NFT Hydroponic Systems

• The NFT, Nutrient Film Technique, design for hydroponic growing is the pioneering hydroponic system. The simplicity of setting up an NFT system paired with the fact that it's an inexpensive system to operate makes it a popular choice among growers who enjoy planting hydroponically indoors. The NFT hydroponic system works with plants growing in a constant flow of nutrient enriched water.
  
  Pot your plants individually in wire baskets that sit in holes in a tray. The tray sits atop a reservoir where the water, nutrients, and pumps are housed. The plants roots dangle over and into a film of water that flows over them in the base of the tray. The water is less than ½-inch deep as it flows over the roots and is constantly moving, though slowly, thanks to a submersible water pump. The roots are growing above and beneath the water line. The nutrients are pumped separately into the growing tray and then recycled back down into the reservoir along with the water flow. Air is the only other growing medium required for an NFT system to work.
  
  

Ebb & Flow Hydroponic System

• The ebb and flow hydroponic system works with a design similar to the NFT system, but the nutrient water is set up on a timer to flood into the grow tray several times each day. The water then ebbs out of the grow tray, back down into the reservoir when the timer goes off. You can fill the entire grow tray with growing medium, but most users prefer to place the plants in individual pots filled with growing medium. Some of the most popular choices for growing medium in an ebb and flow system include gravel, rockwool, or coconut fiber as these will help the plants retain moisture when the water is not present in the tray.
  
  

Wick Hydroponic System

• The wick system is the simplest of all hydroponic growing systems and works with no moving parts for the plants to receive water and nutrients. Place your plants in a growing tray filled with growing medium. Choices for growing mediums in a wick hydroponic system include perlite, vermiculite, and coconut fibers. Place the tray above a reservoir filled with nutrient-enriched water. Two or more wicks run from the reservoir into the tray so the plants can draw the nutrient water and absorb it into the growing medium as needed. You'll also need an air pump outside the system that's connected to a submersible air stone inside the reservoir for oxygen supply.