Advantages of Hydroponic Gardening
With hydroponic gardening systems, plants receive a direct and regular delivery of nutrient-rich water and oxygen to their roots – a more efficient way to give plants all they need than planting in soil. The result is stronger, healthier plants and bigger yields – one reason why much of the fresh produce we buy today is grown hydroponically.
For home gardeners there are advantages too. Not everyone has the time, physical capacity or space to garden on a large scale. Many people don’t have a garden at all, or live in areas with poor soils or challenging climates.
Hydroponic gardening systems are a clean, efficient and low-cost way to enjoy gardening all year round, whatever the weather. And unlike traditional gardening, there are no pests to contend with, eliminating the need for harmful pesticides.
Hydroponic gardening is also fun, providing virtually guaranteed results and the satisfaction of enjoying edible and decorative plants that we’ve grown ourselves. It’s also an enjoyable way to educate children on the fundamentals of plant growth – and perhaps encourage them to eat more fresh vegetables!
Best of all, you can build a homemade hydroponic gardening system for very little, with no special expertise. All you need is some basic equipment and materials, readily available in most neighbourhoods or online, and a good source of natural or fluorescent lighting.
You’ll find plenty of information, including complete guides to building and maintaining a hydroponics systems, available online. The popularity of hydroponics means your local garden center may be a good source of first-hand help and information too.
The size of your hydroponics garden will depend on what you want to grow and the amount of space you have available.
You can use your hydroponic gardening system to grow everything from lettuce to orchids, including tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs, bean sprouts, green onions, bedding plants, strawberries and exotic houseplants.
Remember, plants don’t need soil. They need the nutrients contained in the water that is contained in the soil. Hydroponic gardening simply delivers these nutrients more efficiently than soil. So, almost anything soil-grown can be successfully grown with a hydroponic gardening system.
