How does hydroponics works? - By: Jessica Thomson

Hydroponics is a technique by which plants are grown without using soil. The soil acts as the nutrient reservoir for the plants. If the plants get nutrients from elsewhere then there is no need of soil for the plants to grow. Most of the times in hydroponics, introduction of minerals to the plants is done by cultivating plants in water that is rich in the nutrients needed by the plants to grow. Hydroponics can be done by using other mediums than water also. Hydroponics is relatively easy to do and also involves fewer hassles than growing plants in soil.
Hydroponics has lots of advantages. One does not have to deal with weeds and soil borne insects. The plants also mature quite easily. Since there are no insects to be dealt with, the plants are disease free. The roots of a plant stretch a lot to acquire minerals from the soil. However, since by using hydroponics the minerals are available at the roots only, the cultivation of many plants can be done in less space. Owing to the fact that hydroponics is completely water based, it can be easily automated saving a lot of energy and time. A fully automated hydroponics system ensures that even if the farmer is not there, the plants get all the care they need.
Hydroponics Gardening can be done indoors also. Grow lights are used to provide sufficient light to the plants. For hydroponics special fertilizer mixtures are required. A standard fertilizer would prove to be futile in the case of hydroponics. Hydroponic fertilizers are widely available in the market and one can find them anytime. One has to ensure that after dilution, these special fertilizers have a pH value between 5 to 6. One also has to be careful that the solution is changed in every two weeks. While changing the solution adequate water quantity should also be added because if the water in any case evaporates then the fertilizer would get thick and concentrated. If that happens then the roots would be at high risk of getting burned. The hydroponics system also needs some inert material that would provide support to the plant. These inert materials may include foam chips or clay pebbles. A pump is also required to ensure the water flow. The type of the pump depends up on the size of the reservoir. If these factors are kept in mind then hydroponics can produce excellent results with high yield and good quality of plants.

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