An Introduction To Hydroponic Gardening

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An Introduction To Hydroponic Gardening
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Synopsis

• All About Hydroponic Gardening
• Why Hydroponic Farming Has Spread So Much
• Hydroponics The Advantages and Disadvantages
• Why You Should Consider Doing Hydroponic Farming
• Top 3 Hydroponic Supplies You Need to Start Your
  Garden
• The Most Common Hydroponic Supplies You Need for
  Your Garden
• Grow Lights One of the Most Important Hydroponic
  Supplies to Grow Your Crops
• What Makes LED Grow Lights One of the Most
  Important Hydroponic Supplies?
• Hydroponic Supplies Few Reasons to Opt for LED
  Grow Lights!
• What to Consider When Getting Hydroponic Supplies

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All About Hydroponic Gardening

• This method of farming was discovered by
  scientists who established that plants could grow
  on other mediums such as air or water so long as
  they could get the right amount of nutrients.
  People have welcomed hydroponics with open arms
  mostly because it is a type of gardening that dos
  not involve the messy activities that are
  synonymous with soil farming. As a result, people
  in urban areas can be able to do this farming. In
  addition to this, hydroponic is a type of indoor
  farming activity that yields more than normal
  garden farming. This can give you more profit
  especially considering that you have not used a
  lot of inputs and labor.
• Just anyone can be able to start a hydroponic
  farm and begin growing organic products in their
  homes. However, you need to have basic knowledge
  on how this farming is conducted and the type of
  equipments needed. You can also decide to
  commercialize this farming by building
  greenhouses in your compound. The greenhouses
  enhance the growth of plants in this set up and
  can be particularly important in disease and pest
  control. With hydroponic farming, you can be
  able to plants spinach, tomatoes, kales, cucumber
  and others.

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Why Hydroponic Farming Has Spread So Much

• Ease of farming
• One of the reasons why hydroponic farming has
  grown so much is because it is easy to farm.
  Although the method requires some technical
  knowledge at first, it is something that is easy
  to implement on a long term basis. Also, there is
  no weeding that will require you to undertake
  more activities in your farming. Instead, you
  just tend to the growing plants by just adding
  water and nutrients into it.
• Lower costs of farming
• Another reason why hydroponic farming has spread
  across the world is because the farming is
  affordable. In the long term, you will not need
  as much labor or inputs as you would when doing
  farming on soil. Also, hydroponic farming does
  not require a lot of labor and this lowers your
  overall farming costs.
• Embracing newer technology
• Hydroponic farming promises a lot of good things
  to farmers from around the world. Since it is a
  new type of farming, many people want to try it
  so that they can benefit from what it has to
  offer.

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Why Hydroponic Farming Has Spread So Much

• Better yields
• Unlike other types of farming, hydroponic farming
  has better yields for all farmers. This is
  because plants are tended with great care and
  furthermore, they are given optimum conditions to
  grow. This enables farmers to benefit fully from
  the plants that they are planting. Since you can
  manipulate elements and minerals that your plants
  consume, you can be able to get your plants to
  grow with the optimum conditions. Also, the
  plants are put in portable containers that can be
  moved to the sunlight with ease. Such variables
  enable one to get the best yields possible.
• Easier disease and pest control
• With hydroponic farming, there is easier disease
  and pest control. This is because you can add
  insecticides and pesticides in the water and
  thereby kill pests that affect your crops. Also,
  you can be able to control pests by manipulating
  the environment where you place your plants.
  Hydroponic plants are grown on portable
  containers which can be moved from one place to
  another. Also, they can be grown inside
  greenhouses where pests can easily be controlled.
  

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Hydroponics The Advantages and Disadvantages

• The advantages include
• Less growing space and time is required. With
  hydroponics, you can grow many plants in a small
  area thereby saving a lot of space. There are
  many growth tents available in the market and you
  can purchase them depending on your needs.
• You can be able to cut down on your water costs
  because the water that remains in the system can
  be re-used. This improves your earnings from
  farming as a result of the reduced operation
  costs.
• Unlike soil farming, hydroponic supplies cuts
  down on gardening and farming activities. With
  this new type of farming, you will no longer need
  to do some gardening since there no weeds.
• Higher yields. Since you can control the amount
  of nutrients that you provide to your plants, you
  have a higher chance of getting better yields.

