Hydroponics, or the art of growing plants without soil, can be traced back to the first century and the Roman Emperor Tiberius. These systems have many benefits including reduced use of space for plant production, more efficient use of water and nutrients, less labor, reduced inputs such as herbicides and insecticides, grow any time of year, and higher yields of plant products. The major downfall to hydroponic systems is the initial cost, but other issues come with the electricity needed to power the systems and the maintenance and monitoring needed to ensure the lights, temperature, and nutrient solutions are correct.
Before I started in Extension, the office was donated two vertical aeroponic Garden Towers©, which I typically use each winter as a growing demonstration in our office. Our towers have a central tower in which up to around 27 plants can grow at a time, a base reservoir which holds 20 gallons of water, and a grow light system. We start seeds in growing trays instead of the tower, letting them get 3-4 inches tall before transplanting them to the tower itself. Once they’ve been transplanted, the system does all of the work for us. A pump cycles nutrient solution from the reservoir up through the central tower, ensuring each plant’s root system gets adequate water and nutrients for growth. Our watering system is set on a 15 minutes on to 45 minutes off cycle that runs continuously so long as there is water in the reservoir. In order to meet the light needs of our plants and allow for photosynthesis, our grow lights stay on between 12-14 hours every single day—so if you ever drive by when our office is closed and see a faint glow through a window, it may be the tower! Once assembled, the towers are pretty self-sustaining- we just have to be sure to keep the nutrient solution full and keep an eye out for plants that are becoming unruly or too big.
My favorite things to put in the grow towers are vegetables and herbs. This cycle, I have bok choy, arugula, swiss chard, and basil starting from seed. I learned the hard way when I first started with the towers that plants that have large, expansive growing habits are tough to manage. I also prefer to plant things that do not require pollination—since our towers are inside, we don’t always get the pollination that we need in order for our crops to produce. I’ve failed to grow an actual tomato, cucumber, eggplant, or pepper, despite growing very large vegetative plants! From starting seeds to harvest, it’s usually between 3-5 weeks, and many of our lettuces and herbs can be continuous producers if we are careful not to harvest too much at once.
Our hydroponic systems are a great addition to our office and can provide an excellent look into alternative growing methods, particularly as we head into winter months. If you’re interested in taking a look and seeing them firsthand, please stop by or let us know at uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233.
