Passive Hydroponics

Passive hydroponics, also known as hydroculture, is one of the techniques of hydroponics. Hydroponics refers to the method of growing plants without soil. Instead of soil, hydroponics depends on a special substrate, known as a hydroponic growing medium.

Passive hydroponics away with the need for water or air pumps, by depending on the capillary action of the plant's own roots to transport water and nutrients to it. It essentially involves growing the plant in a porous container with a reservoir containing water and hydroponic nutrients. This system allows the plant to take in only the specific amount of nutrition it needs. The most basic passive hydroponics system consists of a pot placed in a nutrient solution or a capillary mat saturated with nutrient solution.

Passive hydroponics, and other hydroponic techniques, offer many advantages over traditional methods of horticulture. Firstly, since a sterile medium is used instead of soil, the plant is protected against soil-borne diseases. Secondly, plants grown using hydroponics take up much less space than those grown in soil, which makes hydroponics the perfect choice for hobby horticulturists.

Hydroponic Growing Mediums

These are some common hydroponic growing mediums:

Perlite: Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass. It is a popular growing medium.

Vermiculite: Vermiculite is a natural mineral that resembles mica rock in appearance. It retains moisture well. Vermiculite is often used along with perlite as the two materials complement each other.

Diatomite: Diatomite is a naturally occurring, soft sedimentary rock. It contains elemental minerals, required for the growth of plants, which makes it an excellent hydroponic growing medium.

Rockwool: Rockwool is a manmade mineral fiber. Because it is chemically and biologically inert, it makes an ideal hydroponic growing medium.

Information on passive hydroponics is readily available. Besides the technique requires little expense or care. Because of this, even enthusiasts who are beginners with passive hydroponics beginners often enjoy successful results with relatively little effort.

Hobby Hydroponics

Gardening remains a common hobby. A new offshoot, hydroponic gardening is also gaining popularity today. Hydroponics, a family of techniques that allows plants to grow in any medium other than soil, is a relatively expensive hobby. The initial setup, necessary equipment, and regular upkeep of a hydroponic garden are substantial compared to other regular hobbies. Regular care and dedication is required to pursue this hobby, but the results make it worth the effort.

Hydroponics for Hobbyists
For the novice hobbyist, hydroponics allows him or her to grow plants in an environment that would otherwise be unfavorable. A wide variety of plants—flowers, vegetables, and decorative plants—can be cultivated out-of-season with the help of hydroponics.

Hydroponics does away with the requirement of good soil quality for plant cultivation, since it does not use soil. These techniques make plant nutrition easier to monitor. For such an expensive hobby, the level of control is what makes hydroponic gardening more fruitful.

The exacting nature of hydroponics makes the connection between the cause and effect very direct. If the adequate amounts of nutrients, light, warmth, etc. are supplied, the yield will be good. This predictability in results is quite encouraging for the novice hobbyist.

Advantages of Hydroponic Gardening

• The yield is better in terms of quality and quantity.
• It eliminates the threat of soil-borne pests or plant diseases.
• You have a flourishing garden irrespective of the season.
• Moving plants is easier and less messy than in soil gardens.
• It is easier to monitor nutrition levels.
• Hydroponic gardening allows you to automate a lot of basic tasks, thus saving a lot of time and effort.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Follow proper fertilizing schedules. Since the plants are not in a medium where nutrients can be found on their own, the supply has to be continuous.
• Quality of the available water is vital to the yield. Use only water with the proper pH level and a low-salt and metal content. Rainwater is ideal. Avoid hard water.
• Use materials such as non-metal, plastic pipes, pumps, etc. that do not leach any possible toxic matter into the plant-growth medium.
• Aerate the water using oxygen pumps or porous air stones.

Springtime Indoor Gardening

Spring is the season of growth and new life for plants. It is also the busiest time of the year for gardeners. From sowing seeds to controlling pests, the passing of winter can mean a lot of work. The results, however, make it worth it. If you grow your plants indoors using hydroponics, read this guide to understand the various factors involved in springtime indoor gardening.

Selecting Grow Lights

In spring, plants thrive in sunlight. But for indoor gardening, opt for grow lights that simulate sunlight. If you use the right grow lights for your indoor plants, you need not even wait for springtime to get results. The most important factor to consider is the spectrum of light emitted by the grow light.

