Generally, a 1000W of lighting is sufficient to penetrate about 15-25 square feet of grow space. Most of the times, a reflector and / or light mover is used along with hydroponic grow lights for effective indoor growing. Some of the grow lights even require a ballast to ignite the bulb.

Fluorescent Grow Lights

Fluorescent grow lights usually available in compact size. They are basically cheap in price, making them very affordable. They also emit very low heats. Therefore fluorescent grow lights are a popular choice among small hydroponic growers. However, they are not as effective as HID lighting as they are not able to produce enough lighting.

Fluorescent grow lights are best used to grow low-growing plants like lettuce and spinach. They are also effective for plants that require indirect lights such as African Violets.

It is common to place the lights close to the top of the plants when using fluorescent grow lights. You don’t really have to worry about burning the tips while providing sufficient lighting to your hydroponic plants.

HPS Grow Lights

High Pressure Sodium bulbs are vowed over their efficiency and long life span. HPS grow lights produce brighter lighting, which are high in the red and yellow ranges of the light spectrum. These lights resemble the sun in autumn and are best used during the flowering stage of the plants.

However, HPS grow lights are always associated with high cost. The high heat emission from HPS bulbs also makes it a setback, though it can often be neutralized with a proper ventilation of your garden.

Metal Halide Grow Lights

Metal halide grow bulbs are good at producing full spectrum lights. The emitted blue lights closely imitate the summer sun making them a perfect choice for growing vegetables. There are even metal halide bulbs that designed to only emit certain color of the light.

Metal halide grow lights are good for growing leafy vegetables such as spinach or lettuce due to their elevated blue light. Cool spectrum light is known to be good in promoting rapid growth of leaf development.

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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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Plants grown with N.F.T hydroponic system are supplied with constant flow of nutrient solution to the higher end of the growing tray. Therefore timer is not required to schedule for the supply of nutrient solution. The nutrient solution at the higher end of the tray will flow through the root zone of the plants and the excess of hydroponic nutrients will then be drained back to the reservoir.

Most of the times, growing medium is not required in Nutrient Film Technique systems. Plants are placed in growing baskets or nursery nets with the roots hanging down into the nutrient solution. Thus, the plants must have a root system that is large enough to dangle down into the flowing solution. Usually the bottom of the growing tray is laid with a layer of absorbent material to assist for the even flow of nutrients and water.

N.F.T systems are very vulnerable to pump failures and power outages. The roots will get dry out very quickly if there is any interruption to the flow of nutrient solution.

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In a Recovery Drip System, overflow of the nutrients will be collected back into the reservoir for reuse. The Non-Recovery Drip System does not collect the excess of nutrient solution. Therefore it is crucial to use a more precise timer to control the watering cycles to minimize the waste of runoff while nourish the plants with adequate hydroponic nutrients.

Though nutrient solution is utilized more efficiently in the Recovery Drip System, more maintenance tasks are required. When nutrient solution is recycled back into the reservoir, it will have significant change in pH and the strength. Therefore, constant checking and adjusting of the nutrient solution is essential.

Since Non-Recovery Drip system does not collect the excess of nutrients, it basically requires little to no maintenance. After you have set up the system with pH-adjusted nutrients, you can basically leave it to operate by itself until the time to refill with more nutrient solution.

Common growing medium used for Drip systems are rockwool, clay pellets and lava chips. Growing medium plays an important role in Drip system to determine the type of emitters used for dripping purpose. Generally, a fast draining medium (such as clay pellets) will require faster dripping emitters. On the other hand, slower dripping emitters are best used alongside with slow draining medium like rockwool.

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Usually pieces of porous material with high absorbent power like nylon ropes are used as wicks. One end of the wick is placed at the bottom of the growing container, and the other end is left hanging down the nutrient solution. The wick draws the water and nutrients from the reservoir up into the growing medium in the container.

While you can basically use any types of growing medium in the Wick hydroponic system, it is recommended to use growing mediums that can retain more water and nutrients for example, perlite, vermiculite, and / or coconut fiber. A mixture of perlite / vermiculite in the ratio of 1:1 works great in the Wick system, though the combination of perlite and coconut fiber is common too.

