Hydroponics is the art of growing plants without soil, in which everything nutrients in the required quantities and proportions, the plant receives from the solution. The word "hydroponics" comes from the Greek words for water and work, resulting in "working solution". How is hydroponics done by hand?

"Hydroproshki on the window": a video about growing plants at home using the hydroponic method

History of hydroponics development

The idea of plant breeding in this way is far from new; it has been used since ancient times. For example, the Hanging Gardens in Babylon - one of the seven wonders of the world - is an attempt to use hydroponic technology. Another example is the floating gardens of the Aztecs. When warlike neighbors ousted Indian tribes from fertile lands, they invented an original way of cultivating crops: silt extracted from the bottom of the lake was laid on rafts of long reed stalks. Vegetables, fruits and even trees grew well on such a substrate.

In the 1930s, many US and Russian scientists conducted experiments on growing plants in water. Experienced it was found that an inert substrate is required, immersed in a solution, through which nutrients will rise like capillaries

How it works in practice

Plants can grow in water, but for this you need to create certain conditions, the water must be "alive". In any environment where plants grow (water, soil or air), they absorb the nutrients necessary for life in the form of ions that are dissolved in oxygen. In water, plants absorb both nutrients and oxygen, but they must be moved along the stems.

The main task of hydroponics is soilless cultivation, stimulating plant growth by regulating the amount of water, oxygen dissolved in it and mineral salts.

When the roots of plants are suspended a little in the moving water, they begin to quickly absorb nutrients and oxygen. Both a lack of oxygen and a supersaturation are dangerous. The task of the gardener is to choose the optimal ratio of water, nutrients and oxygen that meets the needs of crops in order to obtain a high-quality maximum yield.

To achieve excellent results, it is necessary to take into account humidity, ventilation characteristics, air and water temperature, light intensity and the genetics of the crops themselves.

What plants can be grown on "water"

plants wintering at temperatures up to -15C, otherwise there is a high probability of root rot;
plants in which the root system does not grow much, otherwise the pot will need to be changed often;
plants without rhizomes and tubers, because high probability of decay;
perennial plants.

Growing vegetables in hydroponics is also possible, even in a city apartment.

Advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic systems

Significant increase in yield fruit plants and intensive flowering ornamental. Plants are supplied with all the necessary nutrients, grow strong and healthy, several times faster than in the soil.
Plants do not accumulate elements harmful to the human body that are contained in the soil: nitrates, toxic organic compounds, heavy metals, radionuclides, etc. After all, plants receive only useful material.
There is no need for daily watering, while water consumption is much easier to control. It is necessary to add water for each species individually: one plant once a month, the other every three days.
When grown in soil, plants often suffer from drying out or waterlogging, and, as a result, from a lack of oxygen.
When transplanting perennials into the soil, their roots are inevitably injured. If you use hydroponics technology, the process is greatly facilitated.
Thanks to hydroponics, problems of damage by fungi, diseases, pests can be avoided. There is no need to use pesticides.
Reduced growing costs indoor plants as no need to buy new soil.
It is easier and easier to take care of plants: there is no dirt from the ground, foreign smells, pests spreading indoors.

Growing strawberries hydroponically

There are not so many disadvantages:

The initial cost of the system is higher than the purchase of conventional soil.
Do-it-yourself hydroponics is a laborious and lengthy process. If you decide to buy ready-made equipment for hydroponics, you will have to spend a certain amount. But all the financial and time costs will pay off, as the plants grow much faster and are much easier to care for.

Growing Hydroponics at Home: A Beginner's Guide

Hydroponics at home is not difficult to organize, but some knowledge is required. For planting, it is most convenient to use hydropots - hydroponics pots inserted one into one. The inner one is filled with the substrate (it has holes), while the solution is poured into the outer one. The plant is located in the inner pot, its roots are covered with granules. The outer container must not let water through and enter into chemical reaction with a solution and do not let light through. Ceramic pots are best suited.

To determine the level of the solution, tubes with floats marked "maximum", "optimum" and "minimum" are required. The hydroponics solution must be filled to the "optimum" mark, because if all the roots are immersed in the liquid, then there will be no air left and the roots will die.

Important!
It is necessary to ensure that the roots do not entangle the indicator, as the device may not work correctly.

Hydropots can be made independently. To do this, you need two pots made of chemically inert materials, while the outer one must be light and waterproof. There should be a distance of 6-10 cm between the bottom of the outer and inner pot. In a smaller pot, holes with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm are made on the walls and bottom. The nutrient solution should cover the bottom of the pot by a quarter. A glass tube is used as a liquid level indicator.

