This is a gardener’s trick to have fresh basil, rosemary, and mint available throughout the seasons.

Threehydroponics systemsare suitable for beginners: wick, water culture, and ebb and flow.

More advanced systems include the nutrient film technique and the aeroponic system.

example of hydroponic gardening

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

What Is Hydroponic Gardening?

The water is doing all the work here!

Hydroponics is better than soil in certain ways andindoor gardengrowing gives you more control.

Materials and tools to create a hydroponic system

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Everyone from small space dwellers to farmers to large commercial farms can leverage hydroponics.

Because there is no soil, the nutrients in the water go more directly to the plant’s roots.

There is more control over the plant’s environment since hydroponic gardens are typically grown inside.

Water poured into clear tray for wick system water reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

In the winter, focus on crops that don’t produce fruit, even though you’regrowing a garden indoors.

This includes herbs and leafy greens, which will thrive year round.

Depending on your preference, scroll through to see which one best suits your gardening needs.

Cotton wicks inserted into holes of wick system growing tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

This hydroponics setup works best for microgreens, herbs, and peppers.

This reservoir will sit beneath the tray holding your plant and growing medium.

If it’s crucial that you make holes in the growing tray, use a drill or screwdriver.

Clear tray filled with plants, growing medium and wicks placed in water reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Set Up a Light Fixture

If you’re using natural light, skip this step.

Otherwise, set up a light fixture above the growing tray.

If using incandescent light bulbs, set them 24 inches from the plants.

Incandescent light fixture set-up over wick system growing tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

The plants are placed in a Styrofoam platform that floats on top of the reservoir with the nutrient-enriched water.

However, unlike with the wick system, you will need to aerate the water with a raft system.

This system is best for growing leaf lettuce, but very few other plants grow well in this system.

Black storage bin filled with water for water culture reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

The container should be opaque and at least 12 inches deep.

A good example is a 14-gallon Roughneck tote.

Aerate the Water

The most common and inexpensive aeration system is an air stone and pump.

Air stone with pump hose placed in water culture reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

The pump pushes air through the stone, which blows out tiny bubbles to distribute oxygen through the water.

Cut holes to insert net pots.

The roots will need to be in contact with the reservoir water.

Growing raft platform with plants inserted into styrofoam with plants and growing medium

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

This hydroponics garden works by flooding the growing medium with a water-nutrient solution.

Then, it drains back into the reservoir.

The reservoir is placed directly below the flood tray’s stand with the water and fertilizer.

Incandescent light fixture hovering over water culture system with plants

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

you could customize the length and frequency of watering based on your plant’s needs.

Plant your seedlings in perforated pots filled with a growing medium, such as perlite.

The pots that your seedlings are in should be about twice as deep as the flood tray.

Liquid fertilizer placed in ebb and flow water reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Add an aeration bubbler in the reservoir to oxygenate the water.

The tubing can be set at an angle to verify that the nutrient solution flows directly to the roots.

Aeroponic System

An aeroponic system is a more complex hydroponic method.

Fill tube connected to bottom of ebb and flow flood tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Plant roots are suspended in air and misted every few minutes with a water-nutrient solution.

It is a highly effective method but one that requires sophisticated pumps and misters.

If the equipment malfunctions, the plant roots can dry out and die quickly.

Submersible pump and timer connected to bottom of fill tube under flow tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Add an aeration bubbler in the reservoir to oxygenate the water.

This reservoir also acts as a catch basin for misted droplets of solution.

Connect a Submersible Pump

Connect a pump to a mister or sprayer.

Perforated pots with growing medium and plants placed in ebb and flow tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

The reservoir solution pumps to the mister or sprayer via tubing from a submersible pump tube in the reservoir.

The sprayer will be aimed at the plant’s root in a growing chamber.

Typically, the water in a hydroponic system will need to be changed out every two to three weeks.

Light fixture situated above ebb and flow system with potted plants

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

A typical hydroponic garden should not need a pump, though a deep water system will need a pump.

A pump won’t hurt your garden, but it’s simply not necessary to purchase in most cases.

Powdery Mildew.Penn State Extension.

Black bin filled with water for nutrient film water reservoir

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Clear fill tube inserted into nutrient film tube

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Perforated pots filled with clay growing medium balls inserted into growing tray

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Light fixture set up over growing tray for nutrient film system

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Aeration bubbler inserted into large black bucket with water for aeroponic system

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Clear submersible pump inserted into aeration system bucket with water

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Bucket lid with inserted potted plants placed over aeration chamber

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Light fixture placed over aeration grow system with plants

The Spruce / Kevin Norris