- Home
- Nutrient Solutions
- Hydroponic Systems
- Build Your System #1
- Build your System #2
- Build a Nutrient Tank
- Air & Water Pumps
- The Importants of Ph
- The Growing Medium
- Light & Nutrient Timers
- Grow Light Science
- Glow Light Selection
- Plant Selection
- Starting Seedlings
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Plant Growing Data
- RGJ Aquaponics
- Contact Us
- RGJ Links
- Business Directory
- ads.txt
Hydroponic Growing Mediums
In Hydroponic gardening there are several choices for Hydroponic growing mediums. The choice for a proper Hydroponic growing medium is a very important factor if we want optimum conditions for plant growth. Hydroponic growing medium must do several things including support for the plants and appropriate distribution of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Roots need oxygen and they respire gasses such as carbon dioxide so it is very important to have plenty of air in the root system.
A good hydroponic growing medium will allow maximum water availability to the roots, must drain well, have good nutrient and moisture holding capabilities until the next feeding and not break down quickly over time. In Hydroponic gardening, how the Hydroponic nutrient solution is going to be applied and how often it will be applied has a direct impact on which Hydroponic growing medium we should use. One very poular Hydroponic growing medium is Hydroton.
Hydroton are expanded clay balls that have been heated at temperatures of 1200 degrees or more and have very high capillary action that has been proven to accelerate plant growth when used correctly. Hydroton is a good choice for many Hydroponic systems as it is a completely ecological friendly Hydroponic growing medium that is inert, PH stable, very porous, and provides lots of oxygen to the root zone of the plants. It is a reusable Hydroponic growing medium that drains freely and does not compact.
Hydroton can be used in NFT, Top Irrigation, Aeroponic and Ebb and Flow Hydroponic systems with great success. It does dry out quicker than other Hydroponic growing mediums. In a Hydroponic Ebb and Flow system It needs to be flooded about every 2 to 4 hours or about 4 to 8 times per day at flood times of about 5-15 minutes each depending on the size of the plants. Hydroton is a good choice for Hydroponic growing and it usually comes in 10 or 50 litre bags. We thoroughly wash our Hydroton in a hot water solution of about 3 gallons of water with about 2 to 3 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide and then rinse in plain hot water. This removes any impurities and dust and gives it a stable PH.
Hydroponic Growing Mediums - Net Pots
In Hydroponic gardening many Hydroponic growers use net pots to grow their plants in. Hydroponic net pots allow for very fast flooding and filling with Hydroponic solutions. They come in many sizes and can be used in NFT, Top Irrigation, Aeroponic and Ebb and Flow Hydroponic systems and work great in most Hydroponic applications.
Some of the Hydroponic growing mediums used in net pots are hydroton, lava rock, stones, rock wool and any Hydroponic growing medium that will not fall through the holes. This would eliminate Hydroponic growing mediums such as sand, perlite and smaller size particle growing mediums. You could also use coco peat in these pots if you were to use the longer strands of the coco peat and not the smaller particles that would fall out of the holes fouling up your Hydroponic nutrient tank.
Net pots can also be used in the top of a bubbler bucket to grow Hydroponic plants in. You don't even need a water pump for this type of Hydroponic system. Just cut out the hole for the the pot a little smaller than the pot so that it will rest in the bucket or larger tank lid. An air stone in the tank bottom will feed the Hydroponic nutrients to the roots dangling from the net pot and Hydroponic plants can go great this way. They even have these buckets already made up in any good Hydroponic store.
Hydroponic Growing Mediums
With Hydroponic net pots you get a lot of roots spreading and dangling out of the pots. Sometimes this can cause a problem when moving and relocating the Hydroponic plants to other locations which we do a lot. I would say that if you were to plan on never relocating your Hydroponic plants these will work just fine for most Hydroponic growers.
Plant roots can sometimes be damaged by using sharp edged Hydroponic growing mediums that can cut into the plant roots. This can be very detrimental to the plants. Another advantage of hydroton is that is has smooth round edges which is better for plant roots in Hydroponics. You still have to be careful relocating them though especially if you are using net pots. The dangling unprotected roots can be easily damaged.
