Shop by categoryHydroponics for beginners
Hydroponics raises plants in water and nutrients instead of soil. Faster, cleaner and easier to automate — once the basics are in place.
The four systems
- Deep water culture: roots hang in an aerated nutrient solution. Simple and low cost; suits leafy greens, herbs and larger plants in buckets.
- Ebb and flow: a tray floods with solution on a timer and drains back to the reservoir. Flexible; suits potted plants and seedlings.
- Drip: a pump feeds each plant through emitters, with the runoff collected or drained. Scales well; suits larger fruiting plants in media.
- NFT (nutrient film technique): a thin film of solution runs along channels past the roots. Uses little water; suits lettuce and herbs.
What you need
- Reservoir
- Pump
- Air stone
- Net pots
- Media
- Nutrients
- pH and EC meter
- Timer
The weekly routine
- Check pH and keep it between 5.5 and 6.5.
- Check EC and adjust it to the plants' stage.
- Top up the reservoir as the plants drink.
- Do a full water change every 1–2 weeks.
Common mistakes
- A warm reservoir.
- No air stone.
- Chasing pH every hour.
- Light leaking into the reservoir.
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