Aeroponics - This system spray or mist water on the root system and are mostly in enclosed environments. They will not require any sort of soil and could function without a media at all. It is good for water conservation and getting air to the root system. The plants roots are growing through the net pot and are suspended in the chambers. This system has 3" net pots filled with hydroton. All my seedlings were started in rockwool starter cubes. It makes potting all these sites pretty fast and simple.
The system pictured above is also considered an NFT system. NFT stands for Nutrient Film Technique. Inside the chambers is a film of nutrient rich water that flows through the tips of the roots. This technique is more commonly used in the commercial gardening industry.
Ebb and Flo - This system will consist of a tray or tub that will periodically fill with water from the reservoir and flow back when your pump kicks off. There are many different mediums you can use in this system. Some prefer one over the other. I prefer Rockwool blocks and slabs. Some like to fill the whole tray with hydroton or pots filled with a soiless media. I think its harder to clean but its your choice! The amount of times you need to flood will be based on the water retention of your media choice. I would flood once or twice a day for 6" blocks.
Drip System - I really love drip systems. They have worked pretty well for me. They are also easily made by the garden hobbyist. You can really use this technique in very many ways. I use tubing to make a main line run from the pump up through pre drilled holes in the bottom center of my tray. "T" off that line and use elbows to run two hard irrigation lines the length of my tray and pinch it off. I then poked holes for each drip line and inserted 1/4" tubing and cap it off with a dripper stake. Thats it and your ready to grow!
No comments
Post a Comment