Hydroponic Herb Gardening On The Roof
Hydroponic gardening is a method of gardening where your plants are grown in a nutrient solution suspended in water, rather than soil. Hydroponic gardening increases your yield per acre and can accelerate plant growth. For that reason, nearly all plants that are grown for research purposes are grown hydroponically. As you being to assemble your hydroponic gardening supplies, there is one item that you definitely will not need soil.
Research has shown that soil is not necessary to grow terrestrial plants, only the minerals that are stored within the soil. In nature, soil is the best way to store nutrients, but if you are willing to invest in hydroponic gardening supplies, you should find yourself with larger, healthier plants that grow in a shorter amount of time. Depending on the scale of your fine gardening endeavor, you should be able to find most of your hydroponic gardening supplies right in your own home.
The first thing that you will need to find is a container in which you will hold your water. Some people like to use Mason jars or buckets if they are doing it at home. However, there are more sophisticated systems available, and you are likely to get better results with them. First, you should look for a growing tray that allows your water to move and circulate around the roots of your plants.
You should also have a reservoir in which you keep a more concentrated mineral solution that will slowly mix with the water of your system. Attached to your growing tray, a key component of your hydroponic gardening supplies will be an air pump. This ensures that there is enough oxygen in the water, something your plants need.
Since you are more than likely growing your plants indoors, you should invest in a grow light that will give them an added boost of UV rays that they need to do photosynthesis. If you are growing a lot of plants in one room, you should consider getting some duct fans to keep the general air of the room in balance. Ozone generators provide much of the same type of service. All these components work to provide the healthiest environment for your fine gardening endeavors.
Choosing the right nutrient solution can be the most challenging part of picking your hydroponic gardening supplies. Every type of plant needs a slightly different mixture. Again, depending on what scale you are doing your gardening, you can either mix the solution by hand and add it to your jars or buckets with a dropper or scoop, or you can purchase a pre-mixed solution in bulk and put it in a reservoir that will automatically mix the nutrients for you.
As you begin your hydroponic gardening experience, you may need to experiment a little, but eventually you will find yourself growing plants that you never thought were possible.