$20 Off Indoor Gardens, $40 Off All Additionals, Ships Free, Gifts!
www.AeroGardenStore.com
We teach you how to create and care for your own garden!
www.homegrownediblelandscapes.com
Cost Effective Systems For $34.95. Secure Online Ordering. Buy Today!
www.StealthHydroponics.com
Money Does Grow On Trees! Discrete, Easy, & Lowest Price
www.SunLightSheds.com
Award Winning Superponics GrowBox $695+. 3 yrs. covered w/Everything!
www.SUPERCLOSET.com
Hydroponics Systems for Indoor Gardening. Buy Online & Save Now
www.cdgrowlight.com
XtraSun 1000 W HPS Systems - $255 Free shipping, gifts & catalog.
www.EcoGrow.com
1200 Different Commercial & Hobby Hydroponic Parts, Training, Supply
CropKing.com/Hydroponics
Collectives, Primary Caregivers DHS Reg Cards, Learn Legally Online
dream-career.com
New Jersey-based company that has positioned themselves to provide a full line of HID lighting equipment, hydroponic nutrients & supplies and environment controls.
www.77hydro.com
Supplies high pressure sodium, metal halide, light movers, co2 regulators, greenhouses, rockwool, grow rocks, pH test equipment and hydroponic plant food, located in Tempe, Arizona.
www.aci-hydroponics.com
Supplier of hydroponic and indoor gardening equipment.
www.ahlgrows.com
Online shopping for lighting supplies, hydroponics systems, greenhouses, pumps, controls, nutrients, growing media, trays, pest control, books, and videos, located in Houston, Texas.
www.airlinehydroponics.com
A Portland, Oregon based product supplier of hydroponics, HID high pressure sodium and metal halide lighting systems, fertilizers, foliar sprays for better bloom, indoor climate controls and rooting hormones.
www.americanag.com
Gardening supplies for hobby and commercial suppliers worldwide, located in Arcata, Georgia.
www.amhydro.com
Information on hydroponic methods for growing tomatoes, including nutrient solution recipes, media, greenhouses, natural pest control and diseases.
ag.arizona.edu
A hydroponic retail store manufacturing high pressure sodium and metal halide light kits and custom hydroponic systems.
www.bchydroponics.com
Designs and delivers complete hydroponic growing systems.
www.climatecontrol.com
Seville, Ohio based source for hydroponic, mushroom and aquaculture controlled environment and training for the commercial growers, educator and hobbyist.
www.cropking.com
Dealzer specializes in hydroponics grow box systems and LED grow lights. Grow any plant, all year long, using an indoor hydroponic gardening system.
www.dealzer.com
Sprouting appliances for easy home sprouting. Commercial sprouters and machines for the germination of sprouts. Information on health benefits of eating sprouts; located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
www.easygreen.com
Researches, manufactures and sells products to support agriculture and aquaculture; located in Shoreline, Washington.
www.ecogrow.com
An on-line source of information, links and technical advice for plants and gardening; based in Farmingdale, New York.
www.futuregarden.com
A manufacturer of hydroponic equipment and supplies testing new crops and hydroponic systems, nutrients; located in Sebastopol, California.
www.genhydro.com
A full service provider of hydroponic supplies and information; located in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
www.granitehydro.com
Carry a selection of climate control and ventilation devices and light movers; nutrients and related testing equipment, rockwool and other grow media.
www.greenfields-inc.com
A variety of indoor and outdoor gardening supplies including: hydroponic systems, accessories & gardening supplies; metal halide and HPS lights; organic hydroponic and standard fertilizers; advanced climate / co2 control and organic pest control...
www.gtghydroponics.com
Source in quality indoor gardening supplies, specialize in Sunlight Supply lights, American Hydroponics, General Hydroponics, Hydrofarm, Super Nutrients.
www.hhydro.com
Complete supplier of HID lighting fixtures, special environmental controls and advanced nutrient formulas. Located in Ohio, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
hmoonhydro.com
Homegrown Hydroponics grow box garden systems.
