From my own experience of hydroponics without a fan (I was trying to keep things simple) my plants were weak, bendy and I had a seriously mould problem.  My hydroponics setup was in a small enclosed space which had large ventilation holes but this wasn’t enough to prevent the problems that occur without sufficient air flow.  In hindsight it’s clear to see that I needed to exchange the moist air that my plants had created with drier less oxygenated air.  A fan would have helped prevent the mould or at least slowed down it’s growth.

For many hydroponics setups that use MH / HPS lights a hydroponics fan is necessary to keep the temperature from rising to high and scorching the plants.  I had used CFL (compact Fluorescents lights) as my hydroponic lights so heat wasn’t really an issue.  However there were one or two occasions where I forgot to check the plants growth and accidentally burnt a few of the leaves.

When growing using hydroponics it is beneficial to try and create the condition that the plant would normally thrive in.  For example plants grow stronger as a reaction to their stems being flexed by the wind.  This ensures that their steams and branches are strong enough to proudly hold their flowers or buds.  In hydroponics, a fan compensates for the lack of natural wind, helping the plants grow stronger.  You wouldn’t want to grow a beautiful plant only for it to collapse under the weight of it’s stunning flowers.

So what are the options for a Hydroponics fan setup?

For those who are confident with electrical wiring, there seems to be a trend of wiring up computer fans as DIY Hydroponics fans.  They are popular because they are quiet and use very little electricity. I am not confident with electrics and therefore this isn’t something I would do myself but I’m sure a search on google would give you all the information about creating this type of hydroponics fan that you would need to know.

For those who have enough space in their hydroponic setup then use a desktop fan.  They are readily available and can be bought cheaply.  If you wait until the end of the summer months when shops are selling off their surplus stock of fans, you will be able to grab yourself a fantastic deal.  This type of fan can be plugged straight into the mains so there is no wiring to be done.  However ensure that the electric cable isn’t a tripping hazard.

Of course if you have a hydroponic tent then their are fans specifically designed to fit inside.  Why not pop over to our shop and bag yourself a hydroponics fan at bargain prices. 

Hydroponic Extractor Fans

Hydroponics is best described in simple language as a method to grow plants in a soil-less environment using Hydroponics systems that use mineral nutrient solution to grow both terrestrial as well as crop plants. The word Hydroponics is derived from Greek roots, ‘Hydro’ meaning water and ‘ponos’ implying labor. It is noteworthy that Hydroponic gardening dates back to 3000 years and examples of this type of farming can well be seen in these two wonders: Hanging gardens of Babylon and Floating garden of the Aztecs of Mexico.

Educate your children with hydroponics

Plants grown via hydroponics grow substantially faster than
those grown in soil.  Plus it’s difficult for children to see how the
roots of the plants grow in soil, but the can easily be seen by using a
hydroponics bubbler system.  There is more detail about bubbler systems
here, but I’ll give a very quick overview.  In a bubbler system, plants
are grown on a medium such as rock wool with baskets.  The roots of
plants which fill the baskets are submerged in a hydroponic nutrient
solution which is aerated by a air pump and often a air stone which
sits at the bottom of the nutrient solution.  The aerated solution not
only delivers water and nutrients
to the plants roots but oxygen as well, prevent root rot.  Because the
plans don’t need to use their energy locating nutrients and water they
can place all their effort into growing upwards.

We know that children have very short attention spans; by growing
plants hydroponically a child can see clear growth in the plant most
days once it is established.  They will also have a better
understanding of the plants requirements as they will be adding
nutrients, water and light to their plants and will be able to watch
the effect this has on the plant.  While traditionally this is the sort
of basic science lesson a child would learn a primary school, place a
seed into soil and watch it grow.  Using hydroponic methods
enables a child to see quick results.  By growing plants hydroponically
in the classroom children can experiment with the effect each necessary
elements, light, water and nutrients have on the health of the plant
and its root system, turning the simple action of growing plants into
an exciting science lesson.

