Hydrophonics

& Green Walls

Hydroponics  is  a  method  of  

hydrophonics
growing  plants  using  
mineral  nutrient  solutions,  
in  water,  without  soil.  

Terrestrial  plants  may  be  
grown  with  their  roots  in
•  the  mineral  nutrient  
solution  only  or  
•  an  inert  medium,  such  as  
•  perlite,  
•  gravel,  
•  wool,  
•  coconut  husk.

The  nutrient  solution  

hydrophonics
supplies  most  of  the  plant  
nutrient  requirements.  

This  method  of  growing  has  
also  been  referred  to  as  
nutrient-­‐‑solution  culture,  soil  
less  culture,  water  culture,  
gravel  culture
and  nutriculture.
 Solution culture
hydrophonics
Static  Solution  
Culture

Continuous-­‐‑
Solution  
flow  solution  
Culture
culture  
Hydrophonics
Medium  
Aerophonics
Culture

Solution  culture  does  not  

use  a  solid  medium  for  
the  roots,  just  the  nutrient  
solution.  

The  three  main  types  of  
solution  cultures  are
1.  static  solution  culture,
2.  continuous-­‐‑flow  
solution  culture  
3.  aerophonics.
 Solution culture
hydrophonics
Static  Solution  Culture

•  plants  are  grown  in  
containers  of  nutrient  
solution
•  The  solution  is  usually  
gently  aerated  but  may  
be  unaerated.  
•  If  unaerated,  the  
solution  level  is  kept  
low  enough  that  enough  
roots  are  above  the  
solution  so  they  get  
adequate  oxygen.  

 Solution culture
hydrophonics
Continuous-­‐‑flow  solution  
culture

•  the  nutrient  solution  
constantly  flows  past  
the  roots
•  much  easier  to  automate  
than  the  static  solution  
culture  because  
sampling  and  
adjustments  to  the  
temperature  and  
nutrient  concentrations  
can  be  made  in  a  large  
storage  tank  that  has  
potential  to  serve  
thousands  of  plants.
 Solution culture
hydrophonics
Aeroponics  
•  system  wherein  roots  are  
kept  in  an  environment  
saturated  with  fine  drops  
(a  mist  or  aerosol)  of  
nutrient  solution.  
•  The  method  requires  no  
substrate  and  entails  
growing  plants  with  their  
roots  suspended  in  a  deep  
air  or  growth  chamber  
with  the  roots  
periodically  weHed  with  a  
fine  mist  of  atomized  
nutrients.  
•  Excellent  aeration  is  the  
main  advantage  of  
aeroponics.
The  medium  culture  

hydrophonics
method  has  a  solid  medium  

Medium culture
for  the  roots  and  is  named  
for  the  type  of  medium,  
e.g.,  sand  culture,  gravel  
culture,  or  rockwool  
culture.
There  are  two  main  
variations  for  each  
medium,  sub-­‐‑irrigation  and  
top  irrigation.
For  all  techniques,  most  
hydroponic  reservoirs  are  
now  built  of  plastic,  but  
other  materials  have  been  
used  including  concrete,  
glass,  metal,  vegetable  
solids,  and  wood.  The  
containers  should  exclude  
light  to  prevent  algae  
growth  in  the  nutrient  
solution.

 hydrophonics
Methods

Passive  subirrigation  
•  also  known  as  passive  
hydroponics  or  semi-­‐‑
hydroponics
•  plants  are  grown  in  
an  inert  porous  medium  
that  transports  water  
and  fertilizer  to  the  
roots  bycapillary  
action  from  a  separate  
reservoir  as  necessary

•  reducing  labour  and  

providing  a  constant  
supply  of  water  to  the  
roots.

