Hydroponics Projects
In the previous article we looked at the educational benefits of windowsill hydroponics and how beneficial they can be as an educational tool. In the following article I shall take a closer look at hydroponics projects for the home and garden.
One of the truly great things about hydroponics is how suitable it is to show the various stages of growth in plants in such a way that a child can fully understand and even grow their own plants with ease. When plants are grown in soil the seed germinates below ground and the first visible sign is the appearance of cotyledons, the first two leaves which are usually rather round and fat. Using hydroponics you are able to show your child the whole seedling, the shoot, the cotyledons and the seed.
Not too long after the appearance of the cotyledons, the first true leaves begin to appear (those that look the same as those found on a mature plant only much smaller). At first the main growth is above ground level (stem and leaves) but this is closely followed by the development of the root system which, in the case of hydroponics, can be witnessed fuly. Although some soil systems, such as that shown above, allow you to see some of the root system it is not possible to see it all.
Of course hydroponics projects need not be those tiny systems suitable for the windowsill, no you can create them in any size. If you want to create a slightly larger system you could consider a garden in an unused small closet. Such a project is a perfect introduction to larger systems which you can create once you have mastered the basics in your closet. For more details about building your own system take a look at some of our later articles by clicking the link just below this article.
Closet Garden Project Basics
To create this project simply scale down our PVC hydroponics system to fit in the chosen closet. This system used easily obtained parts and can be constructed by virtually anybody, however the construction phase is not suitable for children due to safety issues with the power tools required and the PVC glues and cements.
Lighting and heating/cooling are the most important aspects of this project as it is unlikely that any light gets into your closet. You will need to light your system using HID lighting (High Intensity Discharge) but it is extremely important that you ensure that the lamp is at least 24" away from all surfaces. These lights produce a large amount of heat but cooling and ventilation can be achieved using an off the shelf bathroom vent fan of 100-150 cubic feet/minute.
Most of the equipment can be purchased from construction suppliers and tropical aquarium stores (pumps and finer tubing etc.) but some equipment and supplies will have to be purchased from a specialist hydroponics suppliers. Otherwise this is one of the more simple hydroponics projects to get you started and, maybe, you will eventually choose to create a similar system on a grander scale.
More articles about hydroponics >
