Vermiculite and wick system

When it comes to hydroponics, everything revolves around the growing media. Sand is the traditional one used for many centuries, but nowadays it was proved that it does not that much good. Rockwool is said to be the one that can facilitate the drainage.

Furthermore, pumice is the one known for providing the proper medium for beneficial bacteria to grow. But choosing a growing media, depends strictly on your system type and the plants you want to grow. So, from the vast stock of growing media, what should you choose for a wick system?

It is said that the perfect growing media for a wick system is the one called vermiculite. Vermiculite is a good-looking soil-less medium that allows your plants to grow in a sustained environment. The process of obtaining vermiculite is simple: a certain mineral is heated until it enlarges. It is a sterile, easy to use and resistant in the face of the molding process. It resembles pretty much the perlite due to the fact that both are heated and both end up being small pebbles. Anyway, there is a difference between those two: vermiculite is the one that manages better the water absorption process and can aid in the delivery process of the nutrients.

The process that revolves around vermiculite is the following: it is a material that can retain around 4 times its volume in water. After the absorption process is over, it slowly releases the nutrients in the system.

The advantages of using vermiculite are various. One of them is the fact that it completes the wick system due to the slow releasing of water. Furthermore, it is cost effective so it can suit any budget. Also, you can mix vermiculite with other growing media in order to increase the sustainability of plants.

There are some disadvantages too. It dries pretty fast and if the root does not absorb the water the nutrients will be lost. If you are planning to use it as a singular growing media, you should know that it probably end up floating around.

So, you can mix vermiculite and perlite due to the fact that they have similar characteristics. It increases your chances of keeping your plants happy and unharmed. Both material are cost effective and can be found almost in any gardening store. When setting up a hydroponic system, keep in mind that you need to overcome the needs of your plants. Growing media is crucial for creating a safe environment for the plants due to the fact that there is no soil used. You do not want your plants to fall or float away.

growing media, vermiculite growing media

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