Hydroponics

Department Technological Studies

High Point Regional High School
 What is Hydroponics
• Hydroponics comes from the Latin
language and it means working water.
• "hydro" means "water"
• "ponos" means "labor".

Soil less growing!

 Plant Needs
What is needed for a plant to survive?
• Water
• Sunlight
• Air
• Nutrients (usually soil)
• Anchorage (root system)
 Soil Less Growing?
What is used as a growing media is soil isn’t
present?
- Gravel -Rockwool
- Sand -Styrofoam
Vermiculite - Anything Inert!
 History
The process of hydroponics growing in
our oceans goes back to about the time the
earth was created. Hydroponic growing
preceded soil growing.
 History
• One of the 7 wonders of the ancient
world.
• Hanging gardens of Babylon, somewhere
in (Iraq)
The gardens were built in 604-562 BC
by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife who
grew up in the mountains.
http://www.moorsmagazine.com/images/Hanging-Gardens-of-Babylon.jpg
 History
Floating gardens of the Aztecs of Mexico
A nomadic tribe, Roughly treated by their
more powerful neighbors, denied any arable
land, the Aztecs survived by exercising
remarkable powers of invention. Since they
had no land on which to grow crops, they
determined to manufacture it from the
materials at hand
 History
• Egyptian hieroglyphic records date back
several hundred years B.C. describe the
growing of plants in water."
Hydroponics is hardly a new method of
growing plants. However, giant strides have
been made over the years in this innovative
area of agriculture.
 Why?????
Q. Why have scientists and horticulturists
experimented with different methods of
hydroponics?

A. It is a simple fact that some people

cannot grow in the soil in their area (if
there is even any soil at all).
 Advantages
Faster Growth- Hydroponics works by
automatically getting the complete
nutrient mixture and water to the roots
without drowning the plant. Plants get
everything they need all the time, so they
do not waste growing a lot of roots or
searching for nutrients.
 Advantages
No Weeds or Pests- Gardening without soil
eliminates the weeds do you do not need
weed sprays. Also, because there are no
weeds, there will be no backache from a
hoe or rototiller. Since most pests live and
breed in the soil, you do not need to use
pesticides or other toxic chemicals.
 Advantages
Great Plant Quality and Taste- Since the
plants get everything it needs, all the time,
it will reward you with great taste, strong
and fast growth, and overall plant quality.
 Advantages
Grow in Any Condition- Systems may be
constructed and used in any location from
space to under water exploration.
Smaller Growing Area
 Disadvantages
• Cost of initial investment on hydroponic systems is
high.
• Hydroponic production is management, capital and
labor intensive.
• A high level of expertise is required.
• Daily attention is necessary.
• Specially formulated, soluble nutrients must always be
used.
• Pests and diseases remain a big risk.
• Some water born diseases can spread rapidly in
recirculation system.
 Passive vs Active
• Passive systems (no moving parts) are
great for beginning hydroponics gardeners
because they are inexpensive, portable,
and simple to set up.
• Active systems employ pumps and other
devices to deliver nutrient solutions to
plant roots.
 Plant Tissue Culturing Process
Capillary System (passive)
The capillary or wick system do not use pumps or
timers. Water and nutrients are drawn up to the roots
by capillary action. These systems may be important
when designing a system to operate in a space station
where gravity is nonexistent.
 Plant Tissue Culturing Process
Flood and Drain System (active)
Most versatile. Each time the water floods from the
lower reservoir into the upper growing tray, the roots
are bathed in the fresh nutrients. When the nutrient
drains back to the reservoir, fresh air is drawn through
the root system refreshing oxygen to the roots.
 Plant Tissue Culturing Process
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
The NFT systems provide a constant film of water
and nutrients along the bottom of a channel. In effect,
part of the roots grow down in the water/ nutrients
and parts of the roots above the water line getting
fresh air and oxygen
 Lighting
Lightening determines what you can grow. Some plants
such as vegetable require direct sunlight. Plants such as
violets need indirect sunlight.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Most cost effective to operate and have an extremely
long life.
-High Pressure Sodium Provides more of the red/orange
spectrum, great for flowering and fruiting.
-Metal Halide Provides more blue/green spectrum for
vegetative growth
Fluorescent very inefficient and must be kept close to the
plants.