Grow vegetables year round!
Photo © Joe Larsen
Join Extension Master Gardener Intern Joe Larsen to explore the exciting world of hydroponics, a soil-free method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water. Hydroponics has become increasingly popular as a sustainable solution to growing food in urban environments, reducing water consumption, and boosting crop yields. Whether you’re a beginner or someone looking to enhance your gardening knowledge, this class will guide you through the fundamentals of hydroponic systems, the different techniques, and the benefits of this innovative growing method. Attendees will leave this class with knowledge of the various hydroponic systems, how to build a DIY hydroponic system, best practices for growing, and how to troubleshoot various issues you may encounter.
Zoom session, recorded February 7, 2025
Video of Presentation
Chapter Breaks & Captions to Come
- 0:00:00 Introduction & Overview
- 0:02:16 Principles & History of Hydroponics
- 0:08:43 Advantages & Disadvantages
- 0:14:13 Hydroponic Systems
- 0:28:54 Questions
- 0:36:31 Plants to Grow
- 0:38:18 Equipment Needed & Setup
- 0:53:03 Questions
- 0:57:03 Cleanliness & Solutions to Problems
- 1:04:13 Summary & Resources
Hydroponics for Beginners pdf
Resources
- Ebba, Jonathan.Hydroponics at Home. 2023. University of New Hampshire Extension.
https://extension.unh.edu/resource/hydroponics-home - Gucker, Douglas B. and Candice Anderson. 2020. DIY Hydroponics for All Gardeners. University of Illinois Extension
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/know-how-know-more/2020-02-18-homegrown-diy-hydroponics-all-gardeners - Hoidal, Natalie, et al. 2022. Small-scale hydroponics. University of Minnesota Extension.
https://extension.umn.edu/how/small-scale-hydroponics - Home Hydroponics. 2022. Ohio State University Extension
https://extension.osu.edu/today/home-hydroponics - Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening. University of Florida IFAS Extension.
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/types-of-gardens/hydroponic-vegetable-gardening/ - Latimer, Joyce, et al. 2023. Hydroponic Production of Edible Crops: Management Basics. Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension.
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/SPES/spes-462/spes-462.html - Westerfield, Bob and Whitney Ottinger. 2025. Hydroponic Gardening for the Homeowner and Small Grower. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1315&title=hydroponic-gardening-for-the-homeowner-and-small-grower