Hydroponic Herb Garden

What Is Hydroponic Gardening?

Hydroponic gardening is gardening without soil as a medium. The nutrients are delivered directly to the roots. This method removes the uncontrollable factors found in gardening and creates a sound and stable garden.

Using hydroponic gardening for herbs will most likely produce more herbs because the plant does not need to use all of its energy and resources seeking out the nutrients required in order to thrive and survive. The nutrients are fed directly through the roots. The plant expends its energy on growth

What Supplies Are Needed for a Hydroponic Herb Garden?

The basic supplies needed for a hydroponic herb garden are:

1. a way to hang the plant

2. a container for the nutrients

3. a growing medium

For beginners to hydroponic gardens, you might want to try a kit. These are very easy to use and come with good instructions. They can be found both online and offline.

If you would like to make your own garden, you will need certain supplies. The first need is for containers. Hydroponic containers, though, need to allow the plant to be suspended over its nutrient solution. The plant can be tied from a hanger or tied to some other object that can be suspended.

The container at the bottom holding the nutrient solution should be such that it cannot leak. Soak only part of the roots of the plant in the solution. By allowing other roots to hang in mid air, aeration will be allowed. This is also needed in order for the plant to thrive.

Either fertilizer or plant food dissolved in water can serve as the nutrient solution. Leaving the solution until it is totally depleted and needs to be replenished is one option for care. The other is to maintain the amount of nutrient solution in the container.

What Are The Advantages of Hydroponic Herb Gardening?

Since the roots of the plants have direct access to the nutrients it needs and has no need to spread out in search of these, the plant will have much greater growth. This means you will have many more herbs from your garden. Many diseases are borne in the soil. Without soil, there will be none of these to affect your herbs.

Because the nutritional needs of the plants are directly addressed, gardening without soil will yield more and bigger crops. Because you reap more from each plant, you do not need to grow as many plants. Since their environment and nutrient solution is so controlled, plants will not wither. You will find you can reap a much larger harvest from fewer plants in a smaller area by using hydroponic gardening for your herbs.

Next, get your free Hydroponic report. Learn more benefits and the process of Hydroponic Gardening at http://www.indoorhydroponicgardening.com/5.

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A lot of people are surprised that a full sized tomato plant can grow in a small pot without any soil! Carl Anderson of Virginia Hydroponics shows how easy it is to grow fresh cut herbs, tantalizing vegetables, and fabulous flowers, all year long, with hydroponics gardening!

This video is brought to by the good folks at ProgressiveGardening.org!

Duration : 0:2:25

Hydro Garden – Seeds or Plants?

What would be easier for use in your hydroponic herb garden?

This question may best be answered depending on if your system is homemade or store
bought.

Some systems like Power Plant require the use of seeds. The seeds are placed directly into
what’s called the ‘grow sponge’. Most of the store bought systems I’ve seen require starting from scratch with seeds.

In theory, I don’t see why a semi-mature herb plant could not be put into an Aerogarden for instance.
As long as the roots are situated to receive the nutrients, I don’t see it being a problem.

If you can’t wait for the seeds to sprouts and want a bit of a head start on the growing process, try a
seed starter kit which includes small soil pellet in a greenhouse-type tray.

from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1557.asp

Replacement pellets are generally available so that you can use your tray in subsequent seasons and years. If you choose this method, follow the directions that come with your kit and seeds; generally, you place 2-3 seeds on apellet, water them, cover, and place the tray in a sunny location until the seedlings are large enough to be planted in a pot or garden. You can make a similar makeshift tray by taking a used egg carton, putting small holes for drainage in each section, and filling the sections with soil. This method does not have the benefit of the ‘greenhouse’ effect, so it needs to be kept in a warm location and kept well-watered. This will not work with all seed types – eucalyptus, parsley, dill, and others grow too deep for these shallow cells – but most herbs, particularly the popular culinary herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, savory, and sage will do well.

The Burpee Ultimate Seed Starting System is an example of seed starting system.  Looks simple enough.  Easy is good.

I’ve been debating on buying a hyrdoponic herb garden system like AeroGarden or making a homemade hydroponic garden.

I think the system is easier. Why? All the guess work is taken out of it. Follow the instructions, plant the seeds, plug it in and you are pretty much done.

Just keep the lights on as instructed, monitor the flow of water, add nutrients and that’s it.

A homemade hyrdoponic herb garden, though simple to put together – requires putting it together. That’s a little to intensive for me. Plus I would have be really careful about mold settling in unwanted places, getting the amount of water and nutrients just right, and it being a general eyesore in my kitchen.

I just couldn’t put something together as nice as this.   This is the AeroGarden 2101-00B Classic Garden 7-Pod With Gourmet Herb Seed Kit – Black (See all Plant Germination Kits.  It’s sold on Amazon and the link above will take you there.