What is Hydroponic Gardening?

What is hydroponic gardening?

Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without the use of soil. This technique is widely employed to cultivate vibrant indoor plants as well as high-quality vegetables, fruits, and herbs. In hydroponics, plants absorb nutrients as simple ions in water. Typically, in traditional gardening, nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, and the plant roots absorb them. However, in hydroponic gardening soil becomes unnecessary as long as the plants receive the right nutrients. This process makes it possible for plants to thrive, even in an entirely soilless environment.

One of the key advantages of hydroponics is the controlled environment it offers. Indoor gardeners can carefully manage the essential factors for plant growth, including light, temperature, water, carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen, pH levels, and nutrients. By regulating these conditions, an indoor hydroponic system allows plants to grow efficiently and healthily. With proper care and attention, hydroponic gardening can yield impressive results, often surpassing traditional soil-based gardening in terms of plant growth and health.

Hydroponic systems come in various forms, but one of the simplest methods is the "Deep Water" system. In this technique, the roots are directly exposed to a nutrient-rich solution. A small air pump is used to oxygenate the solution, ensuring that the plants receive the oxygen they need to grow. In this method, gardeners need to monitor the pH levels and water levels regularly, typically every other day, and change the nutrient solution every 7 to 12 days. Timers are often used to automate the lighting and watering cycles.

Another popular hydroponic method is the Ebb & Flow or Flood & Drain system. In this technique, the plant's roots and growing mediums, such as Rockwool, are periodically soaked in a nutrient solution. The system operates on a timed cycle, making it easy to grow plants in small spaces. Similar to the Ebb & Flow method, Deep Water Culture (DWC) allows the roots to hang down into an aerated nutrient solution. In this case, standard aquarium pumps and air stones are used to keep the solution oxygenated, and the system must be regularly topped up to ensure the roots are adequately submerged.

Drip feeding is another hydroponic technique, where a continuous trickle of nutrient-rich water is delivered to the plant's roots. This method works similarly to Ebb & Flow, but instead of soaking the roots periodically, emitters provide a steady stream of nutrients for about 5 to 10 minutes every hour. This ensures that the plants receive a consistent supply of water and nutrients, promoting steady and healthy growth.

In Wick feeding, the plant draws water from a nutrient solution through a wick that runs from the base of the plant container to a reservoir. Through capillary action, the nutrient solution travels up to the plant's roots, providing the necessary nutrients for growth. Another method, called Raft cultivation, involves floating plants in a shallow tank of nutrient solution, with the roots hanging down through holes in polystyrene sheets. The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) involves a thin film of nutrients flowing over the plant roots, while Aeroponics suspends the roots in a mist of nutrient-rich solution.

Various growing mediums can be used in hydroponic systems, depending on the method and the plants being grown. Common mediums include expanded clay, Rockwool, Coco coir, Perlite, Vermiculite, and Oasis root cubes. As concerns about chemical contamination in the food supply grow, more people are turning to hydroponics as a safer and more controlled alternative to traditional farming. This method allows gardeners to have full control over the growing environment, making it a popular and efficient choice for many.

However, there are a few CONs (disadvantages) to hydroponics, so let me mention them here. Regards to hydroponic farming, there are some pretty meaty costs when it comes to installation. In other words, the plumbing necessary for setting up a hydroponic farm is not cheap, and you will find it necessary to test your growing solution/the water frequently. The learning curve for hydroponic farming is steep because small errors can doom a whole crop.

Hydroponic farming depends on a system that is susceptible to power outages and equipment failure that can kill some plants within hours. If you can map out a way to circumvent some of the problem spots mentioned here above, hydroponics offers a sustainable, efficient, and clean method of growing plants, whether for personal or commercial use. With the proper knowledge and equipment, hydroponic systems can provide fresh, high-quality produce while using less water and space compared to traditional gardening. As technology and interest in sustainable farming practices advance, hydroponics continues to gain popularity among farmers and gardeners.

Reasons to grow your own Fruit and Vegetables

  

Having your own vegetable patch or fruit garden was once commonplace, over the years, however, growing your own food fell out of favor as the food industry became more commercial and supermarkets began to dominate the end of the food supply chain. I can still remember the trip down south when I was a kid, to my mother's home state of Texas, and meeting my relative there for the first time and the smells and taste of the fresh food there. 

To this day I can still remember how wonderful the fresh food tasted to my young developing taste buds and how cool it was to be able to take fresh fruits and nuts right off the tree and enjoy them. It was a big deal for a city kid like me. I returned from that trip to my bowls of cereal and TV-dinners and plenty of other processed foods; for a good part of my existence, processed foods were a staple in my life. 

