Another plant growing method we have used is hydroponics. With a hydroponics system, plants get their nutrients from a nutrient solution instead of soil. This system is similar to aeroponics in that both use a nutrient solution instead of soil. The difference is how the plant's root system contacts the nutrient solution.
In a hydroponics system, the plant roots grow down into the nutrient solution just as it would soil. The nutrient solution gets circulated throughout the system. In an aeroponics system, the roots get their nutrients by having the nutrient solution rain down over the roots or by having nutrient solution sprayed on the plant roots. The plant roots do not sit in nutrient solution at all times.
With this type of system, you have choices. You can buy a small prebuilt system or create your own with some simple items you can purchase at the hardware store. I like building my own hydroponic systems. Doing so allows me to customize the hydroponic system to fit within the available space.
Building a hydroponics system consists of four main items: the tank or reservoir for the nutrient solution, a pump for circulating the solution, hose, and the planting apparatus that your plants will grow in. The solution tank doesn't have to be anything expensive. The tank can be as simple as a heavy duty storage bin with a lid. I use these because they are easy to clean when needed.
To circulate the nutrient solution, I use a pond pump. Pumps are a simple and effective way to pump the nutrient solution throughout your hydroponics system. The important thing about choosing a pump is the specification called the head. The head is the maximum vertical distance the pump can pump a fluid. For example, if the pump is on the floor for your system and the highest point nutrient solution has to be pumped to is four feet off the floor, then you need a pump with a head of at least four feet.
The hoses route the nutrient solution between the different primary components. With a submersible pump, the hoses will take nutrient solution from the pump to the planting apparatus and from the planting apparatus back to the tank. With an external pump, there will be a section of hose between the tank and the pump. This hose allows nutrient solution to flow from the tank to the pump.
The planting apparatus consists of a shallow channel, and hydroponics baskets. The baskets sit inside the hydroponic channel and holds the plants in place as they grow. Nutrient solution gets pumped through the hydroponic channel, and the plant roots grow down into the solution.
