Hydroponics is the growth of plants without using soil and the name means. The grower provides the plants with all of the nutrients they would usually get from the soil though water instead. Hydroponics can be used on a mass productions scale, or it can easily be scaled down for use by the home gardener as well. If you are new to hydroponics then a good place to start is growing hydroponic lettuce. The plants are easy to work with and forgiving to novice gardeners.
You will need to prepare for starting your hydroponics garden two weeks in advance of actually planting the lettuce. The first thing you do is gather your equipment. You will need a 5-gallon container with a lid. Dark, plastic containers work best, because the darkness helps keep algae from growing. You can cover a clear plastic container with dark plastic film or use aluminum foil if that is all you can find. You will need a growing medium also. Oasis root cubes work well for hydroponic lettuce. Pre-formed grwoth mediums such as root cubes are easy to handle. They should have a neutral pH and be designed for propagation. Lettuce seedlings will also be needed of course. The seedlings need to be placed in the growth cube two weeks in advance of planting and then put in a dish of water.
While your seedlings are in water, you can prepare the lid of your container for planting. On the lids trace the outlines of plastic planting cones. You can get on a 5-gallon lid four to six evenly spaced, but be careful not to get them too close to the edge of the lid. Cut out the circles you have traced with the plastic planting cones, and insert the cones into the holes.
Now you can create your water nutrient solution. The nutrients plants would normally get through the soil must be supplied via water, in hydroponic growing this is most crucial. The base for your solution is easy to find because there are many pre-mixed hydroponics solutions on the market. In a 5-gallon drum you take 2 tsp of pre-mixed hydroponic fertilizer or you can also use 8-15-36, 1 tsp of Epsom salt, and 2 tsp of calcium nitrate. Dissolve each of these ingredients, one at a time, in a cup of water, and then add the water to the drum. Once you have added your nutrients, fill the drum to near the top with water.
After your seedlings have been sitting in water for two weeks, they are ready to add to the planters. First all secure the lid on the drum with duct tape. Inside the plastic planting cones, which should already be in the holes you made in your drum lid, place the root cubes with the seedling in it. Hydroponic lettuce needs plenty of sunlight; about equal amounts of direct and indirect sunlight works best.
You will need to keep an eye on the plants for any insects or worms. Always remove insects by hand if you see any. Pesticides are not recommended for growth projects on such a small scale as this even though they are used in hydroponic gardening. Be sure the plants are taking water by keeping an eye on the water level in the drum and you also want to be sure it doesn’t get too low.
Within 4 to 5 weeks, you should have fully grown lettuce plants, ready to pick. Simply remove the leaves to pick. There are some hydroponic growth mediums that are recyclable, however root cubes are not and should only be used one time.
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This post was written by admin on February 22, 2010
