What Is Hydroponics

Gardeners are used to getting a little dirty. There is plenty of digging about in the ground, adding fertilizer and applying pesticide. Then there is planting, dividing and replanting. All of this effort is for the purpose of growing food and plants for aesthetic appeal. However, you can have all of this without ever touching the dirt.

This is what hydroponics can offer

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. The medium is typically water. While there are other mediums used, water is by far the most common and is what we will concern ourselves with here.

But wait; is growing plants without soil even a possibility? After all, don't plants need soil for their nutrients and water needs? Not always.

Plants certainly need water. However, it need not necessarily come from the soil, although this is the most common method of gardening. Of course, in nature there are many plants which grow in gravel, sand or yes, even in water.

Plants also require energy, usually in the form of sunlight but also in heat. Sunlight warmed soil is not the only way for plants to get the energy they need – they can absorb this energy through their leaves, just as plants grown in soil do. As long as a plant is exposed to sunlight, it will still be able to perform the process of photosynthesis. Of course, there are always exceptions. There are plants which do fine with no light as all, but they still need energy to make their biochemical processes happen.

The vast majority of plants which are grown by home gardeners need physical support, which is usually accomplished by planting them in soil. Roots spread in the soil for this purpose, among others. Artificial supports can also be used, such as popsicle sticks, strings and others.

One of the biggest considerations for gardeners is giving your plants the proper nutrients. Phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and many other trace elements are necessary for the growth of your plants. The way plants generally absorb these nutrients is through the soil; however, there is more than one way for plants to get these important nutrients.

Giving regular feedings of liquid nutrients to hydroponically grown plants is one method. Other hydroponically grown plants are kept in an enclosure which retains moisture; you can them spray the roots directly with a liquid nutrient solution. This is also done in the less common practice of aeroponics.

You can grow a lot of plants hydroponically – orchids, tomatoes, lettuce strawberries and many, many others. There are literally thousands of plants which grow well in a hydroponic setting, as long as they are given proper care. It can be fun and educational to grow plants hydroponically. You can grow pleasant looking and delicious plants without any of the problems presented by growing in soil.

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