Hydroponics
Hydroponics
is the science of growing plants without soil in water containing
high levels of dissolved nutrients. Hydroponics is often used
in areas with limited water and soil resources, such as Israel
and arid regions in Africa. Forms of hydroponic gardening were
practiced in pre-Hispanic Mexico with the floating Aztec gardens
of Lake Tenochtitlan. Modern hydroponics vary in design and
complexity. Hydroponics systems are described as wick, water-culture,
ebb and flow, drip, NFT, and aeroponic. For a complete description
of hydroponic systems with diagrams, see this site.
Hydroponics
has the advantage of using very little water, up to one-tenth
the water of traditional gardening. Hydroponics constantly circulates
water and nutrients so evaporation is the only loss of water.
It has the additional benefits of working very well indoors
and producing very fast-growing plants. Plants raised with hydroponics
typically exhibit high yields, high vitamin and mineral content,
excellent flavor for fruits and vegetables, and higher levels
of essential oils.
Hydroponics
systems often use a growing medium such as sand, stone, or fiber
to give the roots support. In addition, special growing lamps
and air pumps may be necessary depending on the yields you wish
to achieve.
In
countries such as Mexico and the Netherlands, hydroponics is
used on a large scale to grow anything from flowers to tomatoes
for export. Small scale low-tech hydroponics has been introduced
successfully in third world countries to help feed urban populations
with great results. You can find
out more about these projects here.
This
is a cool outdoor
hydroponic planter that you can use in your back yard or
a sunny spot to grow flowers, fruits or vegetables without needing
soil at all. It would also work great on a sunny balconey or
patio.
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2005 Urban Gardening Help. All Rights Reserved.
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