Home Hydroponics

Overview

Key facts

This Home Hydroponics course from Warnborough College is NOT intended for commercial growing in any way. You will learn the theory behind hydroponic culture, as well as receive first hand practical experience as you set up your own basic hydroponic system.

Develop a solid grounding in the principles of soil less cultivation of plants. When you remove the soil from a plant and take control of it’s roots, it is essential that you have a good understanding of how it grows. Any body can grow plants in soil with reasonable success.

To grow plants in hydroponics you must understand how the plant grows so that you can control the temperature, water, oxygen, nutrients etc. in the root zone.

Aims

• Explain basic plant nutrition chemistry in order to describe the composition and function of hydroponic nutrients.

• Differentiate between a variety of fertilisers and hydroponic nutrients, and suggest how these might be used appropriately in the growing of different types of plants in a hydroponic garden.

• Compare options for media and systems, in order to choose what is appropriate to a specific home situation.

• Design a hydroponic system suited to a particular home situation

• Diagnose common ailments in a hydroponic system, make a determine appropriate action.

• Describe the course of a hydroponic crop in a home situation from initial planting to harvest, and treatment of the harvested crop.

• Differentiate between solid media and nutrient film hydroponic techniques, and the way in which plants may be treated differently in each.

• Plan the production of a sequence of vegetable and herb produce for household use from hydroponic production.

• Determine appropriate methods for hydroponic cut flower production in a home situation.