www.homegrown-hydroponics.com
Offering alternative gardening products including organic fertilizers; natural insect controls; hydroponics; indoor plant grow lights; hobby greenhouse, container, propagation and irrigation supplies; headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
www.homeharvest.com
Distributing alternative gardening products including organic fertilizers; natural insect controls; hydroponics; indoor plant grow lights; hobby greenhouse, container, propagation and irrigation supplies.
homeharvest.com
A Los Angeles based full service source for organic and hydroponic gardeners offering aeroponic and hydroponic systems.
www.hydroasis.com
Commercial and home supplies for gardening and lighting fixtures; located in Petaluma, California.
www.hydrofarm.com
Specializes in grow lights, indoor gardening and hydroponic supplies for the home grower; store location in Vista and Lo Jolla, California.
www.hydroponics.net
Dedicated to the exchange of information in the field of hydroponics where educators, researchers, vendors, commercial growers and hobbyists are welcomed; based in El Cerrito, California.
hsa.hydroponics.org
Provides up to date information about hydroponics and indoor gardening and promotes hydroponic systems and information resources; based in Brisbane QLD Australia.
www.hydroponics.webcentral.com.au
On-line store featuring grow systems, HID lighting and nutrients.
www.interiorgardens.com
Manufactures and sells hydroponics systems; based in Issaquah, Washington.
www.nahydroponics.com
Sales and distribution of hydroponic equipment and supplies.
www.oekotau.com
Offers a line of indoor and organic gardening products, located in San Francisco.
www.plantitearth.com
Offer a wide range of products and services to both the amateur or beginner grower and the commercial grower alike; based in Sydney, Australia.
www.rdaquaponics.com.au
On-line supplier of horticultural lighting systems and hydroponic gardening equipment; located in East Lansing and Livonia, Michigan.
www.sgs-hydroponic.com
Carries a wide selection of indoor & outdoor gardening hydroponic supplies; located in St. Clair Shores, Missouri.
www.thecultivationstation.com
An indoor gardening specialists with a line of nutrients and brands for indoor growth, lights and soil-less growing systems, located in Lakewood, Colorado.
www.thegrowstore.com
$20 Off Indoor Gardens, $40 Off All Additionals, Ships Free, Gifts!
www.AeroGardenStore.com
We teach you how to create and care for your own garden!
www.homegrownediblelandscapes.com
Cost Effective Systems For $34.95. Secure Online Ordering. Buy Today!
www.StealthHydroponics.com
More and more business leaders are involved in hydroponics: the innovative idea of growing plants with water and minerals has a lot of commercial applications, from large-scale product development to small hydroponics system setups for promotions. Smaller shops can use hydroponics to attract customers as a conversation piece or in collaboration with other promotions, using the natural interest in this science to their advantage.
Business operators, managers or owners can get the scoop on hydroponics from online sources to evaluate whether a decision to build hydroponics into their plan is right for their shop. Readers might look for:
1. News on what kinds of hydroponics equipment and products are coming out onto the market and how they are improved over what has been offered.
2. How other companies large and small are using hydroponics to boost sales or create new products.
3. More on what kind of equipment is best, and info on the gardening side of the equation.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Get hydroponics newsletters and more from big info sites
Companies that make it their business to provide hydroponics supplies and support also promote education with robust hydroponics information pages where business leaders can evaluate the possible uses of this growing field.
I recommend: Get tuned in to commercial hydroponics news at Advanced Nutrients; let co-founder "Big Mike" tell you about all of the site's resources, including a free newsletter, for getting involved in hydroponic growing. Midwest Hydroponics offers its own newsletter and product sites.
Find trends in hydroponics on blogs
The online blog, much like hydroponics, is a relatively new innovation, and to some, the blog is the perfect vehicle for informing the public on aspects of a process like hydroponics. Business operators can get good info on hydroponic business from these straightforward sites.