As the Wick system does not have proper aeration for the roots, it is usually wise to install an external air pump to supply oxygen into the nutrient reservoir. Run an airline from the air pump into the reservoir with the other end attached to an air stone. This will slowly oxygenate the nutrient solution in the reservoir. When nutrient solution is supplied to the root zone, it allows the roots to breathe.

There are few issues you need to consider when using the Wick system:

1. It is hard to achieve the correct moisture level for the plants as the wick used might not be able to pull sufficient water and nutrients to nourish the roots. You need to constantly experiment with different types of wick and growing medium in order to get the right growing environment.

2. The plants may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wicks can provide if the plants are big or if they take up large quantity of water.

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Here is what you need to build a DIY deep water culture system:

- Reservoir (you can use fish tank, bucket or any water proof bin)
- Tubing
- Aquarium air stones
- Growing net pots
- Styrofoam (as floater to hold the plants)
- Air pump
- Growing mediums (recommended to use grow rocks or rockwool)
- Hydroponic nutrients
- Cutter or scissors

Step-by-step guide for building deep water culture system

1. Styrofoam is used as floater to support the plants above the nutrient solution. You have 2 options:
(a) Cut the Styrofoam with exact measurement of your reservoir and float the whole piece on top of the nutrient solution, or
(b) Cut the Styrofoam as individual floaters for the plants; so the individual floater will each supports a growing net pot.

2. If option (a) is used, transfer the measurement of reservoir’s length and width onto the Styrofoam. It should be cut about 1/4 inch smaller than the actual measurement. However, if the reservoir used is narrow at the bottom, it should be cut about 2 to 3 inch smaller.

3. Outline the growing net pots onto the Styrofoam. Cut out the marked area so that it securely holds the net pot halfway down the Styrofoam.

4. Fix the air pump at the bottom of the reservoir. Connect the tubing and air stones to the pump.

5. Transfer the germinated seeds into the growing net pots filled with growing mediums such as grow rocks or rockwools.

6. Fill the reservoir with hydroponic nutrients specifically for your plants. Prepare the nutrient solution following the instructions given by the type of fertilizer used.

7. Now, you can place the growing net pots into the holes on Styrofoam. Rest the Styrofoam on top of the nutrient solution.

8. Switch on the air pump to provide aeration to the nutrient solution.

Monitor the nutrient solution; make sure your plants are getting sufficient oxygenated nutrients to ensure rapid and healthy growth. The nutrient solution needs to be replaced every once a week with pH reading maintained between 5.5 and 6.5.

When replacing the hydroponic nutrients, make sure you wash the reservoir to get rid of any algae, mold, and / or other salt debris. The highly oxygenated environment in a deep water culture system will promote the growth of algae and mold inside the reservoir. Thus, you may consider blocking the light from penetrating the reservoir by painting it black. This will help preventing algae issue.

To achieve a healthy supply of oxygen in deep water culture system, you can either use aeration devices (like air stones in the example above), or the water from several buckets can be connected and re-circulated continuously through them using spray nozzles.

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1. Arrange the rockwool cubes in a propagator.

2. Prepare the solutions with Roots Stimulator, and pH reading around 6.0.

3. Soak the rockwool cubes entirely with this nutrients solution.

4. Then, slot in the seeds into the hole in the centre of the rockwool cubes with a depth of around 0.5cm to 1cm.


5. Cover the propagator with a lid to maintain prevent nutrient solutions from drying out.

6. Illuminate the propagator with a soft or neon grow light.

7. Wait for the seed to start sprouting.

8. When you see signs of sprouting, transfer the rockwool cubes into a grow system.

9. Now, use a Metal Halide or HPS grow light to illuminate your grow system.

10. Fill the tank with water and fertilizer salts according to the irrigation scheme or with the help of an EC meter.

11. Start the system and set the timer for 1 minute of irrigation every 1 - 2 hours and 1 minute of irrigation in the middle of the dark period.

12. Set the timer to 18 hours of grow light per day.

13. Monitor the pH values and if necessary correct the solution with a pH+ or pH- corrector.

14. Monitor the EC values and if necessary correct the solution adding fertilizers or diluting it with water.

15. Always check that the solution in the tank is not damaged by sudden temperature changes and maintains the values between 18 to 26 degrees.

