10 Best Hydroponic System

The growing curiosity in the general populace about where their food comes from has given rise to the popularity of the hydroponic system. The hydroponic systems are perfect for making your own home garden where you can grow fruits and vegetables easily.If you are a beginner and are looking for a guide that would equip you with the basic knowledge to choose your very first hydroponic system, then you have come to the right place.

BEST HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

In this review, we would explore the different aspects of hydroponic systems and would also provide you with a detailed guide that would help you choose the best hydroponic system for your home.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FIND THE BEST HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Hydroponic System

Gardening is a delicate art that can be influenced even by the smallest changes. You as a buyer need to be extra careful when choosing a hydroponic system. The best hydroponic system for you would depend on the particular conditions that you are planning to grow in. It can be a very daunting task to choose the right hydroponic system, therefore, it is highly recommended to understand the following factors before making a decision.

Budget:

This aspect becomes particularly important for the beginners. The hydroponic systems can range from exceedingly advanced and complex to very simple. Your budget would determine the type of system you can go for. As a beginner, we would recommend you to go for simpler systems that would let you have some experience with aquaculture and the details that you as a beginner need to concentrate on.

Different plants have different requirements. Some plants tend to favour smaller systems while others require large space to grow properly. Since the legalization of marijuana, many growers are interested in best hydroponic systems for cannabis. It is recommended to go for smaller yet sturdier plants for your hydroponic system.

Hydroponic systems require a lot of attention and involvement from the buyers. Usually, the hydroponic systems either rely on ebb or flow technique or timed irrigation systems. As a beginner, you should go for as much involvement and attention as possible. Therefore the systems with monitoring feature, alerts, and clocked watering should be given preference.

Drip Vs Flow systems:

Drip systems use slanted tables to carry the nutrients to the plants while the flow system relies on water pumps which flood the plants with nutrient water at regular intervals. Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages. The drip system is ideal for locations where you are planning to grow different plants while the flow system is appropriate for hydroponics systems with similar plants.

How did we Review all the products?

Each product has a different set of aspects that determine its quality and value in a particular market. Our review process takes those particular aspects into consideration while reviewing these products. Below we briefly discuss the aspects that carry particular importance in determining the best hydroponic systems for your home.

Simplicity:

Since this review is concentrating on beginner level hydroponic systems, we have ranked the simpler systems higher while the complex systems have been either removed from the list or have been ranked lower. The Simple, well-designed, and dynamic systems have been given higher attention in this review.

Package:

A beginner may not be aware of all the essentials needed to begin growing on a hydroponic system. The products which are complete in nature or have all the essentials needed to grow have been given preference in this list.

Monitoring:

Plants require a lot of care and attention to properly grow. Those hydroponic systems which provide convenience and allow better monitoring have been ranked higher. While the products which require hands-on approach or close human attention have been ranked lower. The monitoring system may not be entirely accurate, but they provide a general idea for the gardeners which can be particularly helpful for beginners.

Durability and Maintenance:

Extreme temperatures, oil, grease, and spices can eat away a surface if it’s not strong enough. We have placed a great deal of importance on the overall construction of the griddles reviewed in this list.

Capacity:

As a beginner or casual enthusiast, you would not be particularly concerned with the quantity of each plant you grow. But it is important to consider different varieties of plant that you can grow on a single hydroponic system. The products which allow for better diversity and design have been ranked higher on the list. The design is another aspect that is extremely important, a well-designed hydroponic system not only makes growing easy but creates very little mess.

Reviews of the Best Hydroponic System:

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Celestte Succulent Planter

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners
  • Growing Pods: 1
  • Water Flow System: Manual
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: Nil
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Stylish design, matt finish, ceramic body, nice decorative piece
  • Cons: No nutrient reservoir, no pump, no seed

Hydro Farm Active Aqua

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Product features :

  • Best For: Advanced
  • Growing Pods: 12 Buckets
  • Water Flow System: Ebb & Flow
  • Expandable: Yes
  • Reservoir: 55 Gallon central Reservoir
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 2.8 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: 12 pots, large central reservoir, expandable to 48 plants, full length growth
  • Cons: Difficult assembly

Hydroponic Site Grow

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners
  • Growing Pods: 90 holes
  • Water Flow System: Ebb & Flow
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: 15 to 20 Litre
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Easy assembly, can be placed on roof or garden, Hybrid water pumping system
  • Cons: Difficult to clean the pipes for new plants

H2OtoGro

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners & Advanced
  • Growing Pods: 6
  • Water Flow System: Drip System
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: Customizable central reservoir
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Complete growing kit, automatic water feeding system, water level indicator
  • Cons: Roots can get snagged in the pump

AutoPot 4 Pot

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners & Advanced
  • Growing Pods: 5
  • Water Flow System: Gravity Fed flow
  • Expandable: Yes
  • Reservoir: Adjustable single reservoir
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Simple, central reservoir, pump free feeding system, durable design
  • Cons: Flimsy tubing

General Hydroponics EcoPower

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners & Advanced
  • Growing Pods: 6
  • Water Flow System: Air driven Drip System
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: 17 gallon reservoir
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Can grow large plants, nutrients included in the package, Lid insert
  • Cons: Complex assembly and difficult to clean growth media

