Things you’ll need to grow hydroponic strawberries

First of all, determine how many strawberry plants you will require. Generally, fruits from 3 to 6 plants will be sufficient to feed an average size family. Next, you need to decide whether you want to build your own hydroponic system or purchase a ready made hydroponic kit.

Hydroponic kit is a complete hydroponic system that comes with detailed instructions and basic components including fertilizer. It usually costs about $100 and above, but it makes your life much easier. All that required are the plants and water to get the system running.

However if you are on a tight budget, you can always build your own system. Hydroponic system is pretty simple to set up. You will definitely get lots of fun and joys building it yourself, plus it is rewarding to see your DIY hydroponic system producing luscious strawberries.
Hydroponic growing works best with sufficient sun light. Thus, it is always best to be able to position your hydroponic system near a sunny south-facing window. Otherwise, you will need some artificial grow lights on a timer to provide the much needed lighting for photosynthesis process.

When you are building the hydroponic system yourself, decide whether you want to use growing medium to support the plants. If it is a full water system without the use of growing medium, these are what you need: reservoir to hold the water, water pump, tubes or pipes, aerator stone, organic fertilizer and some tools.

Drill small holes with few inches apart to hold the plants. Assemble the tubes with a slight incline and to be rerouted to the reservoir where the water pump is. Fill the reservoir with clean water and add the fertilizer according to the instruction. Turn on the water pump to make sure it is running accordingly.

Now clean the roots of the strawberry plants before putting them in the system. Gently shake off as much of the soil or dirt from the roots. Soak the entire root system in cold water follow by rinsing the roots under cold running water. Wrap the roots in wet burlap to retain moisture before transferring them to the hydroponic system.

If growing medium is used in your hydroponic system, you will need these additional materials: nursery pots and growing medium to hold the strawberry plants.
Common growing mediums that work well for hydroponic strawberries are perlite, coco-husks, pebbles, rockwool, vermiculite, or heydite. Presoak the growing medium in pH balanced water prior to using. This will prevent the medium from sucking all the moisture from the roots.

Place the strawberry plants carefully in the pots and use enough growing medium to support the plants so that they can receive sufficient light and fresh air. Place the nursery pots above the water level in the reservoir and make sure to direct the outlet of the tube up to the top of the pots to channel the nutrient solution. It is never a good idea to let the root system standing in still water.

Immerse the aerator stone in the water inside the reservoir to oxygenate the nutrient solution. Oxygenated solution allows the roots to breathe and speeds up the uptake of water and nutrients.

You will need to change the nutrient solution every once a week. Monitor closely for any changes to the pH of the solution. The pH of the nutrient solution shall be maintained between 5.8 and 6.2. You will need to frequently pick off any runners from the hydroponic strawberry plants in order to produce more fruits.

This is how you can simulate strawberries growing conditon indoor with hydroponic technique. Now you can enjoy luscious strawberries fresh from your indoor garden year round without having to wait for its season or fork out extra pennies for the of-out-season berries.

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However not all fruits are suitable for hydroponic growing. Certain fruits or plants will only thrive in dry condition, and this makes it impossible to grow with hydroponic gardening where plants grown mainly in the medium of water. Water-loving fruits like watermelons and cantaloupe are good choice for hydroponic growing. Melons in general are types of fruits that can grow pretty well with hydroponic method as they love water and can easily adapt to the circumstance.

Berries are another type of fruits that you can consider growing hydroponically. Most berries family like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries can thrive in water medium that’s enriched with nutrient and mineral.

Grapes are another common fruits that can be grown in hydroponic manner. Some claimed to have successfully produce great yield of quality table grapes and wine grapes with hydroponic gardening technique.

Tomatoes, though cannot be considered as fruits, have wonderful results with hydroponic growing as well. I have tried growing hydroponic tomatoes myself and I must tell you, you can expect to have bigger and juicier tomatoes for your family. They are so fresh and tasty as compared to those soil-gardening produce. Tomatoes grow easily in hydroponic medium. With sufficient lighting, you can expect to reap supreme tomatoes.

Hydroponic makes it achievable to grow plants and fruits that normally require tropical or warm climate. With the proper use of hydroponic system, adequate nutrient solutions and appropriate lighting, you can even grow banana trees using hydroponic method. Other dwarf citrus trees like lemons are also excellent choice for hydroponic growing.

When fruits are grown with hydroponic manner, nutrients and minerals are provided in the form of water solution. The hydroponic systems used need to deliver constant supply of nutrient solutions to feed the root system to ensure healthy and maximum growth. The supply of oxygen is also boosted in hydroponic growing to accelerate the absorption of nutrients by the root system. There are various hydroponic nutrients available in the market and each of them has its own function. Some are meant to produce more flowers, which results in more fruits. Some for strengthen root growth.

If you have not tried hydroponic gardening, it’s time for you to do so with the help of a hydroponic kit. Build an indoor garden and start growing your favorite hydroponic fruits. You will not regret it once you see the produce that’s much tastier, bigger and better in quality. Furthermore, you can enjoy your favorite fruits all year round, fresh from your garden without having to wait for its season.

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