A lot of gardeners are starting to switch to hydroponic gardening for a number of different reasons. These types of gardens are not to big, can be grown inside and are perfect for virtually all vegetables, especially the red tom

ato. What’s more the equipment needed for hydroponic gardening is inexpensive and the gardens are relatively easy to deal with.

Hydroponic gardening is the growing of plants without dirt, in other words, “soil less gardening”. There are a number of different methods of hydroponic gardening, most of which have better results than standard soil gardening because it is easier to give the plants exactly what they need when they need it. Your plants will only receive exactly what you give them; therefore you can regulate the following:

• PH
• Nutrients
• Nutrient strength
• Amount of water
• Amount of light

This makes it crucial that you research the types of plants you will be growing so you can know what it is they need to survive.

Hydroponic gardening is only as complicated as you choose to make it. It can be complex if computers with sensors are used to regulate water cycles, nutrients, and the light for the plants. On the other hand, it can be as straightforward as a hand-watered bucket with a single plant. The standard home hydroponics system is typically made up of a few simple things: a growing tray, natural or artificial light, a reservoir, a water control pump for the watering (or some form of watering equipment), and some type of air pump to give oxygen to the nutrients.

The growing medium you use in hydroponic gardening can be a variety of different things, such as:

• Rockwool
• Perlite
• Coconut fibre
• Gravel
• Sand
• Vermiculite
• Or even air

There are certain micro-nutrients that are required for healthy plant growth and these include, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, cobalt, boron, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc. These nutrients are absolutely vital to the plants and if they are missing can cause the food to be not as healthy and in some cases can even cause health issues for people who eat it. It is essential that you use a quality fertilizer for hydroponic gardening.

One of the other important aspects of hydroponic gardening that needs be closely monitored is the pH balance. When the pH balance fluctuates the plants will lose their ability to absorb the nutrients that they require. The ease with which the pH in hydroponic gardening is checked and controlled gives it a huge advantage over regular soil gardening.

Although there are numerous variations, Wick, Water Culture, Ebb and Flow, Drip, N.F.T., and Aeroponic are the six most basic types of hydroponic gardening systems. Hydroponic gardening is simple, inexpensive, and you can have fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, herbs & spices all year long!

For more information on Hydroponic Gardening I highly recommend the ‘The Hydroponic Garden‘ by Paul Lavakis. It is a great Hydroponic Gardening resource which includes: Book, Audio, Video and Reference. For more information click here.