Home Hydroponic Gardening Project
Introduction
The discovery was made years ago that it is not soil that plants need for growing, but the mineral nutrients held by soil particles that plants need. Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without soil. In hydroponic systems, all minerals are supplied by a nutrient-water solution where roots have access to these essential nutrients at continuous or regular intervals. Home gardeners can create small-scale hydroponic systems and successfully grow a variety of plants. However, hydroponic gardening can be intimidating at first to a traditional home gardener. This project is designed to simplify hydroponic techniques for the home gardener.
Lobby Display Garden (v1)
A lobby display garden was constructed to:
Gain interest in hydroponic gardening
Is mobile for displaying at Fair and/or Home & Garden shows
Demonstrate how hydroponic gardens function
Provide different examples of hydroponic systems
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Flood & Drain, and Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Maximize DIY materials
Lobby Display Garden (v2)
A second display garden was constructed to:
Record the construction process to use in construction guides
Expand the number of systems and go bigger
NFT, Flood & Drain, DWC, Kratky (variation of DWC), Drip, and aeroponic
Move v1 to Greenlee County
Under Development
Home Hydroponic Guide
A comprehensive Growing without Soil: Home Hydroponics guide that will include:
Basics of Hydroponics (resubmitted)
Systems (accepted)
Growing Media (accepted)
Propagation
Photosynthesis & Lights
Chemistry & Nutrients
Water & Air
System Construction Guides
In search of collaborators to help write and complete the guide
WWSummer2020.pdfHome Hydroponic Short-Course
Ultimate goal is to develop a Home Hydroponics Short-Course
A 3-hour Hydroponics Crash Course was developed for Mohave County Master Gardeners (MCMG) to help answer questions about the display garden at the 2019 Fair (Overall 4.2/5) and to generate interest
See MCMG Cathy Bryan's Feature Article in Wind & Weeds about adopting the practice and building an addition on her home for her hydroponic hobby
4-H Mason Jar Hydroponics Curriculum
4-H Curriculum so 4-H youth and traditional classroom students can learn about growing plants, hydroponics, and large-scale vertical farming
