Hydroponic Techniques

Hydroponic Techniques

The two main types of hydroponics are solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture does not use a solid medium for the roots, just the nutrient solution. The three main types of solution cultures are static solution culture, continuous-flow solution culture and aeroponics. The medium culture method has a solid medium for the roots and is named for the type of medium, e.g., sand culture, gravel culture, or rockwool culture. There are two main variations for each medium, sub-irrigation and top irrigation. For all techniques, most hydroponic reservoirs are now built of plastic, but other materials have been used including concrete, glass, metal, vegetable solids, and wood. The containers should exclude light to prevent algae growth in the nutrient solution. Aeroponics Bubbleponics. NFT Deep water culture (DWC) Ebb and flow  or Flood and drain. Fogponics. Passive sub-irrigation. Rotary hydroponic garden. Run to waste. Static solution culture.

Hydroponics

Hydroponic is a subset of hydro-culture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as Coco peat, perlite, gravel, mineral wool, expanded clay pebbles or coconut husk. Researchers discovered in the 18th century that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching. Advantages of Hydroponics. Some of the reasons why hydroponics is being adapted around the world for food production are the following: The growth rate on Hydroponic plant it 30 to 50 percent faster than a soil plant. No soil is needed for hydroponic. The water stays in the system and can be reused - thus, a lower water requirement. It is possible to control the nutrition levels in their entirety - thus, lower nutrition requirements. No nutrition pollution is released into the environment because of the controlled system. Stable and high yields. Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of than in soil because of the container's mobility. Ease of harvesting. No pesticide damage. Plants grow healthier. It is better for consumption. Today, hydroponics is an established branch of agronomy. Progress has been rapid, and results obtained in various countries have proved it to be thoroughly practical and to have very definite advantages over conventional methods of horticulture. There are two chief merits of the soil-less cultivation of plants.  First, hydroponics may potentially produce much higher crop yields.  Also, hydroponics can be used in places where in-ground agriculture or gardening are not possible. Disadvantages Without soil as a buffer, any failure to the hydroponic system leads to rapid plant death. Other disadvantages include pathogen attacks such as damp-off due to Verticillium wilt caused by the high moisture levels associated with hydroponics and over watering of soil based plants. Also, many hydroponic plants require different fertilizers and containment systems. For more information on hydroponics please visit www.radongrow.com

Hydroponic Nutrients.

Hydroponic Nutrients

Plant nutrients used in hydroponics are dissolved in the water and are mostly in inorganic and ionic form.  Primary among the dissolved cations (positively charged ions) are  Ca2+ (calcium),  Mg2+ (magnesium), and  K+ (potassium);  the major nutrient anions in nutrient solutions are  NO− 3 (nitrate),   SO2− 4 (sulfate), and  H 2PO− 4 (dihydrogen phosphate). Numerous 'recipes' for hydroponic solutions are available. Many use different combinations of chemicals to reach similar total final compositions. Commonly used chemicals for the macro nutrients include potassium nitrate, Potassium sulfate, ammonium sulfate , Di ammonium Phosphate  calcium nitrate, Calcium sulphate, potassium phosphate, and magnesium sulfate. Various micro nutrients are typically added to hydroponic solutions to supply essential elements; among them are Fe (iron), Mn (manganese), Cu (copper), Zn (zinc), B (boron), Cl (chlorine), and Ni (nickel).  Chelating agents are sometimes used to keep Fe soluble, and humic acids can be added to increase nutrient uptake.       Plants will change the composition of the nutrient solutions upon contact by depleting specific nutrients more rapidly than others, removing water from the solution, and altering the pH by excretion of either acidity or alkalinity. Care is required not to allow salt concentrations to become too high, nutrients to become too depleted, or pH to wander far from the desired value. The well-oxygenated and enlightened environment promotes the development of algae. It is therefore necessary to wrap the tank with black film obscuring all light.