Your hobby is gardening and want to try a hydroponic system? If so, you need to understand first the type of hydroponic growing media that is suitable for plants.

Generally, hydroponic systems are used to grow vegetable crops with limited land conditions.

Because the hydroponic system does not use soil, we need quality hydroponic growing media. Therefore, plants can thrive and develop well. What are the types of hydroponic growing media? Follow the discussion below!

Types of Hydroponic Growing Media

We can use various types of hydroponic growing media. Starting from organic materials that come from nature to synthetic materials or man-made materials. Here are some types of hydroponic growing media, including:

1. Cotton

Maybe you are already familiar with the use of cotton as a hydroponic growing medium. Generally cotton is used in the seeding process before transferring it to the soil planting medium.

In a hydroponic system, this cotton can provide high nutrition for your plants. This is due to the good ability of cotton to absorb water.

So do not be surprised if many hydroponic farmers use this cotton growing media. Coupled with the presence of cotton that is easy to find anywhere.

2. Husk Charcoal

Another material that can be used as a hydroponic growing medium is husk charcoal. This husk charcoal has several advantages, for example, making materials that are easily available, environmentally friendly , affordable prices to very high water binding ability.

Not only that, husk charcoal also has a lightweight, neutral pH content and is sterile from fungal or bacterial disturbances. You can use husk charcoal to grow peppers, cucumbers or tomatoes.

Unfortunately, husk charcoal is getting rare in the market, so maybe you need to make your own. The thing you need to consider is that you can only use this husk charcoal a maximum of two times.

3. Cocopeat

Cocopeat fine powder is a hydroponic growing medium that has a fairly high water absorption capacity, with a fairly stable acid pH level of 5.0 - 6.8. To use cocopeat generally must be mixed with husk charcoal in a ratio of 50:50, the aim is to increase the supply of oxygen.

With an increase in oxygen, the level of aeration is higher so that it affects root growth very well. Cocopeat is known to store water up to 73% or 6-9 times the volume of cocopeat itself.

Therefore, the activity of planting with a hydroponic system can be more effective save water . Because , the intensity of watering is done less frequently.

4. Coconut Coir

Often we find coconut husk thrown away by young coconut ice traders on the roadside. Because coconut fiber is no longer considered a useful value.

But make no mistake, this coconut coir can be a good hydroponic growing medium. Coconut coir is very rich in nutrients for plants, as well as preventing nuisance fungi. With coconut coir growing media, hydroponic plants will be more disease resistant.

Not only that, coconut fiber can also regulate the ratio of water and air in plants. This is what makes your hydroponic plants more fertile.

5. Sponge

Sponge is a type of hydroponic growing media that has many pores large enough to drain nutrient solution to plant roots.

The sponge has a very light weight so its application is easier to be placed anywhere. Another advantage of the sponge is that it absorbs water more easily and is able to withstand high water absorption for up to 2 weeks.

In addition, sponges also have immunity to fungi that risk damaging plants.

6. Hydroton

The name of this hydroponic growing medium may be quite foreign to the ear, right? Hydroton is a clay pellet that can release nutrients into the water stream with a neutral pH.

This hydroponic growing medium is spherical in shape so that it is able to maintain the balance of water and oxygen in plants. That way, the plant will not be too dry or wet.

Unfortunately, the drawback of hydroponic hydroponic growing media is that it is quite heavy. So, you have to be extra energy when using this planting medium.

Criteria for Choosing Hydroponic Planting Media

Hydroponic growing media is easy to find and cheap in Indonesia environment without us realizing it. Materials such as cork, sponge, cotton, clay pellets, and others can serve as a growing medium for plants.

The main function of the planting medium is to support the plant so that it can stand upright so that it is not easily damaged or collapsed. For this type of hydroponic growing media, it is made from materials other than soil as a place to grow and develop plant roots.

Keep in mind that any hydroponic growing media will affect the yields planted. For this reason, there are several criteria that must be considered in choosing hydroponic growing media.

A good planting medium must be able to provide nutrients, water and oxygen. Furthermore, the media must also meet the criteria free of toxic substances to plants.

Here are some criteria that must be owned so that hydroponic plants can develop well:

• Can store water content, so hydroponic plants can obtain sufficient nutrients from the water content in the media.
• Has a fertile structure, loose and can absorb water well.
• Has a low salt content.
• Not easy to dry or not easy to deform when the temperature in the room changes.
• Does not have diseases or pests that can interfere with plant growth.
• Contains elements of calcium or lime content.

Well, that was some of the types of hydroponic growing media along with the criteria that must be met. Choose the best growing media, so that hydroponic plants can grow and develop according to your expectations. Of the many choices, which one do you think is the ideal hydroponic growing medium?