All kinds of vegetables and herbs are available in stores in any season. But in winter and spring, prices are high, and the quality of products from greenhouses leaves much to be desired. How to provide your family with delicious vitamin-rich greens in the spring, when they are especially needed? Method hydroponics at home grow greenery, tasty and fresh, without harmful additives, all year round.
Using the hydroponics method at home, grow herbs that are tasty and fresh, without harmful additives, all year round.
What is hydroponics
This is the name for several methods of growing without soil. At the same time, the roots of agricultural crops receive everything they need for development from a special medium: porous or liquid. Industrial cultivation of all possible agricultural crops using hydroponics has been practiced for decades in countries where there is little irrigated fertile land. In Israel, approximately 80% of vegetables, herbs and other crops are grown hydroponically. In Russia and other CIS countries, hydroponics is actively developing as a business. It is easy to implement and profitable. With its help you can also grow at home green onions, lettuce, mint, parsley, dill, rosemary, various herbs.
The concept of hydroponics includes several cultivation methods:
- Actually hydroponics(or water culture). The roots are nourished using this method directly from water enriched with nutrient mixtures.
Features of water technology: plant roots need aeration. Fully water systems, if used, require periodic flooding of the roots.
- Substrate culture (or support method). The roots of greenery grow through the layer of substrate. This layer is located on a mesh immersed in a nutrient composition.
Important: when cultivating using the substrate method, it is necessary to constantly maintain an air gap between the aqueous medium and the mesh (3 - 6 cm). This is necessary to feed the roots with air.
Industrial cultivation of all possible agricultural crops using hydroponics has been practiced for decades in countries where there is little irrigated fertile land.
- Aeroponics– growing agricultural crops without any substrate at all. With the aeroponic method, the root of the plant is fixed to plastic cover vessel. Most of it is in the air layer (2/3), and the tips are in the nutritional composition.
Important: with this growing method, you need to maintain maximum humidity in the vessels so that the root systems do not dry out.
- Chemoculture- an easy way to grow without soil. Suitable for drought-resistant species that are planted in a dry and hard substrate (stone chips, sand, expanded clay, etc.). During the development process, plants are fed with soft water with nutrient mixtures dissolved in it.
- Ionitoponics. This is a new and promising method in which a substrate (polyurethane foam chips) impregnated with ion exchange resin is used. These plants are watered clean water, and nutrients are gradually washed out of the substrate during watering.
Why is hydroponics attractive? home grown greenery?
- There is no need to water growing crops daily.
- At proper care, the roots do not dry out and always receive exactly as much of the substances needed for growth as required.
- The growth time of any agricultural crops, including grasses, accelerates by approximately 1.5 times. The yield is also much higher than in a greenhouse bed in winter time.
- There is no need to buy tens of kilograms of soil for planting and replanting.
- A variety of pests and soil diseases do not develop in media used for hydroponics.
- The soil gives plants not only useful substances, but also harmful substances that accumulate in it (lead, insecticides, etc.). Substrates are not chemically active, do not accumulate anything harmful and are not released to plants.
The soil gives plants not only useful substances, but also harmful substances that accumulate in it Hydroponics technologies
A wide variety of hydroponic systems have been developed. Can choose suitable way cultivation for any crops except root crops.
- Deep sea technology. The root system of grown plants is completely immersed in water. Air saturation - like in an aquarium: special device supplies air in the form of tiny bubbles into the nutrient medium.
- Reverse drip irrigation. This system is known to all experienced gardeners. The composition is supplied to each vessel with plants using a dropper. The liquid flows down the roots of the plant, nourishes it, enters the container from below and returns to the irrigation system.
- Periodic flooding. In installations for periodic flooding, the container with the plant being grown is filled with a nutrient composition for several minutes. Then the composition is drained through the holes in the bottom. So the plants are alternately fed with air and a hydroponic composition.
Features of growing greens
Spring hydroponic cultivation of green onions is widespread. Every schoolchild knows: if you place an onion with green feathers in a jar of water, then after three days you can eat the grown feathers or crumble them into a salad. But we are faced with the task of growing fresh greens from seeds.
