Hydroponics System

By: Clint Jhonson


Hydroponics is a method used by people who grow plants with the help of mineral nutrient solution and not soil. Most terrestrial plants can be grown with their own roots in the mineral nutrient solution as long as they are in an inert medium like perlite, gravel or mineral wool. This method is getting very popular nowadays because people seem to have discovered its usefulness. Somewhere in the 19 th century researchers reached the conclusion that most plants have the capacity of absorbing essential mineral nutrients such as inorganic ions in water. Under natural circumstances, the soil acts as a reserve of mineral nutrient but still it isn’t essential for the growth of the plant. If we introduce artificially mineral nutrients into the water supply of plants, we no longer need soil for the plant to thrive. Hydroponics can grow almost any terrestrial plant but it has been proven that some plants will do better than others. Hydroponic Gardening is very easy to do and this activity is done even by children. Nowadays, people who are interested in this gardening method need to know that there are two types of hydroponics: solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture uses just the nutrient solution for the roots of the plants. Hydroponics solution culture has three main types: static solution culture, continuous flow and aeroponics. Most hydroponic reservoirs are made of plastic but some manufacturers have also used other materials such as concrete, metal, glass, so on. However, the containers must exclude light in order to prevent the growth of algae in the nutrient solution. Hydroponic Gardening is mainly the science of growing plants without needing soil and recently this method has become a major player due to its ability of being used in regions where the climate can’t normally support the growing of plants. Hydroponics however is used mainly by greenhouses or people who are looking for a way to raise plants to maturity quickly. Hydroponic Gardening allows gardeners to grow quality crops many times a year and in a relatively small area. Hydroponics keeps on gaining ground and is defined by most people as a way of cultivating plants in water. As a consequence, people from all over the world started to use hydroponic techniques because they lack water supplies or they cultivate plants in areas where the land is not fertile. Nowadays, even home gardeners use this method in order to grow vegetables all year long or in order to grow plants in small places such as apartments or balconies. Hydroponic Gardening offers gardeners several advantages. Due to the sterile medium that they use, gardeners no longer need to remove any weeds, while pests and diseases are reduced or even eliminated completely. Moreover, hydroponic plants that were cultivated properly are healthier and more vigorous than the ones grown in normal conditions.  Another advantage is the fact that plants mature much faster, gardeners being able to have more vegetables in a year. Also, these gardens require less space being ideal for home gardeners and greenhouses. The ability to automate the system with a timer represents another advantage of hydroponics. This automation helps to reduce the time it takes to maintain the growth of the plants.  Due to automation, the gardener has more flexibility since he can be away for long period of time without worrying about watering the plants.Hydroponics is also advantageous for commercial agriculture, due to the fact that the cultivation of plants without soil eliminates the need for vast farmland. Furthermore, hydroponic techniques enable the precise water application directly to the roots of the plants. Having this modern technology at your disposal makes things easier and business more profitable.