or fluorescent bulbs as per your need.
Nutrient film technique is much similar to ebb and flow system that makes it easy to understand its design. In this system, the water solution continuously flows from the reservoir to the growing tray where suspended plant roots absorb nutrients from the solution.
You need a water reservoir, PVC pipe or tube to fit seedlings, fill and drain tube, air stone and pump, submersible pump, and seedings in net pots. Just like all other hydroponic systems, establish a water reservoir system with water nutrient solution and set up aeration with an air stone. Connect the stone with the pump placed outside the tank to oxygenate the water. When this is done, set up the growing tray. You can use a PVC pipe or tube for this purpose. One thing you must not forget is, keep the tube at an angle that makes sure the solution flows directly to the reservoir. Make holes in the pipe to fix the net pots. Now, connect the fill and drain tubes to the growing tray. Unlike the ebb and flow system, there is no need for a timer as the growing tube is not placed straight and the excess water drains back under gravity. Make sure the system is in the proper light.
An aeroponic system is a highly efficient hydroponic system to grow plants but it requires highly sophisticated misters and pumps. It is quite advance where the roots are suspended in air and misted every few minutes.
To make an aeroponic garden, you need a water reservoir, tube as a growing tray to fit pots, seedlings in the net pots, submersible pump, air stone, and pump, spray tube, sprayer, or misting head. First, create a water reservoir with a plant growth solution. Aerate the reservoir with a bubbler. The reservoir also acts as a catch basin to collect the misted droplets of the nutrient solution. The solution is supplied to the mister or sprayer via tubing from a submersible pump. The sprayer will moisten the growing roots of the plants and help them absorb nutrients. When this is done, make sure plants are getting proper light. If there is a need for light, you can use incandescent light, LED, or fluorescent bulbs.
1. Choosing Plants And Starting Your Seeds
The first thing to starting a hydroponic garden is to decide what type of plants you’re looking to grow. This decision will help determine what type of hydroponic system you should use, the lighting, and the amount of space you will need. Different hydroponic systems/setups work better than others for some plants.
If it’s your first time growing using hydroponics, I would recommend starting with a leafy green like lettuce. To learn more, you can check out the article I put together on how to grow hydroponic lettuce.
I suggest using rapid rooter cubes to germinate your seeds. I believe the plugs make the process of starting your hydroponic garden easier by increasing your germination rates and the plugs really promote a healthy root system. You should use a heat mat to keep the seeds warm.
After several weeks of growth, when the plant has a healthy root system, it will be time to transplant them into your system.
Step 2. Decide On Your Hydroponic System
The next step to starting your hydroponic garden is choosing your hydroponic system. There are several different types of hydroponic systems to choose from so take some time to learn a little bit about each method.
A few factors will go into choosing the best hydroponic system for your garden. The amount of space you have, type of plants you’re growing, your budget, and the amount you want to grow all factor into the choice of a hydroponics system. I recommend starting small, there’s always time to expand in the future. When learning, too many plants can be overwhelming, especially if you end up running into issues.
3. Choose A Light Source
Proper lighting is going to be a major factor in the success of your hydroponic garden. If you’re not using the sun as your light source, then you will need to choose a grow light for your hydroponic system. There are some considerations when choosing the best light for your system as there are different types of lights that have their advantages and disadvantages.
Do your research to find what light setup will work best for your hydroponic garden. Some things you will want to consider when choosing a hydroponic grow light are cost, light intensity, the light spectrum, and the coverage area. If you want to grow quality produce, I suggest not going the cheapest route on your lighting.
If you’re at a loss on what type of grow light to go with when starting your hydroponic garden, I suggest a full spectrum LED grow light. They are relatively cheap, can grow both leafy greens and plants that fruit, and are all-around efficient.
4. Choose A Hydroponic Grow Medium
When starting your hydroponic garden you will have to determine what type of grow medium you want and what will work best with your system. The type of grow medium you should use depends on the types of plants you’ll be growing and what type of hydroponic system you’re using.
There are several types of grow mediums offering different advantages. Some things to consider when choosing a grow medium will be cost, water retention, aeration levels, and pH stability. If in doubt, I would recommend hydroton expanded clay pebbles. They’re versatile, working well for many different types of plants and systems.
5. Purchase Hydroponic Nutrients & Supplemnts
There many different types of nutrients that come in 1, 2, and 3 part systems. For more about
For beginners in starting a hydroponic garden, I would recommend a 1 part nutrient solution such as Dyna–Gro Grow for vegetative growth and Dyna–Gro flowering & blooming. If you have a good understanding of a plant’s nutrient needs, General Hydroponics makes a great 3 part nutrient solution called the Flora series.
