Indoor Hydroponic gardening has become quite popular in recent years as an alternative to soil gardening. In many cases it is easier and safer to grow your garden using a hydroponic solution. You know exactly how much to feed your plants, and there are many systems that use timers that automatically feed them, so you have very little to do on your own.

Types of Hydroponics Systems:

Wick System: The first one is the wick system, which has no actual moving parts and is easy to use be even beginning gardeners. Simply put, the Wick system uses two different trays, one on the other. The upper tray holds the plants in a growing medium, the lower tray holding the liquid nutrients. A 'wick' runs from the second tray into to bottom of the first, and the nutrients are automatically drawn up into the planting medium. One of the biggest draw backs of using this system is that if you are growing plants that have large food requirements, often times the wick doesn't draw it into the upper tray fast enough.

Drip Systems: The second most popular system that is more widely used than the Wick System is the Drip system. In this case, the set up is basically the same, with the plants held in a growing medium, the liquid nutrients in the bottom. There is not wick to draw the food up, instead a pump forces water and food into a drip system held above the planting tray, and drips down on the plants to feed them. The pump is operated on a timer which turns the pump on and off automatically as needed. With this method, there is also a recovery system, usually some kind of tube at the bottom of the upper tank, that drains out into the reservoir.

Because these two systems are the most popular and widely used, they are also the most available and easy to purchase. You can find these at many different lawn and garden supply stores, or you can order them directly online. You have a variety of different ordering choices. You can order what you need separately, as a complete system that all you have to do is put together, add seedlings and you're ready to go, or even many that are available as DIY kits, with plans and complete instructions on making your own hydroponic garden. Many of the supplies you will need for these kits can be found at local retailers, saving you money on supply costs, as well as shipping from an online store. In many cases, the initial costs for the whole system can be around $300-$500.

What are the advantages of using hydroponic systems?

For one, once it is set up and running, there is very little for you to do. This is ideal for people who want an organic garden, but may have busy schedules. All they have to do is make sure there are enough nutrients in the solution, and make sure that the timers are set correctly. There is no worries about weeds, and things like that, and there are even lights on timers that will turn on and off automatically.

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