Hydroponics Growing Media

There is a great variety of hydroponics growing media being used in the market today. Hydroponics is a type of gardening technique that doesn’t require the use of soil. Instead, hydroponics uses different types of hydroponics growing media. Researches found out that soil is not an essential element in the growth of plants. Plants can grow with just water and some mineral nutrients. Therefore, several hydroponics growing media can be used to replace soil.

There are a lot of hydroponics growing media used. One such medium is the diahydro, which is actually a natural sedimentary rock. Fossilized shells of algae which are called diatoms are used in diahydro. The diahydro is high in silica content, which is very important in the strengthening of the cell walls of plants. Another popular choice is the expanded clay. This type of medium is also called hydroton or L.E.C.A., an acronym for light expanded clay aggregate. These are small spheres of clay which help to control the nutrients in the water.

One of the most common hydroponics growing media is the rockwool. A rockwool is made up of basalt rock, and it looks like candy floss after the basalt rock is heated in very high temperatures. There are different forms of rockwool, such as granulated, cubes, and blocks. Rockwool provides a pH value which is higher than other media, and usually, a nutrient solution is required to neutralize its pH level.

The vermiculite and perlite are also widely used. Perlite is actually a volcanic rock that is heat-treated to create a glass-like pebble. It is rather similar to the vermiculite, which is also produced the same way. Sand is the cheapest medium and it is used by many hydroponics gardeners. The only problem with sand is that it cannot be properly drained because it is very heavy compared to the other media. The gravel used in aquariums is another hydroponics growing medium.

Brick shards are another type of medium used in hydroponics systems. However, the problem with brick shards is that it has the tendency to alter the pH value of your plants. Also, if you want to reuse it, you will need to rewash it every time. Another hydroponics growing medium is polystyrene, which is very light, making it the ideal medium for closed tube systems.

It is important that you know which medium is best suited for your plants, as different plant-types have different requirements. For the most complete information about hydroponics growing media, you can go online and start searching.