Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponic systems are gardening mechanisms designed to bring a regular or continuous flow of water and nutrients to the roots of a plant without the use of soil. Normally, soil is the source for both water and nutrients, but the soil itself is not required by any plant. Hydroponic systems basically work without use of the ‘middleman’.

Although there are hundreds of different hydroponic systems used today, they all fall under seven basic categories;

• passive


• water culture


• flood and drain


• drip


• wick


• nutrient film technique


• and aeroponic

The ‘passive’ hydoponic system is by far the simplest. The plant is put in a growing medium of some kind, usually perlite, rockwool, gravel or any other substance that has a multitude of air pockets. The medium then sits in a tray of nutrient solution, which is absorbed by the medium by the same simple capillary actions that allow nutrients to flow through soil.

In ‘water culture’ hydroponic systems the plants are suspended above the nutrient medium, and their roots dangle down into it. So long as the nutrient solution is aerated, the roots of any plant will absorb the need nutrients directly without difficulty. Usually there is an air pump and air stone involved to provide the nutrient solution with the needed oxygen.

The ‘flood and drain’ system has growth medium bound plants siting directly in a tray, as in the passive system, which is then flooded at regular intervals with a nutrient solution. There is usually a overflow tube which drains excess solution back into a lower chamber, where the nutrient solution is stored. This hydroponic system is also referred to as the ‘ebb and flow’ system.

Drip and wick hydroponic systems are both similar. In these systems a continuous stream of nutrient solution is delivered to the growth medium in which the plants are in. In the drip system, the solution is dripped over the medium via a pump, and the wick system relies on the capillary draw of a wick to bring in nutrients from a lower reservoir.

The two most advanced hydroponic systems are the ‘nutrient film technique’ (NFT) and ‘aeroponic’ systems. In NFT, the plants roots are suspended into a tray in which a constant stream of nutrient solution is pumped through. The tray is tilted, and the solution runs off back into the reservoir from which it was pumped, never forming more than a thing film along the bottom of the tray. Aeroponics uses a pump that turns the nutrient solution into a fine mist or spray that keeps the roots fed. In both NFT and Aeroponic systems, air is usually the only growth medium.

Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponic systems are gardening mechanisms designed to bring a regular or continuous flow of water and nutrients to the roots of a plant without the use of soil. Normally, soil is the source for both water and nutrients, but the soil itself is not required by any plant.

Although there are hundreds of different hydroponic systems used today, they all fall under seven basic categories; passive, water culture, flood and drain, drip, wick, nutrient film technique, and aeroponic.

The ‘passive’ hydoponic system is by far the simplest. The plant is put in a growing medium of some kind, usually perlite, rockwool, gravel or any other substance that has a multitude of air pockets. The medium then sits in a tray of nutrient solution, which is absorbed by the medium by the same simple capillary actions that allow nutrients to flow through soil.

In ‘water culture’ hydroponic systems the plants are suspended above the nutrient medium, and their roots dangle down into it. So long as the nutrient solution is aerated, the roots of any plant will absorb the need nutrients directly without difficulty. Usually there is an air pump and air stone involved to provide the nutrient solution with the needed oxygen.

The ‘flood and drain’ system has growth medium bound plants siting directly in a tray, as in the passive system, which is then flooded at regular intervals with a nutrient solution. There is usually a overflow tube which drains excess solution back into a lower chamber, where the nutrient solution is stored. This hydroponic system is also referred to as the ‘ebb and flow’ system.

Drip and wick hydroponic systems are both similar. In these systems a continuous stream of nutrient solution is delivered to the growth medium in which the plants are in. In the drip system, the solution is dripped over the medium via a pump, and the wick system relies on the capillary draw of a wick to bring in nutrients from a lower reservoir.

The two most advanced hydroponic systems are the ‘nutrient film technique’ (NFT) and ‘aeroponic’ systems. In NFT, the plants roots are suspended into a tray in which a constant stream of nutrient solution is pumped through. The tray is tilted, and the solution runs off back into the reservoir from which it was pumped, never forming more than a thing film along the bottom of the tray. Aeroponics uses a pump that turns the nutrient solution into a fine mist or spray that keeps the roots fed. In both NFT and Aeroponic systems, air is usually the only growth medium.

Are Orchids really hard to grow?

by Julia Zanieski

It is a common misconception that orchids are difficult to grow. While some are trickier than others, the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis), is an ideal choice for the beginning orchid grower. Moth orchid flowers come in various shades and combinations of white, yellow, pink and purple. Given the proper growing conditions, these long-lasting flowers will brighten up a dreary winter room for months.

