Hydroponics, What It Is All About
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In very simple terms, hydroponics can be defined as the growing of plants without soil. Plants need four basic elements in order for them to grow: water, nutrients light, and an anchor for the roots. While three of these ingredients come from the soil, please not that the soil isn’t where the nutrients come from, instead, from the water in the soil. When you provide a water-nutrient solution and some light for the plant, what you just truly need is an alternative medium – aside from soil – to grow your plants.
While hydroponics is developed as a new science, it is definitely not a new idea. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, for example, is a wonderful and fine example of hydroponics; pieces of evidence of the said method of growing plants were also found in the histories of China, Egypt and the Aztecs.
It might seem a bit absurd at first that people would prefer to grow food without soil, especially when there’s so much soil around! Particular situations, however, would make growing food hydroponically the more appropriate alternative. For example, it is okay to grow food out of season because hydroponics isn’t reliant on weather. Also, the method isn’t solely reliant on sunlight – so artificial lighting can be used. Lastly, and perhaps most notably, hydroponics provides hope for growing food in parts of the world where soil is contaminated.
In theory, hydroponics enables us to grow food in situations where it’s potentially impossible to do so: in the dead of winter, in Arctic regions and even in space! All we need is to provide the 4 elements that plants need for growth all of which can be given without soil.
These days, it’s not only the scientists that are exploring the use of hydroponics. Nations like Canada and Holland are now utilizing this method extensively to grow food. Some individuals are also maintaining hydroponic gardens at home. As a result, there is an increased demand in hydroponic products – due largely to the increase in awareness of this practice. While this will not totally replace the old-fashion ways of the soil, hydroponics will certainly provide us with a wonderful alternatives to agriculture.
