Almost all of us grow plants in soil. That’s the conventional way of growing plants and it is being used by the majority of planters all over the world. However, plants can actually be grown without having to use a soil at all. How? By implementing a system called hydroponics. Hydroponic system or simply hydroponics is a method of growing plants which uses mineral nutrient solutions in water in replacement of soil. Hydroponic system traces its root back in the 19th century although the first known work about growing plants without soil was that of Sir Francis Bacon’s book Sylva Sylvarum, published in 1627.
Researchers have discovered that plants take in essential mineral nutrients in a form of inorganic ions present in water. This signifies that soil just acts as the nutrient container and therefore has nothing to do with the plant survival on its own. The minerals the soil contains are only being absorbed by the plants when they have dissolved in water. Once the plants have absorbed the right nutrients, soil becomes totally redundant to the plant’s existence. Almost all of terrestrial plants could grow using hydroponic systems. Using the hydroponic system, terrestrial plants can grow just by a mineral solution alone. Inert medium such as coconut husk, gravel or mineral wool may be used as well.
Hydroponic systems can prove to be very beneficial. People who don’t have soil are now able to grow their own plants if they want. Hydroponic plants grow up 50% faster than those plants in soil. This is not surprising since plants growth is only put at risk to diseases, pests, salinity or poor soil structure by the soil itself. For plants in a hydroponic garden, taking in nutrients is easy. No chance of overfeeding plants with nutrients. Environment wise, hydroponic system is also a smart choice as the system is very efficient when it comes to water usage and fertilizer application. Fertilizers in the system are recycled. Pesticides are hardly, if not never at all, applied in favor of nature.
While Hydroponic systems seem to be a perfect system for growing plants, it is actually not. Beginners may find the system a bit costly. It may take a lot of hard work as well. Hydroponic environment is said to be prone to salmonella growth. Plants are also aid to be susceptible to pathogen attacks. Plants’ roots are at risk of burning when the solution used is too concentrated. Hydroponic system is not suitable for every person. The possible gains of the system is not guaranteed when the person implementing the system is not really knowledgeable of the basics of hydroponics. Rushing into it will only lead to waste of time, effort and money so proper consultation as well as in depth research is needed.
Hydroponics – the growing of plants without earth – can be achieved by a wide variety of techniques. The challenge in each method is to suspend the plant in place while exposing the roots to a constant supply of water-nutrient formula. This can be carried out in several ways, quite a few more efficient than others. Usually hydroponic systems fall into the classes of active or passive (active normally means a pump is used) and recovery or non-recovery (recovery means the solution is captured and re-circulated). Several systems make use of grow trays to hold the plants and a container for the solution. Here are some common hydroponic systems you might be familiar with.
Ebb and Flow
In this active recovery method, crops in the grow tray are usually anchored by some sort of carrier (ideally one that retains water, like rockwool). A water pump on a timer periodically floods the grow tray with nutrient formula from the reservoir, then turns off and allows the solution to drain back through tubes into the reservoir to be reused. Also known (for obvious reasons) as flood-and-drain, this method is a popular choice for beginners.
The Drip System
This system is more or less the same with ebb and flow but instead of surging the grow tray this method uses a pump that pushes the nutrient solution around the network of tubes that drips the solution straight on the plant roots. Based on your preference you can turn the hydroponic systems into a recover or non-recovery system. If you want to do without the constant monitoring of the pH level then you might want to utilize the non-recovery version.
The Wick System
This is a basic, passive non-recovery hydroponic method in which the nutrient formula is carried from the reservoir to the plant roots by means of a wick (like an oil lamp wick). Absolutely no pump is required, and the water is not re-circulated, making it one of the simplest and least costly systems. Nonetheless, the yield may not be as impressive because regulating the water flow is a problem which means that the roots are getting too much or too little solution.
Nutrient Film Technique
This method is also known as the NFT which is an active recovery method where the roots dangle in a continuous flow or film of solution. The “grow tray” is generally a tube, where the plants are suspended on top and the roots are exposed below. With the pump the formula goes through one tube and drains on the other end and into the reservoir. While effective, this approach is also more complex and higher-maintenance.
