Wick Systems are the most basic form of hydroponics and are incredibly easy to set up. ... The difference is that a Wick System uses two or more wicks to deliver water from the reservoir to the roots via capillary action; while in a lettuce raft the roots are submerged in the reservoir itself.

The main advantages of wick system hydroponics are that it's simple to build and easy to maintain. Whether you choose to keep it small or scale it up, you can do it by recycling or upcycling common household items and materials. And once you have it up and running, you can enjoy low-maintenance gardening year round.

Deep Water Culture (DWC) is a hydroponic method of plant production by means of suspending the plant roots in a solution of nutrient-rich, oxygenated water. Typically, DWC is used to grow short-term, non-fruiting crops such as leafy greens and herbs.

Nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique where in a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as channels.

Ebb and Flow, or Flood and Drain is a system involves the periodic flooding and draining of the nutrient solutions. The Flood is when the water and nutrients flow the growing areas, flowing over the plants' roots. The drain is when the water drains back to the reservoir.

The ebb and flow system momentarily floods the grow tray with nutrient solution and then drains the solution back into the reservoir. It uses a submerged pump connected to a timer set to come on various times a day, depending on the type and size of your plants, humidity, temperature, and the growing medium used.