Decided to make 2021 the best year of your life and start fresh? What will be better than growing your vegetables at home with minimal efforts and eliminating the fear of eating unhealthy food? Hydroponic home gardening can kick-start your new year with numerous health benefits.
Over 2/3rd of the world population is at risk of eating unhealthy vegetables. Consumption of vegetables lacking in proper nutrients can cause many health-related problems.
With easy operations, hydroponic home gardening can help you reach your 2021 health goals effortlessly.
Today, we will tell you how to start growing healthy, nutritious, and fresh vegetables at home in 10 simple steps with the latest hydroponic home kit.
1. Choose the vegetable you want to grow in your hydroponic home garden
Selecting one vegetable for your home garden can be difficult for you but, there is no need to worry, you can choose more than one. Brassica crops have almost the same nutrient requirement, and there are leafy vegetables to choose from too.
Lettuce, kale, broccoli, spinach, swiss chard and there are many more vegetables that you can choose for your home hydroponic system.
To know more, visit our blog '10 Nutritious Plants That You Can Grow in a Hydroponic System at Home'.
2. Select the most desirable hydroponic system for your crop type
The most common type of crop grown in hydroponic gardens is leafy vegetables, and NFT type of hydroponic system is most suitable for it. If you want to grow fruiting or vine vegetables, you should select the Dutch bucket type of hydroponic system.
You can also pick the size of the system according to the food demand of your family.
3. Get hydroponic nutrient solution ready for starting seeds
Starting seeds is one of the most crucial steps in hydroponic gardening. Using a concentrated nutrient solution can harm the immature seed. You can protect them from potential harm by using a well-formulated dilute nutrient solution for them.
Pre-mixes of the nutrient solution are readily available in the market that you can use for starting seeds.
4. Put the seeds in the growing medium cubes and place them in container/tray
Put the seeds into the growing medium cubes very gently. Transfer all the cubes to a container or tray which holds all of them in one place and provides a micro-environment for proper development. Once done, place them all near a light source and provide them with the nutrient solution you have prepared earlier.
5. Prepare the hydroponic system for functioning
After 2-3 weeks of proper nutrient supply and light exposure, the roots start to appear (note: all plants have different germination period). It is time to make your system running and prepare it to welcome young seedlings.
6. Connect the outlet and inlet pipe of the reservoir with the system
Check all the inlet and outlet pipes are well connected or not. The reservoir should be cleaned and sanitized before adding nutrients into it.
The hydroponic system saves up to 80-90% of water by recirculating the nutrient solution.
7. Check the grow lights and adjust their intensity
The plants require light for their development, and if you do not have enough natural light inside your home, then the hydroponic system also has optional grow lights. The grow light emits the right intensity of light required for photosynthesis.
8. Transplant the developed seedling into the hydroponic system
For transplanting, take the entire cube having the seedling attached to it and place them into the net cups. The net cups fit in the growing channels of the hydroponic system. Add some extra growing medium to preserve the moisture for the developing roots.
9. Plug the pump into the power source and turn it on
Now, when everything is at the place, it is time to run the hydroponic system. Plug the pump outlet into the power source and turn it on. Schedule the timer for nutrient and water supply.
Check the flow inside all the growing channels and make sure that it is sufficient for plants to absorb nutrients (it ranges between 1-2 litre/minute).
10. Relax and watch your plants grow with ease
After completing all the steps successfully, you can sit back and relax. Let the hydroponic system do the work for you.
Comentários