Find Out The Best Way To Help The Plants With Hydroponic Grow System

Hydroponics, or the growing of plants without soil, was developed in the 1930s by Dr William Gericke of the University of California. By planting seedlings in a solution of nutrients, he found that it was not only possible to grow plants without soil, but that yields were substantially higher. Even though the word 'hydroponics' is derived from the Greek 'hydra' meaning water, and 'ponos', meaning labour, not all hydroponic plants are grown in water.

They can also be grown in substrates such as sand or gravel, rockwool, or perlite mixed with vermiculite, and then fed liquid food. In the traditional way, they are suspended so that only their roots are in a liquid solution. Passive hydroponics or semi-hydroponics is a system whereby plants are grown without soil or substrate, but are instead either put into a pot or on a capillary mat and then saturated with a nutrient solution, as needed. Passive hydroponics substantially reduces the amount of work needed to grow a large number of plants.

Once you have acquired everything you need and set up your hydroponic grow system, decided what to grow and bought and germinated your seeds, you will want to help your plants to grow as strong as possible. Start by labelling your seedlings so you know what they are.

The three most important factors needed to help your plants grow well are nutrients, light and air temperature - and in this article we will focus on nutrients. All plants need air as much as water and so one of the keys to success is choosing a growing medium which is capable of holding large quantities of both oxygen and water - and which drains well. As all plants in a hydroponic grow system derive their nutrients from the liquid solution which is circulated to their roots, the solution must be properly formulated. pH levels should be constantly monitored and nutrients maintained at optimum levels.

The successful growth of your plants is directly related to the nutrients fed to them. It has been established that two-part nutrients are better than one part-formulas, as the two-part option is designed to be ready for your plants exactly when needed, whereas the one-part formula tends to cause build ups in the system because of all the elements present in them, so until one has cleared the blockages your plants will lack their nutrients. Two-part nutrients focus on exactly what your plants need in both their vegetative and flowering stages.

An example of this is that near to flowering, you should ensure that your plants get both potassium and phosphorus, as these nutrients contribute to the formation of buds, flowers and fruit; and your crop will be larger and healthier. You will find loads more information on the internet about the different formulas and their uses, so spend some time on research to find the best way to help your plants.

The other considerations to be borne in mind to get the best results from your hydroponic grow system are air temperature and light. Once you have mastered all of the above, you will be well on your way to growing healthy and delicious fruit and vegetables - and beautiful house plants and flowers.