Hydroponics by Green Ray Hydroponics

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Hydroponics

A soil-less approach of

gardening.

Green Ray Hydroponics



Hydroponics - Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil.

Instead of nutrients in the soil, plants thrive on a nutrient solution which contains the

minerals that the plants need. So, rather than searching throughout the soil for minerals,

your plants are able to get nutrients easily, directly from the nutrient solution. Grow

media -- such as gravel, peat, vermiculite, Perlite, coco, old rubber tires, rockwool or expanded clay aggregates -- is often used to support the plants and their root systems

and perhaps to hold moisture around the roots. The growing medium is not a source of

nutrients in itself.

Why grow hydroponically?

Hydroponic gardening is an easy, environmentally sound way to grow a wide variety

of healthy plants. It offers numerous benefits including:

y Plants grow up to 50% faster than in soil because they have easy access to

food and water.

y It is possible to garden indoors all year round

y Nutrients are directly available to plants and don't get bound up

y Little or no pesticides are necessary. Plants start out in a disease-free

medium.

y Smaller containers can be used because the roots can grow without being

root bound

y Gardening is possible where it would not be normally e.g. poor soil, rocky

areas, even balconies. With the use of artificial lighting it is even possible tosuccessfully garden in a spare room or garage.

y Less labor is required than growing in soil because no digging or weeding is

required.

y Since plants do not need to compete for nutrients, more can be grown in a

smaller area.

y The increased control over growing conditions makes it easier to provide the

best possible environment for plants, leading to better quality produce and

higher yields.

y Fast growing healthy plants grown by hydroponic methods are more resistant

to pests and diseases.

y You will also notice improved flavor and texture in hydroponically grown fruit

and veggies



General Advantages

Higher crop yield

Less water required

Possibility to grow crops outside of climate

No need for crop rotation

Continual growth throughout the year

Little risk of weeds or parasites

Possibility exists to grow outside of our atmosphere

General Disadvantages

Cost (initial, cost to run)

Higher maintenance (constant supervision, pH testing, lighting

adjustments)

Requires specialized knowledge and equipment



System Types

There are two types of hydroponics systems for delivering the nutrient

solution:

Passive

Active

Passive Systems:

Basic

Easier to set up for the novice gardener

Require materials that retain moisture longer (i.e..vermiculite

and sand)

Portable, simple, inexpensive

Ideal for starting seeds, root cuttings and experimental

purposes

Common types:

1. Wick system



Wick System

Wicks anchored in a medium stretch down to a reservoir and draw solution upward to

reach the roots.

Disadvantage

Plants do not grow to full maturity because of limited aeration and root zone volume.

The Water Culture System

The Water Culture System is the simplest of all active hydroponic systems.

The platform that holds the plants is usually made of Styrofoam and floats

directly on the nutrient solution. An air pump supplies air to the air stone that

bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots of the plants.

Water culture is the system of choice for growing leaf lettuce, which are fast

growing water loving plants, making them an ideal choice for this type of

hydroponic system. Very few plants other than lettuce will do well in this type of



system. This type of hydroponic system is great for the classroom and is popular

with teachers.

A very inexpensive system can be made out of an old aquarium or other water

tight container.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback of this kind of system is that it doesn¶t work well with large

plants or with long-term plants.

Active Systems

Uses pumps and other devices to pour the solution into the system and gravity to

drain off the excess to be reused.

Require mediums that drain rapidly, such as smooth gravel

Types of Active Systems

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Ebb & Flow

Top Feed

Aeroponics

Sub- Aeration



Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

NFT uses little or no medium and uses a continuous solution flow over the roots

Can produce large- scale crops cheaply in parts of the world where soil quality is

poor

NFT can produce 106 times more lettuce annually on a 2 1/2 acre operation than

by conventional farming

Disadvantages

The greatest problem facing NFT has been root die back caused by inadequate

oxygen in the area around the root system

This causes water stress which causes wilting and blossom end rot of fruit crops

such as tomatoes.

