Online Home Hydroponics Course

Hydroponics is the process used to grow plants without soil and literally means “working water.” The grower is taking control of the plant’s root environment and losing the benefit of mother nature’s finely tuned mechanisms which normally control part of the plants development. So therefore, when you remove the soil from a plant and take control of its roots, it is essential that you have a good understanding of how it grows.

Hydroponics is not an easier way to grow plants! It is a more controlled way of growing plants. However, it is not a magical way to grow plants either. Anybody can grow plants in soil with reasonable success but to grow plants in hydroponics, you must understand how the plant grows, so that you can control the light and temperature, water, oxygen and nutrients in the root zone. These elements are all vital elements in the health and growth of the plants growing in the system.

This course aims to develop a solid grounding in the principles of soil-less cultivation of plants in a home hydroponics situation

Lesson Structure:

1. Basic Chemistry and Plant Nutrition - atoms, elements, nutrient deficiency symptoms
2. Nutrient Solutions - calculating formulae, hydroponic nutrition, preparing nutrient solutions
3. Types of Systems A - classification of hydroponic systems, ingredients of hydroponic systems, rockwool.
4. Types of Systems B - what makes up a system, 16 hydroponic ideas, NFT, solution dispensation.
5. Plant Problems in Hydroponics - pests and diseases, nutritional and environmental problems, water and plant relationships, pH.
6. How a Plant Grows - growth, nutrient solutions, preparing a solution, mechanisms of nutrient uptake, photosynthesis.
7. Plant Culture - controlling environmental features, post harvest storage.
8. Hydroponic Vegetable Production - how to grow vegetables hydroponically.
9. Hydroponic Cut Flower Production - growing flowers in hydroponics, carnations.
10. Soil Media vs Nutrient Film - berries, indoor plants, types of media, NFT.
11. Greenhouse Operation & Management - solar energy applications in horticulture, greenhouse management.
12. Special Assignment - a report on how to improve your present hydroponic venture, or a report on planning a new hydroponic venture.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with relevant suggestions, comments and if necessary, extra reading.

Interested? Ask for a free information pack today!