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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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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Hydroponic gardening is very simple and is fairly inexpensive. For the beginners, it is wise if you do some research so that you will not overdo it and buy a bunch of unnecessary materials. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one you do not ask. Many people are switching to hydroponic gardening because they do not want produce that has been treated with harmful pesticides and insecticides. They also want to be able to have their favorite fruits and vegetables all year round. With hydroponic gardening, you can have your favorite produce fresh from the garden at any time of the year.

There are several different hydroponic kits available at the stores. The only problem is to find the right hydroponic kit that is suitable for you. The most common of these hydroponic kits are ebb and flow systems and aeroponics. Both of these systems utilize a chamber known as a reservoir to store the nutrient solutions. See, hydroponic gardening involves growing plants in water and nutrients. Because water does not contain all of the nutrients necessary for the growth of healthy plants, you must add a nutrient solution to promote strong roots and produce grand foliage.

Hydroponic kits provide all of the necessary equipment for a beginner to start their own indoor garden. Some hydroponic kits will cost more than others because they contain more equipment and are more complex than other kits. As a beginner, you need to know the difference. Ebb and flow kits use a flood and drain concept. The nutrient solution is flooded into a chamber with water.  After a set period of time, the chamber is drained back into the reservoir and regular water replaces it. Aeroponics kits are similar except that oxygen is transfused into the water so that there is air getting to the roots as well as water and nutrients.

Now, I know that this may all seem confusing to you at the moment. However, if you ask around, you will find that there are many people who do practice hydroponic gardening in their homes. They are usually more than happy to provide you with the answers to any question on hydroponic growing. Hydroponics is becoming more popular. And it is a good thing considering that the world’s soil supply is being rapidly depleted of its nutrients. Using water to grow our produce is probably the greatest idea since solar paneling.  Hydroponic gardening is very beneficial, not only to our health, but also to the environment. So do your research, get the hydroponic kit that is right for you, and kick back and enjoy the wonders of hydroponic gardening.

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Hydroponic kits

These kits would also free you from looking after the water and light requirements of the garden. All you need to do is to set up the schedule when you want to water your plants and hydroponic kit will handle the rest. A hydroponic kit comes with trays or pots for you to grow your plants, various types of hydroponic nutrients, digital meters, water heaters, circulators, artificial light sources and many more such devices to help hydroponic gardening a stress-free project.

Hydroponic kit provides a complete solution for a greenhouse system where you can cultivate your vegetables and plants easily. So, if you are planning to have your own hydroponic greenhouse then you should consider purchasing a hydroponic kit.

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