For more information check out this article on the 4 best hydroponic nutrients regimens for beginners.
There are also several different supplements that can be added to boost the growth rate of your plants, their overall size, and flavor. Supplements can also make your plants stronger a
When it comes to hydroponics systems, there are six main types to choose from. These are:
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)
Wicking
Drip
Aeroponic
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT
Without a doubt, most hydroponics experts would agree that a Deep Water Culture (DWC) hydroponics system is the easiest type of hydro system to use for indoor growing because it requires the LEAST amount of materials, supplies, and know-how to get started: In a DWC hydro system, you simply fill up a reservoir with your nutrient solution. You then suspend your plant’s roots in that solution so they receive the steady, continuous supply of water, oxygen, and nutrients.
Then a continuous oxygen supply is added to the water. The most common way that growers oxygenate the nutrient solution reservoir is with an air pump and airstone to pump bubbles into it. This keeps your plant’s roots from “drowning” which — while it sounds weird — is a real concern because your plants will suck the oxygen they need out of the water.
Using the DWC system, you’ll find it’s extremely simple to setup (once you understand how it all works) and extremely low-maintenance (again, once you understand how it works) making it perfect for hydroponics beginners.
At this point, you may be wondering how to get starting building your own Deep Water Culture hydroponics system.
The good news is it’s easier than you think!
Probably the most simple way to get started is to use a traditional 5 gallon bucket for just one plant. From the picture diagram above, you can see this setup is extremely easy.
What About Lighting For Your Plants?
The fact is that your plants need light to grow.
The simple answer is that if you can locate your hydroponics system where your plants can get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, that is the best. Sunlight provides all the lighting that your plants need to grow correctly.
If you can’t locate your plants in direct sunlight, then you will have to provide artificial lighting using your own indoor grow lights. The truth is that a complete discussion of the proper indoor grow lights is beyond the scope of this article, but you will need to select the proper lighting system with the correct spectrum of light, intensity, power and that covers enough “footprint” to work with your garden. For more information on choosing the right hydroponic grow lights, click here.
For a simple, 5-gallon bucket DWC hydro system like we’re encouraging on this page — you should try to just place your 5-gallon bucket system in direct sunlight.
If you’re just getting started growing hydroponically, you want to make it easier on yourself. The best way to do that is to eliminate all the things that might go wrong.
That’s why we recommend starting from a live plant instead of trying to use seeds for your first grow. This is called “cloning” and more tips on how to do this can be found here.
To use herbs as an example, simply acquire an herb seedling and gently remove it from the soil and potting container it came in and wash away all the dirt from the roots of the plant. You don’t want to contaminate your water.
Once you have rinsed the plant’s roots with water, then you can simply add it into your net pot in the lid of your bucket. If the seedling already has roots that you can pull through the net pot into the water, that’s even better and going to make your job easier. Then you simply cover the root system with your growing media and let the system do the rest of the work!
If possible, you want to use Reverse Osmosis (RO) water for your nutrient solution because if you don’t you could seriously harm your plants. See our article “Why all hydroponics growers should use reverse osmosis water systems” for complete details.
Also, if you are using RO water and especially if you are using tap water, you need to know that pH is an important factor. Most tap water is in the 7.0-8.0 pH range. The recommended herbs in this guide thrive in water that’s a little lower pH than this, around the “sweet spot” of 5.5-6.3
How do you know? You’ll need to buy a pH testing kit to test your water. And if your pH is off then you will need to add pH-Up or pH-Down to adjust your pH levels.
Why is this so important? Because when the pH of your hydroponic system gets out of balance—which can happen quickly if some kind of stabilizing agent or mechanism is not put in place—the ability of your plants to absorb macro, secondary, and micronutrients, as well as vitamins, carbohydrates, and other beneficial sources, is limited.
The truth is that dealing with pH issues can be a real hassle. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, if you use the right products, you can completely eliminate all your pH issues and you will never have to worry about this!
The Best Nutrients For Beginners Are From Advanced Nutrients
The fact of the matter is that, no matter what you’re growing, the nutrients from Advanced Nutrients are the best nutrients for beginners (They’re also the best nutrients for professional growers too, but for different reasons that are beyond the scope of this article!).
How can we make such a bold statement?
Quite simply, it’s because all of Advanced Nutrients products are specifically designed for hydroponics growing. And they are the only nutrients to utilize scientific breakthroughs like pH Perfect Technology.
The fact is that Advanced Nutrients has spent many thousands of man-hours developing a technology that automatically balances your pH for you — putting it in the “sweet spot” and holds it there for weeks.
You can see more about pH Perfect Technology when you click here but the point is that for a beginner, again, the less variables the better. And utilizing the best nutrients in the world will only make your job easier.