Begin by finding a good site for your orchid. Place it in an east, west or shaded south window, where it will receive bright, indirect sunlight and no drafts. Such a location will ensure that your orchid receives proper temperature fluctuations; moth orchids prefer warm daytime temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees, with nighttime 15 degrees cooler, or 60 to 65 degrees.

When the orchid bark mix is nearly dry, water the plant thoroughly in a sink or bathtub, allowing excess water to drain out before returning it to its saucer. In order to tell if it needs water, pick up the container; if it seems light, water it.

Don't water according to the calendar, because the proper timing can vary greatly based on the humidity and temperature of your home, the growing medium and how thoroughly you water. Remember that it is better to err on the side of too dry. When applying fertilizer, do so "weakly, weekly." Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 or a 12-12-12, every week at a quarter to half the recommended strength.

Read the full article

Herb Gardening Indoors

by Mary Hanna

Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.

Get your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden. You will need some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.

Soil is the most important aspect of growing herbs indoors. Use only top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.

When you go to transplant the herb, go one inch up in the size of the gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem. Don't plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants because they will overgrow everything. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own. Some people swear that you must put garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container, but I dispute that opinion. I feel that the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots.

When it comes to light, all herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn't supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.

When it comes to watering, don't let the herbs dry out but don't drown them either. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb's roots.

If you follow all of these steps you will have a healthy herb garden all winter.

This article may be distributed freely on your website, in your ezines and in your eBooks, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged. Copyright © 2005 Mary Hanna. All Rights reserved.


About the Author
About the Author: Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives full time in Central Florida which allows her to garden and grow herbs inside and outside year round. Contact: mary@gardeninglandscapingtips.com or visit her garden site http://www.gardeninglandscapingtips.com

Hydroponics Gardening could be for you, if you don't have not enough room or soil

by Jan Money

Hydroponics gardening is a great idea for anyone who wants a garden but doesn't have enough land or soil. Hydroponics gardening is, essentially, a way to cultivate plants using a nutrient solution instead of soil.

With hydroponics gardening, it's easy to grow lovely flowers and succulent vegetables virtually anywhere you want! It's true that hydroponics gardening needs much less time than an ordinary garden. In fact, you might spend only five minutes a day maintaining you're hydroponics garden.

Once a month the nutrient solution will have to be changed but this will only take a few minutes. Big fruiting vegetables like peppers and tomatoes may not be able to thrive but most other vegetables and flowers will do great.

Tips for the newbie to hydroponics gardening

While hydroponics gardening can be a little confusing sometimes when starting out, you'll soon get the jest of it. The same as you need gardening supplies for a ordinary garden, you'll need hydroponics supplies for your hydroponics garden.

The most popular system is the passive system. This is where the plants sit directly in the nutrient solution. All passive air systems use an aquarium air bubbler otherwise the solution can become deoxygenated and could rot the plants.

If you can find the right system for you, hydroponics gardening could produce you with all the flowers and vegetables you could possibly want.

For more information go to: http://www.gardeningsupply.info/

Indoor Gardening - Bonsai Trees

by Cristina Diaz Garcia

The art of growing bonsais is an ancient oriental tradition, in which bonsai means "tray gardening". There are traces of bonsais (miniature trees or bushes) in Egypt, Japan and China, and it was considered that the miniature tree would have concentrated the powers of the actual-size tree.

Bonsai trees require a lot of care. The branches, leaves and roots need regular pruning to maintain the shape of the plant. Pinching is also required and even the use of small wires to keep the branches growing in a certain way.

Because the root system is very small, bonsais need to be watered regularly and properly. They are also very sensitive to excesive heat (which makes water evaporate quicker), sun and wind.

Keeping bonsais in their shape is all an art and there are different styles that apply to different types of bonsai trees. The basic five styles are: formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi cascade, and windswept.

The cascade style is probaby the most interesting to display, as the branches of the tree eventually reach a level below the base of the pot.

Make your own bonsai

Everything you need to create your own bonsai.
Juniper Procumbens Nana (3 years old)
Anneaaled copper training wire
Bonsai soil (conifer mix)
Fiberglass drainage hole covers
Multi-colored textured rock

For the Japanese, bonsais have aesthetic beauty and are meant to evoke the spirit of the plant being used. This may also include the use of rocks, mountains or water features to recreate the surroundings of the actual tree in reality.

