Hydroponics – the growing of plants without soil – can be achieved by a vast variety of techniques. The challenge lies on how to place the plants that will expose the roots to a constant supply of nutrient formula. This can be done in several ways, quite a few more effective than others. Hydroponic systems have four categories the active which uses a pump, the passive, the recovery which requires recirculation of the solution, and the non-recovery. Some systems make use of grow trays to carry the plants and a compartment for the solution. With these things in mind, here are some of the most popular hydroponic systems.
Ebb and Flow
In this active recovery method, plants in the grow tray are usually anchored by some sort of carrier (ideally one that retains water, like rockwool). A pump motor floods the grow tray with water occasionally depending on the time you set on the timer, it then shuts down and lets the nutrient solution drain through a maze of tubes attached to the tray that leads back to the reservoir. Also known (for obvious reasons) as flood-and-drain, this system is a preferred choice for beginners.
The Drip System
This active method is comparable to ebb and flow, except that rather than surging the grow tray, the pump sends the solution through a network of tubes that drip the solution straight onto the plant roots. Based on your choice you can turn the hydroponic systems into a recover or non-recovery system. The non-recovery variation is more low-maintenance because you do not have to keep track of the pH of the reservoir nearly as much.
The Wick System
This program is an case in point of a passive non-recovery hydroponic system in which the mixture gets to the roots through a wick. No pump is required, and the water isn’t re-circulated, making it one of the simplest and least costly systems. Nonetheless, the produce may not be as impressive because controlling the water flow is a challenge which means that the roots are getting too much or too little solution.
Nutrient Film Technique
This method is also known as the NFT which is an active recovery method where the roots suspend in a continuous flow or film of solution. A pipe is used as a grow tray and the plants are dangled on top while the roots are suspended and exposed beneath. With the pump motor the formula passes through one pipe and drains on the other end and into the tank. While effective, this method is also more complex and higher-maintenance.
There are a number of variants of hydroponic systems but the ones pointed out are the most common. Your skill level and finances will have an effect on the choice that you make when it comes to hydroponic systems.
