System Types

• Hydroponic systems come in six main types. Two of the most popular systems for home growers are deep water culture and the wicking system. In deep water culture, the plants are suspended over a pool of nutrient-rich liquid with their roots extending down into the pool. A wicking, or wick, system uses a tray to hold the plants above a second container filled with nutrient solution. Wicks run from the liquid up into the tray carrying essential nutrients to the plants. Other systems include aeroponics, ebb and flow, drip and nutrient film technique.
  
  

Nutrients

• As with all plants, those grown in hydroponic systems require access to 17 essential nutrients. The nine macronutrients required in large quantities include magnesium, oxygen, sulfur, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, potassium and hydrogen. The eight micronutrients needed in trace amounts are zinc, molybdenum, chlorine, iron, copper, cobalt, manganese and boron. All of the necessary elements are continually provided to the plants in a hydroponic system.
  
  

Light

• Indoor plants need adequate light. Couple indoor hydroponics systems with a lighting system appropriate for the plants being grown. Simple greens, such as mint, lettuce and spinach, do well with cool white fluorescent lights, but flowering and fruiting plants require a different kind of light, such as warm grow lights or high-pressure sodium bulbs. Without the proper light, the plants will fail.
  
  

Temperature and Humidity

• Plants need a specific temperature range for complete development. Maintain a temperature of about 65 to 85 degrees during the day and 10 degrees cooler at night. The humidity should be about 40 to 60 percent. A climate outside of these specifications results in stunted or dead plants. If conditions are met, the hydroponic system produces a bountiful harvest.