Let us explain the advantages of soilless farming before we explain it in detail.
Advantages:
Faster growth
Extreme decrease in water and nutrient use
Controlled Environmental Agriculture
Independence on soil fertility
Location closer to consumer
Uses less space
What Is Hydroponics?
Hydro means water and ponos mean labor. It means growing plants in a solution of water and nutrients. A hydroponic system can grow vegetables and greens faster. Plants grown this way will yield more, conserve soil and water. What all you need to do is control factors like lighting, water quality, air circulation, and more. The easiest plants to start with are greens like lettuce, spinach; herbs like basil, oregano, cilantro, and mint; and fruiting plants like tomatoes, strawberries, and hot peppers.
Within hydroponics, there are several techniques for growth. You can choose any of the methods for growth.
1. Deep Water Culture
In this system, plants are placed in a styrofoam platform that floats on the reservoir with nutrient-enriched water. The roots are suspended in about 6 to 18 inches of a well-oxygenated nutrient solution until harvest. You will need a drill, rotary tool, or Exacto knife, air stone, and pump. If you want to start this at your place, you need to set up a water reservoir, aerate the water, set up your growing raft, and set up a light fixture if necessary.
2. Nutrient Film Technique
This technique uses channels or troughs, set up on a trail angle for drainage purposes, and running a shallow amount of water through roots. It can be done with time intervals or with a continuous flow. You will need a drill or a rotary tool, grow light, air stone and pump, two tubes, and one submersible pump. Materials needed are a tub for water reservoir, and hydroponic fertilizer, tube to fit seedlings. You should set up a water reservoir, connect the fill tube, drain pipe, and pump set the growing tray, and fix light if necessary.
3. The Wick System
The wick system is a simple one. There are no moving parts or electrical components. This works for microgreens, pepper, and herbs. What all you need are drill or screwdriver and grow light. You need to set up a reservoir with a bucket or basin, connect one or two wicks through the growing tray, setup a growing medium and set alight fixture if necessary.
3. Ebb and Flow System:
Ebb and flow systems can be as basic as a small plastic bucket with expanded clay pellets. In every instance, the grow tray is temporarily flooded with a solution everywhere. This is good, especially for fruiting crops. You will need a grow light, two tubes (to fill and drain), a submersible pump, and an electronic timer. You should set up a water reservoir with a bucket or basin, connect fill tube and drain tube, submersible pump, timer, and set up a light fixture if necessary.
4. Aeroponic System
The aeroponic system is complex than the hydroponic system. Plant roots are suspended in air and misted with water and nutrient solution for every few minutes. It is an effective method but requires sophisticated pumps. If the equipment fails to work, the roots will dry out and die quickly. You will need a drill or rotary tool, grow light, air stone and pump, spray tube, submersible pump, and misting head or sprayer. You should set up a water reservoir with aeration, connect the submersible pump in the reservoir to a sprayer, set up a growing chamber and light fixture if necessary.
Let us provide a few ways to grow efficiently.
Edible plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day, 12 to 16 hours is better.
The best lighting is high-intensity discharge light fixtures. They include Halide bulbs.
Ideal temperatures are 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. High temperatures may lead to root rot.
Your growing room should contain an ample supply of CO2 to grow faster.
The nutrients are available in both liquid and dry forms, as well as organic and synthetic. The fertilizers should contain macronutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and micronutrients like magnesium, iron, boron, zinc, copper, and chlorine.
Watch this video to know more about this farming. If you are a plant lover, get started with any of the methods and grow your beautiful garden of microgreens and fruits. This the least we can do to conserve mother earth. Be a responsible individual and start soilless farming today!
Written By - Sravanthi Cheerladinne
Edited By - Kashish Chadha
Social