Important "Must-Haves" When Buying your Hydroponic Supplies

 

Gardeners that are new to hydroponics often go overboard buying items that they may need in the future but will not need in the beginning stages of hydroponic gardening.  To begin your hydroponic gardening project you will only need a few things to get you off to a great start.  Many of the items you need for hydroponics can already be found around your house so you can save money before you go full tilt into this hobby.

 

The first thing any hydroponic gardener needs is a dedicated area for their gardening.  Most newbie gardeners can either purchase an easy to install grow room or build a greenhouse outside of their home.  Small grow rooms for the beginning hydroponic gardener are usually slightly larger than a closet and can be completely installed in under an hour.  The cost ranges from several hundred dollars to over $500, depending on the add-ons that you think you will need.  A small greenhouse can cost considerably more because you will need to either include a cement floor and drainage system or lay other types of flooring such as gravel before you build the greenhouse itself.  Many small greenhouses cost anywhere from $500 to over several thousand dollars, depending on the add-ons you choose.

 

The basic items you need after you decide on either a grow room or greenhouse include a temperature control unit, exhaust fan, heating mats, light fixtures for your blue and red spectrum lights, an aeration system (an aquarium system works well for small gardens), pearlite, marble and Styrofoam work well as a beginning medium and Rockwool, oasis or Rapid Rooters.  Typical beginning tables for your plants include plastic tubs, a child's swimming pool or fish tank.  A gardener can also buy any of the items they need for their grow room from stores specializing in hydroponic supplies.     

 

Once you have your grow room or greenhouse set up, you can decide which plants that you want to try and grow.  Many people like to start with tomatoes or roses since they have many hardy varieties to choose from.  Gardeners will also want to try using the blue and red spectrum lights to increase growth and the flowering of their plants. 

 

The temperature control units may also come in handy once you decide how many plants you want to grow in your space.  The more plants you have the hotter your greenhouse will usually be.  A temperature control unit can be set to turn fans or blowers on and off at pre-determined intervals.  They can also be set up to open and close air ducts in your greenhouse or grow room.

 

As you progress in your hydroponic garden hobby you may also want to switch from an aquarium pump or bubbler system to a more advanced irrigation and drainage system for your garden.  Once again, the more plants you have the more advanced equipment you will need.  

 

If you are still unsure about starting a hydroponic garden, you can get everything you need in a little kit called a plug-and-go hydroponic gardening kit.  These little kits have everything you need to get you up and running with this fascinating hobby.  The typical kid includes a module for holding your plant cubes, seeds, nutrient solution and a heating pad.  All you need to add is sufficient sunlight and water.

 

Beginning gardeners will enjoy shopping for their hydroponic must-haves at a hydro shop.  Hydro shops specialize in selling items for the hydroponic gardener.  An added benefit of visiting these shops is all of the information that you can get from fellow gardeners and the staff at these shops.  Your fellow shoppers can also help you find all of the must-haves as well as the items you don't need for your hydroponic garden.