 hydrophonics
Ebb  and  flow  or  flood  and  drain  
subirrigation
In  its  simplest  form,  there  is  a  tray  
above  a  reservoir  of  nutrient  
solution.  Either  the  tray  is  filled  
with  growing  medium  (clay  
granules  being  the  most  common)  
and  planted  directly  or  pots  of  
medium  stand  in  the  tray.  At  
regular  intervals,  a  simple  timer  
causes  a  pump  to  fill  the  upper  tray  
with  nutrient  solution,  after  which  
the  solution  drains  back  down  into  
the  reservoir.
Deep  water  culture

hydrophonics
The  hydroponic  method  of  
plant  production  by  means  of  
suspending  the  plant  roots  in  
a  solution  of  nutrient-­‐‑rich,  
oxygenated  water.  
Traditional  methods  favour  
the  use  of  plastic  buckets  and  
large  containers  with  the  
plant  contained  in  a  net  pot  
suspended  from  the  centre  of  
the  lid  and  the  roots  
suspended  in  the  nutrient  
solution.
 hydrophonics
Bubbleponics
 
 In  this  method,  the  water  is  
pumped  from  the  reservoir  up  
to  the  roots  (top  feeding).  The  
water  is  released  over  the  
plant'ʹs  roots  and  then  runs  
back  into  the  reservoir  below  
in  a  constantly  recirculating  
system.  As  with  Deep  Water  
Culture,  there  is  an  airstone  in  
the  reservoir  that  pumps  air  
into  the  water  via  a  hose  from  
outside  the  reservoir.  The  
airstone  helps  add  oxygen  to  
the  water.  Both  the  airstone  
and  the  water  pump  run  24  
hours  a  day.
 One  of  the  most  obvious  
decisions  hydroponic  farmers  

hydrophonics
have  to  make  is  which  medium  
they  should  use.  Different  
media  are  appropriate  for  
different  growing  techniques.  
The  following  media  are  
. currently  in  use.
 

Pozzolanic  lassenite
Expanded  clay  (Ex-­‐‑clay)
Rock  wool
Coir

medium
Perlite
Pumice
Vermiculite
Sand
Gravel
Brick  shards
Wood  fiber


 hydrophonics
Advantages  of  
Hydroponics
•  Land  is  not  necessary.  It  
can  be  practiced  even  in  
upstairs,  open  spaces  and
in  protected  structures.

advantages
.
•  Clean  working  
environment.  The  grower  
will  not  have  any  direct  
contact  with
soil.
•  Low  drudgery.  No  need  of  
making  beds,  weeding,  
watering,  etc.
•  Continuous  cultivation  is  
possible.
•  No  soil  borne  diseases  or  
nematode  damage.
•  Off-­‐‑season  production  is  
possible.
•  Vegetable  cultivation  can  
be  done  with  leisure  sense.

 hydrophonics
•  Many  plants  were  found  to  
give  yield  early  in  hydroponics  
system.
•  Higher  yields  possible  with  
correct  management  practices.
•  Easy  to  hire  labour  as  

advantages
.
hydroponics  system  is  more  
a\ractive  and  easier  than
cultivation  in  soil.
•  No  need  of  electricity,  
pumps,  etc.  for  the  non-­‐‑
circulating  systems  of  solution
culture.
•  Possibility  of  growing  a  wide  
variety  of  vegetable  and  flower  
crops  including
Anthurium,  marigolds,  etc.
•  Water  wastage  is  reduced  to  
minimum.
•  Possible  to  grow  plants  and  
rooted  cu\ings  free  from  soil  
particles  for  export
 hydrophonics
•  Higher  initial  capital  
expenditure.  This  will  be  
further  high  if  the  soil-­‐‑less
culture  is  combined  with  
controlled  environment  
.
agriculture.
•  High  degree  of  management  
skills  is  necessary  for  solution  

limitations
preparation,
maintenance  of  pH  and  Ec,  
nutrient  deficiency  judgment  
and  correction,
ensuring  aeration,  maintenance  
of  favourable  condition  inside  
protected
structures,  etc.
•  Considering  the  significantly  
high  cost,  the  soil-­‐‑less  culture  is  
limited  to  high
value  crops  of  the  area  of  
cultivation.
 hydrophonics

