You may have seen some decorative plants around on display in stores or maybe in somebody’s home. Have you noticed that some of them are planted in materials other than soil? I have seen these before but only thought that these plants would have a very short lifespan due to the lack of soil. Boy, was I so wrong. It turns out that these plants – and just about any terrestrial plant, as a matter of fact - can grow like this. It turns out that plants don’t really need the actual soil, only the mineral nutrients present in them. Yeah there are water plants and they don’t need soil but we’re talking about terrestrial plants here. I felt like a foolish and ignorant adult once I learned that. This method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil is called hydroponics. The term was coined during the early 20th century but the method has been practiced as early as the 17th century.
By reading about the subject, it looks as it is more complicated than it looks. Hydroponics isn’t just putting a plant in a jar with water and leaving it there to grow. There are a lot of things to consider for hydroponic supplies. The first is whether a solution culture or medium culture is to be used. These two types are further subdivided into categories depending on the solution or medium used. Possibly the simplest and cheapest way is to use a plastic bucket or jar to contain the nutrient solution then cut a hole in the lid for each plant. If the solution is unaerated, the solution must be low enough as to leave enough roots above the solution to absorb oxygen. If an aerated system is preferred, you can use regular aquarium pumps, tubing, and valves for home systems. Also, be sure to replace the solution periodically, say once a week, depending on concentration levels. Hydroponics has a big potential. You may not know it but you may already have consumed tomatoes and vegetables that were grown in commercial hydroponics facilities.
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