Traditional gardening methods require a lot of water, money, and resources. However, solutions to this are within reach, and even more efficient. Hydroponics is a fast, inexpensive way to begin growing food in a small space, but how do you do it, and what do you need? The following article will be exploring the exactly how to get started with hydroponics vegetable growing.
What You Will Need
Hydroponic cloner
2 inch Mesh Net Pots
Rapid Rooter Starter Plugs
Seeds
1 Air Pump
1 Air Stone
Tubing
pH measuring tool
General Hydroponics pH Down
Fill your cloner with water. The reservoir should come with instructions on how high the water needs to be. Then, setup your air pump by connecting the tubing to the water stone and place it under where your plants will be. Connect the other end of the tubing to the air pump and be sure that it has power. Soak the starter plugs in water and set them in the net pots.
When placing the seeds into the starter plugs, you will want to place more than 1 or 2 in each because some may not germinate. Be sure to keep the plugs moist so that the sprouts can make it through. Clip off the weaker sprouts so you can have the best crop possible. Be sure to let them root somewhat in the starters before moving to the next step.
Adjusting pH Levels and Adding Nutrients
Now that the seeds have germinated, grown and begun to root, it’s time to setup your plants to grow hydroponically in the water. At this point, your young plants are living off of their leaves, so if you wait too long they will feed on themselves and die. Check the reservoir pH using your device of choice. Adjust pH to 5.8 using the pH down.
Once the desired level has been reached, add the required amount of nutrients to the water. Set the rooted young plants into the water, and now you are ready to tend to your first hydroponic system. Grow your plants to your preference, then and harvest to enjoy your hard earned work.