Hydroponics Basics – A Guide to Your First Hydroponic System

By Justyn Hornor

Hydroponic gardening is so much easier than you’d think! My goal here is to make the process of hydroponics as easy as possible — too many people are scared of trying it. They’re intimidated, or they don’t know how much it will cost, possibly. And while I recognize that the basic set-up I describe below isn’t ideal, it’s easy and you can get all the supplies at your favourite super-store.

That’s right! You don’t have to find a specialty store or use special equipment to pull off a fully-functional hydroponic garden. Of course, I hope that by trying a simple system first, you’ll then get excited and run out to a local hydroponics supplier to build a more sophisticated system, using the latest techniques and supplies.

Basic Hydroponic Garden Supplies

The first thing to do is get your supplies. I found everything I needed for this system at Walmart for about $40. I have enough supplies with this purchase to feed my plant for about two years. Yes, you heard me right – a full two years. Let’s break each item down and explain its use.

1. Large yellow bucket – this is the outside container of our system. It holds the water/food for the plant.
2. Small green bucket – this is where the plant will sit. We’ll be punching a few small holes in it so the water can drain out.
3. Compact fluorescent light bulb – this will be the light source for the plant if it isn’t growing outdoors.
4. Lamp – to hold the light bulb.
5. Marbles – to support the roots – no soil necessary.
6. Miracle-Gro™ – the plant food.
7. Strawberry plant – the Quinalt variety is everbearing, so the fruit will grow year-round.

When you’re all done assembling the system, here’s what it will look like:

Before Picking Your Plants

The most important aspect of your hydroponic garden is the genetics of your plants. In this guide, I’m using a strawberry plant of the Quinalt variety. I chose this type of plant very specifically. The Quinalt variety is everbearing, meaning that it’s going to produce year-round for me. This variety is also resilient.

Take time to research which variety of plants you want to grow. Your local hydroponics store can be a huge resource in this area. They’re sure to know someone who grows what you are interested in, and might offer some wonderful tips for plant selection and care.

This point can’t be overstated: No matter how nice your system is, plants with better genetics for the environment in which you are raising them will always outperform those with less-ideal genetics. So don’t just grab the cheapest plant you can find. You may be missing out on huge long-term payoffs if you waste time on an underperforming variety of plant.

Step 1 – Preparing the Small Plant Holder

Grab the smaller plant holder in which your plant will grow. We’re going to punch a few holes in it, so the water can drain and to prevent the roots from getting too wet. I usually punch about four holes in the bottom and one every inch or so up the side of the pot.

Step 2 – Create Some Space at Bottom of Large Pot

In the bottom of the larger pot, place a layer or two of marbles. Be very careful that none of them get away! (We don’t want you losing your marbles, ha ha.) The goal here is to create about a half-inch to an inch of space between the base of the pot and where your smaller pot will sit. This allows some water to settle in the bottom.

Eventually, the roots will come through the bottom of the smaller pot and absorb more water and food as needed. This extra space on the bottom will allow the roots to grow into the bottom as much as they want.

Step 3 – Wash Off the Soil from the Plant

Handle your plant with care at this step. I use a bowl of room-temperature water to gently wash the soil off the roots. You don’t have to get them perfectly clean, but you should be able to see the bulk of the root system.

Try to handle the roots as little as possible. You don’t have to create a sterile environment or anything, just be gentle. I affectionately refer to my strawberries as “strawbabies.”

Step 4 – Preparing the Plant Pot

Now, put a layer of marbles in the bottom of the smaller plant pot. About a half-inch to an inch is fine. This gives your plant roots space for air, water, and growth.

Step 5 – Placing the Plant

This step will take both hands or a little help from someone else. With one hand, hold your plant with the roots hanging down. You’re basically suspending the plant over the place you want it to rest. Allow the bulk of the roots to set along the bottom, so that these roots can start to quickly “reach” lower for more water. Setting them too high can delay the blooming process, because the roots will have to grow farther. Too low and the roots will get “lazy”, and just settle into the bottom. (Yes, plants struggle with laziness, too.)

Now, start to gently fill the rest of the container up with marbles — as high as the base of the plant’s root system.

