E-mail - Hydroponics Set Up - List of Needed Materials

Hey Doc,
  This is my first time working with hydroponics, are there any specific chemicals that are required to start off with? A list perhaps? Thank you for your time...

Hello,

   Thanks for your E-mail.   I too am just getting into hydroponics, I have been and will be a dirt grower but like with LED's  I am expanding my growing ability thanks to good growers like yourself asking questions.

I have had great success with the bubble boy  products from HTGSupply.com.  The picture below is the proof.

I will start a list, and continue to talk about hydropoinics in the coming posts...

You don't really need any special chemicals, but you will need to monitoer the pH and add the right nutrients to you plant/ the water.
You need a good hydropoinics system, the water needs to be airated or circulated well to oxygenate the water.  I almost never recomend first time growers start off with hydropoincs, soil is much easier and forgiving to grow in.

You need a medium for the roots to grow through.

You will need a pH meter too, the problem with hydropoincs is that if you don't monitor the pH the water can get to an extreme pH and nutrients won't be available to the plants no matter what and how much fertilizer you use.  I change the water completely every week no matter what the pH to avoid nutrient lock up etc.   

You need  fertilizer(s) too.  Unlike with soil growing you must provide ALL the nutrients to the plant ALL the time.  This can mean maximum growth if you know what you are doing, but can mean dead or sickly plants if you don't.  Most hydropoinic fertilizers come with instructions on how much to use, follow the instructions.

That is all I have been using and you can see with the 90 watt LED UFO I have gotten great flowering.

More to come on hydropioncs,
Good Growing
Dr. E. R. Myers