I recommend: The Hydroponic Gardening Blog presents various hydroponics systems; check back regularly for more on growing in this innovative method. For a new blog on hydroponics just starting out, look at Hydroville.
Glean more hydroponics info from other online sites
Other sites offering news on hydroponic growing include forums, instructive how-to sites, enterprise tip sites, and other setups geared toward helping American business re-create itself and stay competitive. Check out sites like these to get more details on using hydroponics to your advantage.
I recommend: The forum at BetterGrow Hydro includes a variety of hydroponics information you can use. For more on the hydroponics business, try the Noobpreneur Hydroponics Business Online page.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- • When looking for hydroponics news, take notes on what you find. You may easily compile your own growing scheme based on the basic information you see: the rest is up to you: hands-on trial and error will determine the outcome of your own experimental growing setup.
Guide to Hydroponics
How to build hydroponics business
By Frank Alvarado
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil. Hydroponics systems use non-soil media such as gravel, peat, vermiculite Perlite, old rubber tires, rockwool and expanded clay aggregates. As a result plants draw the minerals directly from the water solution. Consumer demand for organically grown produce in the U.S. is expected to grow significantly through the year 2011, creating a $670 million market. You can easily build hydroponics using any number of hydroponics supplies available from around the world. There are three areas of Hydroponics that offer great business opportunities:
- Organic Hydroponics
- Commercial Hydroponics
- Wholesale Hydroponics
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Buy hydroponics equipment and hydroponics supplies online
The Internet is a great way to find the right products for your hydroponics system, whether you are just looking for hydroponics information or want to purchase hydroponics lights.
I recommend: Try Horizen Hydroponics, American Hydroponics, or Hydroasis to find the hydroponics equipment and hydroponics equipment for your indoor farm.
Choose a medium for hydroponic growing
You can use old rubber tires or gravel for your hydroponics system, but you should be aware that different mediums work better for different situations and different crops.
I recommend: You will find that the easiest medium to work with is Grodan rockwool, which is made from molten rock spun into cotton candy-like fibers and then compressed in to cubes, blocks, or slabs. Hydroempire offers great deals on Grodan rockwool.
Select the best mineral nutrients available
Hydroponics allows you to have complete control over what minerals to feed plants and in what quantities. The end result is produce that is far superior in taste, color, size and nutritional value.
I recommend: Homegrown Hydroponics is the exclusive producer of the Dutch Nutrient Formula, a plant nutrition solution developed in Holland that has existed for over 20 years.
Maximize the space for your hydroponic business
Commercial hydroponics and wholesale hydroponics operations thrive by utilizing expansive greenhouses to cultivate their hydroponics grown produce. But the small hydroponics business owner has to engineer ways to use up existing space inside a room.
I recommend: An easy way to convert a small space into a greenhouse is to utilize Homebox Grow Chambers that contain all the necessary hydroponics equipment to grow indoors. 77 Hydro offers grow chambers in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Consult with other Hydroponics growers and join trade groups
The Hydroponics industry is made up of growers who have a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise willing to share their hydroponics information with others.
I recommend: The Progressive Gardening Trade Association is an earth-friendly, organic and water-wise gardening organization that is a perfect place for first-time hydroponics growers.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- • If you need money to buy equipment, there are several great grant programs offered by the Department of Agriculture that are available to innovative agriculture businesses.
With business owners scrambling to their businesses more efficient, hydroponics looks like the way of the future. There are many business uses for this kind of gardening, and managers in a variety of shops may want to consider potential benefits of hydroponics gardening.
Online vendors can help by supplying specific products, information and kits online for the best fit to your particular project. Some common uses for hydroponics systems that might interest business leaders include:
1. A large commercial hydroponics system for growing a 'crop' or bulk item for resale.
2. Small demo hydroponics equipment and setups like hydroponics lights, boxes and more for promotions in shops or small gardens.