In recent years, however, more and more people have started to explore growing their own produce again and I'm happy to say that I am amongst those dedicating a good part of my countertop acreage to grow their own food and I came up with what I think are 5 good reasons why you might consider starting your own kitchen garden. 

My fruit trees are of the potted variety (dwarf fruit trees to be exact) And while it would be nice to do, I am not suggesting you replace all of the food you eat with your own homegrown choices. At this point in my indoor farming experimentation, I only hope to grow a few of the fruits and herbs I usually pay for, and of the 5 good reasons for growing your own fruit and veggies reason number one is!

Freshness is the first reason to start growing your own fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables taste better and are healthier if eaten as soon as possible after picking. Most fruit you buy from supermarkets and the like is picked well before it is properly ripe, to extend shelf life, and that usually has an impact on flavor. Growing your own lets you taste the freshest possible produce as it's meant to taste, reason number two!

 

The second reason for growing your own fruits and veggies is quality.  Commercially grown crops are often selected for their high yields, uniform appearance, and long shelf life rather than for quality and taste and I wouldn't be surprised if there was even a process to try and chemically replace some of the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables lost in the above process based on some of the chemical additives I have read on processed food labeling. When you grow your own, you can concentrate on the quality rather than economics, which is what I hope to do, my third reason is the price!

 

A lot of supermarket fresh produce is hugely overpriced, in my opinion, despite the advertising claims. Growing your own from seed is about as inexpensive as you can get, and even growing from small plants you buy is likely to provide you better food at a lower cost, especially when it comes to herbs. With many plants, you can use the seed from one growing season to provide plants for the next creating your own planting base circle of life and a self-sustaining cycle that will cost you only time and effort to keep going, reason number four is provenance.

 

More and more people have concerns about how our food is processed, and with chemical pesticides and genetically modified organisms or (GMOs) in the food we eat I can honestly say that I share this particular worry but with your own vegetable patch, you know exactly where your food is from and how it was grown. My fifth and final reason is variety.

 

There are literally thousands of different varieties of fruit and vegetables, but supermarkets tend to concentrate on only the most profitable and easy to sell. This means that our choice is often limited to a few select varieties of avocados or apple, for example, rather than the hundreds of traditional kinds that exist. Growing your own lets you pick the varieties you like the most, and experiment to find new ones you will rarely see on sale in your local supermarket.

 

When it comes to fruit and vegetable variety I have been experimenting with plant grafting techniques in an attempt to see if I can grow a special variety of cherry or lemon from my full-grown cherry tree and my draft lemon tree. So far not much luck but none of my plant patients have died. If someday you should hear of and apple-cherry-plumb fruit, it just might come from me, Dr. Hankenstein.

 

On a more serious note, I should point out that there can be a downside to growing your own fruits and veggies. I don't find the work to be hard but it is rather continuous, meaning it will take some time and effort especially if you're a beginner and decide to pick up some seed and give the above a try.

In these increasingly busy times, we might not think we have the time to spare, but starting small with a few herb plants on a windowsill, or perhaps the odd tomato plant, could give you a taste of growing your own food that just might be enough to hook you into growing your own peppers, onions, or grapes for life!

Flower Pot Herbs

It’s not exactly fast food, in fact, it could take most of the summer to get your herbs to the point you can begin harvesting them but I thought it was well worth the wait. With only the most rudimentary of tools, a little space on my kitchen counter and some unsaturated elbow grease, I sat up my own countertop herbal garden indoors and start growing herbs in pots for beginners.

Indoors or out gardening is a rewarding hobby. It was nice to see the beauty of my herbs take root, and begin to grow all summer long. For me, it was a joy to fulfill one of my favorite wishes to grow my own herbs. My plan originally was not to grow them indoors but everything worked out so well I ended up being glad that I did. Oregano, Sage, Parsley, Cilantro/Coriander, Tarragon, Mint, and Rosemary were my herbs of choice.

An indoor gardener can grow his or her own herbs, making it as simple or complicated as he would like. In many ways the oregano is like me, it doesn't tolerate the winters very well, but oregano does very well on your kitchen countertop. Oregano can grow just as well from cuttings or seed I found out.  Sage makes a great indoor plant whether you live in a hot, or cold climate.  Parsley grows best from seed and its ability to withstand a wide range of temperatures makes Parsley a good indoor herb to grow too.

My next flower pot contained cilantro some times called coriander it's best grown from seed. You need to make sure the seed germinates quickly so it's a good idea to cut the seed for cilantro in half I learned. It only took about one week to see my cilantro growing, and it is one of those herbs you can grow all year round. Tarragon can tolerate frost very well when it's grown outside so countertop gardening with Tarragon is a breeze when it came to temperature consideration. Mint grows well from the root, or cutting I used the root method. Mint tastes great in drinks or tea, it dies back in winter, but for the rest of the time mint grows like a weed. Placing a rosemary cutting in water until the roots sprouted, which seemed almost immediately, in a day or two so less than 4 days later it was ready to be planted in my countertop flower pot and my countertop garden was complete. There are a few things you should consider when thinking about gardening indoors.

