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Hydroponic Equipment Yesterday we looked at the different type of hydroponic systems, let's take a look at some of the tools and accessories that work to complement the various systems The most important part of any hydroponic system is, of course, the nutrient solution used. Hydroponic nutrient solutions are readily available from our website or store and are composed of a blend of such nutrients as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. Different nutrient solutions are used depending on what type of plants you're trying to grow, what system you're using and what mediums, if any, you're working with....

The Science behind Hydroponic Nutrients and systems Before we can take a look at how hydroponics works, we must first understand how plants themselves work. Generally speaking, plants need very little to grow. They can subsist on a simple blend of water, sunlight, carbon dioxide and mineral nutrients from the soil. Plants are able to transform light energy into chemical energy to form sugars that allow them to grow and sustain themselves. Thus, plants convert carbon dioxide, water and light into sugars and oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. The photosynthesis process requires that the plant has access to certain minerals, especially nitrogen,...

Why Use a Hydroponic System? So why go through all the trouble of setting up a hydroponic system? After all, people have been growing food just fine for thousands, if not millions of years using good old-fashioned dirt. Hydroponics offers some significant benefits over traditional farming, and as word about these benefits spreads, more people will turn to hydroponics for their agricultural needs. First, hydroponics offers people the ability to grow food in places where traditional agriculture simply isn't possible. In areas with arid climates, like Arizona and Israel, hydroponics has been in use for decades. This science allows the people of these areas...

What is hydroponics?   If you've ever placed a plant clipping into a glass of water in the hopes that it will develop roots, you've practiced in a form of hydroponics. Hydroponics is a branch of agriculture where plants are grown without the use of soil. The nutrients that the plants normally derive from the soil are simply dissolved into water instead, and depending on the type of hydroponic system used, the plant's roots are suspended in, flooded with or misted with the nutrient solution so that the plant can derive the elements it needs for growth. The term hydroponics originates from...