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Behold, the future of cultivation of plants for food and ornamental purposes.
Advancement in the pattern of root sprouting, the hydroponic system might be the bane of potting soil and plant pots.
As a popular system now adopted by almost every gardener for indoor and outdoor plant growth, the hydroponic system did not emerge without controversies.
It began as early as 1627 after the death of the man who first idealized this concept- Francis Bacon.
After the publication of his book, most scientists upon reading the ideas in his book and how he hoped to make it work, began to experiment on the idea of water culture, and sixty-three
years after Francis Bacon, John Woodward, a promising plant scientist at the time, published his findings of water culture and how plants survived.
He observed that distilled water did not hold the key to good plant growth and it was rather in less-pure water sources that plants tended to do better.
His findings propagated further research and in the year 1842, more scientists subscribed to the technique of zero-soil cultivation.
This system involved the act of growing crops with the use of only water and no soil. This was not a hydroponic system, but it was in its early form.
Professor Gericke was the man who propounded the name hydroponic, he was also the only man who believed in the system and kept on trying out countless research to create a workable way of practicing the hydroponic system on a commercial basis.
He had to forfeit his job as a professor to create this revolutionary plant technology.
People began to subscribe to the hydroponic system from wake island in 1930. Due to the absence of much soil on the island, vegetables had to be grown using the techniques propounded by the hydroponic system founder.
It was successful and sustained millions of aircraft passengers who usually dropped by at the island during a refueling.
I guess islands were the first places that tested and grew the world’s faith in the hydroponic system.
This is backed up by the fact that in the year 1946, on Ponape island where there was no arable land for farming, a group of soldiers on an expedition led by Major Daniel Arnon of the United States Army, were sustained by applying the hydroponic system of cultivating crops.
The leading space company NASA has also said that the hydroponic system is an advancement not only in agricultural growth but also in the field of bioregenerative technology.
What is a Hydroponic System
Hydroponic System is a combination of horticultural and hydro-cultural techniques that involve the use of needed mineral nutrients embedded in a nutrient or aqueous solution, to grow crops without the use of soil.
The hydroponic system can be used to grow any plant, but some plants commonly grown hydroponically include tomato, pepper, cucumber, strawberry, and lettuce.
The advantages of a hydroponic system can be vividly seen in islands. Aside from islands, using the hydroponic system helps to conserve water, such that almost half of the amount of water that ought to be used if the cultivation was done in the soil, is saved.
This is because the hydroponic system sends only the needed amount of water to the root hairs of the plants and discards the rest to be stored or evaporated like mist.
In this article, I outline the top 7 Kits for the best indoor hydroponic System. This article explains the right usage of each of these kits and outlines how each of them can be properly incorporated into your planting technique to give you the best root system as well as crop yield.
7 Best Hydroponic System Kits and Reviews
The following are the Seven best hydroponic system kits. Each of these kits is easy to use both indoors and outdoors and can suffice for the growth of a wide range of plant varieties.
These hydroponic system kits include:
- Aerogarden Sprout herb seed pod kit hydroponic system
- Moistenland hydroponic system kit. 12 grow pots
- Powergrow deep water culture hydroponic system bucket kit
- Harvy Cultivation box hydroponic system
- Vegebox hydroponic system
- Dream Joy 4 layers 36-72 plant sites, hydroponic system site grow kit
- Ecogrower indoor herb garden growing hydroponic system kit.
The above-listed kits are considered to be the best hydroponic system kits for various factors that are embedded in their engineering and manner of growing crops.
If you consider the use of a hydroponic system for growing any of your plants, you might want to consider any of the following kits for the best experience for you and your plants.
- Aerogarden Sprout Herb Seed Pod Kit Hydroponic System
For a kit that reminds you when to feed the plant and when to water as well as automates the light system within the plants, the Aerogarden sprout hydroponic system is all you really need as a beginner.
The aerogarden hydroponic system kit is usable by beginners as well as experienced hydroponic gardeners. It comes with a great control panel, an automated reminder bot about when to give food and water to the plant.
It also has a spectrum 10 watts LED light embedded for growth. The best part is the three pods system that allows you to grow three different plants at the same time.
The aerogarden hydroponic system kit is designed to relieve the gardener of certain stress like when to put on a light, the necessary amount of water as well as the kind of drainage system needed for plant survival.
Plants grown in an aerogarden hydroponic system kit need not suffer from root rot or underwatered curling leaves. This is because this hydroponic kit is built to circumvent that.
It also has extendable arms for light dispersion on the leaves of taller plants.
- Moistenland hydroponic system kit, 12-grow-pots
This kit does not exactly have 12 grow pots as the name implies, but it is the best for dual growth of crops.
It is made to foster the dual growth of two different plant species with two different needs. This means that an alkaline loving plant can be growing on the same hydroponic system kit with an acidic loving plant and both will grow just fine.
This hydroponic system kit has embedded in it, a simple control panel, LED lights large enough for the dual plant survival. It also has an artificial air circulator that recreates the air kind of air system found outdoor.
Lastly is the water pump tool in this kit.
This kit is a sizable one that can be kept to sit on a platform like your window or a little corner in your sitting room.
Whether you are a beginner in the hydroponic system of growing plants, the moistenland hydroponic system kit is just perfect for your plant needs and growth requirements.
