Home gardening expert Tammy Algood explains how to start a hydroponic garden. Rock wool makes a good seed-starting medium (figure A) because it holds the root system together in plants grown without soil. The fibers of the material also hold nutrients.
If you use tap water in a hydroponic garden, allow it to sit overnight first. Add 1/2 teaspoon nitrogen to a gallon of water. The nitrogen can take the form of fish emulsion, cottonseed meal or a commercial hydroponic solution. Once the rock wool has absorbed the solution, place seed directly on top of the block. You can grow almost any kind of plant using this method; we used lettuce seed. Place the prepared blocks in a portable greenhouse (figure B), available at garden centers. Set the blocks in a sunny window, and within a few days the seeds will sprout.
Once the seeds have sprouted, transfer them to a hydroponic-kit garden (figure C). The kit contains a reservoir, rock planting medium, growing beds and a wick. The sterile rock planting medium absorbs water, but the wick, which extends into the reservoir, is needed to transport water (figure D).
Place seedlings in the gravel growing bed, and make sure the rock wool is in contact with the wick (figure E). Add 2 1/2" of growing solution to the reservoir, making sure that the ends of the wicks are in the solution. You can use a small fish-tank pump to circulate the solution or change it frequently to prevent algae growth. Place the hydroponic kit under a grow light, and watch your plants develop without soil.
RESOURCES :
The Hydroponic Society of America
Home Harvest Garden Supply Online
Hydroponic Gardening: The Magic of Modern Hydroponics for the Home Gardener
Model: 0880071761
Author: Raymond Bridwell
April 1990
Beginning Hydroponics: Soilless Gardening: A Beginner's Guide
Model: 0894717413
Author: Richard E. Nicholls
May 1990
Running Press
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-877-1733
Fax: 800-453-2884
Email: support@runningpress.com
Hydroponic Home Food Gardens
Model: 0880071788
Author: Howard M. Resh
May 1990
Running Press
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-877-1733
Fax: 800-453-2884
Email: support@runningpress.com
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