Hydroponic Help | A Guide to Hydroponics

Hydroponics is the method of plants cultivation in the solution of nutrients rather than growing them in the soil. Hydroponics is an old concept and growing plants in water also finds its mention in Egyptian writings that date back to many years before Christ. A general convention is to grow the plants in soil so that soil can anchor the roots of plants. But, as per the experiments conducted by scientists in 1930, they realized that they could grow plants in water without soil by dissolving the nutrients in water.

Holland has been using this method for production of commercial foods and it is also quite popular in Western Europe. Hydroponic production of food is also quite common is Canada and is the second largest producer of such food items after Holland.

Present and Future of Hydroponics

Hydroponics has gained more popularity in the last 40 years although it has been around for centuries. It is increasingly becoming popular in home gardening in addition to greenhouse and outdoor farming. Hydroponics has been used to grow vegetables in submarines for the crew members and experiments are going on for its use in space as well.

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

Experimentation with Hydroponics has started in NASA so that plants can be grown in space.

Advantages of Hydroponics

Artificial sunlight can be used for hydroponics and they can be grown even during winters. Yield of many vegetables is more and in lesser time. Nutrients that are used can be re-circulated that dramatically reduces the level of pollution. Hydroponics is environmental friendly and there is no need to use harmful weed killers and pesticides.

How Good is the Produce

As per numerous studies conducted regarding nutritional value of these produce, reports claim that there is dramatic increase in mineral and vitamin content of hydroponic food as compared to the produce grown in field.

Who Can do it

General Hydroponic is a skill and needs lots of patience. You need to start simple but need to take care of most fundamental aspects of plant growth that includes temperatures, light, CO2 etc. This industry is fast expanding reducing the overall cost and simplifying the methods. You can use the bucket system that offers lowest cost and is usually most effective. Easy setup and limited maintenance along with being inexpensive are some major advantages.