Choosing the Right Components for Your Hydroponic System

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants indoors that is becoming more popular every year. It is reliable, affordable, and can help amateur growers achieve the biggest harvests of their gardening careers. It has really taken off since the pandemic, especially among people who don’t have much access to outdoor space in which they can grow plants for their personal enjoyment. 

The great thing about hydroponics is that you can make your setup work for you, no matter what your circumstances. For example, if you have a spare room or attic space you will be able to install a system that uses as much of the space as you need it to, and if you have very limited space then you might prefer a small, countertop model. 

The space you have available for your hydroponic system will dictate the size of your system, and this will have a bearing on the kind of plants you can grow. People with a lot of available space will be able to grow much larger plant species than those who only have room for a mini system that is better suited to growing a herb garden.

There are lots of different types of systems and components to choose from and this can make it intimidating for beginners to make a start. Before choosing your specific system you will need to measure the space you’re assigning to your system. Once you have done this you can make sure everything is a good fit. 

Choosing your system type

The most common and probably the easiest system type for beginners is the deep water culture (DWC) system. These relatively simple and low tech systems are pretty foolproof and affordable, and even the least confident beginner can have some fantastic early successes. The plants are rooted into an inorganic substrate and contained within a pot, bucket or tub, and an air pump delivers oxygen to the roots. 

More complex systems include ebb and flow systems that periodically flood the plants with water before allowing them to drain, drip feed systems that deliver a consistent but low level stream of water, and aeroponics systems that deliver a fine mist of water and nutrient solution to the roots. 

Choosing your grow lights

Grow lights are a key component of hydroponics systems because any plants you grow indoors will need supplemental lighting in order to grow. There are lots of different kinds of lighting, with a popular choice being the CFL grow light. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are energy efficient and cheap, and deliver effective amounts of light to your plants. LED lights are another excellent choice because they are extremely efficient, long lasting and they stay cool during operation. 

Choosing which plants to grow

If you have a large space to grow your plants then you’ll have more choice than someone with very limited space, and can take your pick of plant species to grow. With that said, some plants take to hydroponic growing better than others. If you are interested in growing tomatoes then you are in luck because they are one of the best plants to grow using this method. Tomatoes are thirsty plants and using hydroponics makes handling their water needs much easier.

Salad leaves are also an excellent type of plant to grow in your hydroponic garden. You will be able to enjoy the freshest and tastiest salad greens all year round, with popular varieties including romaine lettuce, chard, cos lettuce, spinach, kale, butterhead lettuce and iceberg lettuce. Salad leaves are perfect for growing with this method because they germinate and mature in a matter of weeks. This means you can have multiple grows on the go at once to keep your supply up. 

You can grow a wide range of fruits as well as common salad veggies. Strawberries grow extremely well hydroponically, and taste as good as any field grown British summer strawberry. The best bit is that your precious strawberries will be protected from pest insects and birds that will usually end up claiming a portion of your crop. Blueberries are notoriously expensive, but you can easily grow your own using a hydroponics system. Fresh blueberries are a real treat and don’t need as much space to grow as you might think. 

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