Hydroponics By Annie Potter

Hydroponics is the process of growing plants by exposing their roots to a nutrient- rich water solution instead of soil, usually inside of a greenhouse. What is it?

Examples Six Types of Hydroponic Systems . Examples Six Types of Hydroponic Systems Drip System: You simply drip nutrient solution on the plants roots to keep them moist. Ebb-Flow(Flood & Drain): Flooding the plants root system with nutrient solution. N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique): While there are a lot of different ways to design an N.F.T. system, but they all have the same characteristic of a very shallow nutrient solution cascading downward through the tubing.

Examples continued… Six Types of Hydroponic Systems continued Water Culture: The plant is suspended in baskets right above the nutrient solution in the reservoir. Aeroponics: Roots hang mid air to gain maximum amount of oxygen and get sprayed with nutrient solution. Wick System: It wicks up nutrient solution from the reservoir to the plants using the process of capillary action.

Pros Pros: Grow anywhere. You don’t need fertile ground Water can be reused Reduces nutrient leaching No pesticides Year round Grows faster Less labor

Cons Cons: Expensive More supervision Hydroponic systems affected by power outages Requires cleaner water Waterborne diseases spread quickly