I just love growing food hydroponically! Why? I am more likely to harvest it and eat it, too. Over 600,000 YouTubers love how I teach hydroponics in 8 minutes. You can get growing with that free video, but maybe it only ‘wet’ your appetite? If you are hungry for more hydroponics, let’s get growing together in upcoming classes!
Hydroponics can be so easy, productive, and even affordable depending on the system and how much you use it! A similar amount of garden prep can yield exponentially higher harvests per unit area and unit effort. Plus, hydroponics uses less water and land compared to conventional agriculture, and in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), year-round harvests are a reality. Now, with consistent and abundant harvests, a localized food system is achievable… and it can be done in the city!
Do you want to grow your own food and eat it, be the coolest kid at the science fair, have the greenest class on campus, feed the hungry, teach your local community, start a business, become a farmer, or catalyze the next Green Revolution, if so hydroponics is an alternative method of growing plants you should be aware of!
Whether you want to grow a head of lettuce in a recycled milk jug, 3 heads in a bucket, 20 heads in a baby pool, 4,400 heads over and over again in a commercial production system like Urban Smart Farms, Diego Dutra, farmerpeneur in the Orange County Convention Center… 
I want to help you determine your garden goals, limitations, and resources to help you succeed however you define your success!
Virtual Classes, $10 each
WHAT: Introduction to Hydroponics (virtual)
WHEN: 11/2/23, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
COST: $10
REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-hydroponics-tickets-623693061737?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Want to get your feet wet with hydroponics? Interested in growing your own, but not quite sure where to start? Hydroponics curious? Plant nerd? Tried, but never successful in soil? Thinking of a side hustle? Or looking to change the global food system? This class may be right for you! 
The Introduction to Hydroponics virtual class will provide definitions and history of hydroponics, the science of growing plants hydroponically, and simple, affordable hydroponic growing method will be demonstrated.
WHAT: Overview of Hydroponic Systems (virtual)
WHEN: 11/9/23, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
COST: $10
REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/overview-of-hydroponics-systems-tickets-623699290367?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
There are a variety of hydroponics growing systems, and each has unique qualities to consider for your crops and consumption goals. This virtual class will provide an overview of the various hydroponic growing systems including Deep Water Culture, Nutrient Film Technique, Ebb and Flow, Dutch Buckets, Wick systems, Aeroponics, Vertical towers, and a few other novel growing systems you MUST know about!
WHAT: Integrated Pest Management, Structures, and Lights in Hydroponics (virtual)
WHEN: 11/16/23, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
COST: $10
REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/considering-ipm-structure-and-lights-in-hydroponics-tickets-623705529027?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Whether elementary or experienced, there is always more to learn! To extrapolate the greatest benefits of hydroponic growing systems, you want to think about location, pest management, structures, and artificial lights.
Hydroponics are already separated from the soil, thus reducing the likelihood of a variety of soil borne pest problems. Selecting structures can further prevent certain types of pesky pests from munching on your crops leaving only the little things. Concepts of Integrated Pest Management are important for planning and protecting your crops!
If you are limited by sunlight, consider supplemental artificial lights for apartment growing or pushing crops indoors through the hot Florida Summer. Plants “see” light differently, and artificial light technology is rapidly advancing. It could be worth your time to learn more about light!
Workshop, In-person, $45 each, includes hydroponics kit
WHAT: Set it and Forget it Hydroponics Workshop
WHEN: 12/1/23, 10:00 am – 12:00 am or 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
COST: $45 each, includes hydroponics kit
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
- 12/1/23, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
- 12/1/23, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Come learn how to grow your own hydroponic lettuce in a non-circulating system! All you have to do is set it and forget it!
You will learn the basic principles of hydroponic growing! You will practice these simple techniques by building your own hydroponic bucket, and you will leave the class with a working hydroponic system including 3 lettuce seedlings actively growing.
The class will include materials for you to grow a few more cycles of your own hydroponic lettuce including seeds, nutrients, and some other important materials so that you can grow your own!
$45.00 per person with materials. Pre-Registration is required along with the non-refundable class fee.
Hydroponics Hannah
I have been growing plants hydroponically since 2010 in a variety of situations including personal use, research, ag production, and training attendance and development. I have developed multiple award-winning trainings and content specifically in hydroponics and I am excited to offer these lessons this Fall 2023! I also have the privilege of learning alongside leading researchers and trailblazing farmers on agricultural innovations feeding the future. I tap into various experiences to teach YOU!
- Hannah Wooten Hydroponic Lettuce (Set it and Forget it Hydroponics YouTube)
- Hydroponics in Jail Lesson Plan (video below or linked)
- I Ate My Homework! Hydroponics for Students
- Train-the-Trainer in Hydroponics
- USDA Urban Agriculture Grant, Evaluating Hydroponic Organic Strawberry Production, Principal Investigator Dr. Xin Zhao
- UF SEEDIT Screening Hydroponic Lettuce Cultivars for Nutritional Quality, Principal Investigator Dr. German Sandoya
Advanced Trainings and more information on Hydroponics
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) gets very advanced and is a fast-growing field of study. Here are other trainings and programs to have on your radar to keep learning!
UF Ask IFAS has peer reviewed documents about hydroponics and much more!
UF/IFAS Greenhouse Training Online: Hydroponic Vegetable Production. This is a month long, online hydroponics course. This class is current, relevant, and has world class instructors. You get a lot of resources, but you do not get that actual hands on experience. https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/
University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Intensive Workshops. These in- person workshops are a bit more crop specific, have intensive lectures, and include some hands on practice of techniques. https://ceac.arizona.edu/events/intensive-workshops
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