Hydroponics, or hydroponics, is a form of agriculture practiced without soil in a culture of stagnant water. Instead of using nutrients from the soil, plants benefit from a nutrient solution containing the minerals the plant needs. Therefore, instead of looking for minerals in the soil, plants can easily and directly obtain nutrients from the nutrient solution.
Growing media such as sand, peat, vermiculite, perlite, perlite, coir, coir, rock wool or expanded clay aggregate are often used to support plants and their root systems and are likely to retain moisture around the roots.
The growing medium itself is not a source of nutrients. In recent years, the importance of hydroponic agriculture has been recognized in our country. The number of greenhouse areas created with this agricultural method is increasing. In addition, hydroponic agriculture has been a very frequently used method in space research in recent years. Especially people who will live in permanent human colonies such as Mars and the Moon will grow vegetables and fruits with this agricultural method. The hydroponic agricultural method or the products grown with this method have no negative side effects on human health.
Plants grown in hydroponic systems have optimum levels of nutrients and moisture. Therefore, they grow faster and healthier. No soil means no weeds and no soil-borne pests and diseases. Another advantage is that the root systems are smaller in hydroponically grown plants, which means that the plant's growth energy is concentrated more on the growth of the plant than on the roots. There is also no need to repot hydroponic plants, as their roots are never tangled. There is no need to fertilize and spray pesticides on a hydroponically grown crop. Crops grown hydroponically have a longer shelf life than those grown in soil. Hydroponic cultivation is easy and environmentally friendly in terms of growing healthy plants.
It provides numerous benefits, including Plants grow 50% faster than in soil because they have easier access to nutrients and water. It is possible to grow crops indoors all year round without sunlight or with artificial lighting. Nutrients are available directly to the plants and do not belong to the growing medium. Little or no pesticides are used. Plants start to grow in a disease-free environment. Smaller containers can be used and the roots can grow without tangling. Cultivation is possible where gardening is not possible, for example in poor soil, rocky areas or even on balconies. With the use of artificial light, it is even possible to create a garden in an unused room or garage. Less labor is required than with soil cultivation because there is no need to dig or weed. Greater control over extreme growing conditions makes it easier to provide the best possible environment for plants, resulting in better quality crops and agricultural returns. Healthy fast-growing plants grown using hydroponic methods are more resistant to pests and diseases. You will also notice the improved taste and appearance of hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables.
First you need to decide where in the house you will install the system. It can be a garden, a balcony, a basement, a terrace or a closed room. However, you will need a different system and equipment in all these places. For example, you don't need artificial lighting depending on the plants you will grow on the terrace, but you may have to cover it with glass to keep the temperature constant as in greenhouses. However, if you put the system in a basement or a closed room where there is no light, you can grow crops with artificial lighting. It is important to decide how the system will be as well as where you will install it. There are generally two types of hydroponic systems on the market. The 1st is tubular hydroponics (also known as fluid hydroponics) and the 2nd is container-type hydroponics (also known as drip irrigation hydroponics). Pipe hydroponics is much more convenient. You can feed more plants, but it costs a bit more. For this reason, in this article I will explain how to set up a container type hydroponic system, which is much simpler.
Before moving on to the installation of the container type hydroponic system, I would like to briefly talk about the working principle of this system. As it is known, plants live in their natural life depending on the soil. It continues with the development of the seed under the soil, sprouting and rising above the soil. Plants get all the nutrients, minerals and water they need from the soil. In the hydroponic system, a plant without soil receives the nutrients and minerals it needs from water in solution. We can start by putting a certain amount of ready-made plant food into some water in a container. This water is transferred by a water pump through a thin water hose to the growing medium at the top of the container where the plants are located. The plant will then receive all the nutrients it needs from this nutrient solution. However, there are a few important details to be considered in the system. The pH of the water, its temperature and the lack of light are very important.