Hydroponics 101 – Basic Tools
| A hydroponics garden is unique in that it does not depend on soil to grow healthy vegetation. Plants do not need soil to grow at all- it just needs fresh air, water, and access to nutrients. With these in place, a plant can grow into healthy, sturdy plants like their soil-based counterparts. There are a few tools that you will need to get started. First, you will need measuring instruments for your nutrients. Giving your plants the proper amount of nutrient solution is very important to health and growth. A gardener could easily give too much essential nutrients to plants and contribute to wilting, “burning,” and even death. There are measuring cups and beakers in many different sizes to accommodate your garden needs. Second, even though a grow room does not look like nature, the conditions inside must replicate nature as much as possible. A typical grow room has high intensity lights to mimic sunlight, and these grow lights generate a lot of heat. A fan is very important to keeping the grow room cool. It also keeps air fresh, and prevents too much carbon dioxide from accumulating. Also, too much heat in an indoor garden can increase humidity. Moist environments are perfect for harmful organisms to develop, such as molds and fungus. Fans are important to keep temperatures down, increase air flow, and prevent unwanted plant disease. Third, a timer is important in keeping the natural rhythm that occurs in nature. Plants must have a certain amount of light, and also have a time of complete darkness. Timers can be connected to your grow lights so that they will be turned on for “daytime,” and turned off at “night.” If you have a larger indoor garden with other machines (vent fans, carbon dioxide generators, an ebb and flow reservoir), there are timers that can be connected to these as well. Timers ensure that there is a rhythm to your garden. Plants are sensitive, and gardeners must accommodate to the rhythm they are accustomed to in nature. If your grow lights are not turned off to mimic nighttime, your plants may become burned by the intense grow lights, or wither. Fourth, there are some small hand tools that you may need. A sharp pair of shears, a spray bottle, and gloves might be important for your garden. If you will be cloning or pruning your plants, the shears will come in handy. A spray bottle is great for providing moisture, and gloves may be needed when handling some of the nutrients (or even pesticides, if necessary). A hydroponics garden is a great way to grow your own vegetation. It comes in many different shapes, sizes and styles |
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