The Best Hydroponic Systems of 2019 for Healthy Plants
How hydroponic systems work may seem complicated at first, but once you understand them, you'll see how they work is actually really quite simple. There are six types of hydroponic systems (Drip System, Ebb & Flow, N.F.T., Water Culture, Aeroponics, and Wick). The plants roots need 3 things, water/moisture, nutrients, and oxygen. What makes the six types of hydroponic systems different is simply how they deliver these three things to the plants roots. Each type of system is described in the detail in the links (by name) to the left and below.
Regardless of what they may choose to call them, all hydroponic systems are based on these six types, and are either one of these types of systems, or a combination of two or more of the six types. There are thousands of ways to make variations, as well as alter any aspect of any of the six types of systems. So once your familiar with how each of the three roots needs (water, nutrients, and oxygen) are delivered in each type of hydroponic system, you'll quickly be able to identify what type of system any hydroponic system is.
Regardless of what they may choose to call them, all hydroponic systems are based on these six types, and are either one of these types of systems, or a combination of two or more of the six types. There are thousands of ways to make variations, as well as alter any aspect of any of the six types of systems. So once your familiar with how each of the three roots needs (water, nutrients, and oxygen) are delivered in each type of hydroponic system, you'll quickly be able to identify what type of system any hydroponic system is.
Wick System
The wick system is easily the simplest type of hydroponic system that you can use to grow plants, which means that it can be used by practically anyone. The wick system is notable for not using aerators, pumps, or electricity. In fact, it's the only hydroponic system that doesn't require the use of electricity. With the majority of wick systems, the plants are placed directly within an absorbent substance like perlite or vermiculite. Nylon wicks are positioned around the plants before being sent straight down into the nutrient solution.
If you're thinking about using a wick hydroponic system to grow plants, the simple nature of this system means that the plants are unable to obtain a significant amount of nutrients. As such, the system is ideal for small garden plants and herbs. Any plant that doesn't require a substantial amount of water will grow well in this specific system. While this system is fantastic for smaller plants, you'll want to avoid growing plants like peppers and tomatoes. These plants are considered to be heavy-feeding plants, which means that they require more nutrients than the wick system will be able to provide. Another negative aspect of this growing system is that water and nutrients aren't absorbed evenly, which could lead to the buildup of toxic mineral salts. When you use this system, make sure that you flush any extra nutrients with fresh water every 1-2 weeks.
Hydroponic Drip Systems
A drip hydroponic system uses a trickle system to deliver nutrient-rich water to your plants. It can be used with both regular soil as well as other growing media and works well if you'd like to grow many plants at the same time, as it uses water efficiently.
Explained simply, a hydroponic drip system generally consists of a reservoir containing the nutrient solution, a rack with plants in individual pots, a pump to move the water to the plants, and thin tubing running to each particular pot to deliver the water. You can control the times the pump turns on and starts supplying water, and a run-off leading back into the reservoir makes sure nothing is wasted. As such, this is a pretty efficient way to grow your plants!
Deep Water Culture
A water culture system is another highly simplistic type of hydroponic system that places the roots of the plant directly into the nutrient solution. While the wick system places certain materials between the plants and the water, the water culture system bypasses this barrier. The oxygen that the plants need to survive is sent into the water by a diffuser or air stone. When you use this system, keep in mind that the plants should be secured into their proper position with net pots.
The best aspect of the water culture system is that the plant roots are placed directly into the nutrient system, which means that the nutrients can be easily absorbed by the plants. Because of the direct access to nutrients and oxygen, plants that are grown with the water culture method will grow very quickly. The best aspects of the water culture system is that it's very easy to make and works well with any kind of plant. Even large plants with sizable foot systems will grow quickly with this method. the only potential issue with this hydroponic system is the development of root diseases, which is caused by dirty growing conditions.
Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)
The ebb and flow system is another popular hydroponic system that's mainly used among home gardeners. With this type of system, the plants are positioned in a spacious grow bed that's packed with a grow medium like rockwool or perlite. Once the plants are carefully planted, the grow bed will be flooded with a nutrient-rich solution until the water reaches a couple inches below the top layer of the grow medium, which ensures that the solution doesn't overflow.
The water pump that floods the grow bed is outfitted with a timer that will switch the pump off after a certain amount of time. When this occurs, the water will be drained from the grow bed and sent back into the pump. The ebb and flow system has been found to be effective at growing nearly all types of plants, which includes certain root vegetables like carrots and radishes. However, it's recommended that you don't use particularly large plants with this system. Because of how much space these plants will require, you may not be able to fit enough of the grow medium and nutrient solution into the grow bed with larger plants. The main issue with the ebb and flow system is that the pump controller can malfunction, which halts operation until the pump is fixed or replaced.
