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In the natural world plants have to find their essential nutrients in the soil. The growth of a plant will depend very much on the nutrients that it can find. If the soil is lacking in a particular element then the plant may not survive, its growth may be stunted or it may not produce fruit.
In a hydroponics system, plants are grown in, or with, a nutrient rich water solution. Provided that the water solution contains all the plants nutritional requirements and that all its other requirements – warmth, light, oxygen and carbon-dioxide – are provided, it will thrive.
In fact crops produced hydroponically can crop three times more heavily than soil grown crops and consequently much of the food we eat today, particularly salad crops, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and the like come from commercial hydroponics farms

There are 6 main hydroponic systems which can be put into two groups:-

1) Media Culture

Plants are planted in an inert rooting media – clay pebbles, coir or rockwool are a few examples.

There are three methods of irrigation:-

Bottom irrigation
Also referred to as Hydro culture or Passive Hydroponics.
Plants are potted in an inert medium usually clay pebbles – Hydroton or Hydroleca. The pot is placed in a tray or inside a second pot containing nutrient solution and capillary action takes the solution up into the rooting medium.

Drip Irrigation Systems.
Also known as drip watering, drip system or top irrigation
The water supply is fed to the top of the rooting medium in a drip.

Flood and drain (Ebb and flow)
The rooting media and plants are placed in a shallow tank. A timer is used to switch a pump on which floods the tank. The pump is then switched off and the tank is allowed to drain back to a reservoir.

2) Solution Culture

Plants are not actually planted but are supported with their roots suspended in the nutrient solution.

There are three methods:-

Static solution culture.
This means that a plant is simply placed in a container of nutrient solution. This is the easiest of all hydroponics systems and is therefore ideal for beginners.

NFT Hydroponics. (Nutrient Film Technique)
Also known as continuous flow system
This means that the nutrient solution continually flows over the plant roots. The solution is recirculated and aerated to ensure that the roots can obtain a supply of oxygen.

Aeroponic culture.
With this method, the roots are in air and are “misted” with nutrient solution. This helps to ensure that the roots receive an adequate supply of oxygen – which they might not with the static solution method

Fertilisers

Nutrients are the key to growing any plant successfully. One of the main advantages of a Hydroponic System is that the nutrients can be carefully controlled. The plants can be given exactly the nutrients they need – the right nutrient and the right amount.
Hydroponic fertiliser is not the same as ordinary garden fertiliser.  It is specially blended to provide all the plants nutritional requirements whereas a garden fertiliser is essentially a supplement to provide additional nutrients to those found in the soil.
There are many brands of nutrient on the market and most are available in “Grow” and “Bloom” formulations.
The Grow formulas are for the early or vegetative stages of growth and the Bloom formulas for the flowering or fruiting stages.
There are also additional additives available – designed for seedlings or cuttings to ensure plants get off to a good start and products which will give an additional boost to increase the yield of the crop.

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