Hydroponics - Start of Hydroponics

A Brief History on Hydroponics

Earlier forms of hydroponics are believed to have been practiced centuries ago in Amazon, China, Egypt and India, even as early as 600 BC in Babylon. You might be familiar with Babylon because of its hanging gardens, which is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

In ancient America, the Aztec Indians grew plants on floating rafts on shallow waters where planting in soil is not possible.

Separate Hydroponics Nutrient Solutions

SNAP Hydroponics
A & B Solutions
with Measuring cup

If you've bought the SNAP hydroponics nutrient solution, you may be wondering why the concentrated hydroponics nutrient solutions come in separate bottles (containers) instead of one.

Preparing and Mixing the SNAP Hydroponics Solution

Mixing the SNAP hydroponics concentrated nutrient solution with water is easy. The nutrient solution mix will be your vegetable's food while in the growing box until it's time for you to harvest. The mixed solution contains all of the nutrients needed by your plants to grow.

How to Setup SNAP Hydroponics

Setting up a SNAP* hydroponics system is easy. The cost of putting up your own hydroponics using the SNAP method is lesser compared to the commercial ones as most of the materials that you’re going to use are recycled.

To setup a SNAP hydroponics system, you only need to follow three steps:

1. Grow the seedlings,
2. Prepare the seedling plugs, and
3. Transfer seedling plugs into the growing boxes.

Setting Up SNAP Hydroponics - How to Set Up SNAP Hydroponics

Setting up your own SNAP Hydroponics system is easy without too much technical jargon involved. When you setup your own hydroponics using the SNAP (Simple Nutrient Addition Program) hydroponics method, make sure that you've gathered all your materials in one setting. Things you'll need include

• Seedling plugs
• Growing boxes
• SNAP Hydroponics Nutrient Solutions (SNAP A and B)
• 10 liters of water per growing box

Making the SNAP Hydroponics Growing Box

Growing box with holes for
seedling plugs

The SNAP hydroponics growing box can be made from recycled styrofoam fruit containers. The rest of the materials needed to make your hydroponics growing box can be found at your home or can be easily bought from school supplies store.

How to Make Your SNAP Hydroponics Growing Box

Plants for SNAP Hydroponics

Most leafy vegetables can be grown using the SNAP hydroponics method. SNAP stands for Simple Nutrient Addition Program. SNAP Hydroponics has been developed by Dr. Primitivo Jose A. Santos and Dr. Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo from a project funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), a branch of the Philippine Department of Agriculture.

Plants Suitable / Best for SNAP Hydroponics

SNAP Hydroponics Growing Box Materials

Materials Needed for Making
Your Own Growing Boxes

The growing boxes that we're going to use for our SNAP Hydroponics setup are recycled styrofoam fruit boxes. You can get them from your local fruit vendors for a few pesos. In some cases, they may be glad to give it to you for free. Just make sure that the box has its own lid.

Transplanting Seedlings to Seedling Plugs

Here is the procedure on how to transplant seedlings to individual seedling plugs (growing cups).

Materials Needed

• Seedling plugs - Styrofoam cups with drainage slits and coco coir dust (See procedure on how to make seedling plugs)

Preparing Seedling Plugs for SNAP Hydroponics Setup

Now that we're done with growing our own seedlings, we can now proceed to making the seedling plugs where our seedlings can continue to grow until they're ready for transfer into the growing boxes.

Materials Needed for Making the Seedling Plugs for Your SNAP Hydroponics Setup

Growing Your Seedlings for Your SNAP Hydroponics

Growing your own hydroponic vegetable plants from seeds can be rewarding. You get to see your seeds germinate and grow into seedlings. Well, I was excited when the lettuce seeds that I've sown started to germinate and slowly found there way on the surface of my growing medium. Anyhow, here's the procedure on how to grow your seedlings from seeds.

• The materials I've used for growing the seedlings can be found at SNAP Hydroponics Materials for Growing Your Own Seedlings.

Starting SNAP Hydroponics by Growing your own Seedlings - Procedure

SNAP Hydroponics Materials for Growing Your Own Seedlings

The materials you need to set-up your own SNAP Hydroponics system are readily available in your home, usually, recycled materials. For some of the things needed, such as the polystyrene/styrofoam fruit boxes, you may need to ask or buy from a fruit vendor. And the rest, you can buy from your local school supply store.

Materials Needed for Establishing Your Own Seedlings

SNAP Hydroponics Nutrient Solution

The SNAP hydroponics nutrient solution is a complete nutrient product for plants grown hydroponically using the SNAP method. Since the nutrient solution is made locally (Philippines), it is much cheaper than imported hydroponic nutrient solutions.