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Whether you have a patio, deck, sunroom, balcony, or even just some bench space, it's possible to build a thriving hydroponic garden. 

Over the last few years, more and more people are taking up recreational or small scale gardens for the enjoyment and for the benefits of having readily available fresh produce. This ranges from simple herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, and many other types of vegetables and flowers. 

What is Hydroponic Gardening?

Hydroponic gardening is different from regular gardening in one big way: plants are grown not in soil but in a water-based nutrient solution, sometimes coupled with a porous medium, or substrate, such as rock wool, clay balls, or perlite. 

Supplying nutrients directly to the roots through water allows plants to put more of their energy into growing the leaves, branches and flowers we see above ground.

Why should you start your own hydroponic garden?

Hydroponics can take up less space than regular gardening. There’s no need for all that bulky soil, and because plants don’t have to compete for nutrients, they can be grown closer together. This can make hydroponic gardening a good option for people with limited space. 

You can have a hydroponic system that’s stacked onto your balcony, fence or even installed along a wall. As a result, a hydroponic system can as much as triple or quadruple your yield due to the fact that you are utilizing vertical space and not just horizontal. This style of gardening also means your plants are less susceptible to soil-borne diseases and therefore generally don’t require nasty herbicide and pesticide treatments, for which you’ll be especially thankful if you’re growing edible plants.

How to get started?

Ceracell offer small and large hydroponic systems each coming with full installation instructions. We also supply nutrients to incorporate into your water cycling system so that your plants are able to grow to their full potential. 

You will also need to make sure that the water is maintained at the correct level for optimum pumping and water supply for your plants as they grow. This means you will need to regularly check and top up the water level as required. 

As water is cycled through using an electrically powered pump, we recommend you also install an RCD into the plug on your wall. Better to be safe than sorry. 

What plants to choose?

We recommends beginners start with easier and more common edible plants such as cucumbers, tomatoes and leafy greens, or herbs such as basil and coriander, which have similar requirements from a cultivation and care perspective.

Depending on the type of garden you choose, you’ll need a plant-appropriate nutrient solution that contains specialised fertiliser combinations designed for the various growth cycles of herbs, vegetables or non-edible plants. 

The right nutrients used at the right time can result in more flowers, brighter colours, and bigger and more flavourful fruits.