Here are some tips on different types of grow lights that you can use during springtime:

• To stimulate flowering, use grow lights that emit red light for better blooms. For thicker bushy growth, blue light is more suitable. Many hydroponics enthusiasts combine two or more types of grow lights to get the best results.

• T-5 fluorescent grow lights work best with seedlings and cuttings, as they emit little heat. Hydroponic growers often prefer full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs for their seedlings.

• Matle halide (MH) bulbs are a good choice if your indoor plants require light similar to that emitted by the sun in summer.

• To simulate autumn for your indoor gardening plants, opt for high pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs. HPS lights are ideal for inducing fruiting and flowering.

In addition, invest in a grow light control system with a timer, rotator, light mover, reflector, and hood that ensure your indoor plants get the right amount of light for 14 to 18 hours a day. Remember to consider the initial cost, lifespan, and operating costs of your grow lights. A cheaper grow light may actually be more expensive to operate in the long run.

Using the Right Hydroponic Nutrients

Plants in spring are still in the initial growth stage and require the best nutrients for maximum yield. Ensure that you do not supply too much or too little to your indoor plants. For your indoor garden, use hydro-organic nutrients, which are simply nutrients that dissolve in water. Use readymade, easy-to-use products instead of creating your own hydroponic nutrients. This is because it can be difficult to understand what nutrients work best for different plants during springtime. Commercial products from pHat, General Hydroponics, Canna, Foxfarm, etc. have been rigorously tested for several years on different plants, ensuring maximum yield during spring.

Pest Control

Springtime is not only a boom time for plants but also for bacteria, mites, aphids, fruit flies, weeds, and other pests that wreak havoc on your plants. For successful indoor gardening, invest in pest control mechanisms such as insecticides, sticky traps, fungicides, etc. that destroy pests without harming the plants.

Growing Mediums in a Hydroponic System

A growing medium is simply a medium in which the plant grows. Most people believe that soil is the only growing medium for plants. But that is not true. In a hydroponic system, a growing medium, other than soil, nourishes the plant and provides support and stability.

An important principle behind hydroponics is that plants take in only the required nutrients at the right time. This is only possible when you use a growing medium such as coconut fiber and rockwool, for example. A growing medium allows you to add the correct amount of nutrients and also monitor the pH in a hydroponic system. In addition, using a growing medium other than soil has several advantages that include:
* Prevention of root infestations
* Retention of adequate oxygen and water
* Increased aeration and draining

Choosing the right growing medium for your hydroponic system can be tricky. It depends on a variety of factors such as the plant type, the environment, size of hydroponic garden, etc. Before deciding on the growing medium, understand what your purpose is, and then evaluate different growing mediums to see if they meet your needs.

There is a huge variety of growing mediums available for a hydroponic garden. Some are natural in origin while others are artificially prepared. Often, hydroponic enthusiasts combine two or more growing mediums for added benefit. Here are the most popular growing mediums.

Coco coir fiber
Also known as coconut fiber, coco coir fiber is a popular growing medium for hydroponic systems. It is prepared from the husk of coconuts. It has good oxygen and water retention.

Rockwool
Rockwool is an artificial mineral fiber made by spinning melted rock into fibers of different shapes and sizes. Rockwool helps in retaining the right amount of water and also has good drainage properties.

Perlite
Hydroponics experts throughout the world use perlite as a growing medium in their hydroponic systems. Perlite is a volcanic glass that holds sufficient levels of oxygen and water.

Vermiculite
Like perlite, vermiculite is another material that expands when heated. The problem with vermiculite is that it holds too much water, which may not be good for certain plants in your hydroponic garden. Vermiculite is often used in combination with other growing mediums in a hydroponic system.

Expanded clay
Expanded clay is a common growing medium used in indoor hydroponic systems. The water holding capacity of expanded clay is low but it provides excellent aeration to the plant.

Hydroponics Growing Tips

Cultivating a hydroponics garden can be a challenging task for any horticulturist. Here are a few tips that can help you ensure that your hydroponics garden flourishes.


Phosphorous deficiency is a common plight that plagues hydroponics horticulturists. Crops that are deficient in phosphorous appear stunted and are usually dark green in color. Often red or blue colorations on the plants caused due to anthocyanin pigments appear on plants. This can be avoided by elevating pots off the floor using a plastic mesh. Plants which have low root mass temperatures often suffer from phosphorous deficiency. This can easily be rectified by using a hydroponics supplement.



