What's the best way to set up a hydroponic garden?

Best Way to Start a Hydroponic Garden:

                    As you want start a Hydroponic garden, I think you must know what is Hydroponics as a basic and what does it do. If not you should reference it before starting an Hydroponic Garden.

Now I will explain you the steps on how to setup a Hydroponic Garden.

Space:

            First, you have to pick a place where your Hydroponic garden is gonna setup i.e. either it is indoors in an enclosed space or outdoors. If placing outdoors, you should maintain the temperatures of your garden in winters as you can move indoors at that time. If you are placing indoors, you have to provide artificial sunlight with the help of grow lights to your plants.

Choose which type of plants you wanna grow:

            If you are a beginner and this is your first time growing a Hydroponic Garden, I suggest you to start with leafy vegetables, this will help you understand how the system works and you can always grow different types of plants in the future. There are different types of Hydroponic Systems you can choose to setup your garden and you can choose anyone based on space availability, cost affordability and which type of plants you wanna grow.

Decide which type of Hydroponic System you wanna use:

            There are 6 different types of Hydroponic systems. Take your time, read briefly about one of those and come to a conclusion on which type of system you wanna choose based on your availability of space, your budget and which type of garden you wanna grow. I suggest you start small and understand the basics of system and then expand to different types of systems and plants you wanna grow.

My suggestion is to start with the Deep Water Culture System, as it is easy to start if you are a beginner.

It is basically suspending the plants roots in a nutrient solution, oxygenated water. The plants are kept in a reservoir and only the plants are roots are submerged in a solution and providing nutrients, water and required amount of oxygen. You can grow vegetables and herbs which are light weight by this process. You can always grow herbs and vegetables such as leafy veggies like lettuce, spinach etc. which are light weight because it cannot grow top heavy because without anchoring, heavy plants can fall over or break at the stems.

Components required to start a Hydroponic System:

Nutrient Solution:

                This nutrient solution is used as a alternative for soil. There are different types for different plants and you can select your best suitable for your plant online or at local stores.

     Net Pots:

                These are used to hold the plants and allows the solution to freely past the roots of the plants providing sufficient nutrients and oxygen.

     Air Pumps and Stone:

                This pump makes sure your plants are getting the required amount of oxygen at all times and the Air stones eliminates the bubbles generated from the Air pumps.

    Airline Tubing: 

                It is basically acts as the middle man used to connect your Air pump to the equipment to generate the oxygenated water

    pH kit and  PPM meter:

                You need to check the pH level of the nutrient solution provided to your plants. Generally, it comes with the kit you buy, you have to make sure it is available before you setup. PPM meter is used to measure how much amount of nutrients concentration you give to your plant. You can always check and adjust according to the feeding schedule given for your solution. 

    Grow Lights:

                 In the absence of Sunlight, you can always provide artificial light to the plants with the help of grow lights. 

    Growing Media:

                  As a substitute for soil, these media are used to provide support for your roots and stems of plants but it doesn't contain any nutrients.

                   First take a reservoir with a lid, fill up with water and provided nutrient solution. You can buy seedlings or plants placed in the net pots with roots submerged into the reservoir so that the nutrient solution is flown through the roots. Connect your Air pump with the air stone and place it in the reservoir which provides continuous oxygen supply to the plants. Check the concentration of your nutrients and adjust the level of pH and make sure to provide artificial light by using grow lights if you are growing indoors. That's it, you have a Indoor garden and as you are growing indoors, there is no need to worry of pests and diseases.

Starting your own Hydroponic Garden is easy, if you follow step by step and it is cost effective and easy to maintain and a best suitable type of gardening for beginners.