Organic Gardening Stores Have Hydroponic Supplies

Green hydroponic supplies can be found in most organic gardening stores. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil. There are six basic types of hydroponic systems; Ebb and Flow (flood and drain), N.F.T. (nutrient film technique), Wick, Aeroponic, Water Culture, and Drip (recovery or non-recovery).

The Ebb and Flow system uses a pump to flood the grow tray with the nutrient solution. When the pump turns off, the nutrient solution drains back into the reservoir. The pump is connected to a timer which is set to come on several times a day.

N.F.T. or nutrient film technique is the type of hydroponic system most of us think of. This system does not require a timer because of the constant flow of the nutrient solution. The nutrient solution is pumped into what is usually a tube, where it flows over the roots of the plants and ends up eventually draining back into the reservoir.
The Wick system is the simplest of all the hydroponic systems. There are no moving parts or timers. A wick is used to draw the nutrient solution from the reservoir into the growing medium.

The aeroponic system is the most high-tech type of hydroponic gardening system. The growing medium is mainly air. The roots hang down in the air and are misted with the nutrient solution. Mistings are done every few minutes so the roots don’t dry out. The timers for this system can be set to turn the pump on for a few seconds at two minute intervals.

The Water Culture system is the simplest hydroponic system of all the systems with moving parts. The plants are set in a platform that is usually made of Styrofoam which floats directly on the nutrient solution. The air pump is connected to an air stone that supplies oxygen to the roots of the plant by bubbling up the nutrient solution.
The last system is the Drip system or recovery/non-recovery system. These are the most widely used hydroponic systems in the world. The timer controls a submersed pump. The nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant with a drip line. Any excess nutrient solution that runs off is collected back into the reservoir to re-use. The non-recovery system does not collect the excess.

Anything can be grown with these systems. You can find all the supplies you need to start your own hydroponic garden at most organic gardening stores. Happy gardening.