Specifically, for the types of herbs we’re recommending on this page for beginners, we recommend using pH Perfect Sensi Grow A & B because you don’t actually want the herbs to bloom (because that could make them bitter).
Getting started with hydroponics
https://www.squaremilefarms.com/post/how-to-build-your-own-hydroponic-system-a-beginners-guide
Are you interested in hydroponics or growing from home but don’t know where to start? Do you want to make your own system by up-cycling materials from your home? Growing hydroponically at home has lots of benefits: a regular supply of fresh, nutritious produce will certainly save you from making lots of trips to the supermarket!
There are a lot of different hydroponic systems, (check out my previous blog explaining them). In this blog we are going to cover the simplest one to understand. I’m going to explain how a Deep Water Culture hydroponic system works and how you can build one for yourself in no time at all.
What is the best hydroponic system for beginners?
Deep Water Culture (DWC) is the easiest type of hydroponic system that you can build and maintain at home. In this system, the plants grow with their roots submerged directly in nutrient-rich water. For home growers, this can be achieved by growing in large opaque storage containers or buckets. Commercial growers use rafts which float on a large bed of water; these work like a conveyor belt with young plants added on one side, they will move along until ready for harvest at the other side.
A Deep Water Culture System
The lack of moving parts or recirculating water makes DWC systems relatively simple and cheap to build. The water in DWC systems does not recirculate, it remains sitting in the reservoir for the entire duration of the plant’s life. This means you must aerate the water to replenish oxygen that is used by the roots.
In soil, air pore spaces provide the much needed oxygen for roots and in recirculating hydroponic systems, water is aerated in the process of being pumped around. We can remedy this in a DWC system by using an air pump with an air stone attached (used in fish tanks) to ensure the water remains oxygen rich.
What can I grow in my DWC system?
The best crops to grow in DWC systems are Lettuce, Kale, Chard, Bok Choy, Basil and Parsley. These are all plants which are not too top-heavy. In DWC systems the roots are not well anchored and that means growing tall plants like tomatoes can be difficult, if you do grow them, you’ll need the right supports to keep the plant upright.
How to make a DWC hydroponic system at home
Materials:
Storage container or bucket
Net pots
Airpump with air stone
Hard Water Liquid Nutrients (A & B)
pH Down
pH meter
Measuring beaker
Pipettes
Hole saw with arbor
Drill
Method:
1. Find a suitable container for the system
Many find that deeper storage containers and buckets work well for these systems because the deeper the reservoir of water,
the more stable the nutrient solution will be. Fluctuations in nutrient concentration and pH are more likely in smaller reservoirs, you will also have to top up the water more regularly.
Light should not be able to penetrate your container, otherwise there is a high risk that algae will grow in your water. I used this 55l opaque storage container which we had leftover from a previous project. In retrospect, I would have preferred to use a deeper container but for my purposes of growing leafy greens this will work fine.
2. Drill holes into the lid of the container
The plants will grow in net pots, these are pots with plenty of holes for roots to grow through. The next step is to drill holes into the lid of the container where the net pots will sit. This requires the only specialist tool you’ll need in this build, a hole saw, these are quite affordable and easy to use. The size of net pots you use must be larger than the hole so they don’t fall through.
If you’re using a wider container like mine, you can drill multiple holes. It’s important to plan carefully here: I kept the holes 15cm apart to accommodate for the size of the mature plants. If you’re using a 20l bucket, I advise drilling one hole in the centre to make a single plant system (they’re great for growing something larger like tomatoes or courgettes).
Pro-Tip: Place some wood below your lid when you drill your holes, this will prevent the saw jolting and breaking the plastic.
Net Pot
Hole Saw
Holes in the container lid
3. Assemble your air pump
The air pump must remain outside of the reservoir. It will come with a check valve, this ensures that the pump does not suck water back up if it is turned off. If it does not come with one, you must keep the pump above the water level.
Connect the air stone and check valve with a length of tubing, ensuring the arrow on the check valve faces the air stone. Then connect the check valve to the air pump in the same manner.
4. Fill the reservoir, add nutrients and adjust the pH
The system can be quite heavy when full, so make sure you decide where your container will live before filling it up! Fill it almost full with water, leaving 1-2cm of space at the top.
Next you need to add your hydroponic nutrients to the water, following the instructions on your bottle. Mine advised me to add 2ml per litre of each A and B nutrients; using a measuring cup I added 110ml of each into my 55l container.
We also need to adjust the pH of the water. Using a pH meter, measure the pH; tap water will be anywhere from 6.5-7.5 pH.
Most vegetables and herbs require a slightly acidic nutrient solution.
