The Real Truth About Hydroponic Gardening

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GreenBite Hydroponic Gardening
P.O. Box 462 Columbus, MS 39703-0462
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growfoodeasy.com
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ISBN
2
THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT HYDROPONICS
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Copyright © 2015 GreenBite Hydroponic Gardening

IS THIS THE GUIDE FOR ME?
Not sure if this guide is right for you? See the descriptions below to determine if your skill
level matches the content you are about to read.
BEGINNER
Beginner content is for gardeners who are new to the
hydroponics. This content typically includes step-by-step
instructions on how to get started with hydroponics and
learn the fundamentals to this method of gardening. After
reading it, you will have a solid understanding of
hydroponics.
ADVANCED
Advanced content is for gardeners who are familiar with
the subject but have only basic experience in executing
strategies on the subject. This content typically covers
the fundamentals and moves on to reveal more complex
strategies. Download your advanced guide “9.5 Laws of
Hydroponics.”
EXPERT
Expert content is for gardeners who are, or want to be,
experts on the subject. In it, we walk you through
advanced features of hydroponic gardening and help you
to develop complete mastery of the subject. After reading
it, you will feel ready to not only execute adequate
strategies, but also to teach others how to be successful
hydroponic gardeners.
3

THE REAL ABOUT
HYDROPONICS
By William Cool
William “Billy” Cool is the creator of
GrowFoodEasy.com, in which he
focuses on various content creation
projects, such as guides and video
tutorials and online courses that aid
hydroponic enthusiasts and students at
every level to master effective strategies
of hydroponic gardening. William is a
super hobby horticulturalist and
hydroponic gardening enthusiast with over
10 years of experience developing and
building grow rooms, air and water
purification systems, advanced nutrient
delivery systems, and root structure
housing.
William founded GreenBite Hydroponic
Gardening in February 2012 and is the
primary content manager of the
GrowFoodEasy.com blog and
contributes in large part to the
GorwFoodEasy social media presence on
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. In
addition, William conducts several
speaking engagements in addition to
other public relation opportunities to
promote healthy, sustainable living.
William has worked on the company’s
product development team since
GreenBite’s inception in February 2012.
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER & PINTEREST
@GROWFOODEASY
PAGE 2
4

HYDROPONIC GARDENING MYTHS……………………………….……5
WHAT IS HYDROPONIC GARDENING? ………………………………..9
WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS ……………………………………14
AN INSIDE LOOK @ HYDROPONIC GARDENING SYSTEMS……..16
HYDROPONIC GARDENING IS SIMPLE & EASY….………………...20
WHAT’S THE FINAL WORD? …………………………………………..23
HYDROPONIC GARDEN BUILDER’S GUIDE………………….…..…25
SIMPLE & EASY TO UNDERSTAND HYDROPONIC GUIDES…..…26
REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………27
PAGE 3
5

“If you continually resupply and
deliver, commodities like food
will become much more costly
than producing your own food.
- Ray Wheeler, Plant Physiologist
Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Lab
”
The first thing most people say after I tell them they can have a garden of fresh fruits and
vegetables in their bedroom closet is…“impossible.” When I tell them they can have an
indoor garden with a hydroponic gardening system, the next thing they say is “what is
hydroponic gardening”. What most people don’t realize is the freedom of growing fresh
fruits and vegetables in your home is something you’ve always had the ability to do.
As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true… You can grow fresh fruits and vegetables, year-
round, with a hydroponic gardening system made from common household items.
Hydroponic gardening means you can have fresh produce no matter the season with
minimal effort. The simplest hydroponic gardening system can consist of nothing more
than a 5 gallon bucket, an air stone, and air pump. Build an inexpensive hydroponic
gardening system using our simple step by step DIY Hydroponic Builder’s Guide. The
truth is gardening with hydroponics is smart, fun, and affordable.
PAGE 4

CHAPTER 1
HYDROPONIC
GARDENING
MYTHS

There’s tons of misinformation and hidden agendas surrounding hydroponic gardening,
mostly in an effort to promote “traditional” gardening and crop production methods. It's
not until you run across some good information and start to experience the joy of
hydroponic gardening first hand that many of these myths are dispelled. Maybe you’ve
heard some of these before….
7 ABOUT HYDROPONIC GARDENING
PAGE 6
Hydroponic gardening is a new technology
Hydroponic gardening dates back to the dawn of
civilization. (See Hydroponics History Timeline p.11)
• The Egyptians, Inca Indian tribes, the Aztecs, and
the ancient Babylonians all practiced hydroponic
gardening. The science of hydroponics began
around the 1600’s when Flemish scientist Jan van
Helmont and English scientist Francis Bacon began
conducting experiments to discover plant constituents.
Hydroponic gardens must be indoors
Hydroponic gardens can flourish outdoors
under the sun just as well as indoor hydroponic gardening.
However, there are a few major advantages to growing indoors:
• 100% control over the environment
• Continuous year round growing
• Lowered disease and pest infections
8

