Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Drip Systems
Aeroponics
Ebb & Flow
Wick Systems
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Plants are grown in channels with a thin film of nutrient-rich water flowing over their roots continuously.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is a type of hydroponic system that was first developed in the 1960s by Dr. Allen Cooper, a Scientist at England's Glasshouse Crops Research Institute. Dr. Cooper was looking for a way to grow plants hydroponically using a continuous flow of nutrient-rich water, and he came up with the idea of NFT.
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
One of my favorites because it is user friendly, and easy to set up on a tight budget. In this system plants are suspended in net pots or baskets with their roots hanging down into the nutrient solution.
Deep Water Culture (DWC) is one of the most popular and well-known hydroponic systems today because it is simple to set up and user friendly. Its origins can be traced back to the 1930s where it was first developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Drip Systems
A Hydroponic system where nutrient-rich water is dripped onto the plants' roots at regular intervals using a timer-controlled pump.
Drip irrigation has its roots in traditional agriculture. It dates back to ancient times where early civilizations used clay pots and channels to water their crops. Modern drip irrigation was developed in the early 1960s by Israeli engineer Simcha Blass who was working for the Israeli government to develop a more efficient way to water crops in the arid desert climate.
Aeroponics
Made popular by the Disney World, Epcot behind the Seeds tour, Aeroponics involves growing plants suspended in a mist or fog of nutrient-rich water, providing optimal oxygen and nutrient absorption.
Aeroponics was initially developed by NASA scientists in the 1940s who were researching ways to grow plants in space. However, it wasn't until the 1980s that aeroponics systems were first created for terrestrial use by the University of Mississippi and the USDA.
Ebb and Flow (Flood & Drain)
Plants are nestled in a growing table filled with medium, which floods with water on a timed schedule.
Ebb & Flow (Flood & Drain) Hydroponic systems are easy to set up and manage. It entails a reservoir, which pumps water into a flood table filled with plants and medium, providing the plants with nutrient-rich water on a timed schedule, ideal for larger plant varietals.