3. Specific hydroponics setups for flowers, vegetables or other plants to fit into a specific business plan for a florist, café or business or specific setups for organic hydroponics.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find sources for big commercial hydroponics
Some online companies offer lots of goods and information for larger shops looking to get involved in hydroponics growing for product export. See what these providers can do for your business to help set up a hydroponics operation.
I recommend: AmHydro.com sells a full range of hydroponic growing gear and offers commercial buyers a lot of resources like help with cost projections, case studies and more online, like this page on getting started for commercial projects. Get an introduction to using hydroponics materials for large commercial projects at Horizon Hydroponics.
Look for sites for smaller hydroponics business setups
Smaller businesses may only want a limited hydroponics setup. A small café, retail shop or nearly any small business could use a small hydroponics box as a cross-promotional item to make its shop attractive to green thumbs everywhere. Online vendors will help out in getting small hydroponics systems to business clients.
I recommend: The site at Homegrown Hydroponics offers grow boxes and other tools for small indoor cultivation projects as well as gear like mini-refrigerators. It also offers a video introduction and resources for buying and growing. Get more of these smaller solutions for hydroponics projects that need to fit in a window box or simple table space at Hydro Stacker.
Find hydroponics supplies and solutions for specific business purposes
If you run a flower shop, an organic café or any other business with a specific need for a certain plant, you may be able to find hydroponics dealers with a focus toward your industry.
I recommend: Get specific supplies for floral hydroponics including Big Bud packages at Progressive Growth. The Hydroponic Vegetable site, operated by Parkside Press, is another place to buy hydroponics for vegetable growing, check out product summaries featuring specific setups for getting ready-to-eat vegetables to table without the traditional soil gardening.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- • When making a plan to build hydroponics setups for your business, always think about your 'economy of scale' to know how much gear you will need. Planning space also helps, rather than just assuming the space will be there to house a hydroponics operation.
Naturalist gardeners might raise an eyebrow at hydroponic gardening because of its nontraditional process of planting without the use of dirt. Hydroponics uses a growing solution instead of water, some type of stabilizer instead of water and an alternative light source than the sun. The benefit of this type of gardening is the never-ending growing period as opposed to dependence on the weather and limited growing season of the outdoors. Since it is different from traditional gardening, success with hydroponics does require knowledge of a few key terms.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Organic hydroponics
In hydroponics, since plants are grown in a very controlled environment, growing organic foods is easy. Special growing systems are available for organic growing, as is a particular growing solution that does not contain pesticides and herbicides.
I recommend: Organic Gardening explores organic hydroponics. Once an organic hydroponic system is set up, Jason's Indoor Guide to Organic and Hydroponics Gardening will be a great source for organic hydroponics nutrients.
Hydroponics system
There are several different ways to grow hydroponically, and each has a specific hydroponics system. The systems are customized to the needs of the plant being sown.
I recommend: Hydroponics Growing Systems defines the components of a hydroponics system. For the different types of hydroponics systems, visit Futuregarden.
High-intensity discharge metal halide light, HID
Growing plants indoors requires a light source other than the sun. A high-intensity discharge metal halide light, or HID, is a low-heat, energy-friendly light. The HID emits more and better light for growing plants than other light options.
I recommend: Go to Hydroponics Online to learn about high-intensity discharge metal halide lights.
Heydite
Heydite, made of porous rock, is one of the many options for plant stabilization in hydroponics. Heydite is often used for plants needing a drip method of irrigation.
I recommend: Simply Hydroponics discusses growing mediums, including this popular choice, heydite.
Rockwool
Rockwool is another of the most commonly used growing mediums used in hydroponics. Rocks are melted, processed and formed into cubes, similar in texture to fiberglass, to make rockwool.
I recommend: For details on rockwool and other growing mediums, go to hydroponics.com.
Humic acid
Humic acid is a type of additive used in hydroponics. It acts as a stimulant and growth accelerant.
I recommend: For humic acid information and its benefits, plus a hydroponics encyclopedia, visit Advanced Nutrients.
