Water culture systems usually operate without media. The best way to learn about the different types of hydroponic setups is to check out our easy system plans. The tray is flooded by manually raising the bucket and drained by lowering it. By adding a pump and timer, the basic unit evolves into an automatic hydroponic system. The solution trickles through the medium back to the reservoir below the growing bucket.
Media distribute the nutrient in a wide circle around the plant roots.
Nutrient solution runs along the bottom of the channels so just the root tips are submerged. While NFT is the most popular water culture system, it is not appropriate for beginners. Check out our two simple systems that you can build. How Hydroponics Is Different In traditional gardening, plants have to work to get the nutrients from the soil. In hydroponics, a nutrient solution feeds your plants directly.