Hydro: passive vs regular

[IthoughtIknewitall]

I have been growing in soil but I want to try hydro. I hear horror stories about plants dying quickly when things go wrong. I was wondering if I use a soiless medium with a nylon wick going into the bottom of the pot using a capillary suction how it would work. Would it work as well as one which flooded the plants at set intervals? What would be a good soilless mixture to use with a wick system?\

IthoughtIknewitall Reviewed by IthoughtIknewitall on 12-13-2004. Hydro: passive vs regular I have been growing in soil but I want to try hydro. I hear horror stories about plants dying quickly when things go wrong. I was wondering if I use a soiless medium with a nylon wick going into the bottom of the pot using a capillary suction how it would work. Would it work as well as one which flooded the plants at set intervals? What would be a good soilless mixture to use with a wick system?\ Rating: 5

[Yumans]

I dont think this would be good. The main idea behind hydro is for the roots to get alot of air(oxygen, CO2, etc). So the point of hydro is to find a way to get constant air to the roots while also providing with nutrient. This is done a few ways, by using a medium that contains large pores and holes so air gets in very easy, or by using a bubbler to blow bubbles in the solution the roots are growin gin, providing them with oxygen, or some mixture of these. Soil does not let oxygen in well enough to make a hydro system out of, therefore your plant will likely be too oxygen deprived.