Pathonor Indoor Hydroponic

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners & Medium
  • Growing Pods: 6
  • Water Flow System: Pump
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: 3.9 oz. each Pod
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: All the essentials included, Oxygen pump for ideal nutrients, root cloner
  • Cons: Issues with the back valve

Power Grow Deep Water Culture

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners & Advanced
  • Growing Pods: 4 Deep Buckets
  • Water Flow System: Ebb & Flow
  • Expandable: Yes
  • Reservoir: 5 Gallons per bucket
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Water level indicator, drainage system, deep buckets to grow plants to maturity, air stone included
  • Cons: No central Reservoir system

Back to Roots Water Garden

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners
  • Growing Pods: 3
  • Water Flow System: Closed Loop eco system
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: 3 Gallon
  • LED Lights: No
  • Customer Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: Auto-cleaning system, fish tank, close loop eco system, all the essentials included
  • Cons: Fish waste can cause molding

AeroGarden Harvest

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Product features :

  • Best For: Beginners
  • Growing Pods: 6
  • Water Flow System: Ebb & Flow
  • Expandable: No
  • Reservoir: 3 oz.
  • LED Lights: Automatic LED lights
  • Customer Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars
  • Pros: No Soil germination, high-quality design, 6 gourmet seeds included, 5 times faster growth, exceptional control panel
  • Cons: Loud water piper


So , Which one we picked as best? 

The AeroGarden hydroponic system proved itself to be the most comprehensive and complete system for beginners. It is shipped with all the essentials that could need to start growing you own little garden. The durable design, decent price, exceedingly simple assembly, monitoring alerts, and watering system are all designed to enhance its convenience and increase your chances of success. The control panel is well designed and simple to understand. The package also includes recipe book and guides to help you take your first step into the hydroponic gardening. All the features and convenient alerts have impressed us immensely that is why we belive that the Aerogarden is the best hydroponic system that you can get on the market.

Jonathan M.
Editor, SmartHomePick.

Maintenance and Precautions

Plants are living things and like all living things they require ideal conditions to grow and thrive. Hydroponic systems are particularly susceptible to the conditions. Therefore it becomes extremely important to carry out regular maintenance to keep your plants healthy. Below we share some maintenance tips that would help you keep your garden pest free and thriving.

  • The hydroponic nutrients solution remains exposed to the atmosphere and has high chances of developing harmful bacterial. Therefore it is extremely important to sterilize the nutrient solution, medium, and the reservoir.
  • Plants suck the nutrients out of the soil. In a recirculating hydroponic system the nutrients must be regularly replaced so that the new plants can get ample amount of food and chance to grow.
  • The soil or nutrient water in which the plants stay must be cleaned on frequent bases to reduce the chances of pest and diseases. The root zone and feed circuit are particularly important in this regard and must be frequently checked for mold, fungal infection or other harmful bacteria.
  • After completing every yield it is essential to clean out the hydroponic system thoroughly (post yield cleanup).
  • The plants which get diseased need to be removed promptly to reduce the chances of spread of infection.

Current Market Trends

The Hydroponic market is still in its inception stages. Most of the products in this review do not have many reviews, but their quality and design make them worthy of a spot on this list. The Aerogarden is extremely important amongst the beginners due to its simple assembly, hassle-free operation, and out of the box start. The Celeste is falling rapidly behind because of its lack of features. It is essentially a vase without any additional features that could turn it into a true hydroponic system. The Autopot and HydroFarm have suffered in the ratings due to their complexity and steep price. They are more advanced hydroponic system and are not particularly preferred by the beginners. Even as an advanced system it lacks the fit and finish that could boost these products to the higher ranks.Back to Roots is a fun little product that is perfect for casual fans who wish to explore the world of hydroponics but don’t wish to deal with the hassle and complexities of the advanced system. Back to roots is perfect for experimenting and learning a bit about how aquaculture and different modes of food growth work. Therefore the buyers have shown a lot of interest in it. It is one of the bestselling products on this list, but we have not awarded it the top spot due to its lack of features and susceptibility towards fungus.The Power Grow, and General Hydroponics has been steady throughout. They provide a good collection of the feature along with a solid taste of the authentic hydroponic systems. The combination of both of these flavours makes these a decent option for the buyers and therefore enjoy a decent amount of popularity. The title of the best hydroponic system belongs to the Aerogarden.

F.A.Q CORNER


1. What is Hydroponic?

2. What types of plants can I grow in hydroponic systems?

3. Is hydroponic system faster than the traditional farming?

4. Does the Taste Change with Hydrophonic farming?

5. What Medium Should I choose for Growing Medium?

6. How Often Should I replenish my Nutrient Solution?

7. Should I use supplements to bolster the growth?

8. What is the Ideal temperature for the Hydroponic system?

9. I am seeing Scrum buildup in my reservoir what should I do?

10. How often should I replace my LED lights?

11. My leaves are turning yellow what should I do?

12. How to deal with Pesticides?

13. Which Water flow system is ideal for my Garden?

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