Explaining Hydroponic Basics

The term "hydroponics" comes from a couple of Greek words that together mean "working water." Simply, hydroponic basics entail the method of growing plants in water, without soil.

Hydroponic gardening is based on the idea of providing plants with the essentials for growth using alternative means other than soil. In simplest terms, plants should have the following four things to grow:

* Light
* Water
* Nutrients
* A growth medium (i.e., an anchor for the roots)

Generally, the soil provides the medium for three of the four elements discussed above: water, nutrients, anchor. However, the only thing the soil directly provides is the growth medium (water and nutrients come through the soil, but are not provided by the soil). This further means that so long as you provide water, light and nutrients to the plants, you don't actually need soil in the picture.

In hydroponic basics, plants are anchored on substitute medium such as Rockwool and vermiculite. Simple pump-and-recycle systems are typically used in providing the plants with ph-balanced solution of water and nutrients. All that is left is to provide proper lighting (natural sunlight, specialized grow lights or a combination of the two), and plants will grow without soil. In fact, your plants could grow better as compared to utilizing conventional techniques so long as you optimize the provision of these elements.

Still, some people are more comfortable with the old, proven ways and would wonder: why go through this trouble? The responses to this inquiry are simple:

1. With hydroponics, we can grow plants just about anywhere. With hydroponics, we're no longer limited to places with soil and sunlight - just as long as we're able to create a controlled environment. People in the urban areas who don't have access to a garden may then be given the chance to grow their own food. The possibilities are infinite: in the dead of winter, in the arctic regions, even in space!

2. Hydroponics is a great solution for hostile growing environments. It's obviously better to grow food hydroponically in places where the soil is contaminated. The benefits of this method is that people will be able to have better yields and they will be protected from the dangers of the contaminants.

In short, hydroponics opens up new alternatives to both individuals and societies. Canada and Holland have started utilizing this practice to grow food on a larger scale, why be left behind? By knowing the hydroponic basics, you can try it and see how this novel method of growing plants can benefit you.