•  A  large-­‐‑scale  cultivator  may  

. have  to  purchase  instruments  
to  measure  pH  and

limitations
Ec  of  the  nutrient  solution.
•  Energy  inputs  are  necessary  
to  run  the  system.
•  Yields  were  found  to  
decrease  when  temperature  of  
the  solution  rises  during
warm  periods.
 A  green  wall  is  a  wall,  either  
free-­‐‑standing  or  part  of  a  

Green walls
building,  that  is  partially  or  
completely  covered  with  
vegetation  and,  in  some  cases,  
soil  or  an  inorganic  growing  
.
medium.  
The  vegetation  for  a  green  
façade  is  always  a\ached  on  
outside  walls;  with  living  
walls  this  is  also  usually  the  
case,  although  some  living  
walls  can  also  be  green  walls  
for  interior  use.  For  living  
walls  there  are  many  methods  
including  a\aching  to  the  air  
return  of  the  building  to  help  
with  air  filtration.  They  are  
also  referred  to  as  living  
walls,  biowalls,  vertical  
gardens  or  more  scientifically  
VCW(Vertical  Vegetated  
Complex  Walls).



Green walls

Green  
Green   facades
Walls Living  
walls
 Green  façades  are  made  up  of  

Green walls
climbing  plants  either  growing  
directly  on  a  wall  or,  more  
recently,  specially  designed  
supporting  structures.  The  plant  
.
shoot  system  grows  up  the  side  
of  the  building  while  being  
rooted  in  the  ground.

With  a  living  wall  the  modular  
panels  are  often  made  of  
stainless  steel  
containers,  geotextiles,  irrigation  
systems,  a  growing  medium  and  
vegetation.

 There  are  three  types  of  
Growth  Media  used  in  living  
walls,  loose  media,  mat  media  

Green walls
and  structural  media.

Loose  medium  systems  have  
their  soil  packed  into  a  shelf  or  
. bag  and  then  are  installed  onto  
the  wall.  These  systems  require  
their  media  to  be  replaced  at  
least  once  a  year  on  exteriors  
and  approximately  every  two  
years  on  interiors.  

types
 Green walls
.

Mat  type  systems  tend  to  be  

either  coir  fibre  or  felt  mats.  

types
cannot  support  vibrant  root  
systems  of  mature  plants  for  
more  than  three  to  five  years  
before  the  roots  overtake  the  mat  
and  water  is  not  able  to  
adequately  wick  through  the  
mats.  

 Green walls
Structural  media  are  
growth  medium  "ʺblocks"ʺ  
that  are  not  loose,  nor  
mats
 incorporate  the  best  
.

features  of  both  into  a  

block  that  can  be  
manufactured  into  
various  sizes,  shapes  and  
thicknesses.  
These  media  do  not  
break  down  for  10  to  15  
years,  can  be  made  to  

types
have  a  higher  or  lower  
water  holding  capacity  
depending  on  the  plant  
selection  for  the  wall
•  Green  walls  are  found  
most  often  in  urban  

Green walls
environments    where  
the  plants  reduce  
overall  temperatures  
of  the  building.
•   "ʺThe  primary  cause  of  
.
heat  build-­‐‑up  in  cities  
is  insolation,  the  
absorption  of  solar  
radiation  by  roads  and  
buildings  in  the  city  

function
and  the  storage  of  this  
heat  in  the  building  
material  and  its  
subsequent  re-­‐‑
radiation.
•   Plant  surfaces  
however,  as  a  result  of  
transpiration,  do  not  
rise  more  than  4–5  °C  
above  the  ambient  and  
are  sometimes  cooler."ʺ
.

•  Living  walls  may  also  be  a  
.
means  for  water  reuse.

Green walls
•  The  plants  may  purify  
slightly  polluted  water  (such  
as  greywater)  by  absorbing  
.
the  dissolved  nutrients.

•  Bacteria  mineralize  the  

organic  components  to  make  
them  available  to  the  plants.

function
•  Living  walls  are  particularly  
suitable  for  cities,  as  they  
allow  good  use  of  available  
vertical  surface  areas.  

•  They  are  also  suitable  in  arid  

areas,  as  the  circulating  water  
on  a  vertical  wall  is  less  likely  
to  evaporate  than  in  
horizontal  gardens.