Nutrient Film Hydroponic Technique
The nutrient film technique doesn't generally use a medium to grow the plants, just net pots that allow the roots to stick out. This is because the system will run a continuous stream of nutrient solution past the roots. It's simple but ingenious and allows lots of oxygen to reach the roots, making your plants grow better.
A nutrient film system consists of a lightly sloped growing channel that the plants are placed in. Under this channel rests the water container and a pump, which can supply water to the higher end of the channel. See where we're going here? The water flows downwards (forming the 'nutrient film'), past all the hungry plant roots, and then returns to the container to be pumped up another time. Not a difficult system to set up, and you can make it as big or small as you want, although it works best for smaller plants like lettuce.
Aeroponics
Although it differs a bit from the other techniques we've discussed so far and isn't technically really hydroponics, aeroponics is still usually considered one of the six classic system types. As with water culture and flood and drain, aeroponics involves growing plants without the use of any growing medium. Instead, a nutrient solution is misted onto the roots, which dangle down through net pots as we saw with the water culture technique.
An aeroponics system can be set up in a regular tub with a lid, although some like to use vertical towers to save space. It's not the simplest of all the systems to build and set up but can still be done at home without too much of a hassle.
Hydroponic System Only Need a Few Basic Parts to Build
Growing Chamber (or tray),
The growing chamber is the part of the hydroponic system where the plants roots will be growing. Simply put, the growing chamber is the container for the root zone. This area provides plant support, as well as is where the roots access the nutrient solution. It also protects the roots from light, heat, and pests. It's important to keep the root zone cool and light proof. Prolonged light will damage the roots, and high temps in the root zone will cause heat stress to your plants, as well as fruit and flower drop as a result of heat stress.
The size and shape of the growing chamber really just depends on the type of hydroponic system your building, as well as the type of plants you'll be growing in it. Bigger plants have bigger root systems, and need more space to hold them in. The designs here are endless. Almost anything can be used as the growing chamber, you just don't want to use anything made of metal or it could corrode or react with the nutrients. If you look around you'll get lots of ideas of what and how you can easily use many different things for building the growing chamber of your hydroponic system.
Reservoir,
The reservoir is the part of the hydroponic system that holds the nutrient solution. The nutrient solution consists of plant nutrients that are mixed in water. Depending on the type of hydroponic system, the nutrient solution can be pumped from the reservoir up to the growing chamber (root zone) in cycles using a timer, as well as continually without a timer, or the roots can even hang down into the reservoir 24/7, making the reservoir the growing chamber also.
You can make a reservoir out of just about anything plastic that holds water. As long as it doesn't leak, holds enough water, and is cleaned out well first it can be used as reservoir. Read this article for more about how big your nutrient reservoir should be. A reservoir also needs to be light proof. If you can hold it over your head and see light coming through it, it's not light proof. But it's easy to make any container light proof by painting it, covering it, or wrapping something like bubble wrap insulation around it. Algae and microorganisms can begin growing with even low light levels.
Submersible Pump,
Most hydroponic systems use a submersible pump to pump the water (nutrient solution) from the reservoir up to the growing chamber/root zone for the plants. Submersible pumps can easily be found at hydropnic supply shop, or most home improvement stores with garden supplies as fountain and/or pond pumps. They will also come in a wide variety of sizes. Read this page for how to decide what size pump you need for your hydroponic system?
The submersible pumps are basically nothing more than an impeller that uses a electromagnet to spin it. They can also easily be taken all apart to be cleaned thoroughly. If it doesn't come with a filter, you can easily make one by cutting a piece of furnace filter screen or similar material to fit. You should clean both the pump and filter regularly to keep them clean.
Delivery system,
A hydroponic systems water/nutrient solution delivery system is really quite simple, as well as extremely customizable when building your own hydro systems. Besides the pump, it's really nothing more than just the pluming the water/nutrient solution goes through to get to the plants roots in the growing chamber, and back to the reservoir again. Typically the simplest and best materials to use for the nutrient delivery system are a combination of standard PVC tubing and connectors, standard garden irrigation tubing and connectors, as well as blue or black vinyl tubing.
Depending on the type of hydroponic system you build, you may want to use drip emitters or sprayers as part of your nutrient solution delivery system. While they can be useful, they also can clog. So if you do, make sure you have extras you can quickly swap out while you clean the clogged ones. We try to avoid using emitters because they do clog, as well as cost extra money.
