In general aquaponics growers rely on one or more of eight different aquaponics techniques. These techniques range from beginners easy to professional difficult and what technique you use really depends on the size of your aquaponics garden and what plants you intend to grow. In this article we will discuss about passive aquaponics, raft cultivation, Ebb/Flow, Drip and Wick feeding techniques to feeding your hydroponic garden
Beginner Techniques
The easiest technique is Passive aquaponics. The plant is ‘planted’ in a container filled with a growth medium (such as vermiculite) with holes in the lower sides. This container is placed in another container filled with water and nutrient solution. The growth medium can then wick the water solution up to the plants roots through the holes. You simply need to keep your solution properly balanced and flush out your plants growth medium occasionally. This is a good technique for container garden tomatoes and orchids.
Another good technique for beginners if the Raft cultivation method. Plants hang suspended in a container filled with aerated nutrient solution via holes in a floating ‘‘raft’ which sits on the water. This is a good method for growing leafy veggies such as Lettuce.
Intermediate Techniques
For those who have achieved success with the more basic techniques, there is the Ebb and Flow method of aquaponics growing. Systems of this type require a shallow tray and a pump that works on a timer. The tray is filled with growing medium and has several plants in it. Every hour or so the timer triggers the pump to fill the tray with water and nutrient solution. After it turns off the water solution drains back into the reservoir of solution.
Drip feeding is an aquaponics gardening method just like Ebb and Flow except that the pump provides a constant flow of water into the tray for fifteen minutes or so.
Wick feeding is an interesting form of aquaponics in that it relies on a wick to provide water to the plant. The plants container rests on one end of a wick (which can be any substance that will naturally draw up water) and the other end of the wick runs down to a container of water and nutrient solution. This is a very slow but constant method of delivering water and aquaponics nutrients.
Advanced Aquaponic Growing Techniques
These are levels of aquaponics growing systems usually only practiced by commercial growers and aquaponics green houses.
The Nutrient film technique involves plants placed in sloping channels with a thin plastic sheet over them. The plants grow through the sheet, but the sheet is light-proof so algae doesn’t grow in the channels. The channel contains a constant flow of water and nutrients which run down to the reservoir and is pumped up to the top of the channel in a cycle.
Aeroponics is a very unusual form of aquaponics gardening. In Aeroponics the plants are placed into holes in the sides if an enclosed box. The roots of the plants hang suspended inside the box while the plant top is free to grow outside. In the bottom of the box is the reservoir filled with the water nutrient solution which nebulizers or misters spray into the air around the roots. This makes the solution incredibly easy for the roots to suck up, while not drowning them in water.