About Us Neerabup Organic and Hydroponic Supplies is a family business based in Perth, Western Australia. We have a wide knowledge of Hydroponics, business and marketing and commercial horticulture. Backed by this knowledge and experience, we at Neerabup Organic and Hydroponic Supplies offer to you, friendly service, reliable advice and top quality supplies and equipment. If you are having any problems with plant growth, roots, bugs or anything Neerabup Organic and Hydroponic Supplies is happy to help. The products advertised on our website are just a short range of what we stock, so come on in and see the vast range of supplies and equipment we carry. The Basics What is Hydroponics? Hydroponics is a form of gardening/farming that does not need soil in the traditional sense. Instead, all the nutrients that a plant needs to grow and thrive are delivered directly to the root zone via the watering system. “Soil” is needed in the form of an inert medium (like Perlite, Rockwool, Clay pebbles or Coco Fibre) to support the root system. The nutrients can be derived from either inorganic or organic mineral salts. “Hydroponics” is derived from the Greek “hydro” meaning water and “ponis” meaning work. The literal translation of hydroponics is “water working”. Water is the key in any hydroponics system and it is therefore extremely important that the water supply used is of good quality. What can you grow hydroponically? Anything that you would consider growing in a conventional garden, can be grown hydroponically. Once you have worked out what you want to grow a system can be designed accordingly. It is important to note that for crops like root vegetables you will need to have a media based system with a deep enough container to support the development of the root vegetable. For other crops like tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers or even flowers like roses, carnations, tulips there are many options from which to choose. Anything from hand watering, drip irrigation, NFT (Nutrient Film Technique), Flood and Drain and other basic recirculating as well as aeroponic systems, can be used. For more info see the System section and for a more detailed list of crops that are commonly grown hydroponically see the Nutrient Chart. What is the difference between growing in soil (i.e. conventional gardening or farming) and growing hydroponically? The most notable difference is of course that all nutrients for plant development are provided via the watering system rather than via the soil. The roots of the plant in a hydroponics system do not need to search for food as they would in a soil/conventional garden. Because the nutrients are provided directly to the root system, plants grown hydroponically will grow faster and also stronger than plants grown in soil. The direct application of nutrient to the root-zone also means that the root systems of hydroponically grown plants are smaller than soil grown plants. This has the added benefit of being able to grow more plants in smaller area than conventional farming. The most significant difference (particularly in this period of water restrictions and drought) is that hydroponically grown plants use water more efficiently than soil grown plants. As an example, in a commercial situation, to produce $100 worth of lettuce in a conventional farm requires the use of 38,000 litres of water, in a hydroponics farm only 600 litres is used. (Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses Magazine Jan/Feb 07 page 1 and 18) Hydroponic Gardening has the potential to be a more sustainable approach to agriculture then conventional farming. It not only maximises crop production in a smaller area and uses less water it also uses fewer pesticides and has little or no need for herbicides. Pests and weeds are not a problem in a hydroponic system if it is set up and managed properly. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) systems are becoming more widely used by commercial and hobby growers alike. IPM systems incorporate the use of beneficial bugs or predators and non-toxic sprays (like Aza Max and Eco Oil that are BFA Certified Inputs) as part of a programme to combat and treat unwanted insects like Spider Mite, Fungas Gnats, White Fly, Aphids and Mealy Bugs to name a few. Products Lighting Equipment Nutrients Additives Mediums Propagation Roots Meters & Test Equipment Pots & Packing Ventilation Pumps & Heating Extras