Hydroponic Systems
Hydroponics
* What hydroponics is
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, or coconut husk.
Researchers discovered in the 19th century that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching. * What the different types of hydroponics are * A few centuries ago, the only way you could grow a plant without a soilless base was to suspend it over a pool of water mixed with nutrients, that would act as the feeding grounds replacing the earth's diet. Nowadays, we have wick systems, ebb and flows, drips, aeroponics, the nutrient film technique and many more, which only shows how far in this field we have gone. And because the offer is often so varied, it's confusing for the newcomer hydroponic gardener. Picking the right hydroponic systems is a tough job, so here are a little tips to help you know the difference: * Wick Hydroponic Systems * The wick system operates under very simple parameters, in that it's passive, with no moving parts attached to it. A wick is used to draw nutrients from the reservoir and into the growth tray and it's a fully automated procedure that takes little effort from you. * Water Culture Hydroponic Systems * Like I said in the introduction, the water culture was the first type of system invented in hydroponics.
* What hydroponics is
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, or coconut husk.
Researchers discovered in the 19th century that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching. * What the different types of hydroponics are * A few centuries ago, the only way you could grow a plant without a soilless base was to suspend it over a pool of water mixed with nutrients, that would act as the feeding grounds replacing the earth's diet. Nowadays, we have wick systems, ebb and flows, drips, aeroponics, the nutrient film technique and many more, which only shows how far in this field we have gone. And because the offer is often so varied, it's confusing for the newcomer hydroponic gardener. Picking the right hydroponic systems is a tough job, so here are a little tips to help you know the difference: * Wick Hydroponic Systems * The wick system operates under very simple parameters, in that it's passive, with no moving parts attached to it. A wick is used to draw nutrients from the reservoir and into the growth tray and it's a fully automated procedure that takes little effort from you. * Water Culture Hydroponic Systems * Like I said in the introduction, the water culture was the first type of system invented in hydroponics.