Dispelling Those Common Misconceptions about hydroponics

– by Paul Lavakis

© Paul Lavakis – All Rights reserved
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hydroponics is an often misunderstood part of the field of horticulture. Let’s separate the fact from the fiction and take a look at what exactly hydroponics means to the world of gardening and food production.

The word hydroponics is derived from Latin and means “working water.” hydroponic growing is the growing of plants without soil. All of the nutrients plants normally get from soil are instead delivered to the plants through water. Hydroponic gardeners add create nutrient mixes to add to the water to give the plants everything they need to thrive.

One common misconception about hydroponics is that is a new fangled, fashionable trend. Actually, it has been practiced for centuries. Even the ancient Egyptians used hydroponics to grow their food. Great strides have been made in the field since the 1970s, when agriculturalists began studying it in earnest as an alternate means of food production, which perhaps is the reason behind so many people thinking it is a new invention.

Contrary to popular belief, hydroponics has absolutely nothing to do with genetically modified food. While genetically modified food has been offered as a solution to solving global hunger, as hydroponics has, it is a completely separate entity. Because genetically modified food is so controversial, hydroponics sometimes gets a bad rap. In fact, hydroponic food is 100% natural food, not modified in any way, and no chemicals are added to the plants to make them grow that they would not get in traditional fields. It’s simply a different way to grow food; no genetic manipulation involved.

Some people believe hydroponics is bad for the environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hydroponic plants require much less water than traditional plants do – in most cases, they require around a tenth of the water of traditional plants. The water is used for the desired plants only; there is no water wasted on weeds. Also, there is no run-off of pesticides into the surrounding environment. While hydroponic plants grown in greenhouses do require a lot of lighting to sustain, using a lot of energy, this cost is set off, and then some, by hydroponics’ water conservation potential.

Hydroponics also does not have to cost a fortune, despite what many people think. True, nutrient mixtures and growth mediums are expensive, but the field has come a long way in developing reusable materials to balance some of these costs. Small-scale hydroponic operations should be no more expensive than traditional gardens or crops of the same scale.

Nor is hydroponics an obscure gardening technique. It is used in nearly every country on earth, and in some environments, it is the most commonly used technique. For instance, in British Columbia, 90% of the plants grown in greenhouses are hydroponic plants.

One thing people consider a benefit of hydroponics is actually a myth as well. Hydroponics and organic farming are not synonymous. Most hydroponic growers used pesticides on their crops. The bright side is that these pesticides do not pollute the surrounding environment with rainwater run-off like traditional crops do. It is possible to grow hydroponic crops organically, but it should not be assumed that all hydroponic crops are.

One last misconception about hydroponics is that is it used exclusively by the drug trade to grow marijuana. This is just not true. Some illegal growers do use hydroponics, but many more people use this technique to grow legal crops.

Hydroponics is destined to become more widespread in the future, due to its food production potential and environmentally friendly techniques. With more understanding of the field, hydroponic growers will find it easier to convince the public about the viability of their crops.

Paul Lavakis has been an avid gardenera nd since discoverring Hydroponics has been a xperimenting and evaluating the best ways to grow almost any fruit or veetable without soil For More Informations Please Click Below
http://www.AmazingHydroponicSecrets.com

hydroponics methods and results. by Anne Tide

With hydroponics, you can successfully grow plants in a limited area and in locations where they would normally fail to grow. This method is based on growing fruits, vegetables, flowers or any other plants in a water-nutrient system, without having to rely on soil or natural sunlight. Your plants will be receiving exactly the amount of light and nutrients they need during the various phases of development. The results are healthy, fully-grown plants with less hassle than traditional gardening methods. Growshop.be is the only growshop in Belgium and takes pride in providing absolutely everything you need in gardening equipment.
Gardening with hydroponics method will enable you to care for your plants all year round, regardless of the weather outside. No soil or sunlight is required, as your plants will grow perfectly healthy in a growth medium that provides all of the vital nutrients. High intensity discharge (HID) lights serve the purpose of providing your plants with the energy they need. Therefore, your plants will be able to synthesize food, reproduce and provide fruit and flowers just like they would under natural sunlight. There are various types of HID lights, depending on your energy requirements. Metal halide grow lights, high-pressure sodium lights or LED grow lights are just some of your options when you’re considering hydroponics gardening. You can purchase state-of-the-art lighting systems and lamps for your garden from the first online growshop in Belgium.