Substrate and nutrient solution

Granular materials are used as a substrate: gravel, perlite, crushed granite, vermiculite, pumice, slag, coarse sand. Before use, it must be cleaned of impurities, sifted through sieves with meshes of 1-20 mm. The selected substrate is disinfected with a dark solution of potassium permanganate to destroy harmful microbes and pathogens. After that, it must be washed with clean water and used for planting.

Nutrient solution can be prepared independently, for this it is necessary to obtain reagents and mix them in the required exact proportions. It is more convenient and easier to buy a ready-made solution in a specialized store.

Plant transplant

For the transition from soil to hydroponics, it is best to take young plants, as they adapt to new conditions easier and faster. It is best to do this in spring or summer, but not in cold weather, because due to the cold and lack of light, plants very painfully endure such operations. The roots are immersed in warm water for several hours, then they are thoroughly washed from the remnants of the earth. Rotten or dead ones are removed and disinfected in potassium permanganate. The plant is planted in an inner pot and filled with expanded clay.

Important!
Planting is done a little deeper than when planting in the soil.

The outer container is filled to the “optimum” mark with clean water, the inner container is inserted. After about a week, the water is replaced with a hydroponics solution. When new roots appear (they penetrate the solution through the holes in the inner pot), its level must be reduced, because an air gap is needed between the solution and the bottom of the pot.

Note!

A plant from cuttings grown in water or expanded clay is easier to convert to hydroponics than mature plant from the soil.

Hydroponics on the windowsill

Hydroponics for flowers (indoor) is ideal. But there are exceptions: bulbous, succulents and prone to root rot.

After the transfer, the plants still need regular care: pinching, spraying, etc. In addition, it is necessary to periodically check the pH of the solution, adjust it if necessary, change or change the concentration (every 30-40 days), disinfect plant roots, substrate and dishes with potassium permanganate. In winter, the flowers are at rest, so the concentration of the solution is reduced by half and the water level is minimized.

Important!
Plants in hydroponics should not be taken out to the balcony or garden, as the water balance can be disturbed by any precipitation.

"Hydro crops" of edible crops: benefit or harm

Fertilizers for hydroponics are different from those applied to the soil. They are divided into organic and mineral. Simple fertilizers include three main elements - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Complex fertilizers contain additional trace elements and three main ones in the form of chemical compounds.

It is widely believed that products grown in hydroponics are something artificial, unnatural, and therefore harmful to humans. This is absolutely not true. Conversely, when using this method much less fertilizers and pesticides are used, which tend to accumulate in parts of the plant. Such judgments arise only from a lack of knowledge in this area.

Today, this technology is the most significant and significant achievement in recent years in the field of Agriculture. Hydroponics is becoming increasingly popular in Canada, the USA, Holland and Australia.

With very little effort, you can build a hydroponic system at home and plant a small "garden" with spicy herbs, vegetables, strawberries, flowers for family consumption. Especially for those who do not have a summer residence. It is not difficult, exciting and interesting, it will allow not only to save money, but also to enjoy both the process and the result.

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What can be grown in hydroponics?

The hydroponic method of growing plants is becoming more and more popular every year. As interest in it rises, logical questions appear as a consequence:

What plants can be grown hydroponically?
What plants can not be grown hydroponically?
Which are profitable to grow for sale? And many others.

Let's try to understand these issues.

What plants can be grown hydroponically

Best of all, hydroponics grows greens.

It includes: parsley, dill, basil, sage, rosemary, cilantro, mint, lemon balm, lettuce, etc. It is also not difficult to grow houseplants using this method, such as: aglaonema, asparagus, aspelenium, cissus, dieffenbachia, hovea, philodendron, phalangium, ivy, ficus, fatsia, common ivy, hoya and many others.

Vegetable crops, berries and even some fruits are in no way inferior: broccoli, green beans, eggplant, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, strawberries, many varieties of legumes, kohlrabi, banana, bell pepper, onions and much more, will also delight you with a wonderful crop grown in hydroponics.

All of these plants are great for growing hydroponically, both commercially and at home.

But, there are also plants that are simply not recommended to be grown using hydroponics. And this is not because they will not grow, but because of their structural features.

forming tubers or rhizomes. If this type of plant is not properly watered, the root system will begin to rot. Such plants include potatoes, beets, carrots, cyclamen, etc.;
mushrooms; having rapidly growing roots (cyperus, chlorophytum);
short-lived (ekzakum); requiring frequent cleaning. Cleaning is needed in order to remove the remains of leaves and flowers;
did not clog the hydroponic system (high begonia, balsam); for flowering which requires a cool temperature during the dormant period (hydrangea, clivia and liazalia). This type of plant responds to temperature changes by rotting roots.