Use small ones plastic containers 5 cm high and the same diameter, or plastic cups. Fill them with any substrate available to you and sow the seeds. Can be planted in one small container:
- 3-4 lettuce seeds,
- up to 20 pcs. lemon balm, basil, sorrel, mustard,
- up to 30 seeds of parsley, coriander, dill.
Scheme Water the pots first warm water and cover with polyethylene for germination. When the shoots appear, you need to place the tray with the sprouts in a well-lit place and then water the green crops for another week suitable composition for hydroponics.
We offer the simplest installation for hydroponic growing, which can be assembled in an hour. All materials are likely to be found in every home.
- Take a large container from of stainless steel or plastic. Fill it with water with hydroponic compound dissolved in it. A large container should be opaque, or better yet, light-proof. In such a container, the water will not bloom between changes in composition.
- Install an aquarium compressor on the bottom or wall of the container. It is responsible for saturating the composition with oxygen.
- Cut a sheet of thin foam plastic (up to 3 cm) to the shape of the container. Your task is to make the foam platform such that it floats relatively freely in a container with a nutrient composition.
- Make holes in the foam platform the same size as the plastic cups you will use to plant the seeds. The distances between the cups should be 8 - 10 cm.
- Make holes in the bottoms of the glasses for the roots to grow into. Fill the cups with suitable substrate. It can be perlite, coconut fiber, expanded clay, mineral wool.
- Plant the seeds in this substrate and place the glasses on the platforms. You can plant from 3 to 20 seeds of herbal garden crops in one glass. You can also rearrange seedlings that you have already grown using the previously proposed method into this installation.
- Place the fully completed platform into your hydroponics container. This home installation should be placed in a well-lit area. As the composition dries, it needs to be added.
Hydroponic setup Fresh greens grow completely (stem length - 30 cm) in a month. During this period you can use this home installation for growing greens. Literally from the second week of use, you will be able to eat dill, basil, parsley, and salad from your own hydroponic installation in the middle of winter. Then you need to cut off all the plants, change the composition for hydroponics and plant new seeds or install seedlings in a tray.
Flow units
Available for sale flow units for growing green and other crops. They are plastic gutters closed on both sides with holes for planting cups on top. Water flows along the bottom of the gutters and rises upward by capillary action, along the roots of cultivated plants and through special substrates. Purchase and install such an installation House master can do it without difficulty.
Agronomists recommend using peat, peat or transitional peat, with the addition of perlite, as a substrate for growing garden herbs in hydroponic systems. Peat should consist of large or medium particles (1 - 2 cm), with a small number of small ones. Recommended pH of the substrate is 4.2. Agroperlite is a prepared substrate, which consists of ¾ silicon oxide, also aluminum oxide, phosphorus, sodium and other elements. All of them are contained in perlite in forms that are not absorbed by plants. Before preparing the substrate, peat is mixed with lime and minerals 10 days before planting the greens. Chalk and crushed dolomite are added. Fertilizers are also introduced according to the following scheme:
DIY greens pH 6.2-6.4; EC - 2.5-3.0 mS/cm, Magnesium 60-80, N-NO3 200-250; Potassium 300-350; Phosphorus (in water-soluble form) 60-70; Calcium 250 mg/l. The prepared peat is mixed with perlite in a 2:1 ratio. As a result, we obtain a substrate mixture moistened by capillary method throughout the entire volume.
What varieties of greens are suitable for growing in home hydroponic systems?
More than 30 varieties of greens are grown industrially in our country. This:
- salad - Grand Rapid Ritsa, Lifli, Revolushion, Lollo rossa, Fanli, Bogemie, Fantaim, Angie, Lokarno;
- dill – Alligator, Early miracle, Grinader, Lesnogorsky,
- parsley - Italian Giant, Curly, Carnival, Leafy,
- sorrel - Gribovsky, Malachite, Belleville.
The growing time for all these species and varieties is from 20 to 30 days. And all of them have proven themselves in home and industrial hydroponic installations.
Hydroponics and self-growing of seedlings
Currently, several soilless methods are used for growing vegetables, berries and herbs at home and in greenhouses. Hydroponics for strawberries and others cultivated plants became popular in our country relatively recently, but has already proven itself positively.
The absence of soil makes it easy to keep the room clean, and it is for this reason that growing greens hydroponically is very convenient at home, on the windowsill. The basic equipment and nutrient solution can be easily made by yourself.
