Many people may have heard about aquaponics and hydroponics, but not really understood what the difference between these two terms is, or even what they mean to the world of gardening. Hydroponics, which is a Latin term meaning “working water,” is the growth of plants without soil which involves supplying all of the nutrients usually supplied by soil to plants via water. Aquaponics combines the breeding of fish in a controlled environment with hydroponic plant growing – the plants and the fish are bred together in one integrated system, which benefits both of them. The plants and fish come together to create a sustainable, healthy ecosystem for food production, which leads to increased output of both plants and fish, as opposed to fish farming or hydroponic gardening independently. Continue reading →