There are other types and variants of systems as well, but these are the most common hydroponic systems. Your skill level and finances will affect the choice that you make when it comes to hydroponic systems.
Hydroponics – the growing of plants without earth – can be achieved by a wide variety of techniques. The challenge lies on how to position the plants that will expose the roots to a constant supply of nutrient formula. This can be carried out in several ways, quite a few more efficient than others. Usually hydroponic systems fall into the classes of active or passive (active normally means a pump is used) and recovery or non-recovery (recovery means the solution is captured and re-circulated). Several systems make use of grow trays to hold the plants and a container for the solution. With these items in mind, here are some of the most popular hydroponic systems.
Ebb and Flow
In this active recovery method, crops in the grow tray are usually anchored by some sort of carrier (ideally one that retains water, like rockwool). A pump motor floods the grow tray with water occasionally based on the time you set on the timer, it then shuts down and lets the nutrient solution drain through a maze of tubes attached to the tray that leads back to the reservoir. This technique is otherwise identified as the flood-drain system which is very famous among beginners.
The Drip System
This active method is comparable to ebb and flow, with the exception that rather than surging the grow tray, the pump sends the solution through a network of tubes that drip the solution straight onto the plant roots. Based on your preference you can turn the hydroponic systems into a recover or non-recovery system. The non-recovery variation is more low-maintenance because you do not have to keep track of the pH of the reservoir nearly as much.
The Wick System
This is a basic, passive non-recovery hydroponic method in which the nutrient formula is carried from the reservoir to the plant roots by means of a wick (like an oil lamp wick). There is no need for a pump and for water flow thus making this system simple and cost-efficient. Nonetheless, the yield may not be as impressive because regulating the water flow is a problem which means that the roots are getting too much or too little solution.
Nutrient Film Technique
This method is also known as the NFT which is an active recovery method where the roots dangle in a continuous flow or film of solution. A pipe is used as a grow tray and the plants are hanged on top while the roots are dangled and exposed beneath. With the pump the formula goes through one tube and drains on the other end and into the reservoir. While effective, this approach is also more complex and higher-maintenance.
There are several variations of hydroponic systems but the ones pointed out are the most common. Your skill level and finances will affect the choice that you make when it comes to hydroponic systems.
Hydroponics, though not really a new concept, is transforming the growing industry. Individuals and hobbyists are maintaining hydroponic gardens in their homes; people are setting up hydroponic grow rooms in their houses as an alternative to maintaining outdoor gardens; and now, we’re beginning to see the hydrofarm emerging as an alternative to regular farming.
Besides “Hydrofarm” being a common brand name of hydroponic products, a hydrofarm is essentially a farm that grows its produce utilizing the concept of hydroponics. Hydroponics is the growing of plants without the use of soil replacing the soil with a different anchor for the roots, and directly supplying nutrients to the roots through a water-based formula. Plants can grow strong and healthy, and yield more fruit in this manner, because the elements needed for plant productivity are carefully controlled to maximize the effect on the plants.
Hydroponics has ceased to be a mere segment of agriculture that fought its way out of the stereotype that it is used to grow illegal plants – today, powerful countries like Canada and Holland are beginning to adopt this method in producing food in a larger scale. Today, there are many a hydrofarm throughout the country; some participate in local farmer’s markets or sell their produce to stores, and many sell their produce directly to the customers by a variety of methods.
The hydrofarm has increased in popularity because people often consider the food to be safer, plus with the use of lighting and temperature controls, produce can be grown out of season. In spite of the misconceptions that this is an artificial method of growing plants, there’s barely anything artificial about it (no genetic or chemical engineering); it is simply an alternative way of providing the natural elements a plant requires in order to grow, and because these elements are controlled, plants can be given the optimal amount of light, water and nutrients to yield good produce time and again. In fact, one of the reasons people purchase hydroponic produce is that they realize that it’s a healthier, more natural alternative to the mass-producing agricultural methods commonly used now.
In time, the hydrofarm may become a primary food supply for third-world countries or places where it’s not conducive to grow in the soil. Fascinatingly, this alternative is also being explored as a way of growing food in space! Indeed, to the ignorant, the hydrofarm is merely a fringe concept, but to the learned, this is critical for the future of agriculture.
