Looking for discussion and advice on media (substrate) for top-feed hydroponics. I say top feed instead of top drip because I believe the best system is one that give a strong "burst" of water in a short interval as opposed to a slow continuous drip system.
Looking at the range of available media and systems, with dissolved oxygen (DO), and nutrient availability/delivery in mind, we would have Aeroponics on the one end of the spectrum, and plain dirt on the other end. Aeroponics is arguably the best system for root health and growth, but it is much less forgiving, very hard to get right, and expensive. On the other end of the spectrum for a fool-proof system throw some bagged soil in a fabric pot and its hard to go wrong. I am interested in putting together a system that is a hybrid somewhere in between. Something that has very good DO but is not overly difficult to dial-in.
To break it down a little further, I'm calling the system a hybrid because a true (pure) hydroponic system would have water as the medium. Systems that fall into this category are: Aeroponics, DWC/RDWC, and NTF. I'm not interested in those types of system because I feel they are too much work, time, and cost to get right.
I've come to the conclusion that the system that is the best compromise between simplicity and optimal growth is automated top-feed. But key to that optimal growth part is the medium, and key to the medium is how well it creates DO and nute delivery. And to have good DO it has to be relatively porous, and drain well.
So, with all that in mind what is the best medium for a top-feed system?
Looking at the range of available media and systems, with dissolved oxygen (DO), and nutrient availability/delivery in mind, we would have Aeroponics on the one end of the spectrum, and plain dirt on the other end. Aeroponics is arguably the best system for root health and growth, but it is much less forgiving, very hard to get right, and expensive. On the other end of the spectrum for a fool-proof system throw some bagged soil in a fabric pot and its hard to go wrong. I am interested in putting together a system that is a hybrid somewhere in between. Something that has very good DO but is not overly difficult to dial-in.
To break it down a little further, I'm calling the system a hybrid because a true (pure) hydroponic system would have water as the medium. Systems that fall into this category are: Aeroponics, DWC/RDWC, and NTF. I'm not interested in those types of system because I feel they are too much work, time, and cost to get right.
I've come to the conclusion that the system that is the best compromise between simplicity and optimal growth is automated top-feed. But key to that optimal growth part is the medium, and key to the medium is how well it creates DO and nute delivery. And to have good DO it has to be relatively porous, and drain well.
So, with all that in mind what is the best medium for a top-feed system?
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