It should be noted that each individual solution for hydroponics corresponds to a certain group of plants.

What are the best plants to grow hydroponically?

Before answering this question, you need to think about the purpose of your products. If these are flowers - then for the holidays, vegetables - winter - spring.

For example:

From vegetables, the most commercially profitable are tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, cabbage, cucumber, radish.

Among the greenery - onion feather, dill, parsley, basil, arugula.

Flowers are generally among the leaders. The most profitable is the cultivation of tulips, camellias, daffodils, gerberas, passionflowers and many others. others

The leaders among the berries are honeysuckle and strawberries.

Also very competitive are medicinal herbs - lemon balm, mint, sage, yarrow.

Before settling on one thing, it is necessary to take into account all categories of costs (electricity, water, heating, fertilizer, the hydroponic system itself, seeds, nutrient solution, substrate, etc.). Without such a calculation, it is impossible to objectively assess the commercial benefits of growing a particular plant in hydroponics.

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Tips from Agrodom

The operation of the TDS meter is based on the electrical conductivity of water - electrodes immersed in an aqueous medium create an electric field between themselves. Pure distilled water does not conduct current by itself, it is formed by various impurities and compounds dissolved in water.

A salt meter or TDS meter is a stationary small-sized device for measuring the hardness of water and the percentage of various types of substances in it.

Coconut substrate, made from coconut peel and fibers ground into small crumbs, is a fairly young material.

In order for transplanted flowers to grow and develop well, their roots need moisture and the ability to breathe through earthen soil. The usual earth mixture is a fairly dense substance that does not pass life-giving moisture and air to the roots.

Expanded clay drainage material or expanded clay is one of the varieties of the substrate used for rooting cuttings of roses, carnations and other flowering plants.

Hydroponics is a special growing system various plants without the use of soil and has its own unique advantages. In fact, this is the oldest form of life that originated in water. Houseplants in hydroponics receive all the useful micro and macro elements from a special solution in which everything they need is contained in the right proportions.

This method of growing in Russia is not yet very common. In most cases, the hydroponic system is used on an industrial scale and in greenhouses. Although in world practice hydroponics is already used on a par with traditional cultivation, both in industry and at home.

The name "Hydroponics" comes from the Latin language and means "working solution". Historians claim that primitive hydroponic devices were used even in antiquity. Take, for example, the Hanging Gardens... As a substrate, they took a mixture of earth and stones, a sort of hydroculture...

Coconut fiber, gravel, crushed stone, as well as some porous materials - expanded clay, perlite, vermiculite, etc. can be used as materials.

Benefits of Hydroponic Growing

A very useful and beautiful hobby used at home is called hydroponics. At the same time, there is a significant advantage over traditional plant cultivation. There is no need to constantly monitor the water balance, the flowers will not suffer from a lack of oxygen, there is no problem of an overdose of fertilizers, since the plant takes as much as it needs.

The hydroponic method avoids a number of soil-related plant diseases (rot, nematodes, fungal diseases, etc.), and water needs to be added from two times a week to three times a month, depending on the type of plant and the selected container.

And if used automated system water circulation, then the labor costs for irrigation are generally minimized. The hydroponic method makes the transplant procedure painless for plants, since the roots are not injured.

For the manufacture of hydroponic systems, plastic containers are used with the use of some bronze elements. A hydroponic vessel can be made by yourself from a plastic bottle or any other container. The main thing is that it should be opaque, contain a sufficient amount of liquid, be made of a chemically inert material. A liter juice bag or something similar is perfect.

Nutrient solutions for hydroponics

For hydroponics solution, you can use any drinking water. Distilled and rain water collected from a clean, non-rusted roof is perfect. Fluid supplies must be stored in a cool and dark place to prevent the formation of algae.

Do-it-yourself hydroponics solution can be made at home or purchased at a specialized store. Sold both in liquid form and in the form of tablets for dissolution. It is necessary to replace the solution once a month in the summer, and every 5-7 weeks in the winter.

In a hydroponic growing system, the pH must be controlled, which should be around 5.6.

To prepare a solution per 1 liter, mix 1.67 g of Uniflor Growth or Uniflor Buton fertilizer and 2 g of 25% calcium nitrate in water. These proportions apply only to soft water. If it is hard, then more calcium is added.

