Hydroponic Nutrients: The Basics

With conventional farming consuming a lot more time and efforts of the farmer, hydroponic farming has become one of the latest, more feasible way of growing vegetables. Who would have ever imagined farming without soil being involved? But hydroponic technique does the same, in a shorter span of time with the plant growing directly as its roots are immersed in the nutrient filled solution, allowing it to absorb.

Hydroponic vegetables are usually grown in Greenhouses, in a completely controlled atmosphere. They take up just as much as one-fifth of the land and space required in traditional farming and there is no worrying about the soil strength or the appropriate vegetating sessions because the outside temperature plays no role in the growth of the veggie.

There is an abundance of nutrients to choose from, for the better quality of your veggies. The nutrients/fertilizers used in hydroponic systems are available in both liquid and dry forms and in both organic and synthetic types. Either type can be dissolved into water to create the nutrient mixture required by the hydroponic system.

Some are for the vital needs of the plant while others can even enhance the plant’s growth rate, production rate and more. There are even solutions that improve upon the flavour of fruits and vegetables or the colour and size of flower blooms. It all depends on what you want to grow and what your goals are for each crop. The product you use should include both the main macronutrients—nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, as well as the important micronutrients, which include trace amounts of iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine.

The hydroponic production of cucumbers is a hygienic method where the plant receives the exact nutrition that it needs to grow. This vegetable which is said to have a water composition of over 90% saves the same percentage of water, if grown hydroponically.

Cucumber as a plant is very thriving in hydroponics as it is one of the fastest yielding in greenhouses, making it just the right choice of production. Grown in high porosity medium such as coco peat instead of the regular soil, the crunchy cucumbers can be grown in the same substrate as other crops and this could be done sequentially. Hydroponically grown cucumbers here, become a great snacking alternative to the unhealthy fried foods.