Gardeners and horticulturalists are used to getting grimy. Applying fertilizers, pesticides and rooting around in the soil is just a part of the job. Plants are planted divided and re-planted. They do all this for the rewards of producing beautiful and nutritious plants to view and eat. But what if you could gain those values without coming into contact with any soil at all?
That's what hydroponics is all about.
Hydroponics is the science and practice of growing plants without using soil. Water is the most common medium used instead. There are more technically accurate definitions, to be sure. As far as the average hobbyist gardener is concerned though, that's pretty much there is to it.
You might wonder how hydroponics gardening is possible. Don't plants need soil for nutrition, heat, support, water and all the other things they need to grow and reproduce? Not necessarily.
Water is an essential ingredient for plants. They do not necessarily have to get their water from the soil. Even in nature, some plants grow in sand, gravel or even on the surface or underneath a body of water.
Plants require some heat energy which usually comes from the sun, or from other heat sources in their environment. But soil warmed by sunlight isn't the only way to get that. Direct sunlight still works on leaves, the same way it does for plants in soil. Exposing the top part of the plant to sunlight will allow the natural and critical process, photosynthesis, to happen. There are however exceptions to this rule. Some plants survive and reproduce with no light, though they still need some energy to drive biochemical reactions.
Most plants that interest the home gardener or hobbyist do require physical support. Planting them in soil is one common and effective way to achieve that. This is partly why plants have evolved wind resistant stems, and roots that spread. Those species of plants that didn't evolve in this way likely died off thousand or millions of years ago. You can provide artificial support to your plants by use of ice cream sticks, chop sticks and many other methods.
Without question, the most important element of growing plants is using the correct nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and a host of trace elements (zinc, copper, iron and others) are essential to plant growth. Absorbing those elements from the surrounding soil is, of course, one usual way of obtaining them. There are, however, alternative methods in which the nutrients can be absorbed by the plants.
Through hydroponics, the roots are completely immersed in water and nutrients are periodically fed through that medium. There are others. Some hydroponically grown plants are housed in an enclosure that retains moisture well. In this container the roots are sprayed with a mister that contains a nutrient solution. This crosses into the gray area known as aeroponics.
There are few limitations when it comes to what you can grow with hydroponics. This includes growing strawberries, lettuce, orchids, tomatoes and a host of other fruiting and non-fruiting plants. Most soil-based plants can thrive with hydroponics if they are taken care of. That effort can be fun and instructive. It can also produce beautiful or nutritious plants without many of the drawbacks of soil-grown plants.
As far as the average hobbyist gardener is concerned though, that's pretty much there is to it.
That's what hydroponics is all about.
Hydroponics is the science and practice of growing plants without using soil. Water is the most common medium used instead. There are more technically accurate definitions, to be sure. As far as the average hobbyist gardener is concerned though, that's pretty much there is to it.
You might wonder how hydroponics gardening is possible. Don't plants need soil for nutrition, heat, support, water and all the other things they need to grow and reproduce? Not necessarily.
Water is an essential ingredient for plants. They do not necessarily have to get their water from the soil. Even in nature, some plants grow in sand, gravel or even on the surface or underneath a body of water.
Plants require some heat energy which usually comes from the sun, or from other heat sources in their environment. But soil warmed by sunlight isn't the only way to get that. Direct sunlight still works on leaves, the same way it does for plants in soil. Exposing the top part of the plant to sunlight will allow the natural and critical process, photosynthesis, to happen. There are however exceptions to this rule. Some plants survive and reproduce with no light, though they still need some energy to drive biochemical reactions.
Most plants that interest the home gardener or hobbyist do require physical support. Planting them in soil is one common and effective way to achieve that. This is partly why plants have evolved wind resistant stems, and roots that spread. Those species of plants that didn't evolve in this way likely died off thousand or millions of years ago. You can provide artificial support to your plants by use of ice cream sticks, chop sticks and many other methods.
Without question, the most important element of growing plants is using the correct nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and a host of trace elements (zinc, copper, iron and others) are essential to plant growth. Absorbing those elements from the surrounding soil is, of course, one usual way of obtaining them. There are, however, alternative methods in which the nutrients can be absorbed by the plants.
Through hydroponics, the roots are completely immersed in water and nutrients are periodically fed through that medium. There are others. Some hydroponically grown plants are housed in an enclosure that retains moisture well. In this container the roots are sprayed with a mister that contains a nutrient solution. This crosses into the gray area known as aeroponics.
There are few limitations when it comes to what you can grow with hydroponics. This includes growing strawberries, lettuce, orchids, tomatoes and a host of other fruiting and non-fruiting plants. Most soil-based plants can thrive with hydroponics if they are taken care of. That effort can be fun and instructive. It can also produce beautiful or nutritious plants without many of the drawbacks of soil-grown plants.
As far as the average hobbyist gardener is concerned though, that's pretty much there is to it.