- Powergrow Deep Water Culture Hydroponic System Bucket kit
This hydroponic system kit usually comes with a warranty from the purchasing company.
This is due to its durability and efficiency. The powergrow deep water culture hydroponic system bucket kit has a good water level indicator and water drainage system.
This is even better than the previous kits in terms of size and number of growing pods. This kit has four growing pods and large buckets.
For the best use of this kit, it is advised that you buy a nutrient and pH meter that will be used alongside the kit for measuring nutrients in the water.
This is because the powergrow kit does not come with a nutrient measure tool. The LED lights are a great way of recreating the outdoor sunlight condition to the plants, which is a great source of photosynthesis.
- Harvy Cultivation Box Hydroponic System
Every element in this kit is recyclable and can be used for a long time without damage. It is a very large kit and can be really heavy when filled with water.
This hydroponic system produces plants that sprout very delicately. Care should be taken at this point not to damage any of them until they are fully grown and ready for use or transplant.
The harvy cultivation box comes with six sewn plugs and 250 milliliters of nutrients that can be added to the hydro mix. The kit does not have a water measure and drainage but uses just the right amount of water for roots and stores the rest for usage again.
- Vegebox hydroponic system
The vegebox hydroponic system kit comes with an auto LED light system that is able to power on and power off based on perceived plant requirements.
It also has extra lights for plants that grow too bushy for the first set of lights. This kit has nine growing pods and is bigger in size than the usual hydroponic system kits.
The vegebox hydroponic system kit has a good watering system that can support the life of nine healthy growing crops and still have enough nutrients for sustenance.
This kit is good for beginners, especially vegetable growers.
- Dream Joy 4 Layers 36-72 Plant sites, Hydroponic System Site Grow Kit
This kit can be used to grow an entire garden with different crops and ornamental plants. As a hydroponic system kit, it has from thirty-six to seventy-two growing pods and a huge water supply.
It is neat, easy to set up, and can be perfectly used indoors because it does not consume too much space in the house. It can be easily used by beginners and produces tremendous results.
With zero soil application, you could use this hydroponic system kit to grow an entire garden with a great harvest and lots of nutrients.
- Ecogrower Indoor Herb Garden Growing Hydroponic System Kit
With this kit, your water application system can never go wrong. It has an inbuilt water circulation system that helps your water circulate properly around the plant.
It has an adjustable lighting system that can be adjusted following the height of the plant. This hydroponic system kit has four pods that can be used to grow a variety of crops apart from vegetables.
Which Hydroponic System is Best
Each of the hydroponic systems has their various advantages and disadvantages and are peculiar for certain reasons. But the best hydroponic system for the growth of plants is the aeroponic system.
This is because, in terms of drainage, water conservation, and ventilation, the aeroponic system of growing plants supersedes all the other systems.
Are Hydroponic Kits Worth It?
They are definitely worth every kobo spent on their purchase, set up, and maintenance.
A hydroponic system eliminates the stress that comes with maintaining a potting soil and all of the technicalities of growing using potting soil.
The automated kits also take the responsibility of lighting and adequate watering from the farmer, bringing convenience to a gardener while ensuring growth.
What Are The 6 Types of Hydroponic System
These hydroponic system types are incorporated in the making of the hydroponic system kits. They include:
- Wick hydroponic system
- Deep water culture hydroponic system
- Aeroponic system
- N.F.T (Nutrient Film Technology)
- Ebb and flow hydroponic system
- Drip system
These systems are briefly explained below
- Wick hydroponic system: It is the simplest system that involves no automation.
It simply involves dipping the plant roots inside a nutrient or perlite solution tied in a bag.
- Deep culture hydroponic system: this system is almost like the wick system, but varies in the sense that some form of barrier used in the other system is removed in this and oxygen is directly pumped into the water solution.
- Aeroponic system: This system involves suspending the plant roots on air and releasing nutrient mist to it.
- N.F.T (Nutrient Film Technology): this type of hydroponic system involves placing the nutrient solution in a big container from where it is given to the plant by a sloping technique.
- Ebb and flow hydroponic system: it involves flooding the plant population with a nutrient solution for a timed sequence after which the solution is drained and the process repeated.
- Drip System: this functions according to the need of the plants. This system involves flooding the dripper with nutrient solution that drips slowly or quickly based on the needs of the plant.
Why is Hydroponic so Expensive?
It is an expensive kit to purchase but not an expensive tool to maintain. The cost of purchase of a hydroponic system kit is expensive because of the usefulness of the kit.
It is also automated and requires good engineering expertise to be built to fit plant needs.
A kit as valuable as this deserves to be expensive.
Can you Make Money with Hydroponics
Yes, you can.
There are a lot of ways to make money from hydroponics. You could decide to engage the system for plant growth and make money from the harvest and sales of plants.
You could also decide to be a dealer in hydroponic system kits and deliver to gardeners in your location at a profit.
Therefore the hydroponic system does not only ensure that your plant is growing, it ensures that your bank balance is growing.
Conclusion
Given the many controversies that surrounded the development of this system, we can conclude that the hydroponic system has far outdone what its creators imagined.
When landmass and infertility rock the world, the hydroponic system of cultivation would be our only saviour.
Until then, keep making as much profit as you can from this future of gardening.
