Ok fellas, it’s wonderful to think of plants growing without soil. Seems like a breakthrough in food sufficiency for the world, especially when land (at least vast acres of cultivable land) is not required for cultivation. Amazing. Now coming back to hydroponics, if plants don’t require soil, is it true that all plants can grow in plain water only? No. That’s just partially true.
Hydroponics has two main classifications – solution culture Hydroponics and medium culture hydroponics. Some plants grow well enough in a ‘solution’ culture. Others require a media for root anchorage. Stumped about what kind of media that you can use in your hydroponic system? A lot of questions may arise, what exactly is sterile media, how is it to be used, many more questions and anxieties.
We here at Advanced Nutrients are thorough professionals in the field of hydroponics and in this post we are glad to inform you about the various root zone media that can be employed to grow plants hydroponically.
Diahydro
Diahydro is a popular growing media for Hydroponics Systems. A sedimentary rock, Diahydro contains fossilized diatom shells (diatom is one of the most common types of phytoplankton). The diatoms (phytoplankton algae) are impregnated with silica thereby making Diahydro extremely rich in silica as well. The silica from Diahydro helps plants to grow strong and develop durable and strong cell walls.
One of the few pitfalls is that transplanting gets difficult with Diahydro as a root zone media.
Expanded Clay Pellets
Explanded clay pellet, also known as ‘grow rocks’ are a great growing medium. Created by baking clay in a kiln, the inside of these grow rocks / clay pellets has numerous miniscule air pockets making it an extremely light weight medium. This unique property of expanded clay pellets even makes some of them float as they cannot break the surface tension of water.
This media works very well for the ebb & flow system or other hydroponic systems that need frequent watering cycles. Word of caution: Clay pellets are poor water retainers. Make sure you water your plants often to avoid a dry-out. Also, clay pellets are often mixed with other growing media so that the oxygen retention is better.
Clay pellets are an expensive but reusable hydroponic medium. Once you harvest your crop, you can clean your clay pellets of old roots, sterilize them again and your clay pellets are ready for use again! But take care that you don’t reuse them too often as some of the old roots may penetrate inside the clay pellets and hinder with future crop cycles.
Rock wool
Rockwool is one of the most widely used Hydroponics medium. An inert growing media, rockwool works well for free drainage as well as recirculation hydroponics systems. Rock wool is manufactured by molten rock being spun into candyfloss like fibers. The fibrous rockwool is not degraded by microbial activity and is accessible to capillary action as well. The super dense medium improves wicking, nutrient and moisture dispersion and thereby entices roots of your hydroponic garden plants into more areas of the medium. This results in premium plant production and great profits!
Coir
Known by many names, coir, coco peat or simply coco is nothing but leftovers after the fibers have been ripped off the bolster (outermost shell) of the coconut. Coir is a great medium for hydroponic flower plants. And its 100% natural.
Perlite
Perlite is a mined material – a kind of volcanic rock superheated to form light weight, glass-like pebbles. Perlite has qualities similar to that of vermiculite, but it does hold a lot more air than water. Perlite is basically a fused mass of obsidian, pumice, basalt and granite. It has great ‘wicking’ action. Hence, if you need a wick-type Hydroponics Systems then perlite is the right medium to use. It’s also an economical option. There’s just one drawback to perlite. It does not retain much water. So a dry out is a possibility if you don’t water at right times.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is similar to perlite in the way it is manufactured. Mineral superheated to form expanded light pebbles. Although, vermiculite holds more water as compared to perlite but gives the same wicking action benefit of perlite. Often, a mixture of perlite and vermiculite is used to get the best of both the worlds.
Sand
Sand is the cheapest and most easily available hydroponic medium. However, it needs to be sterilized between uses to cheap and easily available. However, it is heavy, does not hold water very well, and it must be sterilized between uses.
Gravel
Gravel – small pieces of stones, similar to the ones that you use in aquariums and fish bowls. It needs to be washed and sterilized before use though. This medium is cheap, you can clean it easily, does not lead to waterlogging and drains excellently. But it’s also very heavy. If you will not provide the system enough water, your plants will dry out.
Brick shards
Brick shards are very similar to gravel as far as their properties are concerned. They just have a few disadvantaged. They may have ph altering effects and require a lot more cleaning before you decide to reuse brick shards in your hydroponic system.
Wood fiber
Wood fiber is a great and efficient organic medium for your Hydroponics Systems. It is 100% natural and retains its structure for a really long period.