Hydroponics 101: The Hydroponic Supplies You Need

Hydroponics is a type of indoor gardening that does not require any soil in which plants grow.  Instead, the roots of the plants are suspended in a water solution, and from that solution they receive the nutrition they need to grow and mature.  There are several basic hydroponic supplies you will need to get started with hydroponic gardening.

The hydroponic supplies you need will vary a little bit based on the specific system you choose to use, but many of them utilize some of the same basic hydroponic equipment and hydroponic supplies.  This would include some type of reservoir, a pump and aerator, as well as a means for holding the crowns of the plants above the solution.  This might include a net or a tray. 

The reservoir is a piece of hydroponic equipment that is basically a big basin that holds the water and nutrient solution in place.  A pump is added to the reservoir to move the solution around to reach the plants' roots.  An aerator is a piece of hydroponic equipment that keeps the solution oxygenated, which helps the plants to thrive.  The net or tray holds the crowns of the plants out of the solution at a perfect height so that the roots can still reach the solution and take up water and nutrient. 

The simple setup described above takes care of the plants' need for water and food, but plants also need light.  This means that you will need to add lighting as part of your necessary hydroponic equipment.  The specific type and number of lights that you will need depends on how many plants you wish to grow, and the life stage of those plants.  You are trying to imitate sunlight with your indoor lighting hydroponics supplies, so you will need a bright light.  If you are growing seedlings, the grow lights that you select will need to give off light in the blue color spectrum in order to promote growth in the young plants.  If you are attempting to cause mature plants to flower or fruit, the grow lights used as part of your hydroponics supplies will need to focus on red light spectrum to aid in that process.  In addition to lights, you may need other hydroponic supplies such as light reflectors to increase the area of light coverage, as well as digital ballasts used to control electrical flow to HID lights.  Fans used to cool off hot-running lights may also be hydroponics supplies needed for your system to operate well.

Other hydroponic supplies you will want include a growing medium.  This takes the place of soil, and could include coir or other natural mediums.  Some people choose to start their own plant starts, and thus you may want a cloner as part of your hydroponics supplies.  The cloner starts roots growing on cuttings very quickly.

There are quality online merchants that offer all of these hydroponic supplies, and offer assistance in helping you select the proper equipment for your hydroponic garden.