You can bring the pH down to 5.5-6.5 with drops of phosphoric acid using a pipette (commercially sold as ‘pH Down’ for hydroponic use). Wear gloves when handling pH down and remember to mix the solution well after application.
5. Assemble the system
Plug in the air pump and place the air stone in the reservoir. Secure the lid on top and you’re almost finished.
Adding your plants is simple, I placed some plants grown in rockwool plugs into the net pots. You can use seedlings grown in soil too but we advise using a medium that doesn't make a mess. Rockwool plugs or hydroton clay pellets are a cleaner solution.
How do I maintain my hydroponic system?
All done! Now for some maintenance must-dos.
Simple homemade hydroponic systemSimple homemade hydroponic system
My DWC Hydroponic System in Action
It's very important to ensure the water level doesn’t drop too much, especially when the plants are young. As long as the water has sufficient contact with the roots they should grow well.
Keep an eye on the pH levels by checking it every time you top up water.
I use an old 2L water bottle to top up my water so I know exactly how much water I am adding. For every 2L of water I use, I add 4ml of each A & B nutrient into the reservoir.
Clean the reservoir and replace it with fresh water every 14-21 days.
Additional Tips
How to sow seeds directly into your DWC system
If you don’t have a way of propagating young seedlings, you can directly sow seeds so they germinate in the system.
To do this, place a rockwool plug into a net pot and place a seed or two into the plug. Ensure that the plug does not dry up at all or this could affect germination.
How to grow cuttings in your DWC system
You can also experiment with growing herb cuttings, I tried it with a mint cutting using a foam collar. It’s a sponge cylinder with a slit down the middle which you can wedge seedlings or cuttings into, I got mine free with the net pots.
I cut a mint stem under a leaf node, and then removed the bottom leaves and placed it into the foam collar and then net pot. Placing a bottomless plastic bottle over the cutting is advised to prevent it drying up.
Final thoughts
So that is how you can build a simple hydroponic system for yourself at home. You may already have some of the materials in your home right now, an old storage container or bucket can be repurposed in a worthy effort to start growing from home. If you don’t have a lid, you can cut holes out of a sheet of polystyrene packaging for plants to grow from.
When you’re first getting into hydroponics, the complexity of some of the systems on the market can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend starting simple, a DWC system gives beginners an opportunity to do this. They are low maintenance and can be placed anywhere that has sufficient light, indoors or outdoors.
I live in a zone where the soil is not perfect to grow plants but I am a green lover and can not live without plant babies. Is there any alternative for me to grow plants in my region? How can I do that?
You have a genuine problem and the solution is worth it! The soil of some regions of the world is not workable and has poor growth capacity. Still, you have a big option for plantation in the form of hydroponic gardening.
Hydroponic farming is the soilless growth of the plants and they grow in water using a mineral nutrient solution. Although the hydroponic system is quite automated still you have to manage the composition of nutrients and provide the plants with the ideal growing condition. You have to give a controlled environment to the plants and regulate the supply of nutrients in the solution.
In addition to the watering composition and frequency, lighting is one of the major factors in hydroponic farming. You can provide better lighting in a vertical system where plants are not crowded and shade is minimum. Hydroponic farming is a 3-D gardening approach that can be used to grow plants in multilevel growing beds.
There are many ways to start a hydroponic garden but all of the systems are based on these 6 basic hydroponic systems. So, if you want to start a hydroponic garden, you can use any of these approaches.
The Wick system is the simplest and easiest of all and you can easily establish your garden using a wick system as it does not involve any complex or electronic components.
When you have to work on this system, you need a water reservoir, growing tray, growing medium, seedlings, water, and hydroponic fertilizer. First of all, create a water reservoir containing water and nutrients for the growth of plants. This tray will be beneath the tray holding the plants and growing medium. Next, you have to connect wicks to the growing tray. If there is not any hole there, use a drill or screwdriver to make a hole. This will help the plant to draw up water to the growing plants. When you have made this all set up a growing tray by taking medium and seedling. This will be above the water reservoir. When selecting the growing medium for hydroponic gardening, be sure that the medium does not drain too fast and it can work with the capillary action of the system. You can use perlite, vermiculite, or soilless mixes.
If there is enough natural light, that’s great. But if there is a need for lighting, you can use incandescent light bulbs, LED, or fluorescent light.
The water culture system is another simple and easy to make set up especially for beginners. In this system, plants are placed in a Styrofoam tray that floats over the reservoir.
