Hydroponic system and apparatus having removable growing structures for multiple types of plants

1. A hydroponic system comprising:

a tray having a drain opening in a bottom surface of the tray;

a water re-circulation system configured to re-circulate water containing plant nutrients through the hydroponic system, the water re-circulation system configured to provide the water containing the plant nutrients to the tray, the tray configured to convey the water along the bottom surface of the tray to the drain opening, the drain opening configured to drain the water from the tray; and

different types of removable growing structures that are configured to provide corresponding different vertical distances between a top of a hydroponic growing medium and the bottom surface of the tray, the different types of removable growing structures comprising a first removable growing structure comprising a first lid and a second removable growing structure comprising a second lid, the first removable growing structure and the second removable growing structure configured to each fit into the tray at the same time, the first lid having a first surface that is a first distance above the bottom surface of the tray, the first surface having a first opening configured to receive a first plant growing receptacle, the second lid having a second surface that is a second distance above the bottom surface of the tray that is different from the first distance, the second surface having a second opening configured to receive a second plant growing receptacle.

2. The hydroponic system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first opening is configured to house a plant in which roots of the plants are constantly bathed by the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray; and

the opening is configured to house a root vegetable in which the root vegetable grows to maturity without touching the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray.

3. The hydroponic system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a pump configured to pump a portion of the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray to top-water the root vegetable in the second lid.

4. The hydroponic system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide light to plants in the different types of removable growing structures, wherein the pump is configured to be powered by light from the LEDs.

5. The hydroponic system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a wick configured to draw the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray to water the root vegetable in the second lid.

6. The hydroponic system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first net cup configured to hold a first length of hydroponic growing medium;

a second net cup configured to hold a second length of hydroponic growing medium, the second length is longer than the first length;

the first opening in the first lid is configured to receive the first net cup; and

the second opening in the second lid is configured to receive the second net cup.

7. The hydroponic system of claim 1 , wherein the tray is a base tray, and further comprising:

an inner tray configured to fit within the base tray at the same time as the first lid and the second lid, the inner tray having openings to allow the water that is re-circulated in the hydroponic system to enter the inner tray.

8. The hydroponic system of claim 7 , wherein:

the inner tray is configured to house a hydroponic mat.

9. The hydroponic system of claim 1 , further comprising a first net cup configured to hold a first length of hydroponic growing medium, the first net cup comprises a first ridge configured to secure the first net cup into the first opening such that the first length of hydroponic growing medium contacts the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray; and

a second net cup configured to hold a second length of hydroponic growing medium, the second length is longer than the first length, the second net cup comprises a second ridge configured to secure the second net cup into the second opening such that the second length of hydroponic growing medium contacts the water that is conveyed along the bottom surface of the tray.

10. A hydroponic apparatus comprising:

a tray comprising a bottom surface and a drain opening in the bottom surface at a first end of the tray, the tray configured to route aqueous hydroponic nutrient that enters the first end of the tray along the bottom surface to a second end of the tray and back to the drain opening, the drain opening configured to drain the aqueous hydroponic nutrient from the tray, wherein the aqueous hydroponic nutrient flows along the bottom surface of the tray, wherein the tray comprises a structure configured to control a level of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient;

a first lid configured to fit in the tray above the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray, the first lid having a first opening configured to receive a first plant growing receptacle, the first lid configured to fit into the tray such that there is a first distance between the first opening and the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray; and

a second lid configured to fit in the tray above the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray, the second lid having a second opening configured to receive a second plant growing receptacle, the second lid configured to fit into the tray such that there is a second distance between the second opening and the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray, wherein the second distance is different than the first distance, wherein the first lid and the second lid are configured to fit in the tray at the same time.

11. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the first lid is configured to allow growth of a plant in the first plant growing receptacle while allowing roots of the plant to contact the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray; and

the second lid configured to allow a root vegetable to grow to maturity in the second plant growing receptacle without the root vegetable contacting the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray.

12. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

a pump configured to pump a portion of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray to top-water the root vegetable in the second lid.

13. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide light to the root vegetable in the second lid, wherein the pump is configured to be powered by light from the LEDs.

14. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

a wick configured to draw a portion of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the tray to water the root vegetable in the second lid.

15. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the first plant growing receptacle comprises a first net cup configured to hold a first length of soil-less growing medium; and

the second plant growing receptacle comprises a second net cup configured to hold a second length of hydroponic growing medium, the second length is longer than the first length.

16. A hydroponic apparatus comprising:

a first tray comprising a bottom surface and a drain opening in the bottom surface at a first end of the first tray, the first tray configured to route aqueous hydroponic nutrient that enters the first end of the first tray along the bottom surface to a second end of the first tray and back to the drain opening, the drain opening configured to drain the aqueous hydroponic nutrient from the first tray, wherein the aqueous hydroponic nutrient flows along the bottom surface of the first tray;

a lid configured to fit in the first tray above the aqueous hydroponic nutrient, the lid having one or more openings each configured to receive a plant growing receptacle; and

a second tray configured to fit in the first tray such that a top surface of the second tray is below the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the first tray, the top surface of the second tray having a plurality of openings to allow the aqueous hydroponic nutrient to enter the second tray, wherein the lid and the second tray are configured to fit in the first tray at the same time.

17. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second tray is configured to receive a hydroponic growing mat over the plurality of openings.

18. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the lid is configured to allow growth of a plant in the plant growing receptacle while allowing roots of the plant to constantly bathe in the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the first tray.

19. The hydroponic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the lid is configured to allow a root vegetable to grow to maturity in the plant growing receptacle without the root vegetable contacting the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that flows along the bottom surface of the first tray.