Simple Timer,
Depending on the type of hydroponic system you build, and where you place the system to grow your plants. You may need one or two simple timers. If you use artificial lighting to grow the plants instead of natural sunlight, you'll want a timer to control the on/off times for the lighting system. For flood and drain, drip, and aeroponic systems you'll need a timer to control the on/off times for the submersible water pump. Some types of aeroponic systems may need a special timer. Visit the aeroponic systems page to find out more about the types of aeroponic systems, and timers for them.
Standard everyday light timers work fine for both the lights as well as the submersible pumps. However we do recommend making sure the timer is rated for 15 amps rather than 10 amps. Fifteen amp timers are often called heavy duty, if not just check the back of the package or timer for the 15 amp rating. Also try and get one for outdoor use, they usually have a cover and are usually water resistant.
We don't recommend the more expensive digital timers over the analogue dial type. Simply because digital timers will loose all memory, as well as your settings if they loose power or get unplugged, even for one second for any reason (unless you find one with a battery backup). They often don't have any more actual on/off settings than the analogue type as well. Just make sure the timer you get has pins all the way around the dial.
Air Pump,
Other than in water culture systems, air pumps are optional in hydroponic systems. But using them has benefits, and air pumps are relatively inexpensive. Air pumps can be found anywhere they sell aquarium supplies. Air pumps simply just supply air and oxygen to the water and roots. Air is pumped through an air line to air stones that create a bunch of small bubbles that rise up through the nutrient solution.
In water culture systems the air pump helps keep the plants roots from suffocating while their submerged in the nutrient solution 24/7. For any other type of hydroponic system, the air pump is typically used in the reservoir. It helps to increase dissolved oxygen levels in the water up and keep the water oxygenated. Visit this page for more about dissolved oxygen levels.
Other advantage's of using air pumps are that as the air bubbles rise, they keep the water and nutrients moving and circulating, this keeps the nutrients evenly mixed all the time. The circulating oxygenated water also helps reduce pathogens from gaining a foothold in the reservoir.
Grow Lights,
Grow lights are an optional part of hydroponic systems. Depending on where you plan to put your hydroponic system, and grow your plants. You could choose to either use natural sunlight, or artificial light to grow your plants with. If you can make use of it we prefer natural sunlight, it's is free and doesn't require any extra equipment. However if there just isn't enough natural sunlight where you put your hydroponic system, or at that time of year, you'll need to use at least some artificial light to grow your plants.
Grow lights are different than most standard household lights. Grow lights are designed to emit certain color spectrums that mimic natural sunlight. The plants use these color spectrums (wavelengths) of light to conduct photosynthesis. The plants need to conduct photosynthesis in order to grow and produce fruit and flowers. So the type, as well as the amount of light a plant gets will greatly affect the plants ability to photosynthesize, and thus grow. Visit our page on lighting and grow lights for hydroponic plants for more about the different types of artificial lights used to grow plants.
The growing chamber is the part of the hydroponic system where the plants roots will be growing. Simply put, the growing chamber is the container for the root zone. This area provides plant support, as well as is where the roots access the nutrient solution. It also protects the roots from light, heat, and pests. It's important to keep the root zone cool and light proof. Prolonged light will damage the roots, and high temps in the root zone will cause heat stress to your plants, as well as fruit and flower drop as a result of heat stress.
The size and shape of the growing chamber really just depends on the type of hydroponic system your building, as well as the type of plants you'll be growing in it. Bigger plants have bigger root systems, and need more space to hold them in. The designs here are endless. Almost anything can be used as the growing chamber, you just don't want to use anything made of metal or it could corrode or react with the nutrients. If you look around you'll get lots of ideas of what and how you can easily use many different things for building the growing chamber of your hydroponic system.
Reservoir,
The reservoir is the part of the hydroponic system that holds the nutrient solution. The nutrient solution consists of plant nutrients that are mixed in water. Depending on the type of hydroponic system, the nutrient solution can be pumped from the reservoir up to the growing chamber (root zone) in cycles using a timer, as well as continually without a timer, or the roots can even hang down into the reservoir 24/7, making the reservoir the growing chamber also.
You can make a reservoir out of just about anything plastic that holds water. As long as it doesn't leak, holds enough water, and is cleaned out well first it can be used as reservoir. Read this article for more about how big your nutrient reservoir should be. A reservoir also needs to be light proof. If you can hold it over your head and see light coming through it, it's not light proof. But it's easy to make any container light proof by painting it, covering it, or wrapping something like bubble wrap insulation around it. Algae and microorganisms can begin growing with even low light levels.