You need a water reservoir, Styrofoam sheet, seedlings in net pots, air stone and pump to make a water culture system. When you have all these things, fill the reservoir with water and nutrients. An important arrangement in the water culture system is air stone. The air stone is just like the bubblers found in the aquarium and its main purpose is to supply oxygen to the water tank. This air stone is connected to the pump outside the water reservoir and pushes the air to distribute oxygen through the tank. When this is done, cut a Styrofoam sheet to float on the reservoir. Make some holes in the sheet and place net pots containing plant seedlings and medium. The net pots are plastic containers that have holes in the bottom. These holes help the roots of growing plants to submerge in the nutrient solution. Manage the light of the set up with incandescent bulbs, LED, or fluorescent light, if necessary.
The drip system is one of the most widely used hydroponic systems in the world. In this system, a water submersed pump drips the water to all plants via a drip line. The drip system can be either recovery or non-recovery drip system depending on the reuse of surplus water.
If you want to grow plants through a drip system, you must have a water reservoir, grow tray, air pump and submersible water pump, drip emitters, timer, medium, tubing, and seedlings in pots. The very first thing you have to do is set up a water reservoir with aeration. Fill the container with water and nutrient solution and then place an aerator to oxygenate the water. Next, you have to make the growing tray set up by placing plant pots in a growing tray with drip emitters. Now, connect the submersible pump to the tubing and provide plant roots with the water. Drip emitters will individually water the growing roots or seedlings. Also, connect the pump to the timer so that plants are automatically irrigated several times a day. Like other systems, you can also use bulbs for proper lighting.
An Ebb and flow system is quite versatile but a bit complex in the design. In this hydroponic gardening approach, nutrient water solution is flooded to the growing tray where plants get the required nutrients and extra water is drained back to the reservoir.
When you need to design an ebb and flow system in your garden, you must have a water reservoir, growing tray, fill and drain tube, submersible pump, timer, seedlings in net pots. Make a water reservoir and supply it with water nutrient solution. Set up a growing tray that is a shallow container in which you have to place pots with seedlings. Now, connect the tubes, fill tube, and drain tube, to the reservoir. You have to attach the fill tube to the submersible pump and timer as this tube gives the flow from the water tank to the growing tray. While drain tube floods back the water from the growing tray to the water container. This tube is not connected to any pump and gravity pulls the water in underneath the tub. Manage lighting with incandescent bulbs, LED, or fluorescent bulbs as per your need.
Nutrient film technique is much similar to ebb and flow system that makes it easy to understand its design. In this system, the water solution continuously flows from the reservoir to the growing tray where suspended plant roots absorb nutrients from the solution.
You need a water reservoir, PVC pipe or tube to fit seedlings, fill and drain tube, air stone and pump, submersible pump, and seedings in net pots. Just like all other hydroponic systems, establish a water reservoir system with water nutrient solution and set up aeration with an air stone. Connect the stone with the pump placed outside the tank to oxygenate the water. When this is done, set up the growing tray. You can use a PVC pipe or tube for this purpose. One thing you must not forget is, keep the tube at an angle that makes sure the solution flows directly to the reservoir. Make holes in the pipe to fix the net pots. Now, connect the fill and drain tubes to the growing tray. Unlike the ebb and flow system, there is no need for a timer as the growing tube is not placed straight and the excess water drains back under gravity. Make sure the system is in the proper light.
An aeroponic system is a highly efficient hydroponic system to grow plants but it requires highly sophisticated misters and pumps. It is quite advance where the roots are suspended in air and misted every few minutes.
To make an aeroponic garden, you need a water reservoir, tube as a growing tray to fit pots, seedlings in the net pots, submersible pump, air stone, and pump, spray tube, sprayer, or misting head. First, create a water reservoir with a plant growth solution. Aerate the reservoir with a bubbler. The reservoir also acts as a catch basin to collect the misted droplets of the nutrient solution. The solution is supplied to the mister or sprayer via tubing from a submersible pump. The sprayer will moisten the growing roots of the plants and help them absorb nutrients. When this is done, make sure plants are getting proper light. If there is a need for light, you can use incandescent light, LED, or fluorescent bulbs.
1. Choosing Plants And Starting Your Seeds
The first thing to starting a hydroponic garden is to decide what type of plants you’re looking to grow. This decision will help determine what type of hydroponic system you should use, the lighting, and the amount of space you will need. Different hydroponic systems/setups work better than others for some plants.
If it’s your first time growing using hydroponics, I would recommend starting with a leafy green like lettuce. To learn more, you can check out the article I put together on how to grow hydroponic lettuce.
I suggest using rapid rooter cubes to germinate your seeds. I believe the plugs make the process of starting your hydroponic garden easier by increasing your germination rates and the plugs really promote a healthy root system. You should use a heat mat to keep the seeds warm.
After several weeks of growth, when the plant has a healthy root system, it will be time to transplant them into your system.
