Visited Hydroponics Agrotourism of  Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia

I filled last Saturday with fun activities but full of benefit. Because lately I was interested with gardening, I decided to join a hydroponics training. The training held by Banyuwangi Hydroponics Community and Sumber Gondo Agrowisata and located at Umbul Bening Water Recreation. Umbul Bening Water Recreation located in Sumber Gondo Village, Glenmore Distric, Banyuwangi Regency.

Umbul Bening Water Recreation, Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia

I never gardening previously. I interested with gardening after read some article about hydroponic farm, how the way of gardening without must have a large garden area. I searching farmer who practice hydroponic gardening around my regency to learn more about hydroponic gardening.  Finally, I found Facebook Group called "Hidroponik Banyuwangi" and I ask to join this group. Mr Yon, the founder of the group accept and welcome me to joint the group.

After becoming a member of Group, I got a lot of information about hydroponic, and this make me more curious. When the community held a training about hydroponics I did not waste it and joint the training. Moreover, I need to know more about it, meet more farmer who expert and take their knowledge and someday I could be an expert like them. I took time to visit Mr Yon House and registration the training at once.

Hydroponic Vegetable

Saturday 17th, 2016 the day has come, I leave home at 10.00 am because need one and half hours to get to location and the training will start at 01.00 pm. I never visit to Umbul Bening Water Recreation before and finally I ended up wrong location. There was two water recreation in Sumber Gondo Village, the first (east) called Umbul Pule and the last (west) called Umbul Bening. I had entered Umbul Pule and made that water recreation staff confused when I ask about the training and mention Umbul Bening Water Recreation that located about 50 meters in the west of Umbul Pule Water Recreation.

The Participants

Eventually, I ended up in the Umbul Bening Water Recreation and greeted by training committee. I had half hours to make conversation with some expert like Mr Yon, Mr Choirur and more before the training started. Shortly, other participant also came and the training start at 01.00 pm.

The Starting Kit

The training started with hydroponics introduction, knowing the types of hydroponics system, practice how to seeding and ends with visiting hydroponics gardens. Every participants got starting kit that contain 1 bucket, 1 hollow styrofoam (the planting hole), 5 pack seeds from different plant (vegetables), 1 rockwool, 5 netpots, 5 flannel fabrics and papers.

Mr Yon and Mr Choiru the trainer team

Mr Yon explain about hydroponic gardening

The trainer explained how to start hydroponic farmer with  the starting kit. Although many types and system in hydroponics farming, but in this training we used wick system and focused with seeding, because seeding was crucial step to the success of farming in hydroponics. I learned step by step, from how to cut rockwool, wetting rockwool, make tiny hole in rockwool for place seed and how treat the seed. I also learned how to put the seed to net pot and how to nourishes.        

All participant of training learned basic wick system of hydroponic gardening

In the end of training, after ask and questions session we visited the hydroponic garden that located not far from training location. Every participant can explore the garden.

Visited The Hydroponic Garden

Another shot of Hydroponic Agrotourism (Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia)