Whether you plan to build your own hydroponics system or buy one pre-built, you're probably excited by the idea of getting started with hydroponics. Before you do, read this introduction and beginner's guide to the basics of hydroponics. Learn what hydroponics is and how it works, and a bit about its history as well as pros and cons to help you decide for yourself if hydroponics is worth your time. Discover the advantages to growing hydroponic plants and the essential points you must know before you begin. Find help within for deciding what to grow and the best way to maintain your hydroponic garden. If you're still interested after reading this hydroponics guide, then be sure to do further research and on this highly rewarding gardening system.

If you are growing a hydroponic garden, this means you are growing plants not in soil, but in water that has been:

• enriched with mineral nutrient and...
• added to a bulky medium, such as rock wool or vermiculite...
  
• in an enclosed container.

Now the origin of the word "hydroponic" falls into place. In Greek, "hydro," meaning water, refers to the fluid in which the plants are grown. "Ponos," meaning labor, refers to the fact that the hydroponic cultivation system replaces the physical work of pollination, nutrient absorption, and hydration that goes into plant growth in nature.

To grow, plants need to absorb water, air and minerals through their roots, which they do by the process of osmosis.

They also need to absorb light and air through their leaves. They then use this light and air to convert the water and minerals they've absorbed into plant tissue. This process is known as photosynthesis.

Plants actually get all they need to survive, and then some, through hydroponic gardening systems. Hydroponic units are designed to give plants access to all the light, minerals, moisture, and space they need to thrive.

In considering the pros and cons of hydroponics, consider the advantages and disadvantages both of hydroponics as a total working system and of the advantages over soil - that is, is hydroponics better than soil?

The disadvantages of hydroponics boil down to:

• Expense - hydroponics can cost a pretty penny, especially in the beginning
• Energy and resource usage - the hydroponic gardener relies on equipment and electricity rather than letting nature do most of the work.
• Knowledge level - You do need to do your research and know what you're doing to build a successful hydroponics garden.
• Diligence - Plants react extremely quickly to nutritional fluctuations. You'll need to stay on top of monitoring your garden.

The advantages of hydroponics gardening are:

• Growing plants in water saves your back. You do not need to prepare any soil or remove any weeds. Physically, hydroponic gardening is much easier on your joints than soil-based gardening.
• Hydroponic gardening uses fewer pesticides and is less toxic.
• Hydroponic gardening requires less space.
• Gardens grown in water can be portable, moving indoors or outdoors, as the weather permits.
• With a hydroponic garden, you can enjoy year-round production.
• Plants in a hydroponic garden have no competition for nutrients. Like a domestic cat that's fed all the food it wants, the roots of hydroponically grown plants feast on a wealth of nutrients balanced just for them.
• Hydroponically grown plants grow faster than soil-grown plants.
• Hydroponically grown plants have a greater yield than soil-grown plants.
• You enjoy a greater selection of plants to grow in your hydroponic garden than you would if you were growing plants in soil. With a hydroponic garden, you can grow almost anything - from basil to horseradish, from roses to orchids, from potatoes to coconuts.
• Hydroponic gardening is earth-friendly, using less water than soil-based gardening.

As you can see from the lists above, the advantages seem to far outweigh the disadvantages of hydroponic gardening.

Before you run off and stock up on hydroponic supplies and kits, educate yourself about growing in hydroponic systems by reading or taking classes or talking to other hydroponic gardeners. Experimentation is at the root of hydroponic gardening, and that's half the fun. But you can avoid repeating common mistakes by becoming familiar with certain subjects.

For example, indoor growing will rapidly teach you that certain factors you took for granted in growing your soil-based gardens you must now regulate and control. Teach yourself about these factors, which include:

• Water conditions such as acidity, temperature, and oxygen content
• Air characteristics - that is, humidity, temperature, and light sources
• Air quality - that is, pollution and ventilation. Hydroponics air filters and air pumps are designed to control the pollution and provide ventillation.
• Mineral nutrients for hydroponic plants to replace those that would exist in the soil
• Growing medium for hydroponics, replacing the "bulk" of soil, which provides a structure in which the plants grow and provides moisture and air circulation
• Seeds, pollination and plant cloning - yes, unfortunately, no bees, birds, or breezes are available indoors to spread your seeds

You'll be glad of this background information when you begin getting your hydroponic supply kit together and actually start to garden!

Decide whether you intend to grow outdoors or indoors exclusively, or a combo. If you're going to be moving your unit outside, it must be a portable one.

Decide whether you want to buy a hydroponic system that's already been manufactured or build your own homemade hydroponic growing system. Keep in mind that a purchased hydroponic garden is a great time-saver and allows you to be away from your hydroponic garden for longer periods of time. It also tends to allow for more accurate nutrient provisioning and better drainage.

Still, if you build your own hydroponics system at home, you can make it precisely to the conditions you specify. Also, many people enjoy the challenge of building their own hydroponic gardens.

Decide what plants you want to grow hydroponically. Research the plants' needs so you provide the best treatment and the best hydroponic nutrients for the species you're working with. Here's a quick list of hydroponic plants that are relatively easy to grow.

Here are some flowering plants that you should enjoy success with. Be careful when growing flowers hydroponically - you may end up for more than you bargained for. Some of the best plants for hydroponics gardens are:

• Carnation
• Gladiolus
• Chrysanthemum
• Antirrhinum
• Rose

Growing hydroponic lettuce and strawberries and tomatoes is very popular, especially in soils and climates where these fruits and veggies don't grow well outside. When you grow fruits and vegetables hydroponically, expect them to ripen more quickly and yield in greater quantities. When starting out, try some of these:

• Tomato
• Strawberry
• Cucumber
• Asparagus
• Pea
• Green Bean
• Lettuce
• Artichoke
• Broccoli
• Leek
• Carrot
• Melon
• Potato
• Spinach

• Keep your hydroponic garden clean by removing debris. This reduces the risk of fungi infecting your medium.
• Use a hydroponic cleaner to remove grease stains and salt build-up from the pumps, light fixtures, growing area, pumps and other equipment.
• Keep your hydroponic garden well ventilated.
• When insecticides are called for in your hydroponic garden, use different insecticides each time, to avoid the insects' becoming immune to them.
• Choose bush versions of vine-growing plants like tomatoes and green beans. Bush plants tend to wander less than vines.
• Prune diligently to control your hydroponic plants' wanderings and to optimize their growth.
• Don't over-water your hydroponic garden.