Step 2. Decide On Your Hydroponic System
The next step to starting your hydroponic garden is choosing your hydroponic system. There are several different types of hydroponic systems to choose from so take some time to learn a little bit about each method.
A few factors will go into choosing the best hydroponic system for your garden. The amount of space you have, type of plants you’re growing, your budget, and the amount you want to grow all factor into the choice of a hydroponics system. I recommend starting small, there’s always time to expand in the future. When learning, too many plants can be overwhelming, especially if you end up running into issues.
3. Choose A Light Source
Proper lighting is going to be a major factor in the success of your hydroponic garden. If you’re not using the sun as your light source, then you will need to choose a grow light for your hydroponic system. There are some considerations when choosing the best light for your system as there are different types of lights that have their advantages and disadvantages.
Do your research to find what light setup will work best for your hydroponic garden. Some things you will want to consider when choosing a hydroponic grow light are cost, light intensity, the light spectrum, and the coverage area. If you want to grow quality produce, I suggest not going the cheapest route on your lighting.
If you’re at a loss on what type of grow light to go with when starting your hydroponic garden, I suggest a full spectrum LED grow light. They are relatively cheap, can grow both leafy greens and plants that fruit, and are all-around efficient.
4. Choose A Hydroponic Grow Medium
When starting your hydroponic garden you will have to determine what type of grow medium you want and what will work best with your system. The type of grow medium you should use depends on the types of plants you’ll be growing and what type of hydroponic system you’re using.
There are several types of grow mediums offering different advantages. Some things to consider when choosing a grow medium will be cost, water retention, aeration levels, and pH stability. If in doubt, I would recommend hydroton expanded clay pebbles. They’re versatile, working well for many different types of plants and systems.
5. Purchase Hydroponic Nutrients & Supplemnts
There many different types of nutrients that come in 1, 2, and 3 part systems. For more about
For beginners in starting a hydroponic garden, I would recommend a 1 part nutrient solution such as Dyna–Gro Grow for vegetative growth and Dyna–Gro flowering & blooming. If you have a good understanding of a plant’s nutrient needs, General Hydroponics makes a great 3 part nutrient solution called the Flora series.
For more information check out this article on the 4 best hydroponic nutrients regimens for beginners.
There are also several different supplements that can be added to boost the growth rate of your plants, their overall size, and flavor. Supplements can also make your plants stronger a
When it comes to hydroponics systems, there are six main types to choose from. These are:
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)
Wicking
Drip
Aeroponic
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT
Without a doubt, most hydroponics experts would agree that a Deep Water Culture (DWC) hydroponics system is the easiest type of hydro system to use for indoor growing because it requires the LEAST amount of materials, supplies, and know-how to get started: In a DWC hydro system, you simply fill up a reservoir with your nutrient solution. You then suspend your plant’s roots in that solution so they receive the steady, continuous supply of water, oxygen, and nutrients.
Then a continuous oxygen supply is added to the water. The most common way that growers oxygenate the nutrient solution reservoir is with an air pump and airstone to pump bubbles into it. This keeps your plant’s roots from “drowning” which — while it sounds weird — is a real concern because your plants will suck the oxygen they need out of the water.
Using the DWC system, you’ll find it’s extremely simple to setup (once you understand how it all works) and extremely low-maintenance (again, once you understand how it works) making it perfect for hydroponics beginners.
At this point, you may be wondering how to get starting building your own Deep Water Culture hydroponics system.
The good news is it’s easier than you think!
Probably the most simple way to get started is to use a traditional 5 gallon bucket for just one plant. From the picture diagram above, you can see this setup is extremely easy.
What About Lighting For Your Plants?
The fact is that your plants need light to grow.
The simple answer is that if you can locate your hydroponics system where your plants can get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, that is the best. Sunlight provides all the lighting that your plants need to grow correctly.
If you can’t locate your plants in direct sunlight, then you will have to provide artificial lighting using your own indoor grow lights. The truth is that a complete discussion of the proper indoor grow lights is beyond the scope of this article, but you will need to select the proper lighting system with the correct spectrum of light, intensity, power and that covers enough “footprint” to work with your garden. For more information on choosing the right hydroponic grow lights, click here.
For a simple, 5-gallon bucket DWC hydro system like we’re encouraging on this page — you should try to just place your 5-gallon bucket system in direct sunlight.
If you’re just getting started growing hydroponically, you want to make it easier on yourself. The best way to do that is to eliminate all the things that might go wrong.
That’s why we recommend starting from a live plant instead of trying to use seeds for your first grow. This is called “cloning” and more tips on how to do this can be found here.
To use herbs as an example, simply acquire an herb seedling and gently remove it from the soil and potting container it came in and wash away all the dirt from the roots of the plant. You don’t want to contaminate your water.