We like to use nursery pots in most of our systems because relocating Hydroponic plants is a snap without damaging plant roots. Yes, there are some roots at the bottom hanging out but nothing as compared to a Hydroponic net pot. A good 3 1/2" or 4" nursery pot with holes that fill and drain freely from the sides works great, they are whole lot cheaper than Hydroponic net pots and they last for years. Most nursery centres carry these pots. Look for the ones that have the sloped depression around the drain holes and not the ones with the holes that will sit flat on the floor bottom. They fill and drain much faster and just work much better. They come in many sizes even for larger plants like Hydroponic tomatoes and Hydroponic pepper plants.
Hydroponic Growing Mediums - Coco Fiber
· There are several Hydroponic growing mediums that plants will thrive in provided they are used correctly in conjunction with the other aspects of the Hydroponic growing system. Coco fiber or coco peat, which is made from the husk of the coconut, is an excellent Hydroponic growing medium. It has millions of capillary micro sponges to readily absorb and slowly release the Hydroponic nutrients as well as allow plenty of oxygen and aeration of the root zone of Hydroponic plants. Coco peat has a natural Ph of 6.5 to 7.0, can hold up to 8 times it's dry weight in water and also has some anti fungal properties that helps plants get rid of soil born diseases.
The spongy porous texture of coco peat promotes rapid development of roots, allows for exchange of gasses like carbon dioxide and lets Hydroponic solutions drain quickly. We have used a 50/50 mixture of coco peat and hydroton and not only do the plants thrive in it but the in between feeding periods are much longer due to the water retention of the coco peat. Coco peat can be mixed with other Hydroponic growing mediums as well to improve their water holding properties.Each Hydroponic growing medium has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on how you are doing your Hydroponic gardening. All should be washed well in at least hot water before use for better results and to remove dust and debris and help to stabilize Ph.
The Best Hydroponic growing mediums available:
Hydroton
· Needs to be watered about 4 to 8 times a day or every 2 to 4 hours so it dries out rather quickly. If mixed with coco peat it stays moist much longer.
· Provides lots of oxygen to the root zone and some plant support.
· Wash hydroton in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution in hot water and rinse well. .
· Environmental friendly.
Coco Peat
· Holds nutrients longer than almost any other Hydroponic growing medium.
· Provides lots of oxygen to the root zone.
· Needs to be watered about 3 to 5 times a day or every 3 to 5 hours
· Environmental friendly.
Rockwool
· Holds water and nutrients the longest and has fairly good oxygen levels at 18%.
· Only needs to be watered 1 to 5 times a day depending on what you are growing.
· Comes in 1" cubes to 3 foot long slabs and many other growing sizes in between. The fibers and dust in rockwool are definately bad for your lungs and can be irritating to the skin. Rockwool does have a high Ph and it can fluctuate.
· Not environmental friendly.
Haydite
· Haydite is used to make lightweight concrete.
· It provides lots of oxygen to the root zone and has good water retension as well as good support for the plant.
· Need to be watered 3 to 5 times a day or every 3 to 5 hours.
· A little hard to find but well worth it if you do.
· Environmental friendly.
Lava Rock
· Provides good plant support.
· Should be sterilized with a 10% bleach solution and rinsed well or 1 hour in oven at 250 degrees when new and in between crops because of the numerous pores harboring possible detrimental fungi.
· Needs to be watered about 3 to 5 times a day or every 3 to 5 hours depending on what is being grown.
· Environmental friendly.
PERLITE and VERMICULITE
They both float so they cannot be used in Ebb and Flow Hydroponic systems. They both provide plenty of oxygen to the root zone.
They can be used in Top Drip Hydroponic systems as well as in NFT systems if the right pots are used.
They do not provide very much support for the plant.
They both can be used as part of a Hydroponic mix for more oxygen to the root zone and moisture holding properties.
They cannot be used in most net pots as they will fall through the holes.
Needs to be watered about 3 to 5 times a day or every 3 to 5 hours depending on what is being grown.
Environmental friendly
Make sure to see our other sections about Hydroponic grow lights and timers and our helpful Hydroponic plant growing data to grow your Hydroponic plants like a pro. Learn about different Hydroponic formulas and Hydroponic nutrient strengths for certain plants as well as individual Hydroponic plant Ph levels.
The more you know the better you can grow