Hydroponic Gardening 101: Your Guide to Soil-Free Success

Imagine producing your own fresh veggies and herbs in your living room, without the need for soil or the inconvenience of traditional gardening. That sounds too good to be true, right? With hydroponic gardening that is actually possible. This method allows you to grow plants in nutrient-rich water solutions.

As urbanisation grows and conventional gardens become scarce, hydroponics provides a long-term alternative for growing food indoors or in limited outdoor space. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener ready to try something new or a total newbie eager to produce your own veggies, this guide will supply you with all of the necessary information.

What is hydroponic farming?

Hydroponic gardening is a method that uses a supply of water with other water-fertilizer solutions to grow plants. Hydroponic systems grow faster than other conventional ways, and more importantly, they are suitable for all seasons.

Many beginners fail once or twice at first and fear to try again. This article aims to help you master this gardening method with simple and straightforward instructions. 

What do you need to start a hydroponic garden?

Each type of plant requires a particular hydroponic setup. But there are some standard tools and materials you should have before you start:

Tools/ Equipment:

Required materials:

Other optional materials (for different systems):

Plants perfect for hydroponic gardening

Except for corn, root veggies, or vine plants, you can grow almost everything in a hydroponic garden system. However, small or fast-growing plants are preferable to start with.

If this is the first time you do hydroponic gardening, here are some of the best hydroponic plants for beginners to try:

1. Spinach

As long as you maintain the nutrient solution oxygenated, spinach will grow and develop quickly. You even need less water than regular ground gardening.

2. Lettuce

Leaf lettuce is the easiest plant to grow since it does not require any hassle care from gardeners. The only requirement is to change the water and nutrient solution regularly.

3. Herbs

Luckily, most types of herbs, including chives, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, etc., can fit in any system and even grow well in water.

4. Bell peppers

Bell peppers may require more technique, but overall, they are still suitable for novice gardeners. Always remember to prune your plants at around 8 inches to speed up their growth. 

5. Strawberries

Strawberries fit the ebb and flow/ flood and drain system the most, but the nutrient film technique or deep water culture is also effective for a limited crop.

Choosing the right light source

Getting sufficient light is important for plants’ development. However, if natural sunlight is limited, an alternative light source is usually needed.

There is a wide range of lighting systems, including fluorescent, cool white (CFL), LEDs, high-pressure sodium (HPS), and metal halide.

CFL or Fluorescent lights are effective for small plants such as herbs or other leafy vegetables. They are a popular choice for new growers, despite their short lifespan.

Meanwhile, large plants like peppers and heirloom tomatoes require higher-powered light sources like HPS and metal halide bulbs. These lights are so complicated to set up and not budget-friendly that primarily only experienced gardeners prefer them. 

Of all grow lights, LEDs are the most favoured type by both newbies and experts. They are simple yet effective, and more importantly, more energy-efficient than the others.

How to set up your hydroponic growing system

For first-timers, we recommend you try the Deep Water Culture (DWC) system. It is simple to set up and compatible with both outdoor and indoor gardening.

1. To make DWC hydroponics at home, prepare a 14-gallon reservoir.
2. Fill it with water and nutrient solution.
3. Hang the plant roots over the mixture so they can continuously absorb water and nutrients.
4. Set up an oxygen supply, which you need to distribute through the water by either an airstone or an air pump. It will prevent your plant roots from drowning as, otherwise, they will not be able to absorb enough oxygen.
5. Remember to install a light bulb above the water reservoir, depending on your preference. If you plan to build your system outside to benefit from the natural light, no additional light systems are necessary.

Make it simple and small. You can test your newly set up hydroponic growing system with simple greens such as herbs, spinach, and lettuce that we have referred to.

Cleaning and maintaining a hydroponic garden

Every grower understands the importance of keeping the system clean and free of diseases and pests. In this case, maintenance involves both sanitisation and sterilisation.

Sanitisation refers to general cleaning and must be done regularly. You need to remove any dead plants and dirt, clean out filters, and scrub the buckets. Meanwhile, sterilisation involves in-depth cleaning to eliminate bacteria, fungi, viruses, and micro-organisms.

Unlike regular cleaning, we advise gardeners to sterilise their system after every yield. The process may require using some cleaning agents and chemicals. Therefore, you need to follow the instructions step by step and ensure your safety with rubber gloves.

Utilising a pressure washer is a good way to clean the reservoirs. In case you do not own one, a long-handle brush can be an alternative. Check all your swirl and Y filters, too. The filters get the most particulates and need to be cleaned periodically, though you can sometimes ignore their sterilisation.

For growing medium, try to take off all the roots and sterilise it with bleach. Don’t forget to flush the whole system before starting a new one.

The Bottom Line

We understand how hard it is to grow a hydroponic garden, especially when you have never tried it before. But such a system is definitely worth your time and effort.

It is important to keep all the steps above in mind. When you have the right tools and equipment, plant selection, light source and system setup, you should be able to get the desired results. And, of course, let’s not forget that cleaning and maintenance are also essential.