Understanding What General Hydroponics Is

For some, the concept of general hydroponics is tad confusing. It sounds like an ultra-scientific term having to do with laboratories, something that alters a natural process like the growing of plants and turns it into a complex, artificial process. To have a firmer grasp of this concept, let us break this down into its basic components.

The word “hydroponics” comes from two Greek words that mean “working water.” The importance of water to plant growth cannot be overstated, since it’s actually through the water not through soil itself that nutrients are fed to the plants. Hydroponics at its most basic is simply the growing of plants without soil applying the nutrients directly to the plant roots in a water-based solution.

Let it be known that there is barely anything artificial about this process. There are no genetic manipulations and no chemical enhancements in hydroponics. Hydroponics just takes the natural process of plant growth and breaks it down into the basic elements. There are four elements that plants need for growth, these are: water, light, nutrients and anchor for roots. All of these elements (excluding light, which the sun provides) typically occur through the soil; but as we stated before, it isn’t actually the soil itself that feeds the plant roots, but the water in the soil, breaking down the nutrients and minerals and feeding the plant. The only real purpose soil has in the process is an anchor for the roots, and a medium through which water feeds them.

In general hydroponics, these four elements are still present, but these are taken care of by the grower. Indeed, one can say that the natural process isn’t distorted, it is just broken down into parts. A different medium is used to anchor the roots (like vermiculite or coconut) and water-nutrient solutions are introduced to the roots. Lighting may be natural sunlight, or artificial lighting that maximizes the segments of the light spectrum plants thrive on or both.

The benefits of hydroponic growing are that by breaking down the natural elements for growth into different processes, a grower has more control over what the plant needs to thrive, and can make adjustments to maximize plant health and growth. This is not to say that hydroponics is a straightforward process, because the reverse is true – but when done accurately, this alternative can actually produce healthier plants and food. General hydroponics isn’t to grow things in an artificial manner, but to have more control within the natural processes. Know that everything that’s grown using the hydroponic process is natural.

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