Hydroponics is only used to grow marijuana
Nothing could be further from the truth. Statistics argue that only a tiny
percentage of hydroponic gardens are used to grow illegal substances.
• A large number of plants and vegetables do
very well in hydroponic gardening
environments. Canada and Holland are
using hydroponics to grow food on a
large scale. To say hydroponics is bad
because of its association with “partially”
illegal substances is the same as saying the
1934 Ford Sedan made famous by Bonnie & Clyde
was only driven by bank robbers and criminal
types because it was used in a small percentage of successful robberies.
Hydroponic gardening is an expensive hobby
The equipment and products required to start a
hydroponic garden can cost more than a traditional
garden depending on the size of the hydroponic
garden you decide to build. The fact is a very basic
hydroponic garden can cost you as little $40 to setup.
Hydroponic gardening is hard to learn
Basic hydroponic gardening can be taught to anyone ranging from the very young
to the very elderly.
PAGE 7
9

Hydroponic gardening is a useless hobby
Hydroponic gardening is used extensively throughout the world. Hydroponic
gardening is used in areas of the world where climate and soil are extremely poor
and cannot support large scale crop production. In fact in British Columbia 90% of
all greenhouses are hydroponic greenhouses.
Hydroponic gardening produces lower quality yields
Plants grown hydroponically are generally healthier than their soil-grown
counterparts.
• Soil gardening systems spend a tremendous amount of energy
developing a large root system searching for moisture and nutrients
whereas a plant grown hydroponically has root’s that are bathed or
sprayed with oxygen-rich advanced nutrients dissolved in water thus
eliminating the need to search for food allowing energy to be used for
growing, producing foliage, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. As a result
hydroponically grown produce is typically larger, tastier, and more
nutritious than similar produce grown in soil.
PAGE 8
10

CHAPTER 2
WHAT IS
HYDROPONIC
GARDENING?

The science of hydroponics is as ancient as the pyramids. (See Hydroponics History Timeline
p.11) The term hydroponics is derived from the Latin words “Hydro”, meaning water, and
“Ponos”, meaning labor. Hydroponics is essentially a type of agriculture that DOES NOT
use soil, statistically resulting in larger, fuller plants. In fact hydroponic grown vegetation
is believed to have preceded soil grown vegetation in our oceans dating back to the
creation of the earth.
Hydroponic gardening is becoming increasingly known as “the” precise method of
creating a perfectly balanced “advanced nutrient solution” thereby maximizing crop
yields. Scientists have conducted research in hydroponics for over 400 years in an
attempt to advance basic formulas to further the study of plant nutrition and optimal
harvest.
Source: Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M Resh
THE OF HYDROPONICS
PAGE 10
12

A QUICK LESSON IN ADVANCED
• In 1804, Nicolas De Saussure proposed and published, results of his
investigations that plants are composed of mineral and chemical elements
obtained from water, soil and air. By 1842 a list of fourteen elements
believed to be essential to plant growth had been made out.
• Early investigations in plant nutrition demonstrated that normal plant growth
can be achieved by immersing the roots of a plant in a water solution
containing salts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S),
calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), which are now defined as the macro
elements or macro nutrients in normal plant growth (elements required in
relatively large amounts).
• With further refinements in laboratory techniques and chemistry, scientists
discovered eight elements required by plants in relatively small quantities
known as either micro or trace elements. These include iron (Fe), chlorine
(Cl), manganese (Mn), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo),
and nickel (Ni).
• The addition of chemicals to water was found to produce an advanced
nutrient solution which would support plant life, so that by 1920 the
laboratory preparation of water cultures had been standardized and the
methods for their use were well established.
• Nutriculture, chemiculture, and aquiculture were terms used during the
1920s and 1930s to describe hydroponic gardening culture.
PAGE 12
14

• In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Dr. William F. Gericke extended his
research to practical large scale outdoor crop cultivation. In doing so he
termed these nutriculture systems "hydroponics. Dr. Gericke’s work is
considered by many to be the basis for all forms of hydroponic growing,
despite the fact his research was limited solely water culture.
PAGE 13
15

CHAPTER 3
WEIGHNG THE
PROS AND CONS

• More efficient use of space - Create a hydroponic garden in any indoor space
• Less Water Usage - Hydroponic gardens use up to 2/3 less water
• Bigger, Better, Faster Yields - Hydroponic farming can produce up to 10 times
as much produce per acre
• Year Round Harvest - With hydroponics, you control the season
• Fewer Pests and Disease
• Higher Maintenance
• Requires Technical Knowledge
HYDROPONIC GARDENING
PAGE 15
17

CHAPTER 4
AN INSIDE
LOOK @
HYDROPONIC
GARDENING
SYSTEMS

Presented below are six types of hydroponic gardening systems (w/cut away diagrams)
Here, the roots of the plants are
suspended in a constant “film” of
advanced nutrient solution; a pump sends
this flow into one end of the tray, and
empties it out to the other end into the
reservoir. This method is great at
nourishing roots but this system is also
recognized as super technical and high-
maintenance since the roots aren’t anchored in a medium.
The oldest hydroponic gardening system, and one of
the simplest, a platform of planters simply floats in
the nutrient reservoir while the roots of the
plants dangle in the solution. An air pump is
introduced into the system to oxygenate the
solution. If you are a beginner, this is an
easy and inexpensive way to get started.
HOW DOES A HYDROPONIC GARDENING WORK?
PAGE 17
19