Once you have rinsed the plant’s roots with water, then you can simply add it into your net pot in the lid of your bucket. If the seedling already has roots that you can pull through the net pot into the water, that’s even better and going to make your job easier. Then you simply cover the root system with your growing media and let the system do the rest of the work!
If possible, you want to use Reverse Osmosis (RO) water for your nutrient solution because if you don’t you could seriously harm your plants. See our article “Why all hydroponics growers should use reverse osmosis water systems” for complete details.
Also, if you are using RO water and especially if you are using tap water, you need to know that pH is an important factor. Most tap water is in the 7.0-8.0 pH range. The recommended herbs in this guide thrive in water that’s a little lower pH than this, around the “sweet spot” of 5.5-6.3
How do you know? You’ll need to buy a pH testing kit to test your water. And if your pH is off then you will need to add pH-Up or pH-Down to adjust your pH levels.
Why is this so important? Because when the pH of your hydroponic system gets out of balance—which can happen quickly if some kind of stabilizing agent or mechanism is not put in place—the ability of your plants to absorb macro, secondary, and micronutrients, as well as vitamins, carbohydrates, and other beneficial sources, is limited.
The truth is that dealing with pH issues can be a real hassle. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, if you use the right products, you can completely eliminate all your pH issues and you will never have to worry about this!
The Best Nutrients For Beginners Are From Advanced Nutrients
The fact of the matter is that, no matter what you’re growing, the nutrients from Advanced Nutrients are the best nutrients for beginners (They’re also the best nutrients for professional growers too, but for different reasons that are beyond the scope of this article!).
How can we make such a bold statement?
Quite simply, it’s because all of Advanced Nutrients products are specifically designed for hydroponics growing. And they are the only nutrients to utilize scientific breakthroughs like pH Perfect Technology.
The fact is that Advanced Nutrients has spent many thousands of man-hours developing a technology that automatically balances your pH for you — putting it in the “sweet spot” and holds it there for weeks.
You can see more about pH Perfect Technology when you click here but the point is that for a beginner, again, the less variables the better. And utilizing the best nutrients in the world will only make your job easier.
Specifically, for the types of herbs we’re recommending on this page for beginners, we recommend using pH Perfect Sensi Grow A & B because you don’t actually want the herbs to bloom (because that could make them bitter).
Getting started with hydroponics
https://www.squaremilefarms.com/post/how-to-build-your-own-hydroponic-system-a-beginners-guide
Are you interested in hydroponics or growing from home but don’t know where to start? Do you want to make your own system by up-cycling materials from your home? Growing hydroponically at home has lots of benefits: a regular supply of fresh, nutritious produce will certainly save you from making lots of trips to the supermarket!
There are a lot of different hydroponic systems, (check out my previous blog explaining them). In this blog we are going to cover the simplest one to understand. I’m going to explain how a Deep Water Culture hydroponic system works and how you can build one for yourself in no time at all.
What is the best hydroponic system for beginners?
Deep Water Culture (DWC) is the easiest type of hydroponic system that you can build and maintain at home. In this system, the plants grow with their roots submerged directly in nutrient-rich water. For home growers, this can be achieved by growing in large opaque storage containers or buckets. Commercial growers use rafts which float on a large bed of water; these work like a conveyor belt with young plants added on one side, they will move along until ready for harvest at the other side.
A Deep Water Culture System
The lack of moving parts or recirculating water makes DWC systems relatively simple and cheap to build. The water in DWC systems does not recirculate, it remains sitting in the reservoir for the entire duration of the plant’s life. This means you must aerate the water to replenish oxygen that is used by the roots.
In soil, air pore spaces provide the much needed oxygen for roots and in recirculating hydroponic systems, water is aerated in the process of being pumped around. We can remedy this in a DWC system by using an air pump with an air stone attached (used in fish tanks) to ensure the water remains oxygen rich.
What can I grow in my DWC system?
The best crops to grow in DWC systems are Lettuce, Kale, Chard, Bok Choy, Basil and Parsley. These are all plants which are not too top-heavy. In DWC systems the roots are not well anchored and that means growing tall plants like tomatoes can be difficult, if you do grow them, you’ll need the right supports to keep the plant upright.
How to make a DWC hydroponic system at home
Materials:
Storage container or bucket
Net pots
Airpump with air stone
Hard Water Liquid Nutrients (A & B)
pH Down
pH meter
Measuring beaker
Pipettes
Hole saw with arbor
Drill
Method:
1. Find a suitable container for the system
Many find that deeper storage containers and buckets work well for these systems because the deeper the reservoir of water,
the more stable the nutrient solution will be. Fluctuations in nutrient concentration and pH are more likely in smaller reservoirs, you will also have to top up the water more regularly.
