Discussing the Three Main Types of Solutions Cultures

Within the field of hydroponics, solutions cultures refer to plants that are grown without any solid growing medium to hold the roots. Some hyrdoponic purists believe that solution cultures are the only "true" kind of hydroponic growing. Hydroponics is all about growing plants without soil, with nutrient enhanced water as their only food source, and some horticulturalists argue that adding a growth solid growth medium invariably adds a non-water source of nutrients to plants.

There are three main types of solutions cultures used in hydroponics; static solution culture, continuous flow solution culture, and aeroponics. Each type has it benefits and drawbacks, and which type a grower uses, depends on many factors, including the type of plants, the containers used, and the size of the operation - commercial or small-scale private garden.

Static solution culture is the most widely used solutions culture, and it is the most easy to employ. When using static solution culture, plants can be grown in a wide variety of containers, from glass jam jars and plastic buckets to tanks and tubs. The ideal container is made of dark plastic, but if you don't have a dark plastic container, you can wrap any container in a dark colored plastic film or in aluminum foil. The roots of the plants are fed by a nutrient solution held in the container. Most people using the static solution method aerate their containers, but aeration is not required. When aerated, the roots can simply sit right in the nutrient solution, and when not aerated, roots should be suspended just above the nutrient solution, so they can receive oxygen. The plants should hang from the lid of the container (or the lid you have created for the container). Just cut holes in the lid, and place the plants in the holes. The lid should be secured tightly with duct tape. The solution mixture should be monitored closely and topped up with either more water or more nutrient mix as required.

Continuous flow solution culture works by sending a flow of nutrient solutions over the roots of the plants continually. The plants are generally suspended over some kind of trough system, and the water flows through the trough. Though this method can be used with any size of hydroponic growth systems, it is best suited for large-scale operations. The nutrient levels of thousands of plants can be easily monitored in one step using this method, because the water can be sampled and adjusted accordingly at one central tank, which then distributes the water to the plants. A variation of the continuous flow system that is growing in popularity is the nutrient film technique. The nutrient film technique involves growing plants though a dark plastic film. The roots grow together in a dense network that is then flushed continuously with nutrient solutions. Continuous flow solution cultures are considered the most efficient way to grow hydroponic plants, but they are very vulnerable to power outages and equipment failures.

Aeroponics is the last main kind of solution cultural medium commonly used in hydroponics. In aeroponic systems, roots are enclosed in a dark container, similar to the way they are in static solution cultures, but instead of the nutrient solution being inside the container, the roots are misted with the nutrient solution. Simple misters commonly used in micro irrigation systems can do the misting, or more complex, ultrasonic nebulizers can be used. Aeroponics is what most people picture when they think of hydroponics, as it is the system used at the famous Epcot center hydroponic exhibit, but in practice, it is less common than the other two methods.