Hydroponics
If you've ever heard of the term "soil-less gardening",
then you'll know that this system of growing is called
hydroponics. This is one of the latest
developments in agriculture and it's now providing a
solution to the problem of gardening in small
spaces.
 “Hydroponics is soil-less gardening. It means more
food in less space with less water in less time,” explains Dan
Lubkeman, president of the Hydroponic Society of America, an
organization that's helped hobbyists and commercial growers
from 23 countries on five continents since 1979.
“It’s
like playing Mother Nature indoors. You provide the sun, food,
water, and fresh water,” he adds.
You'll quickly
know when you're eating a product of hydroponics as soon
as you chomp on a carrot. From the crunch of it you'll
know, or the moistness of the lettuce, the meatiness of a
beefsteak tomato and the totally clean, fresh flavor that
explodes in your palate like scruptious edible fireworks….
It’s hydroponics all right.
The hydroponics
system can be used to grow any produce and
plant. Anything that grows using traditional
methods will also grow in a hydroponics system. Other
than saving space and soil, this method has several
other benefits, including no soil-borne diseases, no weeds to
pull and no soil to till — just a few of
your regular, run-of-the-mill side benefits of soil-less
gardening.
“Also, the plants can be grown close
together, which means it’s easy to grow salad makings in your
kitchen,” adds Neil Watson, a spokesperson for General
Hydroponics, which manufactures and sells hydroponic products
in Sebastopol, California.
For anyone who lives in a
condominium or residence with little yard space, that’s
great news. Now you can grow tomatos, peppers and
strawberries in your own home. However, you should
be aware that hydroponics itself is a complicated method.
In fact, it is composed of more than one method.
Some
methods of hydroponics eliminate soil. Others use only a
little material as a means of physical support. Whatever
method you choose, you should know that growing plants
hydroponically may involve a fair bit of trial and
error.
Here are some common types of hydroponics
currently used by home gardeners and farmers throughout the
world:
Passive
Hydroponics
Many
people consider this the simplest approach, mainly
because it requires the least amount of maintenance. The
only thing a grower needs is a container filled with a
medium. Place the container in a tray of nutrient solution,
however. occasionally the solution may need to be
replaced.
Flood and
Drain
This is another name for “ebb and
flow” hydroponics. You simply place pots made of a medium in a
tray above a reservoir of nutrient solution. To replenish the
nutrients in the tray, all you need is a pump set on a timer
which will keep the pot regularly flushed with food and
air.
“This might be the most popular, most
practical and cleanest method available,” Watson
says.
Deep Water
Culture
This type of hydroponics
requires the roots of your plants to be suspended
from above and allowed to hang into an aerated nutrient
solution. To help with aeration, standard
aquarium pumps, air stones, or any device that produce bubbles
can be used. Aeration will help deliver oxygen to the roots.
However, you must watch out for algae formation. To
prevent them from forming in the container, it's best to
choose a plant container that is
light-proof.
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