Making Some Hydroponic Noise about the Static Solution
Culture
Hydroponics, which is a Latin term meaning "working water,"
refers to the growing of plants without soil. Growers supply all of the
nutrients plants would normally get through soil via water instead. There are a
wide variety of different methods growers can use in hydroponics. Most fall
into one of two categories; solutions cultures and medium cultures. Solution
cultures refer to the growing of hydroponic plants using only water and
nutrient mixture, while medium cultures involve placing the plant roots into
some kind of solid growing material. Some hydroponcis "purists" believe that
solution cultures are the only way to truly grow hydroponic crops. Static
solution culture is the most pure of all the hydroponic growing systems, in
that it involves only water and nutrient mixtures for growing, without
elaborate equipment.
Static solution cultures in very easy to work with, even for
novice hydroponic gardeners; in fact, they are often used by science teachers
to teach their classes about hydroponics. The name comes from the fact that the
nutrient mixture is static. It is kept in a container and does not flow over
the roots as some other solution cultures, like continuous flow systems, do. In
static solution culture, the water remains stationary, and it bathes the roots.
To use a static solution culture, you will first need some
kind of container to keep the solution in. It can be as small and simple as a
glass jam jar or plastic bucket, or it can be a tub or plastic tub, which holds
several gallons of water. The ideal container is dark, food grade plastic. The
darkness prevents algae from breeding, and food grade plastic will not bleed
any harmful chemical into your plant. If you don't have a dark container, you
can wrap your container in a dark plastic film or aluminum foil. If you are not
using food grade plastic, it is best to grow non-food items like flowers. Your
container will also need a lid. If it doesn't come with one, you can make one
out of cardboard. It will need to sit securely and flush on the container; it
will need to be secured with duct tape.
In the lid of your container, you will have to cut out holes
to place your plants through. Plastic planting cones can help you with this - simply
trace the cones onto the lid, and cut out the circles. Several plants should
easily fit on one lid, though exactly how many depends of course on the size of
your container. Make sure you don't place your plants too close to the edge of
the lid.
Into the container, you will need to add water and a
nutrient mixture. You can buy pre-made hydroponic nutrient mixture specific for
the plants you are growing, and usually, you should add some combination of
magnesium sulfate and calcium nitrate. A little bit of research will help you
discover the perfect nutrient mixture for your plants. You will need to check
the nutrient levels and pH level in your water periodically, and make changes
as necessary. As your plants grow, you might find it necessary to top up the
nutrients, or add more water to neutralize them.
Dissolve the nutrients in water, and then add additional
water to top up the container. If your container is aerated, you can fill the
water right up to the top to cover the roots, and if it is not aerated, you
will need to leave a little gap between the water and the roots, so they can
get oxygen.
That's all there is to it! Static solution is so simple and
so effective; it is ideal for novice and professional growers alike.
