Hydroponic Gardening

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Hydroponics

• Hydroponics is growing plants without the use of soil.

• Instead plants are fed through a nutrient filled water solution.

Growing Hydroponically• Growing plants

hydroponically allows for a faster & larger production rate in small areas such as greenhouses, rooftops, classrooms, and homes.

• It also enables people to produce food where space, nutritious soil, and water are otherwise limited.

Hydroponic Benefits

• Hydroponically grown food has many benefits.

• Generally they taste better and have a greater nutritional value.

Hydroponic Benefits

• As the grower you have a greater impact on the properties of the food (i.e. pesticides).

• Hydroponically growing food also pollutes less because it reduces your food waste and usage of pesticides.

Methods

• There are a variety of hydroponic gardening methods, including:

• NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)• Ebb and Flow Method• Aeroponics• Wick Method• Drip Method• Water Culture

The NFT, and Ebb & Flow Methods• The NFT method streams a

thin coat of nutrient solution over the roots of the plants. It is most commonly used with professional hydroponic gardening kits.

• The ebb and flow method temporarily floods the roots of the plants then drains.

The Aeroponic, and Wick Methods

• The aeroponic method requires you to suspend your plants in mid-air while spraying the roots regularly.

• The wick method delivers the nutrient solution to the roots from a reservoir using wicks.

The Water Culture Method

• The water culture method holds plants in tray with their roots floating on a nutrient solution.

• This method is most popular with teachers for the classroom because it is inexpensive and easy to make.

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