Step 6 – Placing the Plant Pot into the Holder

Place the smaller pot containing your plant into the larger pot. You may have to move some marbles around so that it sits steadily on the marbles. You can always stabilize the plant pot later with other materials if necessary.

Step 7 – Lighting the Plant (Optional)

You can just leave your plant in sunlight inside your house or outdoors. But if space is at a premium, or if you want to accelerate the growth of your plants, you can also set up a simple lighting system. Some people use a light sensor to have the light turn off during the day and back on at night.

I use a 28-watt CFL bulb which will cost me about $28 per year in electricity to stay lit year-round (at $.12/kilowatts/hour). Not too expensive at all. I mount my lamp directly above the plant and use a reflective lamp cover to provide as much light as possible.

Step 8 – Feeding and Watering Your Plant –

Actually, feeding and watering your plant is the same step. First, measure out the following:

1. Tablespoon of Miracle Gro
2. Tablespoon of salt (Epsom salt is best, if you have it)
3. Gallon of water

Mix it all together and pour directly and gently onto the roots until the water line in the larger pot is about an inch above the base of the smaller pot.

I use less than half a gallon of water each time. Remember to label and properly store any leftover plant food — Miracle-Gro turns the water blue and it might look dangerously like a beverage to a small child. You don’t want pets or humans drinking this.

Step 9 – Care and Maintenance of Your Plants –

The plants will tell you if something is wrong. Just get your ear really close to the tallest leaves and listen very, very carefully. (Kidding!) If the leaves start to turn colors, you’ve got a problem. Too much water or not enough water are the two usual suspects.

Another common problem is that the acidity of the water can get too high or too low. This is the PH balance of your water. The easiest way to fix this problem is to change the water completely once a week. You may have to add fresh water/food once a week to keep acidity levels at the right spot.

You can get PH-level test supplies at a hydroponics store, as well as any supplies/advice for maintaining the proper PH balance.

Step 10 – Taking Your Hydroponics System to the Next Level

GO VISIT YOUR HYDROPONICS STORE! The system described here is a VERY simple, “beginner” design. Once you get a taste for it, you’re going to want to see all the different options available!

The beauty of hydroponic gardening is that you can control each and every plant if you need to. You can test Miracle-Gro against another brand, and try different mixtures to see which grows your plants better. You can set one plant outdoors during the day while leaving another inside to see if it makes a difference. There are lots of experiments you can conduct, and it’s easy to test different ideas.

You can also upgrade as you go. This system is simple and relatively cheap. If you have most of these supplies sitting around, you may not have to buy a thing to get started. There are lots of different arrangements and ways to control your garden.

Have fun! Build your first hydroponics garden and see just how easy it is to grow fruits, veggies, and even bushes and dwarf fruit trees, right inside your house and with very little space.

And let us know how your system turns out if you recreate this one. We’d love to hear how you’re doing and how well it’s working!

Hydroponics Basics FAQ –

Why is no soil required?

Because plants don’t actually need soil to grow, for one. They just need nutrients which can be absorbed from water. Soil is just one very inefficient root-supporting material. Marbles aren’t ideal, but they’ll do the job. Rock-wool and clay beads are two other common root-supporting materials.

Can plants survive on only the light from a bulb?

If they have air, food, water and light – plants will grow anywhere. We use a specific kind of light with a temperature of 6500k or higher, which represents a measurement of the color of the light. Look for “Daylight” as opposed to “Soft Light” bulbs. The packaging should state that the temperature is 6500k; right in the ideal range.

Is Miracle-Gro all you really need?

Pretty much. However, you can get very sophisticated with the kinds and types of food you give your plants. Your local hydroponics store will have all kinds of awesome plant foods that you can use to create the perfect blend for your plants. But Miracle-Gro has you covered for now and is a great place to start.

Will any plant grow in a hydroponic garden?

Yes! Although some plants have different needs and you may have to tailor a hydroponics system to these specific needs. This is when getting involved with your local hydroponics store will be incredibly helpful.

How much will a plant in a hydroponic garden produce compared to a normal garden?

Generally speaking, a hydroponic garden will far out-perform a traditional garden for several reasons. The biggest advantage for plants in a hydroponic garden is that they are not competing for resources – their roots have direct access to the food. Also, the lack of soil means you can control the environment very carefully. And if you provide light 24/7, your plants will grow a lot faster than in nature.

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