For home use I recommend an ebb-and-flow system like this one. There's little maintenance and fewer opportunities to kill your crops. The system is also relatively inexpensive and easy to build.

Building a cheap hydroponic system is an excellent way to grow plants without soil while minimizing costs. Hydroponics allows for efficient nutrient delivery and faster growth rates. Here is a ...

Seventh grader Elliot Moize, left, and eighth grader Sabra Lorrimer discuss an ebb and flow hydroponics project with their teacher, Kara Getty, at Tripp Middle School in Turner. Students in Getty ...

The flood table, sometimes called ebb and flow, can enable the roots to get entangled. You also have new flushes of water each time, which can make controlling the pH levels more difficult.