As we attempt to teach our children a better way to look
after our planet and its population, hydroponics can have a starring
role.  Hydroponics can increase the amount of food grown within a
specific area, there is no need to strip soil of its natural nutrients
and fewer pesticides are necessary resulting in less damage to our
environment.

Hydroponics is the next generation of farming,
hydroponic methods could decrease the amount of the worlds population
that die from starvation while helping to convert excess carbon dioxide
we have created into oxygen.  It’s our children who will be the
generation who make the greatest leap in fixing the planet so why not
teach them from an early age the hydroponic information they need to
make a difference.

Maintaining a hydroponic garden may seem a little to technical compared to throwing a seed in some soil and hoping it grows. But it can be easier than regular soil growing and both methods enable the most 3 important elements to reach the plant, light, nutrients and water.

In a true hydroponic garden there will be no soil, other mediums such as rock wool are used to enable the plant to anchor it’s roots.

With all hydroponic gardens the pH nutrient level is an important factor, too much and it becomes toxic to the plant, to little and the plant begins to starve. Your hydroponic garden will not use water and nutrients in equal parts as it just takes what the plants need which causes the pH level to fluctuate. Keeping an eye on the pH levels will ensure your plant roots are surrounded in a solution that is optimised for plant growth. The recommended pH level for hydroponic gardens is 5 to 6.

Generally the optium temperature for hydroponic gardens is between 71-76F. There are of course plants that will thrive at slightly different temperatures is it can be helpful to the optimum growth temperature for each plant that you grow.

As previously mentioned hydroponic gardens just like regular gardens need light. Natural sunlight is best for plants but since most growers have hydroponic gardens indoors, they will need to compensate for the lack of natural light with grow lamps such as HPS lights.

Growers like having a hydroponic garden as it can be automated, so growing your own plants is easier for the lazy gardener. There is no need for weeding and pests are less likely to be a problem if your growing indoors. Hydroponic Gardens can be a feature in your home where you can grow tropical plants or kitchen herbs.

Hydroponic Gardens can be grown using many different types of hydroponic systems, you can read more about the different hydroponic system in this article. Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponics is a way of growing plants totally without soil. When plants are grown by traditional methods the soil delivers water and nutrients to the plant. Plants grown by hydroponic methods have nutrients and water feed directly into the roots removing the need for soil.

There are many different types of hydroponic system, these can be read about on here on my blog.

Hydroponic gardening could have a huge impact on the environment. It enables plants to grow quicker and larger as they can put their energy into growing up instead of developing a complex system of roots, more food production in less space.

Because plants grown hydroponically are grown in self contained systems, there is less need to add pollutents to our natural soil.

In hydroponic growing the environment is very controlled so pests are far less likely reducing the effects of pesticides.

Hydroponics is also a fantastic hobby allowing you to grow plants that aren’t accustomed to our natural climate, such as orchids.

Or making it feasible to grow your own vegetables in a confined space, and you’d know exactly what went into making that food. It’s also brilliant for children to watch plants that are grown hydroponically as there is less time for them to wait to see the results.

If growing hydroponically indoors you will also need grow lamps so the plants can get all the light they need. There are various versions of lights that can be chosen for this function such as High Pressure Sodium lights which require a ballast to operate, or LEDs as well as fluorescents.

The two different types of Hydroponics are the solution and the medium cultures. In a solution culture there is no solid medium other than a nutrient solution to supply nourishment to the plants. The medium culture calls for presence of a solid medium though.

There are 3 types of solution culture, the static (nutrient solution is not agitated) solution culture, continuous flow culture and aeroponics solution culture. The different types of medium used in medium culture include sand, gravel and the mineral wool or rockwool. Sub irrigation method and top irrigation methods are used to supply nutrients and water for plants growing in medium culture.

Aeroponics is a method that allows growing of plants in a system that enables the root systems to be in an environment concentrated with atomized droplets of nutrients. It calls for no substrate and plants receive lavish aeration in this method.