What makes hydroponic systems different from traditional in-ground gardening is a soil-less growing medium. No dirt! All plants require support, to be held up. This basic requirement is dealt with by soil-less growing mediums which are inert, mostly non-organic materials.  Non- organic refers to the medium not being derived from living organisms (unlike soil- which is). There is a perplexing jumble of growing mediums available. Generally speaking, these mediums are porous, light, and coarse, allowing oxygen and nutrients easy access to the plants roots. Some of the most common are:

Coconut coir

This is produced from the husk that surrounds the coconut shell. Made up of millions of tiny micro-sponges, it can absorb and hold up to eight times its weight in water. It lasting three times as long as peat moss so is fairly sturdy. It is also called palm peat, coco, or just coir.  Some of the advantages are better water retention and aeration.  The disadvantages of coconut coir are its breakdown after several uses and some drainage issues.  It is often mixed with other media to improve drainage in hydroponic systems. (more…)

The most fulfilling part of gardening indoors is when you see your seeds start to grow. Once you see the  first shoot pop up from the seed you planted you will feel great happiness and excitement.

There are a number of things to think about, though, before this can happen.  You need to choose the growing medium carefully.  Soilless growing media gives you better transplants compared to mineral soils.

Next, the container. Whether it’s a peat pot, fiber block, plastic pots, trays, or any other planting container, make sure it provides drainage of excess water to keep your medium from staying too wet when watered.

The amount and source of light is next on the list. Six to eight hours is usually the ideal timeframe for direct sunlight. As for the source of sunlight, windowsills and basements don’t usually provide sufficient light. LED grow lights are now proving to be an ideal light source and a great investment.

The temperature to germinate the seeds depends on the type of plants you’re growing.  The seed packet is has all the information you need on that subject and should be read carefully.

If you are interested in starting an hydroponic garden, there are many solutions available to you.  You may be looking at a pre-made grow box or you want to design your own set-up.  Here is a little bit about how the hydroponic technique works.

At the heart of it, there are two basic methods for growing with hydroponics: solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture doesn’t use a solid medium for the plant roots to sit in, just the nutrient solution either continuously or periodically. Medium culture uses a media such as rock wool or expanded clay pellets to hold the plants and soak up or circulate the solution.

When you know which plants you want to grow, you should find out which method would suit them best.  Some are more likely to thrive in the nutrient/water situation while others will need the support of the rock wool or hydroton clay pellets.

Hydroton growing medium is an expanded clay pebble which is manufactured in Germany. While it is typically used as a growing medium for flowers and larger vegetables plants like peppers, growers of all kinds have found fantastic success from using hydroton.

One of the major advantages of hydroton is that it is a definite money saver. Unlike some hydroponic media that can wear away after a few growing seasons, or even after just a single growing season, you can use hydroton over and over again.  It will last virtually for as long as you grow hydroponically. All that is needed is to clean the pebbles thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide after each growing season and then give them a good rinse.