Hydroponics

When plants are grown using the hydroponics method, soil is not necessary because the plants get their nutrients from the water that they are grown in. With this method, the plant’s roots are placed into a mineral solution or water containing fertilizers. Soil is not needed when the plant’s water supply has artificial mineral nutrients added to it because the roots will then absorb the nutrients.

Hydroponics was first written about by Francis Bacon in 1627. Shortly after that, it was found that plants grow better in less pure water than in distilled water. Scientists then came to the conclusion that plants need nine elements to grow. If these are added to water, any plant can grow. Very large tomato plants have been grown this way. This method of growing plants has the potential to completely change the way that food crops are grown.

During World War II, hydroponics was used to grow produce on the Pacific Islands. A wide range of possibilities opens with this method because any food item could potentially be grown anywhere in the world. There is no need for farm land with soil that has the proper composition for growing plants when this method is used. Scientists believe that it is even possible to grow plant species on other planets with this method.

There are many other advantages to growing plants this way. In areas where water is scarce, very little water is needed for hydroponics. Lettuce grown this way uses 90 percent less water than if it were grown traditionally in soil. Also, vegetables can be enhanced by growing them to contain more healthy nutrients such as calcium and potassium. Many items that are grown using this method are grown without pesticides, but they are often not labeled as being organic. This is because some states require organic food items to be grown in soil.

This different method of growing plants still requires farmers to oversee hydroponics greenhouses to grow premium foods anywhere around the globe. Growth of crops is not dependent on growing seasons or temperature because the temperature, humidity, and pH level can easily be controlled inside the greenhouses. Plants require light and carbon dioxide to grow, and this can be controlled as well. Some farmers place lighting in the greenhouse to extend the daytime growing period, and a sealed greenhouse can have carbon dioxide added to the interior environment of the greenhouse.

Hydroponics definitely adds many new possibilities to growing plants today and for the future when world food supplies must be increased because of the growing population. Although there is much potential to this method, it is not as simple as it seems. Without all of the proper conditions, plants grown this way will not survive.

Commercially grown vegetables and fruits are not the only plants grown with hydroponics. Some people have their own year round indoor garden using this system of growing produce. With the proper light, carbon dioxide, and mineral nutrients in the water, it is possible to grow your own plants this way.