When To Start

How about today? In almost ten years of doing hydroponics, I have met a lot people, some of them very excited about hydroponic system. We talk for hours about the way it works, the potential, the ways we can do it and a lot of stuff.

I have friends from way back, still very excited about hydroponics. The curious thing is that some of them are still “studying” and “preparing” to have a “perfect” start. Well, I can tell you something about the “perfect moment”. In my experience, is the perfect way to never start anything; you see, when you want something, you do what you have to do to accomplish whatever it is that you want. It doesn’t matter if you are not “totally ready”; as the commercial says you “just do it”.

Waiting for the perfect time to start is the way for never doing anything

If you want an excuse, you will find it, basically because nothing is perfect. No matter how good you are, there will always be room for improvement. What you did before, you can do better. So, if you want to build a hydroponic garden in your backyard but you are waiting for the “perfect time”, you will find the way to stay there forever.

Not to mention that technology is changing everyday. There are new materials, substrates, nutrient solutions, pumps… you name it. So, no matter how hard you study, you will always be behind the scientists that work on this stuff all the time. Hydroponics has been evolving for decades and, because of the great results, it is improving constantly.

So, if you say that “I still don’t know enough”, well, you will never know enough. Hydroponics is not only a hobby; it is a science with a lot of research going on.

If you want to build a hydroponic garden, the time is now. Maybe tomorrow or next week, but not any further. Plants take their time to grow, so you have a couple of months to get your stuff together.

Reading and watching photos on the Internet does not compare to having your own plants. When I started, I just read a book and took action. I was son excited about the potential of hydroponics that I didn’t wanted to wait. Yes, I made a lot of mistakes, but learned more in a few weeks of practice than in several months of reading.

If you want a hydroponic system, start today. Maybe tomorrow. Don’t wait for the “perfect moment” or you will wait forever.

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DIY Hydroponics

Since I started with hydroponics, several years ago, a lot has changed. There are new systems, equipments and information to make your hydroponic venture a happy one. As for me, I stick to the basics, specially with “do it yourself systems”. After all, buying a hydroponic system and setting it up is very easy, but what’s the fun in that?

There is nothing wrong in buying a ready to go system; you can just as well have a great start without the problems associated with the hydroponic system as a whole, but there are certain advantages of getting your hands dirty.

Learning. This is probably the most important. When you buy your “plug and play” hydroponic system, there is really nothing to learn; you just follow the instructions and you will be fine, but when you do your own system, you have to learn at least the basics for everything to work.

Control. A commercial system needs space, power and maybe a certain layout. When you do things by yourself, you decide what you want to do to fit your house, garden, space or whatever place you want to use. If you have enough room, there is no problem, but if you live in the city, space can be a headache.

Cost. No need to elaborate on this. If you do your hydroponic system by yourself, you can save more than 50% the cost of a commercial one. At least, that will be so for many kind of hydroponic systems.

Fun! Well, that’s just me. I have always been a DIY kind of guy. I had to do many things by myself to save money or because I could not avoid it. If you like using your hands, making your own hydroponic system is fun and relaxing.

So, if you are thinking about a hydroponic garden, consider making your own. There are thousands of ideas and materials, so, in this case, the sky is really the limit.

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