Hydroponics is another name for soilless gardening. The technique is actually not something new. The use of hydroponics could be traced back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However, it was only in the 1890s, when a group of German scientists developed nutrient formulas, that the technique gained popular modern appeal. Now, the method has even gone beyond mere gardening with the use of water, to gardening with the use of media other than soil.

There are six basic types of hydroponic systems: Wick, Water Culture, Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), Drip (Recovery or Non-Recovery), N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique), and Aeroponic. You may have heard of techniques other than these mentioned, but most of these are probably just variations of these six basic types.

Wick Hydroponic System

Considered as the simplest hydroponic system, the Wick system is a passive system. This is because it has no moving parts. All that you have to do is place a wick unto the nutrient solution contained in the reservoir. The wick draws the solution into the growing medium, without need of any other extraneous movements.

Besides the wick and the reservoir, the wick hydroponic system may include the following basic components:

* Grow tray
* Growing medium
* Air pump
* Airstone

This hydroponic system may use a variety of growing medium, such as Perlite, Vermiculite, Pro-Mix, and Coconut Fiber, among other things. The biggest drawback of this system is that plants that are large or use large amounts of water may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wick can supply it.

Water Culture

Out of all active hydroponic systems, the water culture system is the simplest. The components include the floating platform, the air line, the airstone, and the air pump. The platform serves as the plant holders, keeping them in place even as their roots dangle in the nutrient solution. An air pump outside the whole tank keeps the air supply running, by sending air to the air stone which bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots of the plants.

If you are growing leaf lettuce, water culture is the hydroponic system of choice. Lettuce is a fast growing and water loving plant, making it an ideal choice for this type of hydroponic system. Very few plants other than lettuce will do well in this type of system.

Ebb and Flow

Sometimes called the flood and drain, the ebb and flow hydroponic system works by temporarily flooding the grow trail with nutrient solution and then draining the solution back into the reservoir. This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer.

When the timer turns the pump on, nutrient solution is pumped into the grow tray. When the timer shuts the pump off, the nutrient solution flows back into the reservoir. The timer is set to come on several times a day, depending on the size and type of plants, temperature, and humidity, and the type of growing medium used.