Hydroponics equipment – Finding effective and cheap hydroponics supplies will enable you to grow a bountiful harvest on a budget in less space than with traditional soil gardening. If you are new to hydroponics, purchasing a hydroponics equipment kit is a great way to get started.
In the past few years, sustainable living has undergone a reputation transformation. For a long time, it was misunderstood as a fad or trendy lifestyle. Now sustainability is a guiding principle for how most of us live our lives.
And it has never been easier to do. The internet has made it is possible for all of us — whether we live in an urban city or a more rural area — to practice a sustainable lifestyle.
Hydroponics, in particular, has become more popular, and possible, to implement in any space. There is a wide variety of hydroponics equipment available online, so it is important to understand what will work best for you.
This will depend on:
- What type of hydroponics system you want to have
- Budget: In addition to the hydroponics setup, you may also need to buy growing media and aggregates, grow lights. You will also have recurring costs for the nutrient solution and electricity to run the system.
- What you want to grow
- The space you have to work with, etc.
Below, we’re reviewing some of the best equipment choices so you can incorporate hydroponics into your daily life.
Hydroponics Equipment
This section discusses the various things required to grow plants in hydroponics. The hydroponics system requires a number of different pieces of equipment. Much will depend on the type of hydroponics system you choose as different hydroponics systems have different requirements.
For example, some hydroponic systems use a reservoir or tank to store the water and nutrients while others use an ebb and flow system. If the system uses an ebb and flow system then it will require a pump to recirculate the nutrient solution through the plant’s roots and back into the reservoir or tank.
Some things to consider are:
- Nutrient solution reservoir
- Pump to circulate the water
- Growing tray or container to hold the plant roots and plant media (usually perlite, vermiculite, rockwool, coco coir or combination)
- Timer for regulating the nutrient solution drip rate and pump cycle
- Air pump and tubing for oxygenating the nutrient solution
Get Started with Best Hydroponics Equipment Kit
If you are a beginner, we recommend buying a hydroponics kit rather than DIY. This is because you will be sure to have everything you need to get started growing. There is a lot to research when it comes to beginning hydroponics. There are many different types of hydroponics systems. It can be overwhelming.
Start with a kit for hydroponics which will contain everything you need. Build it, and then get your plants and growing medium, nutrient solution, and start growing. From there, you can think about adding on to your existing hydroponics gardening equipment with a DIY setup or another kit.
One equipment package to consider is the LU Holes Hydroponic Kit. It includes everything you need to begin soilless growing.
The package includes a growing box, buoy deck, buoy, sponge pieces, air pump, blasted stone, tweezer and 24 colonization baskets so you can start growing a variety of seeds of your choosing. It also includes detailed instructions on how to use the product to successfully grow different plants and vegetables.
The materials are durable, biodegradable and corrosion resistant, and since it takes up very little space. With a grow light, it is perfect for indoor use.
While there are lots of ways to DIY a hydroponic system, purchasing a kit is an economical way to get comfortable with the process when you are just starting out.
Go for a Complete Outdoor Setup Hydroponics Kit
If you have outdoor space to dedicate to hydroponic growing, you might be ready to make a bigger investment in your equipment. The Viagrow Complete Ebb & Flow System is a great choice because it’s easy to put together and, once it’s set up, you can take a mostly hands-off approaching to your growing.
The system is designed to deliver the right amount of water, nutrients, and oxygen to up to fourteen plants at one time.
Its nursery pots are made from strong plastic intended to be reused growing season after growing season. In addition, the grow rocks included provide high oxygen levels around the root of the plants.
This system will also allow you to see results quickly, which could encourage you if you’re just beginning. The way it’s designed lends to increased growth rates and nutritional value so you’ll see high yields early on.
Purchase Hydroponic Nutrients to Simplify Growing
Just like with soil gardening, the nutrients you give your plants will have a big impact in how they grow. Hydroponics requires a whole different kind of nutrients though, and it can be confusing and expensive to try to buy them all separately.