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Hydroponics The Advantages and Disadvantages

• Lower nutrition costs. Since you can be able to
  control the amount of nutrients supplied to the
  plants, you can avoid wastage. This enables you
  to lower your nutrition costs and therefore cut
  down on the input and operational costs of your
  farming business.
• You can avoid pests and diseases because
  hydroponic containers are more mobile. Incase
  there is a pest infestation you can move your
  plants into a greenhouse where you can use
  pesticides to kill off the insects and pests.
  This can reduce crop wastage and damage due to
  pests.
• Lastly, the crops have no competition with pests.
  This enables them to enjoy all the nutrients
  available.
• Disadvantages
• You need to be highly skilled to operate them
• High amount of capital in needed to establish a
  hydroponic farm

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Why You Should Consider Doing Hydroponic Farming

• Reduced costs
• One of the reasons why you should consider doing
  hydroponic farming is because it reduces your
  costs while at the same time increasing output.
  The reduced costs come in many ways.
• First, hydroponic farming does not require
  weeding.
• Secondly, there is no wastage n hydroponic
  farming.
• Lastly, hydroponic farming does not consume a lot
  of water.
• Easy cultivation
• Hydroponic farming is very easy when compared to
  soil farming because there are no weeding,
  watering and other similar activities. Also, the
  farming is contained and therefore, the farmer
  has an easy time fighting pests and diseases.
  This makes it easy to cultivate the farms and
  fight pests in one go.
• Fast growth of the plants
• Another reason to consider hydroponic farming is
  because of the fast growth of the plants and
  crops. This is because the plants are provided
  with the optimum conditions possible for the
  growth and that enables them to grow at the
  fastest possible speed.

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Top 3 Hydroponic Supplies You Need to Start Your
Garden

• You need pumps to get started properly. You have
  to understand that even though you are growing
  plants without soil, you cannot do it without
  sufficient air and water. In order to provide
  your plants with the right amount of air and
  water, you will have to take advantage of
  different hydroponic pumps. You will have to use
  a water pump to provide plants with important
  nutrients. The pump is also required to help that
  nutrient solution drain back in a reservoir.
  These pumps use a timer to function in a
  systematic way. Be sure to learn about the types
  of pumps available in the market you usually
  have to choose from non-submersible and
  submersible pumps.
• You will have to buy grow trays as well to help
  grow edibles in your hydroponic garden. These
  trays make it possible for you to keep your
  plants inside the reservoir along with a growing
  medium. The pump functions periodically to fill
  this tray with important nutrients.
• You will have to buy grow lights as well. Grow
  lights are among the most important hydroponic
  supplies because without the right type and
  amount of light, your hydroponic garden will not
  grow. By using these grow lights correctly, you
  can help your hydroponic plants grow properly.
  The light you use triggers the photosynthesis
  process, which is vital to the survival of your
  hydroponic plants. It is important to keep in
  mind that these grow lights are especially
  designed, so you usually do not get the same
  results from common bulbs and fluorescent lights.
  You may certainly be able to save some money by
  opting for fluorescent lights, but you will not
  get the same results that you get by using grow
  lights.

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The Most Common Hydroponic Supplies You Need for
Your Garden

• Timers You will have to buy timers to ensure
  that the whole process works in a systematic way,
  and the role timers play makes them one of the
  most important hydroponic supplies. You will have
  to attach timers to the water pumps to ensure
  that they deliver enough water and nutrients
  after regular intervals. The timers also play a
  role in flushing out water from the grow trays
  and back to the reservoir. Grow lights are
  important but they also need timers to function
  properly. You will also have to use timers to
  control ventilation systems, heating systems, and
  more. You can find a variety of timers today, but
  you will be better off buying digital timers
  because they are more advanced and accurate.
• Growing Medium Without the use of growing
  medium, your crops will never grow. Your crops
  will use the medium to find physical support. It
  is important to bear in mind that you may need
  different growing medium depending on the plant
  you are trying to grow. Just ensure that the
  medium you are using is capable of retaining
  moisture, so you do not have to water your plants
  that often.
• Hydroponic Nutrients Since you are growing
  plants without soil, you have to do something to
  provide them with important nutrients. This is
  exactly when you can find nutrient solutions that
  you can deliver to the plant with the help of a
  pump. It would not be wrong to suggest that
  hydroponic nutrients are among the most important
  hydroponic supplies without which your plants
  will never grow.
• Reservoirs You have to store the nutrient
  solution properly and that is when you will have
  to invest in a container or reservoir. You will
  have to install your pumps and timers in the
  reservoir to help deliver nutrients to the plant
  in a systematic way. It is usually a good idea to
  opt for bigger reservoirs.

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Grow Lights One of the Most Important Hydroponic
Supplies to Grow Your Crops

• Incandescent Lamps
• These are standard household bulbs that you will
  find in your home. You can use them, but it is
  better to avoid because they are very
  inefficient. In fact, their efficiency rate is no
  more than 5. Moreover, the spectrum of light
  that these bulbs produce is not suitable for
  indoor plants. Another issue is that they produce
  a lot of heat, which makes them quite ineffective
  when it comes to hydroponic plants.
• Fluorescent Lamps
• They are quite popular and work well for indoor
  plant growth. In terms of efficiency, they are at
  least 5 times more efficient as compared to
  incandescent bulbs. They use less electricity and
  produce a reasonable amount of light. If you want
  to use these bulbs, be sure to go to a store
  selling hydroponic supplies and ask for high-
  output fluorescent. Just keep in mind that you
  may be better off trying other grow lights if you
  have large plants because they light they produce
  cannot penetrate deep into those plants. You may
  find compact fluorescent lamps more effective in
  this regard.

