Building an Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening System
1. A reservoir containing the nutrient solution is located below a tray with the growing medium and plants in it.
2. The tray contains growing medium such as Rockwool, grow rocks, perlite/vermiculite or possibly even coconut fibers.
3. The bed is periodically flooded with nutrient solution by using a small pump on a timer.
4. The timer turns the pump back off and the solution drains back to the reservoir.
5. It is important to locate the tray above the reservoir as gravity will handle the draining of the excess solution from the tray back into the reservoir.
6. As the roots are exposed to air during each cycle, oxygen is drawn in to the root zone providing additional plant requirements.
7. Excess flooding can be prevented by adding a drain to the tray at the highest point the nutrient fluids should ever reach. This drain can then be plumbed back onto the reservoir.
It may sound complicated but its pretty straightforward. Remember, its just a tray with a drain on it that flows down into a reservoir of nutrient solution. A small pump on a timer floods the tray 4 times a day, and the fluid drains out allowing air to reach the roots.
The system commonly known as an ebb and flow system is one of the easiest hydroponic systems to build yourself. A quick trip to a local hardware store and a gardening supply store should be all you need to find all of the required parts to build your system. The basic design is as follows:
1. A reservoir containing the nutrient solution is located below a tray with the growing medium and plants in it.
2. The tray contains growing medium such as Rockwool, grow rocks, perlite/vermiculite or possibly even coconut fibers.
3. The bed is periodically flooded with nutrient solution by using a small pump on a timer.
4. The timer turns the pump back off and the solution drains back to the reservoir.
5. It is important to locate the tray above the reservoir as gravity will handle the draining of the excess solution from the tray back into the reservoir.
6. As the roots are exposed to air during each cycle, oxygen is drawn in to the root zone providing additional plant requirements.
7. Excess flooding can be prevented by adding a drain to the tray at the highest point the nutrient fluids should ever reach. This drain can then be plumbed back onto the reservoir.
It may sound complicated but its pretty straightforward. Remember, its just a tray with a drain on it that flows down into a reservoir of nutrient solution. A small pump on a timer floods the tray 4 times a day, and the fluid drains out allowing air to reach the roots.
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