What should I know about hydroponics?

hello, my class is learning about hydroponics. Like how they work and stuff like that.Right now we are growing lettuces the hydroponic way.the way we are doing it is we have a container with stones with our lettuces in it we the lettuces up the top and the roots hiding under the stones and another container with the water and when we put them together the roots dangle in the water and we have a straw to blow bubbles.Is this just home made way to do it or is there some fancier way of doing it? plese give me an answer!!!!

I am doing a science fair project about hydroponics and need some more info and thought that this might be the place. e-mail me info at cockatiel8@juno.com

Thanks

Sorry I don't do homework.

what can you tell me that is bad about hydroponics?

my e-mail is myonlyloveisu@hotmail.com

finding the correct nutrients and chemicals for pH control and the equipment needed like pumps, timers and lights at a decent price. 

I have 2 questions, one about lights and the other about food at the end of a cycle. I am currently working with 2-1000W bulbs on a small 8'x4' bed and I have heard about rotating lights and lights that are on tracks. My question is if I use one of the lighting above, can I reduce the bulb size from 1000W to 600 or even 400W and still not effect the plants. There are two different bulbs at this time and I have been told that the would do good with all spectrums of light. 

I would put just one 1000 W on a 6 ft. track mover. If your garden is square (6X6ft.) then I would use one 400 HPS and one 400 MH on a two arm sun circle light mover. All spectrums is best if you can afford it.

The food question is that I am told that my tomato plants should be flushed with clean water at the before I am going to harvest. I was wondering if this is necessary and if so how long should this be done. By the way I have learned a great deal about hydroponics from your site and hope to learn more in the future.

I have never flushed mine and I sure don't get any complaints on the taste of my tomatoes. Tomatoes are harvested sometimes for months as they ripen so it would be a good idea to flush your system every few weeks anyway. 

Ken..............click on page 1 of this Bulletin Board and start reading. Nearly every question you have has been discussed on this website before. Explore my friend. Everything I know about hydroponics I learned from this site.

Frank

Hi, Stan Putter, Re your reatives in RSA.There is a very good book on the SA market. HYDROPONICS By Dudly Harris ISBN 086977283x.It tells you everything you need to know about hydroponics. I am also prepared to help. My EMail addr. is westa@intekom.co.za

We are learning about hydroponics in our science class, and we are going to be setting up a hydroponics lab in our room. What would be the basic setup for making a lab, and do you have any tips? Thanks a lot!

For learning purposes a lot of small gardens are better than larger systems so they can be compared with one another for testing nutrients and light differences. 
Four students can be assigned to each garden to compare results. 
I will be setting up a virtual reality model this spring that schools can copy or just use the VR one as their teaching model.
Ron  

This is one of the most comprehensive sites about hydroponics I have run across yet! Glad I found you but I have been looking so long my eyes are swimming and I can serach no longer.

Can you reccommend an approach for a classroom hydroponics system? We already have equipment and basic understanding of the technology. I am looking for guidance on plant selection and the mixing of several plants in one table. I want the middle school students to track growth rates, adjust pH etc but last years group just had a tomato plant race.....seems like underutilization of the benefits of hydroponics (and I do not like tomatoes anyway).

I am thinking that a kitchen garden would be a practical application which could easily be replicated in a students home life. If I have four groups each grow a different plant and compare growth rates among groups, what plants would work well. Since we are in a school situation, fast growers are critical in order to have mature plant beofre the semester ends. Any ideas? This is a teachnology class in Idaho with a space station simulation which is an excellent application of the technology and the the primary educational link in the class to hydroponics.

Thanks, Gina Sartor gsartor@geocities.com

I have been growing a certain plant now for a number of years. I have been using soil i have had success i have become quite good at what i do. However I live in the UK and this particular plant is frowned upon by some (lets call them uneducated) people. I have decided to start growing hydroponically as people i talk to tell me i would get a better crop. Obviously i have also been reading all about hydroponics from a number of places. I have to say this site is definitely one of the better sites i have visited you explain in very good detail how things should be done. When i set up, this site will be visited over and over until i get it right..... keep up the good work......KENNY SWANSEA WALES UK

This is John White again. My science fair hypothesis says that plants in potting soil will grow better than in a hydroponic garden. I said this because I don't know about hydroponics yet and wanted to learn if it was just as good as growing in soil. After reading my research I learned that hydroponics gives plants the same nutrients as potting soil but in a different way. I was hoping you could comment on my hypothesis for my project by saying whether you think plants do better in hydroponics or just the same as in soil. Thank you for your time. I think hydroponics is cool! John White

What is some statistical information about hydroponics?

What are some negative things about hydroponics?

Information about hydroponics is all over the web. You can start by looking through this site. If that ain't enough, try the below sites for info & do it yourself units. There are a bunch more, you just have to look!!!!!

