Growing mediums

There are various preferred growing mediums for the hydroponics gardener. Hydroponics in latin itself means water work. That means we remove the use of soil as a growing medium. The nutrients are applied directly to the roots through application in water.

Various growing mediums have their advantages and disadvantages.

Clay balls: They have good retention of water and due to the porosity they also retain good aeration. They have to disinfected the first time and between subsequent uses.

Perlite: Their operation is same as the clay balls, but due to their small size they tend to clog the automated systems.

Coco Peat: Cocopeat are the cheapest option of all. They are acid neutral. They have to be processed before using as they tend to contain high amount of salts.

Rock wool: They are the costliest growing medium. They were used as insulating in refrigerators previously. They tend to be alkaline, processing in acidic water is required before application.

Sand: Sand is the easiest available and the cheapest growing medium. They need continuous supply of water as they have low water retention capability. Aeration is never a problem with sand.

Common features of growing mediums.

• They are not needed to throw away the old medium (as is sometimes needed with soil), so the long-term expense is reduced.
• It is lightweight, so no hassle in removing large pots.
• Its numerous tiny air pockets provide a good source of oxygen and help hold moisture.