Growing Plants Hydroponically

Can you imagine growing plants without soil? Well, hydroponics is an emerging technique, which aims at growing plants in water, without a soil medium. The nutrients are provided to the plants through the water and fertilizers solution. This is a highly advanced gardening technique, which has several benefits as compared to growing plants within a soil medium.

Growing Medium
The growing medium for hydroponic gardening is an inert medium which does not provide any nutrients to the plant. It only provides the basis for the roots to grow in. Rockwool, perlite, vermiculite, coconut fiber, gravel, sand are the various types of growing mediums available for growing plants hydroponically. Growing medium such as expanded clay pellets, sphagnum moss and coconut fiber add an eye-catching appearance to your hydroponic garden, but come at additional cost. However, if you are a novice in the field of hydroponics, it is wise to steer clear of them.

Nutrient Solution
Nutrient solution is the mixture of water and fertilizers. The main advantage of growing plants hydroponically is that, since the nutrients are directly given through the solution, the effort on the part of plants is greatly reduced. This is not the case with conventional gardening, wherein plant roots have to search for nutrients in the soil and then extract them. The direct application of nutrients has a positive effect on the growth of plants.

Balancing pH
Every plant species needs a different pH of soil. However, in conventional gardening the testing of pH is very difficult and time consuming. Moreover, the process of adjusting the pH level of the soil, according to the plants to be planted, is much more complicated. On the other hand, testing, balancing and maintaining the pH is simpler in hydroponic gardening. All the adjustments are done in the nutrient solution itself, which is then directly applied to the plants.

Hydroponics Set-up
There are quite a few methods that you can implement to grow plants hydroponically at home. The simplest of all the hydroponic gardening systems, is the wick system, where all you need is a wick and two pots. One pot will contain your plant while the other is to be filled with a nutrient solution. Place the wick at the bottom of an empty pot. Put the other end of the wick deep inside the nutrient solution. Now cover the first pot with a growing medium of your choice and plant the plant in it. Watch the level of nutrient solution in the second pot to ensure that it actually reaches the root of the plant in the other pot. Make the necessary adjustments if required.

Plants That Can be Grown Hydroponically
It is practically possible to grow any types of fruit, vegetable, herb etc. using the technique of hydroponics. Cucumber, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, green peas are the popular choice of vegetables that can be grown using hydroponics. Similarly, fruits such as strawberries, watermelons and cantaloupes can also be grown using hydroponic gardening at home. Flowers show a better bloom when grown hydroponically.

It is not only easy to grow plants hydroponically, but also effective in terms of end product. The entire hydroponic system can be made automated, so that you can even control it from another country. However, while growing plants hydroponically at home, mostly basic systems are preferred. Thus, hydroponics can allow you to grow your own vegetables and fruits inside your apartment, without creating a mess.