There are several types of hydroponics systems of plant cultivation, depending on the specific methods used to provide the plants with nutrients. The first type is aquaculture and it consists of maintaining the plants immersed in water which is rich in nutrients. Aggregate culture is another widespread method, where plants are supported by a material such as gravel or sand. Nutrients are supplied from time to time and the plants absorb them entirely because the supporting material is not absorbent like natural soil is. The third method is the so-called continuous flow hydroponics system and is mostly used in commercial cultivation. The nutrients are supplied with the help of a tray during a determined amount of time. The last method is called aeroponics and it consists of hanging the plants up in the air so that the roots can be misted regularly with a nutrient solution. No matter, what method you’re thinking of using, the only online Belgian growshop will provide all of the supplies you need.
As you can see, hydroponics is really not that complicated and it provides many advantages, especially in urban areas and other location where natural conditions are not in favor of gardening. By using this method, your gardening won’t be influenced by weather conditions and soil fertility anymore. Furthermore, your crops will grow to their full capacity with no risk of under and over watering. Among the other advantages you’ll obtain by using hydroponics is avoiding any soil born diseases, maximizing space and using fewer pesticides. All in all, this innovative gardening technology will allow us to grow plants anywhere we please, with no limitations and regardless of the environmental conditions. Growshop.be, the only online growshop in Belgium, offers a wide spectrum of gardening supplies of the highest quality.

About the Author
Using hydroponics gardening allows us to grow any type of plant in an indoor environment, without depending on soil fertility and sunlight. You can practically have your own indoor garden regardless of the area you live in and without using up too much space. Visit our online growshop and take a look at our wide variety of gardening supplies

Get Growing With hydroponics Gardening by Wyatt Pottoe

tHow does your garden grow? With fresh air, sunshine and rich, black soil? Not if you’re one of the countless gardeners who are now enjoying the benefits of hydroponics gardening.
Known as the cultivation of plants in water, hydroponics gardening has boomed in popularity. This is partly due to the scarcity of fertile farmland and shrinking supplies of fresh water.

There’s nothing new about hydroponics gardening. This method of growing has been abound for thousands of years, and can be traced to the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This ancient wonder of the world was created with a form of hydroponics. Since those ancient times, researchers have proven that a number of different aggregates or media could be used in place of black earth to support plant growth. Hydroponics gardening is just one of many alternatives to traditional soil growing.

Benefits of Growing with Hydroponics

Many people enjoy the space-saving benefits of hydroponics gardening. Apartment dwellers and homeowners alike can grow fresh vegetables and plants in the smallest of spaces, even on compact patios and balconies. Many commercial greenhouses have also adapted hydroponics gardening because of similar space-saving benefits.

It’s been suggested that, when properly grown, hydroponics plants may be healthier and more vigorous than their soil-bound counterparts. Without soil, nutrients are more readily absorbed by the plant. Hydroponically-grown plants mature more quickly and yield their harvest of flower and vegetable crops earlier.

The convenience of hydroponics gardening has been enhanced by using a timer to automate the entire system. With such a system in place, the home gardener invests less time in maintaining the overall plant growth requirements. Automation enables the hydroponics grower to enjoy more flexibility, such as being away for longer periods of time without having to worry about watering the plants.

Raising Healthy Plants

Plants have universal requirements, whether grown in soil or water. They all need air, water, light and nutrients. When plants are grown in traditional gardens, they absorb these essential nutrients and water from the soil. However, nutrient uptake can be a little slower, because soil can actually impede the roots’ abilities to access what they need.

Without soil, hydroponics gardening is cleaner and easier. That’s one of the simple joys of this type of gardening. There is always water and nutrients available, so your plants will never become stressed. You can build a hydroponics system outdoors to provide natural air and sunlight, or assemble it inside with artificial lighting and air circulation. Either way, your plants will enjoy optimum health.

For artificial sunlight, many hydroponics gardeners use metal halide lamps and sodium vapor lamps in conjunction with incandescent light bulbs. Fluorescent or specially designed grow lights may also be used.

Plants, like all living things, need oxygen to stay alive. The healthy, white roots of a plant are responsible for delivering all of the nutrients for the plant. When the roots die, it is impossible for the plant to survive. Even when all of the other growth requirements are in place, those elements will be useless if the plants are not able to access nutrients through the roots. Therefore, your hydroponics system requires adequate aeration by way of an air circulation supply. This technique will mix air throughout the nutrient solution, allowing the plants to draw out the carbon dioxide necessary for natural photosynthesis.

A sterile medium is the final requirement for a successful hydroponics garden. You’ll find a selection of media available on the market, from simple gravel to special formulations. Because there is no soil, there are no weeds. This is a true joy for any hydroponics gardener. Further, there are no soil-borne pests to worry about, so diseases caused by pests are minimized, if not entirely eliminated.

If you’re short on time, short on space or simply don’t like getting your hands dirty, discover the many joys of hydroponics gardening.

About the Author
Wyatt Pottoe is a columnist for several popular Internet sites, on family fun and home garden topics.