Garden Design - Hydroponic Gardening

Hydroponic gardening is a way of growing plants without using soil. Also known as gardening without soil. The word hydroponics comes from the Greek words hydro water and ponics labor. Although the concept of gardening without soil around since the beginning, scientists began experimenting in 1950 only. In hydroponic gardening, mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil used for the purpose of growing plants in both water and land.

Land or land to grow crops effectively, the same mineral solution or just a slow medium like rock or mineral wool. Many fans like hydroponic vegetable gardening indoors where most vegetables are grown in artificial light conditions. Vegetables grown in hydroponics are 20-30 percent higher than those planted in the traditional way.

Hydroponic gardening: growing medium and nutrients

In hydroponic gardening, culture media to deliver the functionality of the ground to support the root system, keeping the pH and the distribution of water and nutrients to the roots. In recent times, different types of hydroponic system was developed, based on culture media. Some of the popular culture media used in hydroponic gardening are perlite, gravel, sand, HYDROTON (expanded clay media), expanded shale and rock wool (made from volcanic stone).

Hydroponic nutrient solution or hydroponic fertilizers contain all the necessary nutrients (micro and macronutrients). Nutrient solutions are available in ready to wear, a concentrated form. Basically there are two types of nutrient solution to grow one and one for use after flowering. One should follow the manufacturer's instructions for using the hydroponic nutrient solution.

Hydroponic gardening: Advantages and Disadvantages

Hydroponic gardening has many advantages over traditional methods of gardening in the ground. The growth rate of plants growing in soilless conditions are 35-45 percent faster than land plants. As a result, the performance of hydroponic plants is greater than plants grown in soil. This could be due to differences in nutrient and water availability. While the plants grown hydroponically in a solution of minerals, the roots can absorb nutrients and water directly. However, in the case of plants growing in the ground, the system looks for the roots of soil nutrients and water, and then transform into a complex form of simple nutrients absorbed is distributed in the plant.

Since there is no oxygen in the culture medium best hydroponic gardening, plant root system is healthier than land plants. A healthy root system is always useful to accelerate the absorption of nutrients and growth. Another advantage of hydroponic gardening is the high incidence of pests and insects. Therefore, crops and vegetables through hydroponics have little or no pesticides. Because no land used for gardening with hydroponics, no question about soil erosion and other soil-related problems. People who live anywhere in the world, including in arid desert or hydroponic gardening can be practiced.

There is minimal loss of hydroponic gardening. Due to the high moisture and nutrient availability, there is the possibility of salmonella (bacteria) growth. For terrestrial plants exposed to excess water with the growth, diseases such as drowning and Verticillium wilt is more common.

To solve the problem of hydroponic gardening, amateur should look carefully at the plant. The most common problem arises due to water, moisture pH, and temperature. If there is a shortage of water, plants have slow growth and charring of leaves at the end, while the excess water causes root rot. It is always advisable to measure the pH of the nutrient solution on a regular basis (ideal pH is 5.5 to 6.5). Keep the average temperature is very important as the conditions are too cold or too hot to affect the leaves and roots of hydroponic plants.