FAQs
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. There are 6 different types of hydroponics to choose from:
- Drip System- water is dripped onto the plants slowly but consistently.
- Ebb & Flow- the containers are flooded and then drained periodically with a timer.
- Wick System- a string from the water to the plant roots pulls the water up to the roots.
- Deep Water Culture (DWC)- plant roots are immersed in water continually.
- Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)- nutrients are continually flowing past the plant roots.
- Aeroponics- a nutrient rich mist is sprayed onto the plant roots in a timed cycle.
Tower type gardens might use an aeroponic or NFT mechanism for feeding the plants, while Bucket gardens will use DWC, Drip or Ebb and Flow methods to hydrate and fertilize the plants. Tabletop gardens tend to use Wick or DWC, but Shelf gardens might use DWC, Ebb & Flow or NFT.
How do the plants grow without soil?
Roots and plants need a structure to give support for growth. In the absence of soil, a substrate or growing media is used instead. These media can be clay pebbles, rockwool, coconut coir/chips, vermiculite, perlite, or peatmoss. These growing media do not supply anything other than support to the plants. The plants and their growing media are put into net baskets and then placed into openings in the garden systems. Nutrients added to the water which circulates around the plant roots provides the building blocks for growth.
What are Air Stones and why are they important?
Plant roots need oxygen to perform their functions so an air stone and air pump produce the oxygen for the plant especially for those in a Deep Water Culture or Ebb and Flow system. Air Stones work with pumps to diffuse bubbles into the nutrient solution which creates circulation in the water. This helps the plants to absorb nutrients and oxygen better as well as ward off root diseases.
