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Hydroponics Herb Garden

Insider's Garden : Episode TIG-203 -- More Projects »
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Figure A
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Figure B
Hydroponics expert Matt Stanley has been growing soil-free plants for 10 years and has created a year-round herb garden to supply fresh herbs and accent his living home décor. He uses two different forms of hydroponics:

  1. Hydroculture, one type of hydroponics, is a passive system in which a plant absorbs water in a medium such as expanded clay pebbles (figure A).

  2. Another form of hydroponics uses a pump to rush the nutrient solution to the root system of a plant (figure B).
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Figure C
Using a tank-and-pump hydroponics system, Stanley's kitchen herb garden provides him with his favorite fresh herbs no matter the season. Located near the stove for easy access, Stanley clips herbs like lavender, basil, mother of thyme, dill, and rosemary for his cooking on a daily basis (figure C).
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Figure D
  • Not only is the system convenient, but herbs cultivated via hydroponics will grow 40 to 50 percent faster than those grown in soil. Because they don't have to expend extra energy to find nutrients, plants can focus all their energy into growth. Growth is faster and yields are larger.
  • Maintenance of hydroponics plants is as easy as weekly watering.

    Stanley keeps a backup garden in another room for additional culinary herbs (figure D). "The biggest thing I enjoy about hydroculture with houseplants is that you don't have the soil that makes a mess," he says. "Expanded clay pebbles are very clean and attractive."

    • Also in this Episode
    Insider's Garden : Episode TIG-203
    •Hydroponics How To
    •Hydroponics Herb Garden
    •Hydroponics Systems
    •Cleaning Hydroponics
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