What is Hydroponic Gardening?

30 years ago, hydroponics – which is simply growing plants without soil, was just a futuristic exhibit at Disney’s Epcot Center. It has now become so popular that it has gone mainstream!

There are a million ways to do this (just spend 10 minutes on YouTube, and you’ll find a bunch!) but there are also folks with Ph.D.’s in hydroponics and large-scale production farms using these methods. You don’t need a huge commercial scale production to reap the benefits of hydroponic gardening though. Homeowners are more and more enjoying the benefits of hydroponics on a smaller scale as well.

Since hydroponics is such a massive topic, we’ll stick to the “ultra basics” here and describe some of the things you can expect to source from your green thumb friends at Koopman Lumber!  Links to additional resources are below.

Back to the Basics

In its most basic form, hydroponics is growing a plant in nutrient-enriched water, which is typically circulated with a pump and gravity system to supply food to the roots. Methods to accomplish this vary as much as the human imagination, with vertical structures, motorized lifts, and small, sustainable tabletop setups.

One of the most popular types of hydroponic system construction is using gutters or PVC pipe to provide the path for the water to travel through. There are even hydroponic systems that use straw or rocks to give the plants something to sit in while the water circulates underneath. No matter how you do it, you need nutrient enriched water in contact with roots. If you need straw for this project, then consider getting some a few Straw hay bales.

Additionally,  your plants will need the proper light and temperature to thrive. Sunlight works excellently, but you should consider supplemental light for seedlings or during winter months to sustain better production.

Fortunately, Koopman Lumber can provide what you need to be successful with a basic hydroponic system! How you ask? Simple:

• First, since we are a hardware store, so all the pipes, fittings, connectors, hoses you can imagine, we have!
• Second, we have a full-fledged garden center.  But not just in the summer. We stock a full line of nutrients (and soils if you still prefer dirt), lights, germination stations, fans, timers, growing trays, and hundreds of other items you can use to grow plants. We have the most extensive selection of organic growing items around! Below is a quick list of brand names and items we carry regularly.
• Third, if there’s an item which we don’t happen to have in stock, we have variety of suppliers we can special order from, which you can then conveniently pick up in one of our stores.
• Fourth, we have a fantastic team of plant experts.  They will set you on the right course for getting what you need to start your own hydroponic farm.

Told you it was simple! We’re a one-stop shop for anyone looking to get into hydroponics.

(Another aspect of hydroponics is aquaponics – which is basically using fish waste from your own live fish ecosystem to supply the nutrients for your hydroponics system. Aquaponics is a “purists” approach to hydroponics in that its entirely natural and sustainable.  However, since it adds a massive amount of complexity to a plant growing system, we won’t go into detail about it here).

Resources

Finally, here are some resources that we have found to be informative and legitimate.

•  What is Hydroponic Gardening?
  • https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/fact-sheets/hydroponic-systems
• How to grow hydroponically
  • Nutrients for Hydroponic Growing: (see these resources)
    • https://nrcca.cals.cornell.edu/soilFertilityCA/CA1/CA1_print.html
      • Primary
      • Secondary
      • Micronutrients
      • Macronutrients
• Video Resources
  • Propagation
  • Lighting
  • Cutting and Cloning
  • Propagating from cuttings
  • Heating Mats

Looking to get started in the world of hydroponics? Koopman Lumber stocks everything you need! Including:

Fox Farms Nutrients

• Nectar Of The Gods Nutrients
• Super Sprouter
  • Heating Mats
  • Aqua Cloners
  • Trays
  • Domes
  • Sun Blaze Lighting
  • Titan Timers

And every item you’ve seen in every image throughout this blog!