Also, for beauty, you can add special harmless dyes to the nutrient solution. Great importance in solution, it has a substrate that allows nutrients to penetrate into the roots, and helps to maintain the potted plant at the required level.

Transplanting a plant to hydroponics

Before transplanting, the plant must be watered abundantly or placed in a container of water. After that, it must be separated from the ground and gently wash the root under running water. Next, you need to place the flower in the inner hydroponic pot and distribute the roots evenly over the holes. Cover the roots with a substitute substrate.

No need to fill the solution immediately after transplantation! Pour plain water on top to the desired level in a vessel, and leave the flower for several days. Only then can the water be replaced with a solution. To begin with, use a 10% nutrient solution.

In order to provide the plant with oxygen, it is necessary to immerse part of the roots in the solution. The root neck should be fixed with foam rubber or cotton wool, so that the roots are 2/3 in solution.

Seedlings of flowers or vegetables are grown in the usual, traditional way, then the already grown plants are transplanted into a special vessel.

Suitable for hydroponics houseplants

For your room, you can buy a ready-made plant grown in hydroponics, or transplant a homemade plant into an aquatic environment, with roots that are not difficult to clean from the ground, without worrying about its adaptation at all. After all, most indoor plants in a hydroponic environment feel very comfortable.

The exceptions are those that form rhizomes or tubers, as these can rot. It is not recommended to transfer adult plants with a delicate root system to hydroponics.

Hydroponics is best suited for decorative leafy crops. These include chlorophytum, asparagus, aroid ivy. Also like this kind of environment various types cacti. In general, suitable for home hydroponics undemanding plants obtained from a seed or a cutting, having a medium-sized root system.

It is important to know that flowers that like coolness during the dormant period are not recommended to be grown hydroponically. These include azalea, hydrangea, clivia - their roots can simply rot.

Begonia and balsam very often change foliage, so it is necessary to periodically clean them from drying leaves so that they do not fall into the solution. As well as species in which the root system is actively developing and expanding, which requires frequent transplantation. It includes cyperus.

Before moving on to consider the transplant process, let's define what hydroponics is. Surely for some, this complex definition will be new. So, hydroponics is a method of growing a plant when soil is used instead of water solution enriched with essential nutrients.

Growing plants in hydroponics is carried out using a substrate that easily passes air, an aqueous solution, and is also passive in relation to the substances contained in the solution. In addition, the substrate must have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Therefore, expanded clay, vermiculite or perlite, as well as granulated polyethylene, glass are most often used as a substrate.

In order for the transplantation of plants from soil to hydroponics to be positively effective, it is necessary to follow a number of rules, the observance of which will ensure healthy development and excellent growth for the plant.

1. It is necessary to remove the flower from the pot in such a way as not to damage the root system of the plant. To do this, the soil in the pot must first be watered abundantly. After the flower has been removed from the pot, lower the roots into a container of water, gently rinse the roots. If there are a large number of damaged roots, it is better to place the plant for a couple of days in a vessel containing warm water and activated carbon, in a ratio of 1:100.

2. The next step is to place the flower in a vessel with a solution. This will require two pots: inner and outer. A small amount of the prepared substrate, together with a liquid level indicator, is placed in the inner vessel, the (room) flowers are lowered with the root part onto the substrate, the roots are straightened, the rest of expanded clay, or other material, is added to the top of the pot. The inner vessel is placed in the outer one, filled with warm water - at room temperature or a little warmer. Note that it is not a special solution that is added first, but water. Fertilizers and nutrients are added after about 2 weeks, when First level water by evaporation of the liquid will reach the minimum mark.

There is another way to grow flowers hydroponically. It is less common, but quite worthy of attention. A nutrient solution is added to the pot, and then the flower root is placed. Water is added as the first batch of liquid evaporates. The solution is replaced with a fresh composition at regular intervals. The only drawback of this method is oxygen starvation of the root system of the plant. Such plant care during the period of adaptation to hydroponics is tolerated by few representatives of room culture.

You can find information on how to prepare a hydroponic flower growth solution in the relevant sources, of which there are many now. Within the framework of this article, we will confine ourselves to the statement that a certain type of solution is suitable for each individual group of plants - it is worth remembering this and be sure to consult with a specialist. There are many flower growers who independently prepare various solutions for hydroponics through lengthy painstaking experiments. The results are not immediately obvious, time must pass. However, if you don't plan on risking your favorite plant, go to a florist and consult a professional. Or read publications in thematic sources, Internet resources.