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Hydroponic Growing - Self Construction Guide
There are many types of hydroponic growing, differing in the way in which water catches up roots. We will deal about the Deep Water Growing, also called DWC, in which roots are deep inside the water.
This type of growing gives you the advantage to accellerate plants metabolism, favoring a flourishing increase, and it's very clean, because there is no soil.
A short guide to realize a DWC (Deep Water Colture) system.
First of all, we have to begin from the place where the plant will stend: we need a perforated pot (or netpot). In the netpot, preferably, we will put some expanded clay (already washed). The pot must rest on the cover of a tank full of water.
The roots will grow first in the expanded clay, then they will exit from the netpot, going to catch up the water, where they will develop.
This tank must be impermeable to light (light + water = algas), and the advised capacity can vary, depending on the number of plants that we are going to install with about 15lt for each one.
If your tank is very small, then it will need more frequent controls and upkeep. About the container, you can use a very common basin, which you will find in hobby stores. When you are calculating the volume, you must consider that in the highest part (where the pot is inserted in the tank), water will not ever be there, but at 1-2 cm from the pot.
Beyond the tub and the netpot, hydroponic growing needs these instruments:
- Air pumps
- Porous stones
- Timer
Air pumps will oxygenate the solution. You can find them on Internet or in an aquarius store. They are classified by capacity. It's better to choose a powerful pump (150 lt/h). The action of the pumps does not have to be continous, and with the timer we can make work them with pauses of 15/30 minutes.
The pumps, through small tubes, must be connected with the porous stone, to spread air on a larger surface. So, long porous stones are recommended, and you must let the air attain all the tank.
Some advices:
Water has to be changed every 15 days, max a month. So it's better if you can stuck the tank in order to be able to easily move the tube, even if it'f full.
Another problem is the choise of the plant: you must know it and its sex, in order to know how it will develop. If more plants are put in the same hydroponic system, roots could interlace, rendering impossible the separation.
Pumps must stand over the level of water, could short-circuit, with bad consequences.
The nourishing solution for the hydroponic growing has need to be controlled with specific tools. The PH, that is the acidity of the solution, must be checked with a digital ph-meter, and you will often have to mend it with appropiated solutions.
Another important value is the EC, that is the electrical conductivity; this value indicates the amount of the nourishing substances in the solution.
There are many preconstructed systems, available on internet, but they are often very expensive.
