Hydroponic Technology
Grow Big Plants With a Water Wick
Try this low-cost, passive hydroponics to grow food at home.
Hydroponics need not be difficult. A little experience can go a long way. You can learn to grow plants in water today.
If you recall, previously, we discussed a cheap hydroponic style called the “Kratky Method.” We touched on the human history of hydroponics. This ranged from Tenochtitlan’s chinampas to the Babylonian Gardens.
Today, we look at the concept of a wicking hydroponic system. It is like the Kratky method. In Kratky, you suspend a plant in a basket cage. Your medium could be Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA). The roots grow to meet the dissipating water.
What are wick system hydroponics?
Both Kratky and Wicking are passive hydroponics. This compares to active hydroponics like the nutrient film technique. You could view a wicking system as semi-hydroponic.
Choose your soil medium like LECA or coco coir. Lead a wick halfway through the container to cross through the soil medium. Set up your plant with the remaining medium to fill the cage.
You will place this basket into a slightly larger one. The larger container should have no drainage. The wick dangles underneath the smaller cage. You can let water sit inside the container to siphon up the wick. This ensures your plants are never overwatered.
Keep the plants fed with a hydroponic solution. Mix this in the correct proportions in a large container. Pour the contents into smaller containers as needed. Refrigerate the rest.
What is upkeep like?
All you need to do is change the water every few days. Over time, you may need to increase container sizes for your growing plants. You’ll realize this method works well to clone plants you want to transplant later.
The benefits of a wick hydroponic system include low cost, simplicity, and ease. You can get the components for less than $50. It takes little time or special knowledge to compose. And it requires low maintenance to upkeep.
The wick system may be transitory for your plants. As they grow, prepare to transplant them into the soil. Or, you could put them in larger containers and continue to wick. The choice is yours.
Conclusion
Today, we learned about the hydroponic wick system. Many hydroponic systems exist, but the wick system is the most accessible. Only the Kratky method compares to the wick system’s low cost and ease.
If you choose LECA as your medium, you can continue to use it over time. You can combine the wicking method with containers of soil. Doing so makes it easier to clean containers and change pots.
Wick system hydroponics sounds more complicated than it is. It means a woven wick siphons water to your plants as needed. Give it a try today for an easy entry into the world of water-growing!
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