How to convert your home into a Food Forest with Hydroponics

When it comes to starting out on their first hydroponic project, some people want to start big. Instead of going with a small sealed grow box, they envision a massive jungle of plants in their home or business space.

So how do you create one of these “food forests”? It's amazing how easy it can be to really scale up with hydroponics, and get a larger amount of produce or other harvest out of your hydroponic grow area.

Allocate Space

First of all, you need space. Yes, that's obvious -- but it can’t just be any space. You have to allow for things like lighting and indoor climate. And with larger systems, this means integrating the plant environment into the environment of the room. You may be able to position systems where plants will get natural light, or use room temperature cooled and heated spaces for plant development. You have to have enough square footage to really get a larger system in.

Get the Gear

After you plan your space, you'll have to get the actual equipment to sustain your food forest. One of the easiest ways to do this is with large grow tents.

Grow tents are large structures with a high volume of hydroponic equipment inside. Many of them are made from sturdy steel frames, with nylon or other types of covers. They're relatively lightweight and easy to set up, but they sustain large gardens.

Germination

After you've bought and installed equipment, you need the plants. There are many ways to germinate seeds -- you can germinate them in soil or between layers of paper towels, or you can buy them as seedlings and transplant them into the hydroponics setup. It's a myth that plants can’t go from soil to hydroponics or vice versa. Regardless, you'll need a larger volume of seeds or seedlings to start with.

Maintenance

The final stage of the project is simply making sure that plants don't die. Because plant growth is a natural process, you might be surprised at how easy it is to grow a vibrant jungle in your home or office. There are some things you will need to watch out for, like temperature, humidity and pH value, as well as different kinds of small pests and bacterial invasions. Over time, you’ll get better at garden maintenance, and know what to look for and how to nip problems in the bud.

For much more on different kinds of hydroponics, check out what hydroponic retailers and manufacturers offer today’s growing community.