What is hydroponics?

What is hydroponics? You must be curious and curious about this term recently. The following article will help you answer those questions.

Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants in a nutrient solution environment, you can simply understand that hydroponics. The principle of this method is to use water as an environment to provide plants with enough elements and nutrients at the right time to grow plants. Ensuring adequate light for photosynthesis and respiration of plants so that plants can thrive with high productivity.

In soil environment, the plants only take and are capable of absorbing about 5% of nutrients from the soil environment, the remaining 95% of nutrients are produced by the plants themselves during photosynthesis and use. The soil environment here only serves as a place to store nutrients for the development of plants, plants will use this nutrient slowly during development and growth. With hydroponics, nutrition is metabolized in liquid form (the most easily absorbed form for plants) so that the plants are easily absorbed during the development process, so we absolutely do not need to use the soil as a living environment for the plants.

What is the method of growing hydroponics? Is it good or not?

With this method, you have created a fairly clean living environment for plants, without the pollution effects from the soil environment causing plants such as fungi, pests, .Hydroponic research is a method that gives higher productivity than the method of cultivating broth , not only that, but hydroponics also takes advantage of the planting area quite well because it can divide the space into many floors to expand the area .

Basic hydroponic cultivation models

There are many different models of hydroponic vegetable cultivation at home that are researched to suit the conditions of each place. Most hydroponic growing trays are now made of plastic but can also use other materials such as glass, concrete or metal, etc. When growing troughs need to be shaded to prevent the development of moss. in hydroponic solution.

1 - Wick hydroponic system (wick system)

This is the simplest hydroponic system. The principle of operation of the system as the principle of oil lamps uses wicks to provide nutrients to the plant. Place one end of the wick fiber in the nutrient solution, the other end touching the root of the plant. Wick fibers will be responsible for absorbing water and nutrients to feed the plants, so the plant still has enough nutrients to grow.

2 - Static hydroponic system

This system uses a bottom flask, tank, tray or container of hydroponic solution. The part that holds the tree is usually made of light material above the mouth. Tree roots will be submerged in hydroponic solution. The static hydroponic environment has one disadvantage: lack of oxygen, so it must have a foaming machine to provide oxygen to the plant. This system is only suitable for certain types of plants and is normally only used in teaching because the cost is quite small because it is possible to use unused containers.

3 - The system of growing hydroponic vegetables

Unlike static hydroponics, the roots of the plant are always submerged in the solution, this model has an additional pump to control the amount of solution into the tray and then draw it according to a certain period. Thus, the root of the plant is not always submerged in water, avoiding flooding and creating space for plants to breathe naturally. This model is quite optimal and currently being applied to production in many farms in Vietnam

4 - Drip systems

This is the hydroponic system favored by countries around the world. There will be a pump system, pumping nutrient solution up and down directly into the root of the plant. Water is dripping, slow periodically. Nutrition will slowly drift down to the roots, the remainder will be returned to the tank and reused. The system effectively uses nutrition, suitable for growing herbs, flowers and some fruit trees such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, .

What is hydroponic substrate?

In hydroponic growing, the price is quite important, especially during the seed germination period and when seedlings are planted to hydroponic vases. The amount of substrate in each hydroponic basket is also moderate in order to save and facilitate treatment.

• The media used in hydroponics must ensure the ability of plants to retain moisture and air.
• The growing price of hydroponic vegetables must not affect the stable pH of the solution, the growth ability of vegetables.
• The substrate must be able to absorb water so that it can be easily used. Can be easily decomposed and reused.

Currently, there are three types of substrates used in hydroponics: coconut fiber, perlite, baked clay which are widely used. Coconut fiber has good water holding capacity, cheap price, easy to make. Perlite is volcanic, hollow, fairly light, good moisturizing, creating a well-ventilated environment for root development. This substrate is quite popular during the incubation process, cuttings. Calcined clay is a small pellet that is heated at high temperature, good water absorption, high moisture retention, favored for use in the hydroponic system of periodic discharge.