For all of you who are novices in the field of hydroponics or don’t know what it is, we have a simple explanation for you all. hydroponics is nothing but growing plants without soil. Sounds strange? Well, growing plants in water is not a new technique. Many of us do it in our homes - growing a money plant or other ornamental plants in tap water without soil. But how about growing fruits, vegetables, cereals, blooms and the likes in a similar fashion – without soil at all? Sounds impossible?
Advanced Nutrients is glad to introduce you to the miraculous methods of growing vegetables hydroponically – without soil! Let’s start with the basics. What does a plant need to grow? It just needs some water, nutrients and sunlight. Does it ‘eat’ soil? No! It derives nutrients from soil and uses it for anchorage. So if you were to replace soil by any other sterile media for anchorage, provide nutrients that the plant needs and arrange a suitable light source of sunlight, your hydroponic system is ready. Sounds simple? Simple it is, but since you are controlling the plant’s growth entirely, you need to be sure that you don’t assume that Mother Nature will feed your plants when you are lazy. You have to monitor your plants health and development regularly.
Wondering what benefit do you derive in a hydroponic system vis-à-vis a soil based garden? Huge yields, quality produce and fantabulous profit margins! Definitely worth all the effort you’ll invest in creating a stable hydroponic system.
Soil that acts as an anchor and Nutrient source has certain drawbacks as well. It exerts pressure against the roots and hence the root growth and root spread is hindered. Many root and foliage damaging pests and rodents dwell in soil. Using sterile media that supports and stabilizes the plant’s roots and at the same time allows a free flow of water and dissolved nutrients to the root system, you can provide that much needed anchorage for your plant and eradicate the pests and rodents associated with soil.
There are different types of sterile media that can be used for growing plants in a hydroponics system. Some hydroponic plants may not require ‘anchorage’ at all. We here at Advanced Nutrients will inform you about them in another post!