image source : fbs.leeds.ac.uk

Plants need soils to live, we all know that. But in a world that gets more crowded by the minutes, finding nice clean soil to plan something becomes even harder to do. Hydroponics is the to save the day!

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. And how on earth do you do that? basically plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper plus hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. The Hydrogen , carbon , and oxygen are taken form the air, and the rest of the minerals are taken from the soil. The amount of minerals needed varies for each plant. In Hydroponics the plants get these minerals from the solutions which constantly bathe their roots. Hydroponics plants grow on a combination of clean sand, wool, cinder and gravel. Hydroponics enable the roots to absorb needed minerals more easily. Because the nutritions are always balanced and monitored, the plant will grow faster.

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WHY HYDROPONICS?

Hydroponics increases plant growth and yield per area, reduces pets and diseases, and decreases the need to water plants. It allows plants to grow in harsh climate and rough conditions like the deserts. It’s a perfect alternative for growing food in underdeveloped countries with limited space. Hydroponics food are more hygienic and sterile too . NASA has even used hydroponics on experiments to grow food in space. The largest hydroponic food producing country is Holland with Canada coming a close second. Unfortunately hydroponics takes meticulous preparation and a lot of time and effort. But since the result in much more satisfying, hydroponics is still a popular alternative for growing plants in limited space.

-Roel