Guide to Organic Hydroponics

Commercial Nutrients

• There are some advantages to using commercial organic hydroponic nutrients. They are convenient, often contain everything the plants need to grow, are certified as organic and are easy to mix, with clear directions. When properly diluted, commercial organic hydroponic nutrients are ready to be added to the hydroponic system and are suitable for use in all hydroponic systems, unless labeled otherwise.

Homemade Solution

• A simple organic hydroponic solution can be made from any type of water-soluble, dry organic fertilizer by combining 2 tbsp. of the fertilizer with 1 tbsp. of Epsom salts in each gallon of water. Since both the fertilizer and the Epsom salts are organic, the resulting nutrient solution will be organic as well. In areas where the tap water is highly chlorinated, people often choose to let the water sit in an open container for 24 hours to allow some of the chlorine to dissipate.

Organic Compost

• Organic compost can be used to make an excellent nutrient solution for hydroponic systems by creating a liquid known as compost tea. This is made by soaking compost in water overnight. The water should end up dark brown but may be lighter, depending on the type of compost used. All the compost must be strained from the water before it is introduced into the hydroponic system to ensure it doesn't clog any of the hydroponic components.

Worm Castings

• Worm castings are another way to use composted material as the basis for providing organic nutrients to a hydroponic system. These are the small particles left behind when worms have eaten their way through kitchen or garden waste. They are a rich source of nutrition for plants and can be made into a tea-like additive in the same way as regular compost. The biggest disadvantage to this type of nutrient solution is that it is difficult to measure the amount of nutrients in the water and also difficult to tell whether all the necessary nutrients are present. In spite of this, hydroponic plants tend to do well when worm castings or compost are used as the basis for liquid organic fertilizer.