There are so many benefits to growing hydroponically. You can grow plants faster and larger than you could with traditional growing methods, and you can do it with 90% less water as compared to traditional farming.
But if you’re considering growing in a hydroponic system, there are several factors to think about. There’s no one-size-fits-all “best hydroponic system” out there. Each circumstance is going to be different. Here are some questions to consider before we get started:
How big should the system be?
Are you looking for a small countertop option? Or are you trying to grow large yields to chip away at your grocery budget?
Do you care about aesthetics?
Do you want your hydroponics system to look like an accent piece for your home? Or is practicality the most important aspect? Some of the more basic systems look like some buckets connected with tubes. Functional? Absolutely. Pretty? Not at all.
Do you have natural light?
Plants need light to grow, so you’ll either need to place your unit near a window, buy a grow light, or purchase a hydroponic system that includes a light.
How much do you want to spend?
Depending on your needs/wants, you may have to doll out some serious cash. That said, many of the larger systems have incredibly generous payment plans.
This article takes a closer look at the most practical systems on the market, so you can make a decision that fits your life and your budget.
Mini Kitchen Hydroponics
If you’re just dipping your toes into hydroponic gardening and want to start small, this tabletop system is a winner for growing fresh herbs, leafy greens, and even fruits indoors.
Its small size (12 growing pots) is perfect for a countertop, and the sleek design adds futuristic flair to any kitchen.
The deep-water submersion system’s control panel reminds you when to add water, and nutrient solution and the built-in full spectrum 35-Watt LED lights of the hydroponics growing system simulate the sunlight spectrum, promoting veggies photosynthesis in any weather - can be placed in the kitchen, bedroom or in the office.
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Table Top Hydro Lazy Pot
Smaller and more personal. With 4 hydro planters, inner baskets and full spectrum LED lamp panel light with 8/16/23hrs timer, this is perfect if you just need access to fresh herbs when you cook for yourself.
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Smart Movable Hydroponics Garden
Suitable for homes, restaurants, offices, and farms, this hydroponics kit can grow 36 heads of lettuce, herbs fruit-bearing crops.
Install grow lights above each layer and you'll be ready to grow indoors.
Available in 1,2,3, and 4 layers
Size per layer: 60*24*10cm
Weight per layer: 5kg
Grow lights: 9 watts, 220 volts
Easy to assemble, clean, and maintain. No Experience is necessary.
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Ladder Type NFT System
NFT stands for Nutrient film technique. You might want to read this post for detailed info.
Extremely simple to assemble and use, this hydroponic indoor or outdoor grow system is designed for fast, maximum-convenience vegetable gardening.
The system produces high-quality vegetables, herbs, melons, and berries--45-day yields!--that are more nutritious and better-tasting than soil-gardened produce because oxygenated water and nutrients are delivered directly to the roots.
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NFT Hydroponics System
NFT stands for Nutrient film technique. You might want to read this post for detailed info.
This hydroponics setup is made with 12 Pipes, 3 Layers, and 108 holes food grade material.
The water pump timer allows you to program watering your crops for 5, 15 and 30 minutes each cycle.
Oxygenated water and nutrients are delivered directly to the roots, for healthier vegetables and rapid growth. It is ideal for growing leafy vegetables and small-sized fruit-bearing crops.
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Vertical Grow Tower
Combining functionality and space-saving features, this grow tower stands 1.6 meters.
With 15 stackable layers, 3 holes per layer, this tower takes only 47 X 46 centimeters of floor space - grow and harvest 45 heads of lettuce for less than half a square meter of space.
This hydroponics system is also moveable, with 4 wheels below its water tank, and comes with grow sponges to plant and grow your seed into. A water pump that transports water from the tank going to the top of the system going back to the tank is also included.
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The Pineapple Type Grow Tower
Vertical Hydroponic System for Post -organic farming - a modular, stackable and mobile vertical growing ecosystem, specifically engineered to maximize yield and automation, producing a fresh harvest with minimal effort.
Specifically tailored to provide the optimum controlled environment for growing a wide range of agricultural products in all environments and climates.
With this system, you are in control of air humidity, amount of water supply, spray timings and energy used. Only a fraction of irrigation water is used by the plants themselves. In traditional methods, most of the water vaporizes into the air, making the process highly inefficient and wasteful.
Hydroponic systems can grow plants 3X faster and produce 40% greater yields on average. That means you’ll be enjoying abundant, nutritious harvests all year round without having to wait long.
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Deep Water Culture Growkit
Perfect for beginners who wants to test the waters in Hydroponics.
You get everything you need to grow your own food. Includes airstone, Rockwool, powerful air pump & medium sized DWC bucket, water indicator, assemble instructions, tube & clay pebbles.
DWC (Deep Water Culture) is the preferred system of choice for growing leaf lettuce, which grows very fast and loves lots of water. Most commercial hydroponic lettuce operations employ this method on a bigger scale using floating Styrofoam rafts to hold the plant with roots submerged in water.
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NFT Dutch Bucket System
The Dutch Bucket (also known as the Bato Bucket) is an efficient drip irrigation system and is extremely suitable for larger, long-term crops such as vine tomatoes, peppers (capsicum), cucumbers, and melons.
Dutch Buckets are suitable for drip irrigation systems. The overflow outlet can be connected to a central PVC drainpipe.
The bucket has a highly effective internal discharge system. By installing the two elbows, the overflow water is suctioned from the lowest level of the bucket and discharged into the central drainpipe. This will eliminate the pooling of stagnant water.
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Planters with Water Reservoir
These self-watering planters ensure the plants take the right amount of water that they need especially for those that require tricky watering schedules.
It's perfect for growing ornament plants in water. The self-watering system helps you to take care of your plants when you are busy or away on vacation.
The decorative plant pot is made of quality PP + AS material, lightweight but sturdy enough for indoor plants. A self-watering pot is perfect for herbs, ferns, flowers and etc, and all house plants that grow in water.
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Summing It Up
Hydroponics is the oldest form of farming in the world. It’s highly efficient, extremely effective, very versatile, and can yield high-quality, nutrient-rich crops in short periods of time – both indoors and outdoors. If you’re interested in giving hydroponics a try, with the information presented in this guide, you should have no trouble choosing the right option to suit your specific needs.
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