Just Beginning with Hydroponics

by Mark
(New Mexico)

As a beginner, from one to ten (ten being very, very difficult) how hard is it to grow peas and carrots and tomatoes with hydroponics? Also, how much should I look into spending for a new set up?

Answer: Mark- most of the difficulty with hydroponics comes from learning how to mix and maintain your nutrient solution properly. Once you are comfortable with this crucial part of the puzzle, most crops become very easy to grow....I would say tomatoes and peas are very trouble free, perhaps a 2 or 3 on your scale. Carrots, because they grow beneath the actual grow medium, are just a little bit more difficult....maybe a 4 or 5 on your scale. Of course, once you figure out what works well for a particular crop, almost any crop seems easy to grow.

I wrote this entire site just for people like you Mark. I want people to be able to get into the hobby cheaply, and have good results their first time (whenever possible), without the "learning curve" being too overwhelming. You can buy a new hydroponic system, and depending on it's size it can cost anywhere from the $70 range to the $1,000 plus range. Most home gardeners end up using a system that fits beneath a 600 watt high pressure Sodium light, would be about 4' x 8', or just a little bit shorter. Most of the systems of this size will cost about $400-$600, although this is a very general guideline.

With just a little bit of research into HOW these systems provide the water and nutrients to your plants (and maintain some Oxygen level in the root zone), it is pretty easy to build your own system for less money. Sometimes a lot less. To learn about the different hydroponic systems and how they work, I encourage you to visit my hydroponic systems page. Once you have received your "crash course", I recommend you visit my homemade hydroponics page, which includes homemade design ideas for each type of system.

A particularly inexpensive but effective homemade system is
my most successful homemade hydroponic system. Last, but not least, are the following pages I put together as a resource guide, just for visitors new to the hobby who want to make a homemade system themselves....

Choosing a Homemade System Design

Homemade Hydroponic Construction Tips

Common Problems in Hydroponic Systems

I hope these help you out Mark, and Happy Growing!