Submersible Pump,
Most hydroponic systems use a submersible pump to pump the water (nutrient solution) from the reservoir up to the growing chamber/root zone for the plants. Submersible pumps can easily be found at hydropnic supply shop, or most home improvement stores with garden supplies as fountain and/or pond pumps. They will also come in a wide variety of sizes. Read this page for how to decide what size pump you need for your hydroponic system?
The submersible pumps are basically nothing more than an impeller that uses a electromagnet to spin it. They can also easily be taken all apart to be cleaned thoroughly. If it doesn't come with a filter, you can easily make one by cutting a piece of furnace filter screen or similar material to fit. You should clean both the pump and filter regularly to keep them clean.
Delivery system,
A hydroponic systems water/nutrient solution delivery system is really quite simple, as well as extremely customizable when building your own hydro systems. Besides the pump, it's really nothing more than just the pluming the water/nutrient solution goes through to get to the plants roots in the growing chamber, and back to the reservoir again. Typically the simplest and best materials to use for the nutrient delivery system are a combination of standard PVC tubing and connectors, standard garden irrigation tubing and connectors, as well as blue or black vinyl tubing.
Depending on the type of hydroponic system you build, you may want to use drip emitters or sprayers as part of your nutrient solution delivery system. While they can be useful, they also can clog. So if you do, make sure you have extras you can quickly swap out while you clean the clogged ones. We try to avoid using emitters because they do clog, as well as cost extra money.
Simple Timer,
Depending on the type of hydroponic system you build, and where you place the system to grow your plants. You may need one or two simple timers. If you use artificial lighting to grow the plants instead of natural sunlight, you'll want a timer to control the on/off times for the lighting system. For flood and drain, drip, and aeroponic systems you'll need a timer to control the on/off times for the submersible water pump. Some types of aeroponic systems may need a special timer. Visit the aeroponic systems page to find out more about the types of aeroponic systems, and timers for them.
Standard everyday light timers work fine for both the lights as well as the submersible pumps. However we do recommend making sure the timer is rated for 15 amps rather than 10 amps. Fifteen amp timers are often called heavy duty, if not just check the back of the package or timer for the 15 amp rating. Also try and get one for outdoor use, they usually have a cover and are usually water resistant.
We don't recommend the more expensive digital timers over the analogue dial type. Simply because digital timers will loose all memory, as well as your settings if they loose power or get unplugged, even for one second for any reason (unless you find one with a battery backup). They often don't have any more actual on/off settings than the analogue type as well. Just make sure the timer you get has pins all the way around the dial.
Air Pump,
Other than in water culture systems, air pumps are optional in hydroponic systems. But using them has benefits, and air pumps are relatively inexpensive. Air pumps can be found anywhere they sell aquarium supplies. Air pumps simply just supply air and oxygen to the water and roots. Air is pumped through an air line to air stones that create a bunch of small bubbles that rise up through the nutrient solution.
In water culture systems the air pump helps keep the plants roots from suffocating while their submerged in the nutrient solution 24/7. For any other type of hydroponic system, the air pump is typically used in the reservoir. It helps to increase dissolved oxygen levels in the water up and keep the water oxygenated. Visit this page for more about dissolved oxygen levels.
Other advantage's of using air pumps are that as the air bubbles rise, they keep the water and nutrients moving and circulating, this keeps the nutrients evenly mixed all the time. The circulating oxygenated water also helps reduce pathogens from gaining a foothold in the reservoir.
Grow Lights,
Grow lights are an optional part of hydroponic systems. Depending on where you plan to put your hydroponic system, and grow your plants. You could choose to either use natural sunlight, or artificial light to grow your plants with. If you can make use of it we prefer natural sunlight, it's is free and doesn't require any extra equipment. However if there just isn't enough natural sunlight where you put your hydroponic system, or at that time of year, you'll need to use at least some artificial light to grow your plants.
Grow lights are different than most standard household lights. Grow lights are designed to emit certain color spectrums that mimic natural sunlight. The plants use these color spectrums (wavelengths) of light to conduct photosynthesis. The plants need to conduct photosynthesis in order to grow and produce fruit and flowers. So the type, as well as the amount of light a plant gets will greatly affect the plants ability to photosynthesize, and thus grow. Visit our page on lighting and grow lights for hydroponic plants for more about the different types of artificial lights used to grow plants.
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