Buying complete nutrition packets is the most efficient and simplest way to ensure that you’re giving your plants everything they need for successful growing. You do not need to DIY your own nutrient solution recipe for hydroponics. There are many quality brands on the market already. You simply dissolve the solution in water and feed it to the plants.
The different types of fruits and vegetables you want to grow with hydroponics will determine the type of nutrient solution you will buy. As an example, you can purchase a hydroponic nutrition packet that contains all 5 macronutrients and all 6 micronutrients needed for growing tomatoes. Learn about hydroponic tomatoes.
In addition, there will be a different hydroponics feeding schedule depending on the hydroponics system you use as well as the number, size and type of plants you grow.
Since different kinds of plants need different nutrients, trying to buy it all separately or attempting to mix-and-match could result in little or no growth. Complete nutrient packages are easy to use so you are setting yourself up for success. Learn the best hydroponic nutrients for a bountiful grow.
You should always look for a producer that discloses all the information about what ingredients are used in their products and follow all instructions for how to mix the nutrients together.
LED Lights Boost Plant Growth
Whenever you’re growing plants indoors or even on a patio hydroponics garden, the lack of exposure to light has the potential to be the most limiting factor to their growth. When growing food-producing plants, the plants need a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day.
If you are putting together your hydroponic system indoors, you should consider adding LED grow lights for indoor plants. Installing a grow light to your setup will combat this limitation and provide all the light the plants need.
Any added light will help you get the best growth from your plants, but BIOS Plant LEDs have the additional benefit of being an environmentally friendly option. They use less electricity than other types of light bulbs and last much longer.
When used correctly, LED grow lights can also provide a light spectrum that is uniquely suited to help plant growth. This makes them a popular choice among hydroponic growers.
Depending on your hydroponic setup, you can choose to purchase a single bulb that emits light on this spectrum, or a more sophisticated tray of bulbs that balances blue, red, UV and IR LEDS. Providing your plants with this extra light will encourage better growth and stronger production.
Learn Everything You Can About Hydroponic Gardening
Before buying any equipment for hydroponics, learn everything you can. Choosing to include hydroponic gardening as part of a sustainable practice can be a big lifestyle change. There is a lot that goes into the work, including time, money, and the space it will take up.
The equipment you purchase should all come with detailed instructions, but the more information you have, the more confident you’ll feel about your setup.
Purchasing an in-depth beginners guide is a great way to learn everything there is to know about hydroponic gardening and how you can be successful at it. Be sure to choose a guide for the types of hydroponics you will be using. There are many, including ebb and flow system, wick system, deep water culture (DWC), nutrient film technique (NFT), and more.
You’ll get ideas on the best setup for you, the best plants to grow, and helpful tips to use along the way.
At home, hydroponics is still new, so it’s only natural that you would have a lot of questions about the process and the best way to get started. Having a reference on-hand whenever you’re unsure will help you stick with it until you start to see your success. It’s a big investment upfronot but then as you start harvesting the hydroponic fruits and vegetables, you will begin to reap the rewards.
Interested in Other Sustainable Practices?
There are lots of different ways to incorporate sustainable practices into your life, no matter where you live or what resources you have available to you. Having the equipment you need and the knowledge to be confident in the process are great ways to get started.
The more success you have, the more projects you may be inspired to complete and the more sustainable you can make your life.
There has never been a better time to get started in gardening with hydroponics. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. The roots are not in contact with the soil, but instead they are suspended in a water-based solution (with ebb and flow, the growing tray floods and drains), and the roots absorb nutrients from this solution.
In order to set up hydroponics, you will need to invest in some equipment to help you maintain your plant’s growth. You will also need to buy nutrient-rich solutions for your plants and find a space for your plants that is well lit and has plenty of fresh air circulating around it.
With the internet, there is much you can learn as well as stores to buy from, especially if you don’t have a local gardening center near your home. Buying a hydroponics kit will make it easy to get started.
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