Hydroponic Systems
Hydroponics is another name for
soilless gardening, a technique that's actually been around
since the famous ancient world Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However, it wasn't
until the 1890s, when a group of  German scientists
developed nutrient formulas, that the technique was able to
gain popular appeal. Now, the method has even gone beyond mere
gardening with the use of water, to gardening with
the use of other medias than soil.
There are
six basic types of hydroponic systems: Wick, Water
Culture, Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), Drip (Recovery or
Non-Recovery), N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique), and
Aeroponic. You may have heard of other techniques besides
these mentioned, however, most of these are
likely variations of these six basic
types.
Wick Hydroponic
System
Considered the simplest hydroponic
system, the Wick system is a passive
system because it has no moving parts.
All you have to do is place a wick into the nutrient
solution contained in the reservoir. The wick draws the
solution into the growing medium, without need of any other
extraneous movements.
Besides the wick and the
reservoir, this hydroponic system can include the
following basic components:
• Grow
tray
• Growing medium
• Air
pump
• Airstone
This hydroponic system can
use a variety of growing medium, such as Perlite, Vermiculite,
Pro-Mix, and Coconut Fiber, among others. The biggest drawback
of this system is that large plants that use
large quanities of water may use up the nutrient solution
faster than the wick can supply it.
Water
Culture
Of all active hydroponic
systems, the water culture system is the simplest.
The components include the floating platform, the air line,
the airstone and the air pump. The platform serves as the
plant holders, keeping them in place even as their roots
dangle in the nutrient solution. An air pump outside the whole
tank keeps the air supply running by sending air to the air
stone which bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen
to the roots of the plants.
If you're growing leaf
lettuce, water culture is the hydroponic system of choice.
Lettuce grows fast and loves water, making it a great choice for this type
of hydroponic system. Very few plants, other than
lettuce, will do well in this type of
system.
Ebb and Flow
Sometimes called
the flood and drain, the ebb and flow hydroponic system works
by temporarily flooding the grow trail with nutrient solution and then
draining the solution back into the reservoir. This action is
normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a
timer.
When the timer turns the pump on, nutrient
solution is pumped into the grow tray. When the timer shuts
the pump off, the nutrient solution flows back into the
reservoir. The timer is set to come on several times a day,
depending on the size and type of plants, temperature, and
humidity, and the type of growing medium used.
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