16. When you want to induce plants to flowering, change the daylight hours from 18 hours to 12 hours per day.

17. At the same variation of light, give a bloom fertilizer salt according to the irrigation scheme.

18. Monitor the pH values and the EC values whenever you have added or changed fertilizer, if necessary correct the solution accordingly.

(Images credit to www.hydroponic.eu)

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Most hydroponic kits are equipped with elementary features that make the task of hydroponic gardening an enjoyment. Below are the basic fundamental features for a practical hydroponic kit:

Nutrients and Oxygen

Plants require adequate nutrients and oxygen in order to grow healthily. Therefore, hydroponic kits these days are essentially equipped with high-oxygenated nutrients. In some hydroponic kits, aerator stones are used to alleviate the supply of oxygen to the root zone of the plants.

With adequate supply of oxygen to the root zone, root system is able to absorb the essential nutrients and minerals at its optimum rate. This improves the growth rate of hydroponic plants tremendously.

Hydroponic Lighting

Light is important for the process of photosynthesis. Usually, a full-spectrum lighting system is integrated into a complete hydroponic kit to promote proper photosynthesis. This lighting system used shall be ideal for all phases of plant growth.

Ease of Maintenance

Hydroponic kits these days are designed for easy maintenance. The grow boxes used are usually simple and uncomplicated in terms of maintenance. This is perfect for beginners who have limited knowledge of hydroponic gardening.

The feature of detachable side panels for most hydroponic kits allows the moving of plants effortlessly. This makes the maintenance of hydroponic plants a bliss within the hydroponic kits.

Control of Air

It is vital to have proper air flow within a hydroponic system. The hot air trapped inside the hydroponic kits must be channeled out to reduce the temperature within the system. This is usually aided by the use of a fan that mounted to the hydroponic kits. In some hydroponic kits, a cooling fan is used to further facilitate good air circulation within the hydroponic unit.

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Concept of Ebb and Flow Hydroponic System

A reservoir filled with hydroponic nutrients and water is placed under a growing tray. The growing tray holds the plants pots, which are filled with growing mediums like rockwool, perlite, clay pebbles, or coconut fiber. The plants are flooded with hydroponic nutrients and water on the timed schedule by using a pump and a timer. When the timer is off, the nutrient solution is slowly drained back to the reservoir providing oxygen to the root system of the plant. To prevent overflow of hydroponic nutrients, an overflow drain is usually installed to adjust the maximum height for filling the nutrients.

Things you need to build an Ebb and Flow hydroponic system

1. Hydroponic tray
Plastic tray is more preferable as it is lighter and more durable to hold up the plants, growing mediums and nutrient solution. Take note that light should not shine through the tray in order to protect the roots system. The tray must be able to drain thoroughly to prevent root rot and mold problems due to standing water pools.

2. Growing medium
You can basically use any growing medium in an Ebb and Flow system. Though grow rocks or clay pebbles are more effective as this type growing mediums does not hold lots of water.

3. Support system
You will need a support system to hold the growing tray above the reservoir. The support system used must be strong and sturdy to bear the weight of your plants, growing mediums, and nutrient solution. You can use table, sawhorses, or milk crate as the support system in your Ebb and flow hydroponic system.

4. Plant pots
You can use almost any plastic pot as long as it has a hole at the bottom to allow the fill and drain of hydroponic nutrients.

5. Reservoir
Large plastic container works best as reservoir as it does not rust over time. Make sure the container is light proof to prevent algae growth problem.

6. Water pump
For a small scale setup, using an aquarium pump is adequate.

7. Drains
Basically there are 2 types of drain required in an Ebb and flow system. One for the filling and draining of the water from reservoir. Another drain is for controlling the overflow where you can adjust the maximum water level for your hydroponic system.

8. Timer
You can use any timer that allows the adjustment for an interval of 15 minutes or 30 minutes.

9. Flexible Tubing
Flexible tubing is required to connect the pump to your growing tray. Make sure you use non-transparent type of tubing to prevent algae growth.

Watch this video to learn how to build Hydroponic Ebb and Flow System easily.

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