The Nutrient Film Technique, sometimes referred to as NFT, is one of the most popular types of hydroponic systems. It’s prized for how versatile and modular it is. By adding more NFT channels to the system, you can significantly increase your yields without too much extra effort.
NFT is very similar to the Ebb and Flow technique for one simple reason: they both use water pumps to deliver the nutrient solution to your plants.
In a NFT system, gravity ultimately guides the water back to the main reservoir. It’s also a constantly flowing system as opposed to the flood and drain mechanics of an Ebb and Flow setup.
NFT systems are considered active systems, meaning they require moving parts to work. Systems like Wick Systems or The Kratky Method are passive, simpler to build, and easier to run, but you may be sacrificing optimal growing conditions for those benefits.
The key element of a good NFT system is how the nutrient solution flows over the roots. It has the word “film” in it for a reason – ideally, a very small amount of water flows through the channels. This allows the plants to get sufficient oxygen so they don’t drown.
It’s important to choose plants that don’t need a lot of support when using a NFT setup. Lettuce, basil, and many other salad greens thrive in NFT systems, while fruiting plants like tomatoes and cucumbers require much more support. It can still be done, but it’s labor-intensive to set up the support structures for these types of plants.
Benefits of NFT
Overall, a grower will use the nutrient film technique over other methods due to their low cost and maintenance requirements, as well as their flexibility. However, there are many other benefits to growing in an NFT system:
- Low water and nutrient consumption
- Avoids need to use a lot of growing media
- Easy to disinfect roots and setup
- Easy to see root quality and health
- Consistent flow prevents salt buildup in root area
- Recirculating, so minimal groundwater contamination
- Very modular and expandable
Downsides of NFT
Every type of system has its disadvantages, and NFT is no exception. Because roots are growing in confined channels, they can clog the channels. More downsides include:
- A failing pump can kill an entire crop within a few hours
- Does not work well with plants that have large tap-root systems
- Doesn’t do too well with plants that need a lot of support
Take a look at this simple video explaining the technique!
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Hi, just in case you might get in trouble with Cheetah, I would approach the issue in advance before it goes past only upvoting you.
Sometimes I've heard it helps if you add a mention on your Steemit account on the page, just like you've listed some social media sites here:
https://www.epicgardening.com/about/
I actually did this in the past already, not sure why it's hitting me again...I even went to the channel on steemit.chat - any ideas?
Hi! I am a robot. I just upvoted you! I found similar content that readers might be interested in:
https://www.epicgardening.com/nutrient-film-technique/
Hello @halcyondaze, good post and good initiative, greetings from Venezuela!
Greetings! Great to see you again!
Great post! Like your channel. Any studies on NFT vs. aeroponics?
Aeroponics performs slightly better early on as you get better root growth, but you can mitigate that by just using a good cloning system before you transplant into your NFT system
Actually this looks much easier than most of the complex systems I've seen videos on. Are the net pots touching the channel base, or are they held aloft for the roots to dangle down to the base? More commonly I see the pots surrounded in a clay medium, but I'm guessing that is different than the NFT system here. Why is it called nutrient film? Is the water stream the nutrient film?
They're usually around 1" from the channel base...you want some room for the roots to grow and also to not interrupt the water flow. Hydroton clay balls are the common medium, you'd normally put them in the net pots to secure the plant's base as well. It's called 'nutrient film' only because it's a tiny bit of water - you're not flooding the channel.
These are all GREAT questions!
Really interesting, so different from anything I have done, maybe I will have a go if I can find the time! Would you transplant already established plants or could you start from seed? If so how would you assure that the seeds were moist enough to germinate and grow before their roots could reach the water film? Sorry if these are really basic questions😕
Basic questions are the only way to start! I would transplant established plants simply for speed's sake, but you can plant seeds for sure - they just wouldn't benefit from the system until the roots made their way down into the channels. The best way to make sure they remain moist is to use a seed starting plug made of peat or coco coir that retains water well so the seed has plenty to germinate and for roots to grow down.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the information, it’s all really fascinating. What do you add to the water to provide the nutrients for plant growth?
I use General Hydroponics Flora series nutrients :)
@halcyondaze, great learning outcomes. Hope to transport those skills in my garden. Nice to see more people on this category. Cheers, @keyss.