Dig Gardening -- Without The Dirt
Wyatt Pottoe
Does your garden grow with fresh air, sunshine and rich, black soil? Not if you're one of the countless gardeners who have found the many benefits of hydroponics gardening.
Also known as the cultivation of plants in water, hydroponics gardening is booming in popularity, partly due to shrinking fresh water supplies and scarcity of fertile farmland.
Hydroponics gardening is not a new idea. In fact, one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, were created by using a form of hydroponics to cultivate the plants. Since those ancient times, researchers have proven that many different aggregates or media could be used to support plant growth in place of simple black earth. Hydroponics gardening is just one of many alternate methods.
Benefits of Growing with Hydroponics
Many people enjoy hydroponics gardening simply because of the space saving benefits. Homeowners and apartment dwellers alike are able to grow fresh vegetables and plants in the smallest of spaces, even on apartment balconies. Greenhouses have also adapted hydroponics gardening due to these same space-saving benefits.
It's been found that, when properly grown, hydroponics plants are healthier and more vigorous. Because no soil is used in hydroponics gardening, the nutrients are more readily available to the plant. Thus, plants are able to mature faster, yielding an earlier harvest of vegetable and flower crops.
Automated timers can enhance the overall convenience of growing in a hydroponics garden. This sort of system allows the gardener a little more flexibility, because it takes less time to maintain the operation. The hydroponics grower can spend more time away from the garden and not be worried about watering the plants.
Healthy Hydroponics Plants
All plants, whether grown with hydroponics or in a traditional soil garden, require the same basic elements: nutrients, water, light and air. When grown in a traditional garden, your plants will obtain their nutrients and water from the soil. The nutrient uptake is a little slower, because the soil can impede the roots' abilities to access what they need.
The simple lack of soil is one of the joys of hydroponics gardening, making it a cleaner and easier way to grow. Plants are never stressed, because water and nutrients are always available. A hydroponics system set up outdoors will receive natural sunlight and air. Indoor systems, on the other hand, require artificial lighting and air circulation for plants to enjoy optimum health.
To provide artificial sunlight, many hydroponics gardeners use metal halide lamps and sodium vapor lamps in conjunction with incandescent light bulbs. Specially-designed grow lights or fluorescent bulbs may also be used.
Like all living things, plants need oxygen to stay alive. Healthy, white roots are responsible for delivering all of the nutrients for the plant. If the roots die, it is impossible for the plants to survive. Even if all of the other growth requirements are in place, they will be useless if the plants are not able to access nutrients through the roots. Therefore, your hydroponics system will require proper aeration through a means of supplying air circulation. This technique mixes the air throughout the nutrient solution, allowing the plant to draw out the carbon dioxide necessary to carry on photosynthesis.
Finally, a sterile medium is required. There is a selection of media available on the market, from simple gravel to specially made formulations. Due to the lack of soil, a definite joy of hydroponics gardening that's particularly exciting for home gardeners is the lack of weeds to pull. There are also no soil-borne pests to worry about, so diseases caused by these pests are minimized, if not entirely eliminated.
If you love fresh produce but you're short on time, short on space or simply don't like getting your hands dirty, discover the many joys of hydroponics gardening.
Freelancer Wyatt Pottoe writes for numerous Internet magazines, on http://volal.com/ family life and http://rebaw.com/ healthy family topics. Click here to get your own http://www.uberarticles.com/home.php?id=36950&b=79 unique version of this article.
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