How to Start a Hydroponic Garden

Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil in a nutrient enriched liquid. This method of gardening is sometimes preferred over conventional soil because the gardener maintains control over the nutrients and oxygen the plant receives, which leads to faster growth. Professional growers invest thousands of dollars in hydroponic gardening systems; but you can start your own hydroponic garden at home with minimal investment. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• Hydroculture pot
• Marbles or gravel
• Vermiculite
• Rock wool
• Plastic
• Bubbler
• Hydroponic Solution
• pH test kit
• Styrofoam
• Cork

Instructions

1. Choose plants that grow well in hydroponic gardens. You can plant tomatoes and lettuce, which commonly grow in commercial hydroponic gardens. Peppers, herbs and cucumbers are also good choices.

2. Use a double-walled hydroculture pot, a ceramic container or an opaque glass container. You can display a single specimen in a colored-glass vase or a jar filled with marbles or decorative gravel.

3. Give hydroponically grown plants support. Use vermiculite, gravel or rock wool to anchor the roots. Alternatively, you can anchor the stems in a thin sheet of plastic and let the roots dangle freely.

4. Provide oxygen to plants grown in hydroponic gardens. A fish tank bubbler is sufficient for small gardens grown in tanks with less than a 50 gallon capacity.

5. Fertilize plants with a product specifically designed for hydroponics. This fertilizer provides the 13 micronutrients and macronutrients essential for growth. Monitor the pH of the solution with a pH test kit and maintain at a level of 6.0.

6. Allow the solution to drop to the lowest level of the roots occasionally to promote oxygenation. Change the hydroponic solution every 2 weeks to replenish nutrients.

7. Turn your aquarium into a hydroponic garden. The fish provide nutrients and the bubbler provides oxygen to the plants. Float a small piece of cork or Styrofoam on top of the aquarium, and let the roots filter through a hole or slit you cut in the floating island.

Resources

• Buy beginner's kits at Stealth Hydroponics.
• Buy supplies at Hydrofarm.