Hydroponic Grow Systems - article by TekF Articles

Although the writer of this article approaches the subject of hydroponic grow systems from a unique perspective, he makes it universal.

Ever since the Biblical times the time of Babylon to be precise we have already come up with a means to grow plants without need of soil. How else do you think the Hanging Gardens of Babylon remained hanging up there and still managed to wow people all over the ancient world? Simple: The Babylonians used a form of hydroponic grow system to keep the plants nutrient and water supply running.

Today, we dont have the Hanging Gardens anymore. But what we do have are miniature gardens that survive even indoors in a small apartment space. These gardens are no more than water tanks powered with an aeration system and a steady supply of nutrients through a formulaic solution. This is hydroponics for you, more popular known as soilless gardening.

Below are the different types of hydroponic grow systems currently in use:

The Wick Hydroponic Grow System

The Wick system is by far the simplest of hydroponic grow systems. Its main components are:

* Grow tray

* Growing medium

* Wick

Reading this article about hydroponic grow systems is not guarantee youll become an expert, but its definitely a good start.

* Air pump

* Air stone

* Reservoir

The wick system is a passive system, which means that there are no moving parts. The nutrient solution is placed inside a reservoir, which is really nothing more than a water tank or an old aquarium you no longer use. The growing medium can be anything from perlite, vermiculite, pro mix or even coconut fiber.

The writer of this article makes hydroponic grow systems more accessible to the average reader than most writers.

In order to draw the nutrient solution into the growing medium where the plants are, a piece of straw or tube called a wick is used. The air pump is placed just outside the water tank and is used to pump air into the air stone, which produces bubbles containing oxygen necessary for the plant roots to survive.

Because of its inherent simplicity, this hydroponic grow system is the commonest type of system used by home gardeners. You can even fashion your own wick system from old containers and aquarium devices so you dont need to purchase anything besides the nutrient solution.

The biggest drawback of this hydroponic grow system, however, is that large plants or those that use large amounts of water may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wick can supply it.

This article provides valuable information on hydroponic grow systems even for those already knowledgeable about the subject.

Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponic Grow System

Often abbreviated to N.F.T., this hydroponic grow system is the kind of system most people think of when they think about hydroponics. N.F.T. systems are typically composed of the following:

* Grow tray (tube)

The writer of this article makes hydroponic grow systems more accessible to the average reader than most writers.

* Nutrient pump

* Reservoir

* Air stone

* Air pump

This hydroponic grow system has a constant flow of nutrient solution so no timer for the submersible pump is required. The growing tray, usually a tube, is pumped full of nutrient solution, which flows over the roots of the plants, and then drains back into the reservoir.

Usually, this hydroponic grow system does not use growing medium other than air. This thus saves you the expense of replacing the growing medium after every crop. Normally, the plant is supported in a small plastic basket with the roots dangling into the nutrient solution.

This article raises several interesting questions about hydroponic grow systems.

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