Hydroponic Gardening for Home Gardeners
Robert C. Hochmuth
Multi County Extension Agent
North Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley
University of Florida / IFAS
7580 County Road 136, Live Oak, FL 32060
Email: bobhoch@mail.ifas.ufl.edu
http://nfrec-sv.ifas.ufl.edu
 

Hydroponics

Almost all of the vegetables we find on grocery store shelves are produced either directly or indirectly in open-field soil.  However, soil itself isn’t necessary for plant growth – only some of its constituents.

          Field soil serves two basic purposes: it acts as a reservoir for essential elements and water and it provides physical support for the plant.  Artificial means can also provide these requirements for plant growth with equal (and sometimes better) growth and yield compared to field soil, although at substantially greater expense.  Well-drained, pathogen-free field soil of uniform texture is the least expensive medium for plant growth, but soil doesn’t always occur in this perfect package.  Some soils are poorly textured or shallow, and provide an unsatisfactory root environment because of limited aeration and restricted drainage.  Pathogenic organisms are a common problem in field soils.  When adverse conditions are found in soil and reclamation is impractical, some form of hydroponics or soilless culture may be justified.

          The term hydroponics is generally used to describe any of several methods of growing plants without soil.  A number of packaged hydroponic systems are available for use in commercial production or by hobbyists.  These systems are variously referred to as water culture, gravel or sand culture, soilless culture, bag culture, solution or liquid culture, nutri-culture, the nutrient film technique (NFT), and float systems. 

The simplest and oldest method for soilless culture is a vessel of water in which inorganic chemicals are dissolved to supply all the elements required by plants.  Often called solution culture or water culture, the method was originally termed hydroponics (i.e., “water working”) by W. F. Gericke in the 1930s.  Over the years, hydroponics has been used sporadically throughout the world as a commercial means of growing both food and ornamental plants.  Today hydroponic systems are widely used throughout the world by gardeners, researchers, and commercial producers.  In fact, we have about 850 acres of hydroponic vegetables produced in the US today, mostly in greenhouses.  Florida has about 75-80 acres of vegetables being produced in greenhouse hydroponic systems.  Primary crops in Florida include: colored bell pepper, tomato, European cucumber, and lettuce.  Other specialty crops are also produced including: strawberry, herbs, specialty greens, and edible flowers.

The primary production system used by growers in Florida is lay-flat bag culture with perlite or rockwool as the soilless media.  This system is popular for tomato, cucumber, and pepper.  Nutrient film technique and floating systems are popular for bibb lettuce and herbs. 

Perhaps the easiest hydroponic system for a gardener to build and use is a floating hydroponic system.  Linked is the information from an article on floating gardens by Seminole County Extension Agent, Richard Tyson "Hydroponic Gardens Help Control Pests" that recently appeared in the University of Florida publication Newsline.