In the world of hydroponics, the most successful grower is often the one who gathers the most hydroponics information. If you ever meet someone who is renowned for a having a “green thumb,” chances are their book shelves will be lined with tons of books, magazines, and other resources to better help them understand the art, craft, and science of hydroponics.

If you want to give yourself the same edge and reputation, you should never skip an opportunity to learn everything you can about hydroponic gardening. Here are the best resources you can use to expand your knowledge as a gardener.

Hydroponic Manufacturer – When using any hydroponics equipment or nutrients, always collect as much information from the manufacturer as you can. They often run independent tests that determine the best ways to use their products, and the environmental conditions that help plants thrive. This sort of information is usually included with the equipment as instructions, or is posted on their website. Larger hydroponic manufacturers usually have toll free numbers where you can speak to a hydroponics professional about growing topics. Taking advantage of these kinds of resources will help you better understand how to use their products, and will result in bigger yields, tastier vegetables, and more successful cloning.

Hydroponic Newsletters – The main advantage of hydroponic newsletters and magazines is that they usually contain a lot of up to date information that older books might not. Make certain, however, that your newsletter, whether you get it in the mail or your email inbox, comes from a reputable source. There are many people who are only marginally qualified to be dispensing hydroponic information, so it pays to be vigilant and perhaps even slightly skeptical before singing up.

Hydroponic Videos – Hydroponic videos can give you pieces of information that might be more difficult to understand through just words and still pictures alone. If you want to see a professional make a stem cutting to make a clone, for example, purchasing a video might be the best way to do this. You can even see many videos for free on YouTube and other video sharing services. But to get the most in depth information, you are better off purchasing full-length instructional videos online or from you local hydroponics retailer.

Books – Checking out books from the library is a fantastic way to get lots of hydroponic information that you may not be able to find online. The advantage here is that the library can often have university level textbooks on hydroponics that go into much greater depth on the techniques used in growing than books you might find at the bookstore. The disadvantage is that, since hydroponics has been around for so long, these kinds of books are commonly thirty years old or more, which means they probably don’t contain information on the latest developments in hydroponics. Whenever you use a technique or piece of advice from an older book, make certain that modern studies still consider those techniques beneficial.

Michael Straumietis is co-founder of Advanced Nutrients and an expert in hydroponics, plant nutrition & soil sciences. He markets, reviews and publishes his knowledge in short original papers with a focus on soil-plant interactions.