Homeliness, Do it yourself
Hydroponics for own hands for cucumbers and tomatoes. Equipment for growing vegetables
Probably, every person who loves working on his own countryside site, he heard about such a concept as hydroponics at home, carried out by his own hands. What is technology, what are the advantages of growing cultivated plants in this way? We will try to answer these and other questions in the material presented.
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics, equipment for growing vegetables in particular, makes it possible to regularly obtain a rich harvest in a small area. In this case, the fruits are distinguished by ecological purity, an abundance of vitamins and microelements. Plants fed with enriched mixtures do not spend energy on the development of a ramified root and powerful stem system.
In domestic conditions, hydroponics, equipment for growing vegetables allow planting almost all cultivated plants. In domestic realities, it is most rational to resort to this method for obtaining a crop of cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper, lettuce, radish.
A solution for hydroponics is an ideal alternative to soil when growing indoor flowers. The only exception to the rule are plants, the root system of which quickly gives way to decay with the arrival of an abundance of moisture.
Technology features
As is known, when growing cultivated plants on the ground under the open sky, their root system feeds on moisture and growth substances directly from the ground. However, such soil contains an unbalanced number of useful elements. That is why plants have to spend energy on the development of a massive root, a large stem and leaves.
The material for hydroponics differs in a balanced composition. Thus, plants receive useful substances in the right amount. Accordingly, the need to develop a powerful root system disappears, and all energy is redirected to flowering, a set of mass fruits and the formation of abundant harvest. When growing crops by hydroponics, plants have weak roots, but a powerful overground part.
Pros and cons of growing plants based on hydroponics technology
- Cultures are formed healthy, have a strong stem. They grow several times faster than on ordinary ground under the open sky, give more fruit.
- The crop does not contain nitrates, heavy metals, nuclides, other toxic substances, which are concentrated in ordinary garden soil and water.
- There is no need for regular watering of cultivated crops manually.
- There is no need to use pesticides for the destruction of fungi and insect pests.
- It is not necessary to remove weeds. Also, it is not necessary to feed and loosen the soil, since the solutions used in hydroponics are themselves fertilizers.
- Plants do not suffer from deficiency of oxygen in the soil, do not over-moisten and do not dry up.
- Hydroponics with their own hands for cucumbers and tomatoes does not make you go to the cottage and dig into the ground. In order to receive a plentiful harvest, there is a small enough free space to accommodate equipment in the room or on the balcony.
However, the technology has some drawbacks. However, they can not be called critical. First of all, for the cultivation of crops by the method of hydroponics will have to invest in the purchase of equipment and supplies. It will also be necessary to study information about technology in theory and spend more time planting plants.
Elements of the system
How to make hydroponics? Standard equipment usually includes several components:
- The upper part - pumps, tubular branches for irrigation of plants, supply with oxygen.
- The lower part is a container for planting crops, as well as a pump that feeds liquid to the top of the system. The pump must contain a timer that will periodically activate the mechanism for irrigation of the root system of plants.
Substrate system
The equipment is supplemented by a pump with a timer, which is located in the lower section of the container. Also here there is an inlet and an outlet tube for supply and discharge of liquid.
The root system of plants is in a suspended state. A small amount of water is at the bottom of the tank and maintains the relative humidity of the substrate. Several times a day the pump timer is activated, which starts the mechanism for several minutes. The nutrient fluid floods the container to the edge of the tube. Excess of substances naturally merges into the lower section. If there is a lack of natural light, special hydroponic lamps can be used.
Droplet system
Water system
The water hydroponic system is ideal for cultivated plants that like an increased level of humidity. In particular, the technology seems to be an ideal solution for growing lettuce leaves, but it is inefficient for tomatoes and cucumbers.
Air technology
Rhizomes of plants are suspended in space and regularly subjected to spraying with fluids with nutrients in the composition. When growing crops with this technology, the main thing is not to allow them to dry out.
Spray nutrient formulations should be in the form of an aerosol. You can perform the operation manually. However, for these purposes it is better to prepare a special device that can be manufactured on the basis of a household air humidifier.
Nutrient layer technology
To equip the system, you need a wide container of negligible height. Here the plants are suspended in baskets in such a way that their roots touch the bottom of the tank, through which, thanks to a small incline, streamlets with nutrients circulate without stopping. The liquid composition is fed to the rhizomes of plants through tubes from another, lower reservoir by means of an aquarium pump. After passing through the streams, water flows back, is saturated with oxygen through the pump and again enters the upper container to the rhizomes of the crops.
How to translate seedlings into hydroponics from the ground?
Each plant is placed in a separate plastic pot with mesh walls, which is filled with a substrate. Such a container is located in an outer container filled with water. After about a week, ordinary water is replaced with a nutrient solution for hydroponics half the concentration of microelements. For the second month, you can use a standard liquid with a high content of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and other substances.
Finally
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