Hydroponic plants: types, list of examples and how to grow them

Hydroponics is called the agriculture of the future because it produces healthier and more nutritious crops, optimizing better the resources that are provided to the plant, in addition to requiring less fertilizers and pesticides. In this other article we explain more about Hydroponics, a more ecological and sustainable agriculture .

Every day more people are encouraged to practice home hydroponics. If you want to practice vertical or horizontal hydroponics to have your own garden in water, you will need a domestic hydroponic kit , which you can buy in specialized stores or assemble yourself.

Later on, we show you how to make the most basic home hydroponic you can do. One that you have probably seen in photos or videos is the NFT hydroponic system , which is very striking because it works through a series of pipes and channels that are placed in several rows as a vertical garden. In them, the nutrient solution is in constant circulation, so that the water never stagnates and the plant takes what it needs at all times.

In these cases, it is much more advisable to buy some of the systems and kits that are sold, since they are more complex to assemble and require a higher technical level.

Regarding the care for growing hydroponic plants at home , it must be borne in mind that, apart from the water technique, each species or type of hydroponic plant may have different needs, so we recommend that when purchasing seeds or the plants ask the store specialist about the specific needs of said plant (light, temperature, nutrients, etc.).

To finish talking about growing hydroponic plants, we explain how to make a home hydroponic culture in an easy way. To do this, you will need the following:

Materials for home hydroponics

• An air pump. This you will not be able to make easily, as it must be a pump that oxygenates the water, like those used in aquariums. Without this oxygenation of the water, the roots will not develop properly and contamination in the water could occur. Thus, it is best to acquire one.
• An opaque container. A box, bowl, large tube, or other container of sufficient depth. It must be opaque because the roots require darkness.
• Sprouted seeds. You can germinate them yourself or buy them prepared.

Step by step to make a hydroponic culture

1. Punch a hole in the bottom of your chosen container. It is important that you have a plastic cap or some waterproof material with which you can cover it.
2. Fill the container with water, without reaching the rim. At the same time, prepare the lid of the container by preparing a few holes the size of which can be made with a drill, all of the same size.
3. Place the germinated shoots in the holes so that the roots are well covered by the water, and then secure them with the substrate you have chosen. Some popular hydroponic substrates are pumice and gravel.
4. Place your hydroponics in a lighted area but where it does not receive the most intense hours of natural light. Do not forget to add the oxygenating pump to the water and program it to activate at least a few minutes every 3 hours. In addition, you will need to apply a nutrient solution for hydroponic crops to the water and the substrate. Here, each species has its own needs and frequencies.

Here we explain much more about How to grow hydroponics at home .

If you want to read more articles similar to Hydroponic plants: types, list of examples and how to grow them , we recommend that you enter our category of Growing and caring for plants .