Growing without soil: Getting started with hydroponics at home

When you think of growing fruits and vegetables, you probably think about putting plants in the ground or into pots. However, you don’t always need ‘dirt’ to grow plants. In a hydroponic system, soil is replaced with a nutrient-rich water solution that provides the necessary nutrients for plant growth. 

Why try hydroponics?

Hydroponic systems are more efficient than growing plants in the ground. Plants grown hydroponically often mature faster and produce more compared to plants grown in soil. It may seem counterintuitive, but hydroponics also uses less water (up to 90%). 

Growing hydroponically also allows for more flexibility. Gardeners can grow year-round indoors and in areas where growing in the ground or in pots isn’t an option. Additionally, because plants are not grown in soil, soil-borne pests and diseases are less of a concern.

There are some drawbacks to growing plants hydroponically, though. Hydroponic systems are more expensive to set up when compared to growing in pots or in the ground. These systems may also require more management, such as monitoring water levels, nutrient concentrations, and pH. 

Depending on the system being used, electricity may be required, so an extended period without power can lead to plant death. Since these systems are typically set up indoors, supplemental lighting is often necessary.

Hydroponic systems

Hydroponic systems can be categorized in a few different ways. Systems can be active, where the nutrient solution is moved around the system (typically using a pump), or passive, where it is moved via capillary action (no pump required). Systems may also reuse the nutrient solution (recovery or recirculating systems), or the solution may not be reused (non-recovery systems). 

There are a variety of different hydroponic systems that can be set up. Like many things, they can be rather simple or extremely complex. Here are a few options homeowners often start with:

• Wick system: A wick draws the nutrient solution from a reservoir into the growing medium (often perlite, vermiculite, or coco coir). This system is passive, so no electricity is required.
• Deep water culture or floating raft: Plants are held in net pots and placed in rafts (foam/polystyrene) that float on a raft with roots submerged in nutrient solution. Even though this is a passive system, it needs an air pump and an air stone to keep the roots oxygenated.
• Ebb and flow: Plants are grown in trays that are periodically flooded with nutrient solution. Once the growing media is sufficiently moist, the solution then drains back into a reservoir. This is an active recovery system, so it is a little more complex, requiring a pump and timer.
• Nutrient film technique (NFT): Is another active recovery system where plants are grown in a channel (such as a gutter) and nutrient solution is continuously flowing over the suspended roots of the plants. The channels are set up at a slight downward angle, allowing the nutrient to continuously move and eventually drain into a reservoir.
• Aeroponics: The roots of the plants are suspended in the air in an enclosed chamber, and the nutrient solution is sprayed onto them. The mist can be continuous or set up on a timer; this is also an active recovery system.