Hydro Systems are the best way to go if you're wanting to grow indoors or outdoors! These growing systems optimize growth and overall yield of your plants. Right below this paragraph i will describe the different type of hydroponics systems....
Ebb N Flow - This is the idea that a resivior which holds the water/nutrient solution gets lifted into a flood table(where the plants sit) via a water pump. The water pump is connected to a timer to uniformly deliver the nutrient solution & water at specific times a day, a certain number times a day. after each time the table that holds the plants floods it then drains back into the resivior below
DWC(Deep Water Culture) - This is the idea that a resivior holds the nutrient soultion/water in which the plants root system directly hangs in the water. A bubblestone connected to an air pump to oxengenate the water and the root system of the plant.
Bubbleponics, SWC(Shallow Water Culture) - Same idea as DWC but this system is mostly used for cloninng and rooting propogation.
Drip Emitter System - The idea in which a resivior holds a nutrient solution/water and a water pump and water lines deliver the solution to a tray in which the plants sit, and the solution drips into the top of the growing medium. This is connected to a timer as well to deliver the solution so many times per day.
Lighting question - If you plan on growing indoors, unless you have some way of providing direct sunlight to your plants via skylight, you will need to provide a light source. You don't need HID lights for your plants that are vegging. You will be able to use T5 High Output or even multiple 100watt Spiral CFL bulbs. However if you want to get optimum yield from your grow you will need an HPS(High Pressure Sodium) system. You can buy a 150watt HPS w/ built in ballast. This will only cover a grow area about a 1.5' x 1.5' so if you go this route remember to add more spiral cfl's around the plant to provide it with maximum light for the sides and bottom of the plants.
Other than buying expensive lights, you could always run your new Hydro system outdoors under natural light. I do both. Ebb N Flow system outdoors and I have a SWC indoors. My personal opinion.... if you dont want to buy a lighting system then go outdoors its the best way plus the size of my outdoor plants are twice the size of my indoors and i'm only a month into veg. indoors = 5"..... outdoors = 11"
crazy right?!
if you decide which system you'd like to go with let me know and i can give you step by step direction.
Also remember that you will need to eventually provide your plants with nutrients as well as water. First the pH of your water is extremely important! Actually it is VERY CRITICAL! so buy yourself a inexpensive pH meter pen, pH up, pH down, nutrients for veg & flowering(budding) as well as calcium, magnesium & Iron micronutrients.
Wick System - The idea in which plants sit on something that suspends their growing containers in the air, above a nutrient resivior. the resivior below the containers holds the nutrient solution/water and each growing container has a rope that goes from the inside of the bottom of the container and hangs below into the resivior. when the growing medium starts to dry out the rope soaks up the water/solution and feeds it to the plants root system.
NTF - This is the idea in which the plants sit in a a constant flowing nutrient solution and water. Not the most efficient if you ask me.
