Hydroponic Gardening

Hydroponic gardening is a method of growing plants without using soil. It is also known as soilless gardening. The term hydroponics is derived from the Greek words hydro for water and ponics for labor. Though the concept of soilless gardening was in existence since the earlier times, scientists started experimenting only in the 1950s. In hydroponic gardening, mineral nutrient solutions are used instead of soil, for the purpose of growing both aquatic and terrestrial plants.

The land or terrestrial plants can be grown effectively either in mineral solutions only or in an inert medium such as gravel or mineral wool. Many hobbyists prefer indoor hydroponic vegetable gardening in which almost all types of vegetables are grown in artificial light conditions. Vegetables grown in hydroponics are 20 - 30 percent larger than those grown in a traditional manner.

Hydroponic Gardening: Growing Medium and Nutrient

In hydroponic gardening, the growing medium serves the functions of soil like supporting the root system, maintaining pH and channelizing nutrients and water to the roots. In recent times, several types of hydroponic systems have been developed, based on the growing medium. Some of the popular growing mediums used in hydroponic gardening are perlite, gravel, sand, Hydroton (expanded clay medium), expanded shale and Rockwool (prepared from volcanic rocks).

Hydroponic nutrient solution or hydroponic fertilizer contains all the necessary plant nutrients (micro and macronutrients). Nutrient solutions are available in ready-made, concentrated forms. Usually, there are two types of nutrient solutions, one for growing and another for use after flowering. One should follow the manufacturer's guidelines while using hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Hydroponic Gardening: Advantages and Disadvantages

Hydroponic gardening has several advantages over the traditional method of gardening in soil. The growth rate of plants grown under soilless conditions is 35 - 45 percent faster than those of soil plants. Consequently, the crop yield of hydroponic plants is higher than the plants grown in soil. This may be due to the difference in the nutrient and water availability. As hydroponic plants are grown in mineral solution, the plant roots can absorb nutrients and water directly. However, in case of plants grown in soil, the root system searches for the nutrients and water in the soil, and then converts the complex nutrient substances into simple absorbable forms and distributes to other plant parts.

As there is optimum oxygen in the growing medium of hydroponic gardening, the root systems of these plants are more healthy in comparison to soil plants. A healthy root system is always beneficial for faster nutrient absorption and growth. Another advantage of hydroponic gardening is the minimum incidence of pests and bugs. Hence, vegetables and crops grown via hydroponics have little or no pesticides. Since no soil is used for gardening in hydroponics, there is no question of soil erosion and other soil-related problems. People residing in any part of the world, even those in deserts or barren areas can practice hydroponic gardening.

There are very few disadvantages of hydroponic gardening. Due to high humidity and availability of nutrients, there are chances of salmonella (bacterium) growth. As the land plants are exposed to extra water throughout their growth, diseases such as damping off and verticillium wilt are most common.

In order to troubleshoot the problems of hydroponic gardening, a hobbyist has to observe the plants carefully. Most common issues arise due to water problems, humidity, pH and temperature. If there is lack of water, plants exhibit slow growth rate and charring of leaves on the tips, whereas excess water causes root rot. It is always advisable to measure the pH of the nutrient solution regularly (ideal pH value is 5.5 to 6.5). Maintaining a moderate temperature is essential as too cold or too hot temperature conditions affect the leaves and roots of hydroponic plants.