This system is susceptible to equipment failure and problems arise due to

support of the plant



Drip Systems

Drip systems use pumps to carry the solution to the medium, and gravity to drain

it back to a reservoir

These are reliable, require low maintenance and can withstand short term

equipment failure because of the growing medium

They are suitable for large scale growing of all types of plants

Disadvantages

A disadvantage of this system is that it is expensive and difficult to set up

Top feed systems can use a variety of growing mediums and are available in a

wide range of configurations



Ebb & Flow

The most popular system due to its low maintenance and low cost

Utilizes a growing bed full of medium that is flooded with solution and allowed to

drain

Best suited for growing seedlings, transplants and ornamental potted plants

Ebb & Flow

There is little risk of equipment failure because there is a growing medium that

retains water and allows oxygen to get to the roots

Ebb & Flow systems allow for uniform fill and complete drainage during the

irrigation cycle thus leading to uniformity in plant growth

This type of system can be made automatic with the use of computers



Aeroponics

Uses sprayers to bathe the roots with a nutrient -oxygen mist

Plants are artificially suspended

Used most widely in lab studies, but not for large-scale commercial use due to

expense of setup and maintenance.

NASA has experimented with the combination of Aeroponics and NFT in order to

conserve nutrients for the use of hydroponics in space

The chief advantage of this type of system is efficient utilization of greenhouse

space by arranging the plants vertically

Disadvantages

A disadvantage of Aeroponics is regulating the consistency of the sprayers to

assure constant nutrient flow.



The Nutrient Solution

The key to success of a hydroponics system

Contains various combos of nutrients specifically engineered to mimic those in

soil

Made up of: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur,

Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, Copper

Nitrogen- Production of leaves and growth of stem

Phosphorous- Development of flowers, fruits, leaves and stems and growth of

roots

Potassium- Used by cells during assimilation of energy

Calcium- Spurs root growth and helps plant absorb potassium

Magnesium- Helps distribute phosphorous throughout the plant

The Nutrient Solution

Sulfur- Heightens the effectiveness of phosphorous and used in the production of

energy

Iron- Important in the production of chlorophyll

Manganese- Aids in the absorption of nitrogen

Zinc- Necessary in the transfer of energy

Boron- Its purpose has not been determined

Copper- Needed in the production of chlorophyll



Growing Medium

Growing medium is used to lend support to the roots and plant

A variety of growing medium are utilized for their individual qualities in various

types of hydroponics systems

Growing Medium

A few popular examples of growing medium are:

± Sand

± Brick shards

± Vermiculite / Perlite

± Gravel

± Rockwool

± Sawdust

± Polyethylene Sheeting

The Future of Hydroponics

Advances in lighting technology

Use will expand to third world countries

Reduced cost



What is Hydroponics Vegetables Gardening?

The science of hydroponics refers to the process of growing vegetables or fruit, withoutusing actual soil. Despite the fact that all plants grow in soil naturally, it's actually not thebest environment for them. Soil can lack nutritious substances, water, it contains all

sorts of pests that put the vegetables health in danger and so forth. Using a hydroponicsvegetables gardening system on the other hand, will eliminate most of these problems,since you won't be growing these vegetables in soil, but in a nutritious substance thatmay vary with each system.

Benefits of Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening

Besides the actual benefit of eliminating all the problems that occur when a plant growsin soil, hydroponic vegetables gardening has a couple more aces up its sleeve. For example:

y A hydroponics vegetable system is easy to set up and even create from scratchy You will produce extremely nutritious vegetables

y Oftentimes, the size of the vegetables grown in a hydroponic system is increased

in comparison to vegetables grown in soil

y Besides being a nutritious source of food, a hydroponic vegetables system can

also make a great landscape décor

y It's a very rewarding and satisfying occupation from a personal and spiritual point

of view

The fact that you can grow your vegetables indoors is a tremendous benefit in its own.

Plants grown using hydroponics vegetable gardening systems don't even needsunshine, they can use the system's own light source for photosynthesis. So basically,your veggies will grow by their own life clock, regardless of the season or the time of theday outside. Besides allowing them to grow off-season, your system will also help thevegetables grow a lot faster then if they would be out in their natural environment.

Hydroponics by Green Ray Hydroponics

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