Starting Hydroponic Garden——5 Tips for Beginners

    Hydroponic gardening is defined as the use of mineral nutrient solutions or inert media (such as perlite, gravel or mineral clay pebbles) to grow plants without the use of any soil. For example, it allows many plants to grow in a controlled environment in a very small area, with less water and less light than traditional systems. It is also easy to harvest and harvest, making it a suitable choice for hydroponic beginners. Compared with traditional soil planting, this kind of farming requires much less pesticides and is healthier. This is a very cost-effective investment for professional gardeners because it aims to increase productivity at the lowest cost. Hydroponics is a widely used plant harvesting method, but it can also be very complex. Here are some basic tips and techniques for starting your own hydroponic garden.

1. Know your water

    Since there is no soil as a natural buffer in hydroponics, it is important to ensure that the purest water is used. Soft water should be used instead of hard water because it contains high mineral content and will not effectively dissolve nutrients The ideal pH value of water used in hydroponic system is between 5.8 and 6.2. It can be achieved by adding some chemicals to adjust the pH value of water.

2. Choose the Right Nutrients

    Always choose hydroponic nutrition products designed specifically for your specific plants. The most important thing is to adhere to the dose recommended by the nutrition manufacturer. Adding more may affect the health of plants. In addition, you should add a small amount of the recommended dose to fully mix the nutrients into the reservoir, and then add more.

3. Temperature Maintenance

    Temperature is also important for the healthy development of plants. Young plants - whose roots are developing - tend to prefer higher temperatures, allowing them to absorb more water from the air through the pores of their leaves. This also reduces the risk of mold and mold buildup when you maintain a good temperature range. Try to make sure your temperature doesn't fluctuate too much between day and night cycles.

4. Ideal Hydroponic Method/System

    There are several hydroponic farming methods, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Hydroponic methods will be selected according to the scale and complexity of your agriculture. For beginners, "deep water farming" is a good choice because it is easy to set up and very economical, while "nutrient membrane technology" is suitable for large-scale farming because of its low use of water, electricity and nutrients. In addition, there are several other methods available.

5. Lighting Conditions to Take Care

    Plants need at least 6 hours or at most 12 to 16 hours of sunlight a day. If you choose indoor hydroponic farming, it is necessary to provide sufficient lighting for them to flourish. Each plant needs at least 40 to 70 watts of light. Most ready-made hydroponic systems have built-in lighting systems. If you do not, please select high intensity discharge lamp or fluorescent lamp or LED. Note that the light produced by the light source is between 5000 and 10000 lumens per square foot.

    Mars Hydro is currently working on a beginner-friendly hydroponics lamp, which will be available soon. To all interested Australian growers, stay tuned!