Light should not be able to penetrate your container, otherwise there is a high risk that algae will grow in your water. I used this 55l opaque storage container which we had leftover from a previous project. In retrospect, I would have preferred to use a deeper container but for my purposes of growing leafy greens this will work fine.
2. Drill holes into the lid of the container
The plants will grow in net pots, these are pots with plenty of holes for roots to grow through. The next step is to drill holes into the lid of the container where the net pots will sit. This requires the only specialist tool you’ll need in this build, a hole saw, these are quite affordable and easy to use. The size of net pots you use must be larger than the hole so they don’t fall through.
If you’re using a wider container like mine, you can drill multiple holes. It’s important to plan carefully here: I kept the holes 15cm apart to accommodate for the size of the mature plants. If you’re using a 20l bucket, I advise drilling one hole in the centre to make a single plant system (they’re great for growing something larger like tomatoes or courgettes).
Pro-Tip: Place some wood below your lid when you drill your holes, this will prevent the saw jolting and breaking the plastic.
Net Pot
Hole Saw
Holes in the container lid
3. Assemble your air pump
The air pump must remain outside of the reservoir. It will come with a check valve, this ensures that the pump does not suck water back up if it is turned off. If it does not come with one, you must keep the pump above the water level.
Connect the air stone and check valve with a length of tubing, ensuring the arrow on the check valve faces the air stone. Then connect the check valve to the air pump in the same manner.
4. Fill the reservoir, add nutrients and adjust the pH
The system can be quite heavy when full, so make sure you decide where your container will live before filling it up! Fill it almost full with water, leaving 1-2cm of space at the top.
Next you need to add your hydroponic nutrients to the water, following the instructions on your bottle. Mine advised me to add 2ml per litre of each A and B nutrients; using a measuring cup I added 110ml of each into my 55l container.
We also need to adjust the pH of the water. Using a pH meter, measure the pH; tap water will be anywhere from 6.5-7.5 pH.
Most vegetables and herbs require a slightly acidic nutrient solution.
You can bring the pH down to 5.5-6.5 with drops of phosphoric acid using a pipette (commercially sold as ‘pH Down’ for hydroponic use). Wear gloves when handling pH down and remember to mix the solution well after application.
5. Assemble the system
Plug in the air pump and place the air stone in the reservoir. Secure the lid on top and you’re almost finished.
Adding your plants is simple, I placed some plants grown in rockwool plugs into the net pots. You can use seedlings grown in soil too but we advise using a medium that doesn't make a mess. Rockwool plugs or hydroton clay pellets are a cleaner solution.
How do I maintain my hydroponic system?
All done! Now for some maintenance must-dos.
Simple homemade hydroponic systemSimple homemade hydroponic system
My DWC Hydroponic System in Action
It's very important to ensure the water level doesn’t drop too much, especially when the plants are young. As long as the water has sufficient contact with the roots they should grow well.
Keep an eye on the pH levels by checking it every time you top up water.
I use an old 2L water bottle to top up my water so I know exactly how much water I am adding. For every 2L of water I use, I add 4ml of each A & B nutrient into the reservoir.
Clean the reservoir and replace it with fresh water every 14-21 days.
Additional Tips
How to sow seeds directly into your DWC system
If you don’t have a way of propagating young seedlings, you can directly sow seeds so they germinate in the system.
To do this, place a rockwool plug into a net pot and place a seed or two into the plug. Ensure that the plug does not dry up at all or this could affect germination.
How to grow cuttings in your DWC system
You can also experiment with growing herb cuttings, I tried it with a mint cutting using a foam collar. It’s a sponge cylinder with a slit down the middle which you can wedge seedlings or cuttings into, I got mine free with the net pots.
I cut a mint stem under a leaf node, and then removed the bottom leaves and placed it into the foam collar and then net pot. Placing a bottomless plastic bottle over the cutting is advised to prevent it drying up.
Final thoughts
So that is how you can build a simple hydroponic system for yourself at home. You may already have some of the materials in your home right now, an old storage container or bucket can be repurposed in a worthy effort to start growing from home. If you don’t have a lid, you can cut holes out of a sheet of polystyrene packaging for plants to grow from.
When you’re first getting into hydroponics, the complexity of some of the systems on the market can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend starting simple, a DWC system gives beginners an opportunity to do this. They are low maintenance and can be placed anywhere that has sufficient light, indoors or outdoors.
How to Start a Hydroponic Garden?
How to Start a Hydroponic Garden?
I live in a zone where the soil is not perfect to grow plants but I am a green lover and can not live without plant babies. Is there any alternative for me to grow plants in my region? How can I do that?