A Gardener’s Winter’s Tale

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Hydroponic Gardening satisfies the green thumb during the coldest spells

Another season’s garden put to bed? It’s November; those last roses have shriveled; the mums have dropped their petals; your trowel and gardening gloves are cleaned and stored ’til spring.  

But wait! You can still garden this winter. A hydroponic garden lets you grow fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers indoors any time of the year. You can set up a hydroponic garden to share with children or grandchildren. Someone with limited mobility might enjoy caring for plants growing indoors on a table or counter during the long winter months. 

Hydroponic gardening is growing plants without using soil—yup, no dirt involved! All you’ll need are seeds, light, water, and nutrients. 

Before you decide to try hydroponic gardening, I’ll give you an idea of what you’re getting into:

  1. Equipment 
  2. Setup 
  3. Maintenance
  4. Pros and Cons 

Equipment:

There are a variety of systems to choose from if you’re setting this up yourself rather than buying a kit. The types of systems include: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT); Deep Water Culture (DWC); Wick Hydroponics; Flood & Drain System; Drip System; Kratky Method; and the AeroGarden Hydroponic (a popular ready-to-go system). All the equipment can be purchased as kits from various distributors. You’ll need: 

  1. Watertight tank
  2. Tank lid, in which holes can be made to hold plant growing medium
  3. Submersible water pump and tubing 
  4. LED grow lights
  5. Growing medium (a popular type is Hydroton Expanded Clay Pebbles)
  6. Hydroponic nutrients and supplements (types and amounts based on the specific plants)
  7. pH testing meter (you can purchase a liquid kit or test strips instead, but the meter is most reliable) 
  8. Liquid pH Up and pH Down in small quantities for corrections
  9. Seeds (easy, popular choices include leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, herbs, strawberries)

Setup: 

If you buy a kit, you won’t need to follow all these steps:

  1. Set the seeds in the growth medium. Rooting cubes containing seeds can be set to germinate on a heat mat before being immersed in the hydroponic system.
  2. Setup your watertight tank: a. Avoid placement near bright sunlit windows. b. Avoid areas that are too warm, too cool, or drafty. c. Be sure there’s enough room for the plants to grow up. (usually 12–15 inches) d. Keep in mind that water may splash out of your tank. Be sure to protect any vulnerable surface, such as wood or fabric.
  3. Install an LED grow light, full spectrum. Be sure the light’s coverage area matches the tank’s surface area.
  4. Mix nutrients and supplements with water: a. Wait 15 minutes after mixing, then test for pH level. b. Adjust solution for a balanced pH level (Important to know your plant’s pH requirements)
  5. Set grow light on a timer (usually 15 hours of light per day) 
  6. Test your system for leaks. 

You’ll usually see sprouting within one to three weeks. 

Maintenance: 

Once the seeds begin to sprout, your work commences in earnest. This is not a project that allows you to go away for two weeks and come back to a happy garden tank. Nope. Rather, there’s a daily routine while your hydroponic garden is flourishing:

  1. Check that the grow light is set for the appropriate number of hours and working. (LED bulbs can last 5 years, so you’ll probably not have a problem.)
  2. Check the water level in the tank. Is there sufficient water for the pump to work effectively?  
  3. Add nutrients and supplements needed by your plants’ roots. Usually, the seed packet will give you this information.
  4. Check the pH level of the water after the nutrients are in. Add pH Up or pH Down, as needed.
  5. As the plants grow and leaf out, you may need to trim or harvest leaves around the outside of the plants to allow growing room, and open up the place where you add water and nutrients. 
  6. Harvest! Enjoy those sweet, little cherry tomatoes on a bed of red and green leaf lettuce. Perhaps you can even sprinkle the salad with basil or oregano. All from your own tiny garden. 

Pros and Cons:

The Good News: 

  • Hydroponic gardening is fun, particularly if you’re sharing the hobby or project with someone else. You’re cheering on the little sprouts and plucking the ripe fruit or veggie together. 
  • If you really enjoy hydroponic gardening, you can try more exotic plants like peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and celery. And, you can keep your indoor garden going all year long.

The Not-So-Good News:

  • Hydroponic gardening can be expensive. You’ll take several grow cycles to make up the equipment costs on the vegetables you consume. 
  • Plants live an average of 3–4 months before they’re done producing. (Sometimes less.)
  • Your indoor garden needs attention every day, if only to confirm that it has enough water and nutrients. There’s no going away for a few weeks and leaving the lettuce to fend for itself. As the plants grow larger, they require more and more water and supplements. 
  • Finally, just like in your outdoor garden, your indoor garden may attract bugs. I have never figured out how those annoying fruit flies appear; so, I don’t know where the bugs might come from, but they do…sometimes.

If you decide to try your hand at hydroponic gardening, you’ll have some interesting experiences, no doubt. Take some pictures along the way; include a little card saying how many days old and what type of veggie. It’ll be fun, maybe even a little photo collage of your new hobby and its successes.