Background

Hydroponic gardening (soilless gardening) has been around since the 17th century and has been improved and perfected ever since. In 1929, William Gericke of UC Berkeley, began promoting this revolutionary idea to grow soilless plants in nutrient-fortified water and is said to have created quite a stir by growing 20-foot tomato vines in his garden in the mix. During World War II, hydroponics’ first commercial success came after the products were grown locally on a rocky substrate to feed airline crews using the island as a stopover for refueling.

How does it work

Hydroponics is basically growing with water instead of soil. The gardener adds concentrated nutrients to the water, which resemble fertilizers found naturally in the soil. Replacing real soil, he uses media such as gravel, mineral wool, and coir, a byproduct of coconut shells. These additives come in liquid or powder form and can be purchased at various outlets and online. How does nutrient-rich water get to the roots? With an active system, a pump circulates and moves the nutrient solution to the roots. A passive hydroponic system is static and relies on capillary action like the wick of a candle.

Growing with hydroponics involves maintaining a delicate balance, more than when growing in soil. While simply adding the right amount of nutrients and food to the water guarantees success, doing something wrong can be disastrous. Without soil as a buffer, the wrong nutrient, too many, not enough, or any failure in the hydroponic system causes your plants to die quickly. The advantage of using these store-bought nutrients is that they are pre-mixed and contain all the necessary elements the plant needs.

Another big advantage of hydroponics over soil is that, for the most part, crop growth is relatively stable and yields are higher. Reports from various sources estimate that your plants will grow 5-10 times faster than soil and your harvest will be approximately 2-3 times greater. In soil, a plant has a complex branching root system that is needed to obtain food and water from the surrounding soils. The opposite is true with hydroponics. Because it is so easy for plants to get water and nutrients directly from the water reservoir, the plant needs a smaller root system and gets the same amount of food and nutrients. In this way, you can expect to see a plant with a very small root system underground and a very large plant above ground. This makes hydroponics an ideal solution for a rocky landscape with poor soil that would not otherwise be conducive to conventional horticulture.

environments

Hydroponic gardening has many advantages over conventional means and is good for the environment. Hydroponics uses less land. Topsoil erosion does not come into play since hydroponic gardening systems do not use topsoil. Water use is a fraction of what is needed in conventional gardening because the water is reused along with the nutrient solutions. This reuse and recirculation of water and nutrients means less water and healthier plants.

Fewer pesticides are needed in hydroponics, or not required at all, since your gardens can be grown indoors in controlled environments. This is great for people who live in parts of the country with extreme weather conditions. Since hydroponics can be used indoors, you can adjust the temperature as you normally would. Maintaining optimal growing conditions outdoors would be impractical at best, but it becomes easy when using hydroponics. Progress has been rapid and results obtained in various countries have shown that it is practical and has several advantages over conventional cultivation methods.

building on something good

Taking the science to the next level and increasing the success of your basic system includes using manufactured sunlight in a closed environment – ​​growing your plants in enclosed tents under hydroponic lights. With artificial lighting your plants grow faster and bigger. With the tent, you can move your self-enclosing system to a different location with minimal effort. With the use of lights, the growth cycle can be predictable and elongated. The nutrients you feed your plants can be balanced and modified for different purposes. For example, if you were to upgrade your system with CO2, your plants will grow even faster.

Finally, I have firsthand knowledge of a working and thriving commercial closed-loop hydroponic system in Milwaukee, WI. This group grows their produce and lettuce in warehouses under controlled lighting with the help of manure from farm-raised fish in the system that fertilizes the greens. They augment this bounty and sell it to local restaurants, eliminating the need to truck produce and saving fuel, energy, and pesticides, while their customers eat fresh, pesticide-free, local food with a fraction of the energy they normally use.