Everyone loves to have beautiful greenery around and in their house. Therefore, many people love to have a mini garden in their house and grow various fruits and vegetables. Some love to add multiple flowers to their house to give it a pleasing aesthetic look.
Some people go for the traditional method of gardening, while some choose to go for hydroponic gardens. People who choose to add a hydroponic garden adopt the NFT system, i.e., the Nutrient Film Technique.
People who love to grow leafy vegetables like lettuces use the nutrient film technique.
Nutrient Film Technique
There are many ways to construct a nutrient film technique system. However, every system present in every system is a solution mixed with nutrients flowing down through the tube. To absorb this solution, you should keep the plant roots bare. When the bare roots are exposed to the water, they absorb the solution. Through this, the roots get watered but not get entirely drenched. This method allows the upper part of the roots to stay dry but at the same time have enough access to oxygen in the air.
The Working of Nutrient Film Technique
Items you need to build a nutrient film technique are:
· A reservoir
· Nutrient pump
· Tubes to dispense water from the solution
· The canal for plants growth
· Net pots for plants growing
· A set of tubing and canal to move the already used solution back to the reservoir
Two main items that you need to complete the nutrient film technique are:
· The Grow Tray
· Reservoir
You need these two things to contain water and nutrients.
Step-By-Step Method to Use Nutrient Film Technique
· Firstly, you grow a tray to hold pots that contains plants.
· Beneath the grow tray to hold a big basket that contains nutrient solution, air pump, water pump, air stone, and reservoir
· A tube is connected with the grow tray and is used to deliver water to the grow tray.
· Moreover, a drained pipe is also connected to recycle the unused solution
· Tilt the grow trays to let the solution move towards the drained pipe
· The unwanted solution will slowly flow out of the drained pipe and move in the bucket place below
· The water pump placed in the bucket clean the nutrient solution
· The pipe of the water pump is also connected to the grow tray to pass the clean nutrient solution
With proper space and tools, you can quickly build a hydroponic garden in your house.
Plants to Grow
Many people build a hydroponic garden; however, sometimes, they grow plants. Each plant has different requirements. Some plants need the traditional method, while some can grow hydroponic systems.
The nutrient film technique is suitable for those herbs and plants that grow lightweight and quickly harvested.
Herbs to grow
· Peppermint
· Tarragon
· Green Mint
· Basil
· Sage
· Rosemary
· Stevia
· Lemon Balm
Vegetables to Grow
· Celery
· Lettuce
· Cucumber
· Spinach
· Peppers
· Bok Choy
· Spinach
The nutrient film technique is not ideal for growing heavy crops that need a lot of support and base. Such plant roots are weak to hold the weight of the plant.
Plants Not to Grow
· Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
· Large Root Vegetables
· Melons
· Vine Crops
These are some of the things that you cannot grow in hydroponic gardens. Nowadays, there are many artificially grown vegetables and fruits available in the market. You may not grow every vegetable, but you can grow a few essential things in your house. Eating fresh vegetables helps you and your body to thrive.
Advantages of Nutrient Film Technique
Many people stick to the traditional method of gardening, as they are aware of its advantages and disadvantages. Recently, many people are also adopting the hydroponic method to grow plants. However, the majority of people are unaware of the nutrient film technique and its advantages. Mentioned below are some of the advantages of the nutrient film technique.
· With the nutrient film technique system, it gets easy to inspect the roots. Inspecting roots is not possible in the traditional method as it can damage the whole plant.
· The NFT systems need less water and fertilizers.
· Through this method, you do not contaminate the local groundwater, thus making it environment-friendly.
The maintenance of a hydroponic garden through an NFT