Hydroponics is most often used for cultivating green onions, as well as almost any variety of lettuce, parsley, dill, spinach, sorrel, fennel, basil and cilantro or other aromatic herbs. It is best to grow early-ripening and early-ripening varieties of green crops in hydroponics.
- high level economical due to low solution consumption and low energy consumption;
- maximum efficient fertilizer consumption;
- fast growth and development of green culture;
- environmental cleanliness of the resulting products.
To make such a system yourself, you will need to use:
- plastic gutters with an optimal cross-section and holes for landing cups;
- standard plastic cups equipped with slots;
- a container filled with a nutrient solution;
- water pump and timer.
How to grow green onions hydroponically (video)
One side of the plastic gutter should be sealed with a plug. It is recommended to place the plastic gutter on the racks with an inclination angle from the horizontal of about one percent.
Nutrient solution for greens
High-quality nutrient solutions used in the hydroponics system are supplied to the root system of the green crop through specially made calibrated holes. A properly prepared nutrient solution is a guarantee of obtaining high-quality vegetable and green products. The initial data of water that is used to prepare the solution is presented:
- general indicators of the concentration of soluble salts;
- qualitative and quantitative content of essential nutrients;
- hardness indicators.
- complex fertilizer "Kemira-hydro";
- granulated calcium nitrate;
- monopotassium phosphate;
- liquid magnesium nitrate;
- potassium nitrate;
- magnesium sulfate;
- 58% nitric acid;
- 77% phosphoric acid.
The water for preparing the solution should have a temperature of 18–20 °C. The content of nutrients in the solution may vary depending on the season of growing the green crop. Standard pH level ready solution within 5.8–6.5.
| Terms of use | N | P | ||||
| Spring | 131–140 | 40–45 | 224–269 | 85–90 | 50–59 | 21 |
| Summer | 115–130 | 35–40 | 130–220 | 75–85 | 56–59 | 21 |
| Autumn | 120–175 | 40–43 | 245–350 | 92–95 | 35–57 | 21–32 |
| Winter | 170–180 | 40–50 | 340–360 | 95–100 | 32–40 | 21–32 |
A special nutritional composition should be prepared for growing lettuce. IN winter period The ratio of nutrients is as follows:
- nitrogen – 180;
- phosphorus - 50–70;
- potassium - 3604
- magnesium - 50–60;
- calcium - 80–100.
IN summer period The nutrient solution for growing lettuce should have the following composition:
- nitrogen – 140;
- phosphorus - 50–70;
- potassium – 220;
- magnesium - 40–55;
- calcium – 80.
Any shifts can negatively affect the growth and development of green crops; in addition, they do not allow obtaining high-quality output products.
Features of growing technology at home
To ensure active growth and development of the root system for plants, special artificial substrates should be used, which can be vermiculite, the smallest fraction of expanded clay, coarse washed sand or mineral wool.Plant nutrition is provided by a special nutrient mixture based on water-soluble mineral and organic components. The fundamental point in hydroponic technology is the use of water circulation through a small pump, as well as two standard metal-plastic tubes and two containers.
From the first container, a constant supply of liquid is carried out using a pump into the second container, which should be located above the first. The end of the pipe should be bent into a U-shape. Drainage is carried out according to the siphon principle. The top container should be filled with a mixture of ordinary mineral wool and vermiculite, into which home-grown green crops are planted.
It is advisable to grow seedling material in small plastic pots or special seedling cassettes filled with loose and breathable nutrient substrate, the humidity of which should be about 38–42%. In each pot you need to sow several green seeds and water relatively abundantly. room temperature. Optimal temperature regime for germination is about 22–24 °C with air humidity at 94%. The length of daylight hours should be approximately 14–15 hours.
After the appearance of two true leaves, the microclimatic conditions should be changed. Temperatures should be reduced to 15–17 °C. At this stage, the temperature of the nutrient solution should be 18.0–18.5 °C. It is very important to maintain the same air humidity levels in the room where greens are grown using hydroponics. It is allowed to use standard growth stimulants twice in accordance with the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.
