Have you heard about hydroponics? Do you want to know a little more about it to implement it in your home? Do you need tips on how to do it? Today we are going to try to answer all these questions with a guide of ideas to introduce hydroponic growing in your home.
But first, let's stop for a moment to know what we mean when we talk about this type of garden, who uses it, where it can be installed, what is needed, or what are its main advantages. This way we will be much more convinced to adopt this way of cultivating in our house.
Hydroponics or hydroponic cultivation is a system that is increasingly used throughout the world, both in large plantations and at home. Its differential aspect is that it uses water instead of soil as the base of the crops.
It is ideal for herbaceous, stone and all types of organic crops and can be planted both indoors and outdoors. Its success is less dependent on climatic conditions, allowing for more crop variety throughout the year.
One of the main advantages of hydroponics is that it does not require large spaces. That is why it is ideal to practice it at home. The easiest way to do it is to buy all the garden complements already made.
For example, the series specially designed for this purpose by Ikea. The popular Swedish furniture house created Krydda, with all the necessary elements to get started in hydroponic cultivation.
It is not the only company that offers kits to easily set up a hydroponic garden at home. As it is intensive and more economical, its use is expanding so much that a great variety of models can be found in the market.
They can be vertical or horizontal, depending on the space you have available. Many come with built-in LED lights to provide plants with light and warmth.
If you are one of those who like to do things with your own hands, you can also make the hydroponics garden in an artisanal way. And take advantage, by the way, to recycle materials. As flowerpots, all kinds of plastic containers can be used. If they are dark, the better, so that the light does not hit the roots.
In addition to the containers for each plant, through which its root is introduced, a base is needed in which to place the water and the essential substrates to feed them.
This function can be fulfilled by plastic boxes with lids, polystyrene coolers or more sophisticated PVC pipes. A system to oxygenate the water is also a fundamental part of the hydroponics process.
When the idea is to build a hydroponic garden outdoors, care must be taken that it is not affected by strong winds or rain or extreme cold. In terraces, gardens, or rooftops, a good advice can be to mount gardens in several heights. This makes much better use of the space.
The vertical hydroponic garden is suitable for outdoor areas as well as for some wall or internal window. It is the most advisable to have in all types of houses. If, in addition, we plant in them varieties of plants that we use daily in the kitchen, the combination is perfect.
For ideas to introduce hydroponic cultivation in your home, there are those who even use the fish tank as the base of their garden. But there are many ways to do it, from the simplest, buying already made everything necessary, to the most homemade and ecological, because they also allow us to recycle other materials.