Home & Garden Do It Yourself

Hydroponic Diy - Choose A System That Is Right For You

There are several systems for hydroponic DIY.  The most important factor is going to be the amount of money you want to invest and if you want to stay organic.  The following description of hydroponic DIY systems will help you choose which one is right for you.

1. Hydroponic DIY with Deep Water Culture
Also known as the reservoir method is the easiest of all the at home hydroponic DIY. Plant containers simply sit down in a reservoir of nutrient solution. There is also an aquarium air pump that allows the roots to get oxygen. This is the best choice for organic hydroponics growing system. The one thing to be careful about with this system is to be sure that light does not hit the nutrient solution. If it does you could end up with an algae problem that will take all the nutrients that your plants need to grow.

2. Flood and Drain Systems
Also called the ebb and flow hydroponic DIY system. Plants sit in their own container separate from the nutrient reservoir. A pump allows the solution to soak the plant roots occasionally and then the solutions drains back into a reservoir. What type of media you choose will depend upon how often you flood the plant roots. The parts and functions of this hydroponic DIY system also make it a good choice for organic, indoor hydroponic growing system..

3. Hydroponic DIY with Aeroponic Systems

In these hydroponic DIY growing systems, a container holds several gallons of nutrient solution. Spray heads are used to soak the container with a fine mist as the plant roots hang down in the container. There is no growing medium used in this method. The individual parts can be expensive and the spray nozzles will often clog if you use anything besides hydroponics fertilizer. This method is not for you, if you are looking to grow organically.

4. Hydroponic DIY with Drip Systems
The plants are again in their own tray, separate from the nutrient reservoir. A pump pushes the nutrient solution through tubes. Each plant is fed by the dripping tube from the top. You will need a fast draining medium like clay pellets for this method, unless you are using slow emitters. Once again there can be issues with clogging and it can be difficult to control the flow. A hydroponic DIY system like this will more than likely work poorly and it can get expensive. Also, organic nutrients will clog up the emitter, so this will not work well if you are trying to go organic.

Whichever hydroponic DIY you choose there is additional information you will need to be aware of before starting your garden.  There are some common problems that can be avoided and little known tricks that will help you succeed with your hydroponic DIY project.

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