This also includes choosing the most appropriate bonsai for an environment. There are indoor and outdoor bonsais, and the Japanese placed them to suit a certain space with a type of spirit. Not all bonsai trees should be, according to this tradition, displayed in any place.

A bonsai is a very elegant tree to display outdoors, and it makes an interesting choice for an indoor spot. Get yourself started today with a Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper (considered by some as the best bonsai for a beginner) and enhance the appearance of your chosen spot.


About the Author
Cristina Diaz Garcia is the Author and Founder of the "Beautiful Gardens Email Club". Visit her page for an useful Pot Gardening free report at http://www.soapystuff.com/free-garden-reports.html

Wedding Days: Love's in Bloom...Anyone Seen the Flowers?

Everyone hopes to have a picture-perfect wedding day. Getting to that point takes untold amounts of time, money, energy and patience. Even the tiniest detail cannot be left unchecked, if we have any hope of eluding Murphy's Law. These days, brides-to-be must even consider potential allergic reactions to their flowers, in addition to the more traditional details. It's enough to crush the faint of heart.

The flowers for the church, the wedding party and the reception are a big item on the wedding plans list. If this goes wrong, it can be a real disaster. So many problems can crop up in this area: flowers not being delivered on time, not fresh, or not the flowers the bride ordered. Just try to send the flowers them back or get new ones when your perfectly orchestrated color scheme is ruined because the
wrong colored flowers arrived. The ambiance of the wedding is ruined, and we probaly have a bride in tears. Take certain precautions to avoid this disaster.

The first detail to be attended to is the color scheme you are choosing . Be sure to be decide this well advance, or you will guarantee yourself a headache. You will usually base the colors of the flowers on the colors of the bridesmaids' dresses, so decide on that before you start to look at flowers. Stick to your color scheme and then pick flowers in that color scheme. Be definite about the color. Some
flowers are available in just about every colors, while others are limited. Don't try to pick a specific type of flower, it may not work with that color scheme, just start with the color. Bring swatches and be ready to complement rather than match. Before that first crucial meeting with the florist, certain steps will prepare you.

Even though, nowadays, many flowers are available all year long, you need to take the season of your wedding into account when you are choosing your flowers. There is a certain charm added to the wedding if the flowers suit the season. Sunflowers in the middle of winter may not convey the tone you want, plus out of season flowers are probably be more expensive. Formal church weddings need more sophisticated arrangements than a wedding on the beach, so you need to consider the type of wedding you're planning.

Of course, your budget must certainly come into the picture, and if your ideals cause you to be unrealistic, you'll be starting off your new life with some pretty hefty financial problems. Typically, you should expect to spend between ten and fifteen percent of your overall budget on flowers. By going over your budgetary limitations with the florist upfront, he or she will be able to discuss the
possibilities with you without having to sacrifice much in the way of quality or quantity.

Other considerations include bouquet size, the shade of your gown (there are many variations of white), whether or not you prefer a "toss" bouquet, the seasonal temperature (some flowers don't do well if carried outdoors during the winter months, and will actually turn black), whether or not the flowers may pose a pollen problem for your gown (lilies should have the stamens removed before being
carried down the aisle, since they can stain your gown) and dozens of other little details that your florist will help you to work through. Most of all, be open-minded, learn to take advice and don't sweat the small stuff.


Peter Carnater runs the website
Flowers Niche,inc. which is a site dedicated to providing all the very latest news and views related to flowers. This is a complete flowers research center providing easy access to everything flowers related. Please vistit http://www.flowersniche.com for any questions or comments
about this article

Bromeliads need minimal care to grow well indoors

Bromeliads need minimal care to grow well indoors

Question: How can I grow bromeliads in an air-conditioned apartment? I have a large pot of them, but little by little, they are dying.

Answer: Move the container of bromeliads away from the air-conditioned breezes and to a bright location but out of direct sun. If the plants have central cups of foliage, keep them full of water. Also, try to raise the humidity a little near the plants by setting the containers on a tray of moist pebbles. Otherwise, bromeliads need minimal care.

Touch the soil in the container, and when it feels dry, it's time to water. Moisten the soil until water begins to run from the bottom. You can just about skip feedings in the home. Once or twice a year, mix a 20-20-20 or similar product at a quarter of the normal strength. Use it at a watering and allow just a little to enter the central cups as you also wet the soil with the solution.