Hydroponics: growing seeds and seedlings (video)
It should be remembered that the method of modern hydroponics is optimally suited for cultivating almost any variety of berries, vegetables, and green crops. The method is absolutely not suitable for growing root crops. Hydroponics is most often used for growing cucumbers, tomatoes and various green crops, garden strawberries and indoor ornamental plants.
Hydroponics is a set of methods that allow you to grow any crops without using soil or other substances. This system allows you to grow crops, enriching them with fertilizers containing all the necessary minerals. That is why plants grown in such an environment have a more powerful root system and active growth. The topic of this article is hydroponics at home. Do-it-yourself greens will help you surprise your family and delight them with your own grown vitamins.
Hydroponics at home - DIY greens Hydroponics at home - how to plant greens?
Using hydroponics, you can grow some crops even on your own windowsill. There is no need to use soil, which means the house will be clean. As a rule, all kinds of greens are grown in this way: parsley, fennel, green onions, basil and other herbs. Crops that have increased ripening characteristics lend themselves best to cultivation.
Common people often use the flow-through method of hydroponics, which has its advantages:
- Saving Money(minor waste of solution and electricity).
- Fertilizers are used very efficiently.
- Cultures develop and grow quickly.
- Environmental friendliness of the resulting products.
In order to prepare a hydroponics kit yourself, just take a container that needs to be filled with a special solution rich in nutrients. Special gutters are inserted into it, which will have slots for cups in which the culture will germinate. You will also need a timer and a water pump.
How to grow your own greens in hydroponics?
So, what nutrient mixture should be introduced into a container that holds cups of seedlings? It is important to consider several indicators here:
- Presence and level of mineral salts.
- The quality and quantity of substances that provide a nutritional basis.
As a rule, experienced gardeners use the following set of minerals to create a nutrient medium:
- Saltpeter, which contains calcium (most often in granules) and potassium.
- Magnesium nitrate in liquid state.
- Nitric acid in a 58% solution and orthophosphoric acid in a 77% solution.
All these substances must be added to water at a temperature of at least twenty degrees. For cultivation different types greens, in different time periods, do not require the same concentrations of nutrients. Therefore, when adding fertilizers, you need to take into account all the subtleties.
In order to start growing crops, you need to fill the container with substrate. Which will contain a nutrient medium for plant root systems. It can be either expanded clay, sand or mineral wool. The circulation of nutrients inside the container will be ensured by the simplest water pump, which will help water and the nutrients contained in it penetrate into and out of the substrate. To do this, a special drain is installed that connects two containers: one located above with the substrate and cups with seedlings, and the second below with liquid.
As for the seedlings, they are sown in plastic cups small size, filled with loose contents. Optimal temperature for growing crops using hydroponics it will be twenty-two degrees, humidity should be at the border of ninety percent. It is also important to ensure an influx of light for fifteen hours.
As soon as the first leaves hatch, the temperature should be lowered to seventeen degrees. But the norms for the use of minerals must be determined according to the need for specific crops grown. Hydroponics at home - DIY greens. Everything is very simple, accessible and effective. In conclusion, it should be noted that the hydroponics method is great for growing herbs, spices and some berries, but is absolutely not suitable for growing root vegetables and other “heavy” vegetables.
See also video:
Hydroponics at home
Growing various greens right in your home is the dream of many housewives. There are no problems with ordinary plants; they can be easily grown near a window, but, for example, with parsley or dill you will have to tinker. This issue can be solved using hydroponics. At home, greens and much more can be grown thanks to it.
Advantages of the method
As you know, during the cold season, grow various plants impossible in the garden. To solve this problem, a hydroponic installation was invented, which allows you to build a small garden for growing such plants in your home.
This method involves using a hydroponic solution. The plant develops and performs its vital functions thanks to the substrate in which the roots of the plant are placed. It receives all the nutrients necessary for ripening from this solution.
For each type of plant that will be grown using this installation, it is necessary to select an individual type of solution. This is the only way to achieve maximum process efficiency.
Installation methods
To grow plants in this way, the installation itself is used, as well as a substrate and a special solution. The installation can be purchased at a specialized store, or you can build it yourself.
It includes a certain number of containers in which you can place soil and plant seeds, as well as a whole system that allows you to supply a nutrient solution to their roots. On the market you can find a huge number of such devices that have individual characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
If you want to do the installation yourself, you will need:
These materials will be enough to equip the simplest installation, which will be designed for growing greenery on a balcony or windowsill in the winter.
