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Controlled, space efficient 

A small hydroponics set-up doesn't take up much space, and is ideal for growing vegetables, herbs and cut flowers in a confined space. Additionally because it takes up limited space and you determine the overall layout, it can provide very easy access to all of the plants you are growing.

Hydroponic systems do not use soil  and so you don’t need to dig (which may be a plus for some people), and there are few weeds and no soil-borne diseases. It allows you to control plant growth, and the results can be as good as or better than produce from plants grown in the ground.

You can buy a kit from a specialist hydroponics shop or set up your own system using polystyrene containers filled with an inert media such as course sand, gravel or vermiculite. The nutrient solution needs to be carefully balanced to meet the plants’ needs and should be monitored throughout the growing period.

 

Soil does four main things for the plants which grow in it

To be successful, hydroponics needs to cater for these four functions which are usually handled by the soil:-

  • Provides support (stops the plant falling over or blowing away by providing anchorage for the plant's roots).
  • Provides water through the roots.
  • Provides air through the roots. (Yes, the plant absorbs gas out of the air through its roots! A plant's roots can starve for air just as much as they can starve for water!)
  • Provides nutrients (i.e. food in the form of very simple types of chemicals).

Expertise in Hydroponics - our credentials

We have been teaching Hydroponics for four decades. As well as our hydroponics eBook, we conduct a range of distance learning courses in hydroponics. These can be started at any time. 

Our courses are supported by our specialist tutors who have wide experience and knowledge. Our Principal's book (Commercial Hydroponics) is one of the best selling hydroponic books in the world. Our tutor Dr Lyn Morgan has written a string of hydroponic books and has been a renowned international consultant on hydroponics for more than two decades.