Drip systems are probably the most
widely used type of hydroponic gardening
system in the world. Operation is simple,
a timer controls a submersed pump. The
timer turns the pump on and an advanced
nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of
each plant by a small drip line.
In this most common method of hydroponic
gardening, plants are set in a growth tray
over a nutrient container, and a pump is
used to flood the tray(s) with the advanced
nutrient solution. The good thing about this
method is that advanced nutrients that aren’t absorbed by the roots are drained
into the reservoir and recycled. The drip hydroponic gardening system, where a
pump continuously drips the advanced nutrient solution into the growth tray, is a
variation of an ebb and flow hydroponic gardening system.
PAGE 18
20

This variation of hydroponics is more
technical, but very effective. The plant
roots are continuously sprayed with a
vapor-mist solution and are not
anchored on any medium, exposing
them to air all of the time. When done properly, this method can create large,
quick-growing plants and lots of fruit.
This is another very simple method, and
no pump is required. A wick (such as an
oil lamp wick or candle wick) simply draws
the advanced nutrient solution from the reservoir
to the growth tray, where the plant roots
absorb the solution. This more passive method is
low-maintenance, but it can often over-soak
the roots, resulting to a smaller yield.
PAGE 19
21

CHAPTER 5
HYDROPONIC
GARDENING IS
SIMPLE & EASY

A great way to get started with hydroponics is purchasing (or building) a hydroponic
gardening kit. Hydroponic gardening kits can cost as much as a few thousand dollars to
as little as twenty bucks. Your choice of hydroponic gardening system(s) will depend
heavily on three main factors including the size of your grow area, what you are growing,
and your budget.
Source: www.botanicare.com
When determining what system is suitable for your grow room remember that you’ll want
to leave some room to move around your reservoir tank(s), cleaning, and accessing your
equipment and plants.
Tip: Larger plants often hang over the sides of systems so you should also be prepared to accommodate
any reasonable, unanticipated over growth.
HOW DO I ?
PAGE 21
23

For example…If you’re thinking about growing
in a smaller area I suggest you consider a
NFT and/or mini-aeroponic hydroponic gardening
system (s). Both systems are perfect for shorter,
smaller plants such as lettuce, spinach, basil,
and other non-flowering green leafy vegetables.
On the other hand if you are fortunate to have a
sizeable amount of extra space you should
consider drip Irrigation Dutch bucket systems; allowing you to stake the plant as it grows
in height.
It is important to remember that when it
comes to the question of how much
your hydroponic gardening system will
cost; the answer will vary depending on
the needs of your garden and your
budget.
Mini-aeroponic (Source: www.greenbite.co)
NFT (Source: www.greenbite.co)
PAGE 22
24

CHAPTER 6
WHAT’S THE
FINAL WORD?

Hydroponic gardening systems can be an excellent hobby and provide hours of fun and
enjoyment, but for many hydroponic gardening enthusiasts, the real enjoyment begins
with eating fresh fruits and vegetables grown using their very own home hydroponic
garden. Growing your own produce in a hydroponic garden provides you with healthy,
fresh food without the hassles and high prices of grocery stores and farmers markets.
Source: Labor Department/USDA, The Wall Street Journal
Hydroponic gardening allows you to take control of your life by putting the power of self-
sufficiency and sustainability in your hands.
PAGE 24
26

http://www.greenbit
e.co/diyhydroponics
Build a hydroponic
gardening system
using our simple
step by step
hydroponic garden
builder’s guide.
http://www.greenbite.co/diyhydroponics
WWW.GROWFOODEASY.COM/GUIDE/DWC-HYDRO-BUILDERS-GUIDE
PAGE 25
27

SIMPLE & EASY TO UNDERSTAND HYDROPONIC
The Real Truth About Hydroponics Deep Water Hydroponic Garden
Builder’s Guide
Aeroponic Hydroponic Garden
Builder’s Guide
9.5 Laws of Hydroponics
Hydroponic Gardener’s
Journal & Planner
Hydroponic Gardening
Healthy Living Cookbook
28

Bontanicare Plant Energy Products. (2011). Retrieved on March 5,2014 from
www.botanicare.com.
Hydroponic Gardening System Illustrations.(N.D.) Retrieved on March 5, 2014 from
http://simplyhydro.com.
Labor Department; Forecasts by USDA and The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on July
17, 2014 from http://www.foodmanufacturing.com.
Resh, H. (1978). Hydroponic food production: A definitive guidebook of soilless food
growing methods for the professional and commercial grower and the advanced home
hydroponics gardener. Santa Barbara, CA: Woodbridge Press Publishing Company.
PAGE 27
29

The Real Truth About Hydroponic Gardening

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