The first consideration when growing herbs indoors is light, in my kitchen, the plants on my countertop were situated right next to the window and since they were in pots I could rotate the seedling or sprouts that needed the light the most. When the weather changes even when placed next to a window overcast, and clouds can still cut down on the light your plants need so it's a good idea to have a grow light standing by just in case you live in an area where the sun can disappear for days at a time.

The next consideration is to try and figure out what plants you want to cook with? What are your favorite herbs? Do a little research or question the people at Home Depot, or the Nursery you go to about the herbs you want to grow and try to learn how each of the herbs you want to grow need to be treated when it comes to watering, feeding with fertilizer, and tending to with regard to different pest who also love the herbs in your indoor garden. You can even learn which herbs to plant together. I chose not to grow my herbs in 4-inch pots and used a little over foot long pots so I could grow more than only one herb in each flower pot, for example, my mint and oregano roomed together a move that overall did save me some countertop space.

I even found it fun figuring out which ceramic herb pots to use for the kitchen because of all the extra information I collected from the gardening experts. You'll need potting soil and some organic water-soluble fertilizer to feed your plants every 10 to 14 days. A few hand tools for digging and working your mini-countertop-farm potting soil, I also added a pair of rubber gloves for the days I don't feel like getting my fingers dirty. Be careful not to over water your plants make sure your pots have holes in the bottom to allow water to drain and not collect in the bottom of the flower pot and you should be off to a good start.

Growing your own Food

Some Reasons To Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables

Not long ago I decided to join people returning to the old tradition of growing their own produce. Now based on the acres necessary and the suburban area I find myself living in I could never hope to accomplish what my southern relative once was able to do, namely, self-sufficiently producing all their own fruit and vegetables, even preserving some of their fruit crop with the process called canning so that even out of season fruits could sometime still be had. I decided to restrict my indoor/outdoor farming to a small mobile herb patch land. I plan to maintain an herb garden so that I can also enjoy certain herbs, all year round. Why is growing our own food becoming popular again, and why should you start your own food garden? Well here are a few things to think about.

Let's do this!

It's sometimes hard to believe that having your own vegetable patch or fruit garden was once commonplace but fell out of favor as the food industry grew more commercial and supermarkets began to take charge. More recently, however, more and more people (myself included) have started to explore growing their own produce again. So the following are some reasons why you might want to join us and even think about starting your own kitchen garden.

You can't beat the freshness

To me, fruits and vegetables always taste better when eaten as soon as possible after picking. You can't beat the freshness or all of the health benefits that come from fresh fruit. The fruit from supermarkets is often picked well before it is properly ripe, to extend shelf life, and this usually has an impact on flavor. Growing your own fruits and veggies lets you taste the freshest possible produce as it's meant to taste.

You can't beat the Quality

Commercially grown crops are often selected for their uniform appearance and high yields rather than for quality and taste. Growing your own produce lets you concentrate on the quality rather than the economic quantity.

What about the price?

A lot of supermarket fresh produce is incredibly overpriced, in spite of their advertising claims. Raising your own produce from a seed is about as inexpensive as you can get, even the small plants you buy at the nursery are likely to provide you with better food at a lower cost. With a lot of plants, you can use the seeds from one growing season to provide you with plants for the next in a self-sustaining cycle making you total cost only your time and effort to keep going.

Provenance

With chemical pesticides and GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms), from genetically engineered food more and more people have concerns about how our food is produced. Growing your own vegetable patch means you know exactly where your food is from and how it was grown.

Expand your produce variety

Supermarkets tend to concentrate on only the most profitable and easy to sell fruits and vegetable even though there are literally thousands of different varieties of fruit and vegetables to choose from to grow in your garden. For as long as I can remember fruit from the supermarket has always been limited to a few select varieties of apple, for example, rather than the hundreds of traditional kinds that exist. You pick the varieties you like most when you grow your own herbs and produce, and experiment to find new ones you'll rarely see in the supermarket.

The only downside to all of the above is that it takes time and effort. I had to overcome the thought that I might not have the time to spare, and starting small with a few herb plants on my windowsill, my little herb farm has grown to a multi-mini-acres spread that laid end-to-end would extend almost to the end of my kitchen table. My plants are healthy and still growing. Growing your own produce can be easier than you think and give you a taste of reconnecting to the earth by growing your own lemons, peppers, apples or corn and like me; the experience just might be enough to hook you into growing your own food for life!