INFORMATION: http://www.foothillhydroponics.com/brochure/brochure1.htm

http://www.maximumyield.com/index1.html

http://www.gtghydroponics.com/webfaq.htm

BUILD YOUR OWN:

http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/11plant1.htm

http://www.ns.net/~bennu/

http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/build_ebb_flow.asp

http://www.overgrow.com/iss2/bubbler.html

RON

do you grow marijuana not that u would post it if u did but u mite

I am a marijuana decriminalization  proponent and not afraid to speak out after living and learning the facts of our 30 year old drug war. 
Everything I learned about hydroponics was from pot growing books and magazines like High Times in the early 80's because that's all I could find. "Ask Ed"
After building my first greenhouse in 1991 I had a sheriff helicopter hovering over it checking what I was growing.
My neighbors freak out. I don't know what they were growing but I was growing veggies.
I didn't realize I bought land in an area known as marijuana row. 
So with a sign like Pipe Dreams Hydroponics out in front of my place do you really think I got balls big enough to try and grow pot.
I will admit that this web site was first started as my way of thumbing my nose at our elected officials for being so stupid but now has grown into a business.
And because of that you may have noticed that I do censer some pot questions because our paid politicians have passed a law making it a crime to answer such questions over the internet. 
So until you pot heads start getting involved and petitioning your elective officials  we will only be growing veggies on this web site.
Ron       

Dear Ron, Great site! But I've got a problem. I am trying to do a hydroponic garden on a very limited budget. Everything about hydroponics seems to be economical except lighting. The price of lighting is way, way, way out of my budget. Do you have any suggestions on cheap lighting? What about fluorescent lights? I have lots of 4 foot fixtures for free, I would only have to buy bulbs. What about the outside lights that come on at dark (street lights). I think they are HID. Any help would be great.

If they are Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium or Low Pressure Sodium at any wattage would be more economical than fluorescents. I found 3 - 400 watt MH at my local flea market  for 30 bucks apiece that came out of a factory. I had to buy new bulbs but I saved a lot of money. They are out their.

Hi~ I am doing a report/experiment with hydroponics. I was wondering if anyone could give me a simple explation about hydroponics and some things hydroponics is used for. Thanks alot. Molly Anne

Ron, You have a neat site. I teach science and I just got a new science lab with attached green house. I want to grow tomatoes, peppers and lettuce with your 11 plant hydroponics system. I know very little about hydroponics. Is there any books or sources you could recommend for me to research?
Thanks.........indy

As we speak I have been working on a special Hydroponics Projects Section where individual and groups like class rooms can collaborate on projects across the country or the world. Coming in the next couple of weeks. One of the best how to books is HYDROPONIC Home Food Gardens by Howard M. Rush

im looking for some information about hydroponics, i am building a farm for my agriculture class and for a FFA project. i am wondering what i need to do to sprout the seeds before i plant them and i also need to know what are some good quick growing plants to grow, and if i could get any tips on quick growth i would really appreciate it. Josh Buoni If you can e-mail me with info i would be very grateful Dragonhcky@aol.com (or) spyderjmb@aol.com thank you

Hey folks, Does anyone have an answer for the question I asked about Hydroponics in Haiti, submited on 07/07/05?

Greetings from Venezuela.(South America)

I'm very interested in learning a lot about Hydroponics. In Venezuela is difficult to find books about it and the Perlita.

What I need to know to start a successfully home garden project? For the future I'm interested too in comercial Hydroponics.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Christian Castillo castilloch@cantv.net

I am growing weed plants this summer in maine outdoors and i heard to make more room for buds to grow on the plants that you have to clip the branches and leaves off in certain places and at certain growth stages. Is this true? If it is and you know: how often, when, and where on the plant do you trim. Also if you have any other grow tips i would really appreciate it if you could write them in the reply. Also, this is most definitely the best, most informative web site about hydroponics i have seen. That is why i am now one of your members.

Pruning tips plagiarized from High Yield Indoor Gardening by Simon Wright  

Hello Ron, All of the info I've found on the net so far is about hydroponics in seasonal climates. Do you know where I can find out about growing in a tropical climate? Thanks, Ross

Sorry no. Hot climates have just as much of trouble growing as cold climates without a climate controlled greenhouse which can be expensive.

Ron, I am working on a new system; it is a sub-level hydroponic grow hole for production of tomatoes, basically. My plans are for a 14x70 ft. 6 ft. below ground level to use geo therm temps. after looking at all the systems, your pipe dream is really impressive. Is it possible to get more info from , and about your system ?

what kind of info? everything I know about hydroponics is on this web site. what else do you need to know? 

Hi, members of my family in S. Africa are wanting to start a commercial hydroponics operation. They plan to do a variety of veggies, but especially marrows, which is a type of squash. I have been asked to see what I can find out about hydroponics for them. This operation will be located in Noodtgedacht in the Cape Proviince S. Africa. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch, Stan Putter

Hi Ron,

People are always looking for the right kind of grow lights to use at a good price and I have (20)Complete 400 Watt Metal Halides with the hoods and enclosed multi tap ballasts and a removable top plate for adding a cooling fan for just under $80. + shipping. I can e-mail pictures if anyone is interested. Thanks for having the best site about hydroponics!

Mike from Mo mpsweeney@hotmail.com

Are these lights new or used?

I ordered hidu kush what's the cheapest way to grow it

In dirt pots because their is nothing cheap about hydroponics.

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