Introduction To Greenhouse Hydroponic Gardening | Savvy Gardening: Garden Ideas, Tips, Pictures

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Greenhouse hydroponic gardening is the process of growing plants and vegetables without the use of soil. It usually involves using gravel or some other material to support the roots, and the plants are fed with a nutrient rich water solution. The purpose of this is that the plants do not receive their nutrients from the growing medium as they would from soil. This technique has been around for years, but was once only used by professionals and commercial growers. Over the last several years, however, many home gardeners have turned to this style of gardening to grow their own plants and vegetables. This article will provide a brief overview of greenhouse hydroponic gardening and some advantages associated with it.

How Is It Done?

Hydroponic gardening is usually done in a greenhouse. This will allow you to maintain the perfect climate and conditions required to maximize your yield. When most people think of a greenhouse, it usually brings to mind the large greenhouses used for commercial use. This isnít necessarily the case. Mini-greenhouses are available for purchase that are perfect for home use. Some people have even been known to build their own greenhouses that serve the same purpose. Whichever you choose, the idea is to create an environment with the ideal temperature and humidity for growing whatever it is youíre planting. Another advantage of greenhouse hydroponic gardening is that you can extend the growing season, especially if you live in a climate that is not conducive to gardening.

When you begin thinking about setting up a greenhouse hydroponic gardening system, there are a few different ways you could go. There are several different types of kits you can purchase, but they are usually a bit pricey. Many home gardeners build their own system, which you can do with many of the items you already have. If youíre a beginner, you may want to buy a kit to make sure you have everything you need. These systems vary in some ways, but the basic idea is the same.

Your planting containers will contain whatever growing medium you are using. In many cases, this would be gravel. The plants will grow in the gravel, but only for support for the roots and stalks. There are a number of different methods for delivering the nutrient solution to the plants. This solution is made up of water and fertilizer. The difference between regular fertilizer and the fertilizer used here is that this type contains all of the nutrients that the plants will need. Regular fertilizer leaves certain things out because the plants are expected to get a certain amount of nutrients from the soil. Of course, in this case there is no soil.

This solution will be either pumped or fed some other way into the medium. It is then absorbed directly into the roots. Many of these systems are automated, with sensors in the medium to tell the pump when more solution is needed.

Advantages

The advantages of greenhouse hydroponic gardening go far beyond the conditions provided by the greenhouse. Obviously, itís cleaner because there is no soil to deal with. The way the plants are fed allows you to have complete control of the nutrients your plants will receive and when they receive it. The result of this is larger, healthier, and faster growing plants and vegetables. Weeds and insect infestations are two other problems that are eliminated with this type of gardening.

Greenhouse hydroponic gardening is gaining in popularity all the time. Maybe you should check it out.

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About Me
Hi, this is Jennifer Hall, an avid weekend gardener living in the suburbs of Tulsa, OK. Here I share my gardening experiences, my favorite garden photos, and try to bring you the best tips for creating a beautiful garden of your own. You'll also find gardening advice & stories from other writers & gardeners here. I hope you enjoy!

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