Hydroponic Gardening

A Guide to Hydroponics

There’s a way to cultivate plants using a solution of nutrients rather than growing them in the soil. It’s called hydroponic gardening. Hydroponics is an old concept. Growing plants in water finds its mention in Egyptian writings that date back to many years before Christ.

A general convention is to grow plants in soil so that the soil can anchor the roots of the plants. But experiments conducted by scientists in 1930 revealed that plants could grow without soil by dissolving the necessary nutrients in water.

Holland has been using hydroponic gardening for production of commercial foods and it is also quite popular in Western Europe. Growing food products with hydroponics is also quite common in Canada, which is the second largest producer of such items after Holland.

Hydroponic gardening has gained in popularity in the last 40 years even though it has been around for centuries. It is increasingly popular in home gardening, greenhouses and outdoor farming. Hydroponics has been used to grow vegetables in submarines for crew members and NASA has commenced experimentation with hydroponics so that plants can be grown in space.

Hydroponic gardening is a good option for developing and under-developed countries where space is limited. It is also a good option where soil conditions are poor, such as barren hilly areas and deserts. Desert sand provides a good media for the growth of plants. After removing the salts, sea water can be used to mix the solution of nutrients.

Artificial sunlight can be used with hydroponics and plants can be grown even during winter. The yield of many vegetables is much higher and is achieved in less time. The nutrients that are used can be re-circulated, which dramatically reduces pollution levels. Hydroponic gardening is environmental friendly and there is no need to use harmful weed killers and pesticides.

Numerous studies conducted regarding the nutritional value of products grown through hydroponics claim that there is dramatic increase in mineral and vitamin content as compared to produce grown in the field.

The hydroponic gardening industry is expanding rapidly, so the overall cost has come down and the methods have been simplified. Still, hydroponics is a skill and requires lots of patience. You need to start small by taking care of the most fundamental aspects of plant growth. This includes temperature, light, and carbon dioxide.