If you lack the required level of skills, time or desire, then you don’t have to bother making the installation yourself and order the device on the Internet.
Next you need to purchase substrate, with which the pots are filled, its task is to support the roots of the greenery. It does not contain any nutrients and is completely sterile. It is extremely important to ensure that this substance is not exposed to chemicals.
You will also need a hydroponic solution for your greens. You won’t be able to make it yourself; you can buy it in specialized stores. This is a special liquid that contains nutrients necessary for growing plants. Each type of green requires a separate solution.
Preparing for landing
The first step is to correctly determine the location in which the entire installation will be placed. A window sill or glass balcony, because, in addition to nutrients, plants require sunlight and a pleasant temperature.
Substrates must not release any substances and must be sterile. Substances most suitable for greens:
- Expanded clay. This is clay that has been exposed to temperatures of more than 1 thousand degrees Celsius. There are no minerals here, but there is a possibility of lowering the pH of the solution. After purchase, rinse thoroughly with water. You can use it several times, you just need to get rid of the remaining roots and solution with water.
- Mineral wool. This is one of the most budget-friendly and practical substrates. The main disadvantage is the need for maximum caution when working with cotton wool, since it contains microparticles harmful to the skin. If they come into contact with the eyes or respiratory tract, serious health problems may occur.
- Coconut substrate. It contains coir and coconut shells. Unlike the previous option, this one is completely safe for both humans and environment. When its expiration date expires, it can be used as fertilizer. For some time, it accumulates minerals useful for plants in itself, after which it transfers them to the roots. Gives free access to oxygen to the roots and also retains water.
- Vermiculite and perlite. They are used exclusively in pairs because maximum efficiency It manifests itself precisely when used together. Vermiculite makes the soil looser, allowing it to absorb more water. Perlite is designed to hold various chemicals and humidity.
The substrate must be able to pass water and air through itself, because without this the plant simply will not be able to carry out its vital functions and, accordingly, develop.
Start of cultivation
Any hydroponic setup requires pre-germination seeds They are placed in soil or peat and watered with the prepared solution. When the plant begins to develop and the first leaves appear, you can transplant it into the filler.
For transplant It is necessary to remove the seedling from the original one along with the soil and wash the roots as carefully as possible. Now you can place the plant in the installation container and cover it with the selected substrate.
There is no need to pour in the nutrient solution immediately after transplanting. The first week is enough to fill the tank plain water. If everything goes as it should, then you can start the solution.
The solution must be prepared in accordance with the instructions for the drug. As a rule, it consists of nitrate, which contains calcium, and complex fertilizer. To prepare, you will need a regular medical syringe of any size. The product is diluted in water in the proportion specified by the manufacturer.
Maintenance requirements for the installation and plant are minimal. But it is recommended to follow them for effective development greenery:
- Once every three months you need to completely replace the nutrient solution. If you neglect this point, then over time the solution may be spoiled due to external influence. This can have a detrimental effect on the plant itself.
- Under no circumstances should any unnecessary objects or substances get into the solution. This applies to absolutely any particle that may accidentally end up there.
- The water temperature in the tank should be approximately 20 degrees. It must be achieved by any convenient means.
Hydroponics has been used by people for many years to grow plants at home. Over time, more and more hydroponic installations for growing greens with advanced functionality are appearing, which only simplify this process.
People often wonder how to provide themselves with fresh, vitamin-rich plants during the winter? Growing various greens using hydroponics at home - you will provide your table with vitamins almost throughout the year. This technology is especially interesting for those plant lovers who do not have a usual plot of land. This is a simple and fun activity that will give you the opportunity to save money intended for the purchase of greenery, and at the same time enjoy communicating with plants.
The word hydroponics means that the basis of this technology is water. With its help, green crops develop not in ordinary soil, but in water of a special composition, which contains all the useful substances necessary for the life of plants. This method of growing allows you to forget about weeds, watering and digging the beds, various pests, who try to feast on our plants.
The solution used to grow plants contains all necessary elements nutrition, which in its own way chemical composition the same as those that are in the ground in the garden bed.
Where to start, installation diagram
First of all you need to purchase necessary equipment and plastic cups or pots, holes 3-5 cm in diameter are made in their bottom; they are necessary for sowing seeds.
The prepared container is placed in a high tray, and the compressor from the aquarium is attached to it. It is necessary to saturate the water with air and constantly mix the nutrient mixture so that the nutrients do not settle to the bottom, but move between the roots of the plants. Cups or pots must be installed in slots of a suitable diameter in a sheet of foam plastic.
If this simplest installation is assembled correctly, then after a short time you can cut the first fresh greens.
Briefly, the sequence of growing greens hydroponically:
- Choosing the right one for hydroponics culture;
- Assembling the installation and pour inert filler into the cups - expanded clay, perlite, etc. (installation diagram is presented below);
- We plant seeds;
- Selecting fertilizers to compile a nutrient mixture, taking into account the needs of the selected crop;
- We attach it to the installation compressor;
- Completed and seeded pots immerse in nutrient solution.
The installation is assembled and the seeds are sown, all that remains is to control the level of the nutrient solution and cut the greens in time, this will speed up the development of new leaves. For the rapid development of green crops it is desirable organize lighting using special phytolamps.
Thanks to the availability of nutrients, plants can concentrate their energy on development.
Methods for growing plants hydroponically at home
In addition to the nutritional composition, a special substrate is required - a structure made of porous material that can serve as an accumulator of the nutritional composition.
But there are ways to grow plants hydroponically, which do not require a substrate or water solution:
- First way. It consists in the fact that the pots where the roots of the plants are located are fixed above the nutrient solution so that the root is immersed only to a certain depth, the rest is placed above the surface of the water. When the liquid evaporates, it is topped up with water to the desired level. This method is ideal for plants whose roots require a lot of oxygen (with a branched root system).
- Second way. Double pots are used for it, in one of them, bigger size pour in the nutrient solution. In the smaller of the pots, filled with substrate, there is root system plants. In the bottom and walls of the smaller pot, it is necessary to make holes through which the solution will penetrate. Make sure that the roots of the plant are not completely immersed in the liquid, but only 2/3 of their length.
- Third way. This method is called submersible hydroponics. It is convenient to use when growing greens in large quantities. It is necessary to prepare a large container (bath) and fill it with a nutrient solution. A foam platform floating on the surface is lowered into the solution. Holes are cut in the foam into which pots with substrate and greenery planted in it are lowered.
This hydroponic system works like this: a compressor aerator is mounted at the bottom of the bath - it is necessary to mix the solution and saturate it with oxygen. It is necessary to change the nutrient solution periodically since after 3-4 days the concentration of nutrients in it decreases, and part of the liquid evaporates.
Preparation of the solution
A nutrient solution is necessary for any type of plant. Its task is to provide the growing crop with the nutrients necessary for crop formation. Now there are many different recipes aqueous solution for making your own at home.
The easiest option is to purchase a ready-made solution at a flower shop. But remember that each garden and green crop requires its own solution with a certain content of nutrients.
For this reason, please consult with an experienced person before purchasing! Additionally, carefully read the instructions on the package, which will allow you to buy exactly the drug that is best suited for your crop.
Sowing seeds
Seeds must be sown in a pot or tray, on a special substrate, for rapid germination you need to maintain a temperature of 22 degrees and the substrate at wet. To make it easier in the future to transplant seedlings into a hydroponic installation, you need to use a substrate that is easily washed off from the root system. A composition containing 25% vermiculite and 78% perlite by volume is suitable for this purpose. This mixture allows you to maintain the moisture required for the seeds.
A substrate made from peat moss is suitable. You cannot use regular soil - it is very difficult to wash it off the roots. After this, you need to wait until the seedling has formed 2 true leaves. After this, the plant is carefully removed from the substrate. If you feel resistance, then there is no point in making an effort. you need to take a simple spoon and carefully pick out the sprout with the substrate. After this, the roots are washed in a bucket or under running water, until the substrate is completely removed. Then the seedling is transplanted into a hydroponic setup, making sure that the roots are immersed in the solution.
Peat moss pellets or compressed coconut fibers are available for sale.
The hydroponic method of growing greens is a successful alternative to the soil method of growing greens. It has many advantages, for example - the absence of physical labor, the opportunity to get a harvest in ordinary apartment, no pests.
