Hydroponics - what is it?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

To ensure good plant growth, it is necessary to periodically prepare soil mixtures for transplanting them. But not all lovers of indoor floriculture have the time and patience for this. This problem is perfectly solved by hydroponics. What it is? The method of growing a crop is not in soil, but in a special water-based nutrient solution. It contains all the nutrients necessary for plants. To implement such cultivation, a substrate made of fine expanded clay is usually used, which retains water perfectly. It can be replaced with perlite and vermiculite. There are also fillers made from glass or polyethylene granules. Ion-exchange substrates are very interesting. They supply ions to plant roots.

Fill characteristics

Hydroponics is, first of all, a substrate. The main qualities that a filler should have:

- it must be well wetted by the solution and pass air;

- be neutral for the substances that make up the nutrient fluid (do not react with them);- have a neutral or slightly acidic Wednesday.

Reusable substrate is one of the main advantages that hydroponics has. What does it mean?The duration of use of the filler: quartz and granite - up to 10, from expanded clay or perlite - up to 6, from vermiculite - up to 2 years.

Growing rules for hydroponics

Pour a nutrient solution into a pot or other container and place the roots of the plant there. Water is periodically topped up, and the composition with fertilizers is replaced from time to time, as it is depleted. When hydroponics is applied, the equipment should consist of 2 different pots. Smaller containers require more holes. The roots of the plant are placed in it, it is covered with gravel or other material. After that, the smaller pot is placed in a large container with a nutrient solution. Its level should be such that the solution covers the roots by no more than two-thirds. When it is changed, the larger pot must be rinsed, and then the small container should be placed in it again and poured with a new solution. For cuttings that have taken root in water, hydroponics will be the best way to grow (which method is described above). If it is necessary to transfer a culture that has grown in the ground to cultivation without soil, then certain rules are observed. Carefully take out the plant, without damaging its roots, then place it in a container with warm water. You need to wait until the soil softens, gently rinse the roots in water.

If they are damaged, the plant is placed in a solution of activated carbon for 2 days (10 tablets per 1 liter of water).

Final stage

Into the innerpot with filler should be carefully planted culture, spreading the roots. Then it is installed in a larger container, into which liquid is poured. If the plant is transplanted from the soil, then for several days it should be in water, which is then gradually replaced with a nutrient solution. As you can see, hydroponics is not that complicated. You already know what this method of growing various crops is, how to use it effectively indoors.