Ensure that your hydroponics garden has an adequate amount of water supply. The roots of your hydroponics garden should be kept constantly moist otherwise the plants are likely to dry up quickly and die. Water provided needs to have an adequate amount of alkalinity, sodium or salt. The soil of your garden needs to have an adequate amount of nutrients including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphorous and magnesium.


In order to ensure that plants get enough oxygen, bubble air through a water solution. The oxygen provided is vital for plants to facilitate their nutrient and water uptake. Along with the amount of oxygen, temperature is an important factor that needs to be regulated. Hydroponics gardens flourish within a specific temperature range. Higher or lower temperatures will lead to an abnormal growth and reduced productions. On an average the temperature should be around 75°F Different plants have different temperature requirements and these need to be catered to. Try to ensure that there are no drafts flowing through the garden. A humidifier will help ensure that there is an adequate amount of moisture in the garden. Too much humidity in a hydroponics garden can lead to a lot of fungal growth.


Your hydroponics garden should receive at least 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight. If this is not possible invest in a hydroponics artificial lighting system should provide the necessary light. Metal Halide lamps or high pressure sodium lamps are ideal for this.

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) for Hydroponics System

The nutrient film technique or NFT is a tried and tested hydroponics system. Though old, this method is still very popular for indoor horticulturists. The reason for its popularity is that the method is relatively inexpensive and very easy to set up. NFTs are very popular amongst the lettuce farmers of New Zealand and Australia. This system is well suited for tomatoes and herbs.

Plants are grown above a nutrient tank reservoir. This system works by having a nutrient solution being constantly pumped using a submersible pump from the tank to the plant.. The nutrients flow via a tube or tray over the roots of the plant, what ever is not absorbed is then returned to the tank. There is no additional growing medium apart from the basic medium that is used to grow the plant from its seed. The two most common mediums are blocks of rock wool and pots of perlite. The flow of nutrients is usually a very slow stream that trickles through the medium and the roots of the plant is only submerged in one to three millimeter of solution. It is the slow flow of nutrients combined with the depth that ensure that no damage occurs to the fragile root systems.

The advantage of using a NFT system is that it has a low start up cost and is very easy to use. Since no additional growing medium is required, the cost of constant replacement is non existent. However the plant is dependant on the functioning of the pump and will dry up easily if the pump fails to pump its nutrients. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no blockages.

How to choose plants for Indoor Gardening

There are a number of plants that can be used indoors to beautify the house’s interiors. Plants such as Money Plant, Palm and Peperomia require very little sunlight and easily flourish indoors. Money plants come in three different varieties – golden, green and philodendron. Palm plants should be grown in small pots in order to control the height of the plant. Over grown leaves should be cut or trimmed as well.

Bamboo plants are very popular as indoor plants. Known as the ‘lucky bamboo’ this plant is widely available in Asia and is considered to attract prosperity to a house according to Feng Shui principles. This plant is easy to maintain as it requires only water. They do not require a large amount of sunlight and are found to even grow in dark conditions.

If gardening for a practical purpose is more appealing to you, think of growing vegetables or herbs. Eating vegetables from plants that are homegrown can be a very fruitful experience for you and your family. Cherry tomatoes can easily be grown out of pots. These plants continue to grow over a long span of time and are a pretty addition to your garden. Herbs such as mint, rosemary, chives and cilantro are known for their fragrances and are easy to grow out of small containers.

Angel Ivy Ring is a fast growing ivy that thrives well at temperatures ranging from 65F and 80F. This ivy is ideal for areas that has bright or indirect light and grows to provide dense green leafage up to a height of 12 inches.

Braided Ficus is a plant that is known for its adaptability and is a very popular plant found in most indoor gardens. The plants braided stems along with the variegated dark green foliage ensures that is an eye catching addition to any garden. These plants require a moist environment as leaf drop occurs due to lack of moisture. These plants can grow to heights ranging from 24 inches to 6 feet.

Select a plant according to the lighting requirements and space constraints that you face. The aesthetic value and the ease of maintenance are also deciding factors when choosing plants that are appropriate for indoor gardening.