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Grow Lights One of the Most Important Hydroponic
Supplies to Grow Your Crops

• HID Lamps
• You can also put your money on HID lamps to help
  grow plants indoor. Growers can choose from
  different types of HID lamps, including metal
  halide bulbs and high-pressure sodium bulbs. You
  may want to put your money on these lamps when
  you are interested in lighting large areas. They
  are quite suitable for hydroponic gardens because
  of their high light output. They use a bulb along
  with an electronic or mechanical ballast. In
  terms of efficiency, they are much better than
  incandescent lamps. The only issue is that they
  come with a limited lifetime and are likely to
  fail at any time.
• LED Grow Lights
• If you are looking for the most reliable option,
  you can certainly put your money on LED lights.
  They are available in different sizes and produce
  different spectrum of light to ensure that your
  plants can use the light for proper growth. LED
  growl lights come with several years of guarantee
  and are available at almost all stores selling
  hydroponic supplies.

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What Makes LED Grow Lights One of the Most
Important Hydroponic Supplies?

• They are known for their minimal IR profile. You
  can certainly find other lights, but LED lights
  usually come with a low infrared heat signature.
• They are much more energy-efficient as compared
  to other available grow lights. You are starting
  a hydroponic garden, so it makes sense to go
  green whenever possible. Opting for LED light is
  a great move because it helps reduce your carbon
  footprint and even keeps you from paying high
  electric bills.
• They can be kept very close to canopy. This may
  not look like a huge benefit, but it can make a
  huge difference, especially when you have height
  limitations or are concerned about light
  penetration in your grow space. You need to opt
  for the cooler running, more compact lights when
  you want them placed near the plant canopy.
  Considering your limited grow space, you will be
  much better off using LED grow lights as compared
  to HID lights.
• They are easy to install. Unlike many other types
  of grow lights, you can install LED lights on
  your own and even add an additional circuit
  whenever you want. With these lights, you do not
  have to worry about tripping breakers or deal
  with dangerous extension cords. You really need
  to pay attention to your safety when you working
  in a smaller grow space.

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Hydroponic Supplies Few Reasons to Opt for LED
Grow Lights!

• You do not have to worry about consuming a lot of
  power. LED lights are getting extremely popular
  because they consume less energy, especially
  compared to MH and HPS lights. They do not
  consume a lot of power and are therefore easier
  to install on your own. The circuit is quite
  straightforward and anyone can add with ease.
• You can opt for unique lighting orientations with
  LED lights because they are quite compact. Many
  people look no further than LED lights when they
  have height limitations in their grow space. They
  are extremely beneficial for the Stealth Grow
  Cabinets. Moreover, these LED fixtures are quite
  portable and can be shifted to other places with
  extreme ease.
• You do not have to worry about bulb failure when
  you opt for LED fixtures. All your hard work will
  go down the drain if you have to deal with an
  equipment failure in the middle of a grow.

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Hydroponic Supplies Few Reasons to Opt for LED
Grow Lights!

• You do not have to deal with any noise while
  working in your hydroponic garden. The reason is
  that LED lights are known for their quiet
  operation. In fact, when you compare LED lights
  with other lights found at stores selling
  hydroponic supplies, you will notice that LED
  lights are one of the most acoustically
  inconspicuous options.
• You do not have to worry about installing LED
  lights in heat sensitive areas. You will always
  have to take care of heat when you are trying to
  grow plants indoors. You will have to invest
  money to ensure proper ventilation, especially
  when you have large lighting fixtures installed.
  Thankfully, LED lights are quite compact and do
  not generate a lot of heat therefore, they work
  great in heat sensitive areas.
• You can find modern LED lights with custom
  wavelength combinations. HID lights usually put
  off lots of light that your plan cannot use, but
  no such thing happens with spectrum specific LED
  grow lights.

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What to Consider When Getting Hydroponic Supplies

• Doing the right research
• You should be well conversant with the equipments
  used in hydroponic farming so that you can
  purchase the right one. Also, different
  equipments are designed for different types of
  hydroponic projects and thus, it is important to
  determine the type of farm that you want to
  establish.
• Determine what you need
• This can be done by looking at the space that you
  have in your home as well as the type of crops
  that you want to plant. If you have all this
  information, it would be easier to find the right
  hydroponic supplies to use in your project. Also,
  it is advisable to talk to an expert so that you
  can find the right equipment that is aimed at the
  types of crops that you want to plant.
• Go with what is available in your market
• Hydroponic equipments are designed for different
  types of projects. It is therefore advisable to
  go for what is available in your local market.
  There are many different hydroponic types of
  equipment that are sold in different areas.
  However, most hydroponic equipments can be used
  in planting different types of crops. The
  difference lies in the size of the equipment and
  the mode of operating them.

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The End

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