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Grow Without Soil Using Hydroponics
When you think of plant growth, you probably picture a plant growing in soil. However, many people are taking to growing plants without soil, using hydroponics instead. With hydroponics, plants are grown in a solution, containing all the nutrients they need, thus eliminating the need for soil. Growing with hydroponics requires a little more knowledge as far as plant physiology goes, but it can be fun and easy, and it can make for a great hobby once you know what youre doing. If youre interested in growing plants this way and want to learn a little more, visit one of the many hydroponics retailers in your area or search the internet, where there are how tos as well as photos of flourishing hydroponics farms.
No Soil?
How do you grow plants without soil, you might be asking. When plants grow in soil, the roots soak the nutrients out of the soil. When those nutrients dissolve in water, they can still be sucked up by the roots, thus eliminating the need for soil. So, plants dont require soil to grow, they only need the nutrients. Thats why hydroponics can cause plants to grow, but there are other advantages also. For one, you wont find your fruits and vegetables contaminated by soil, as well as youll eliminate any soil borne diseases. You wont have to go out and buy soil, which can be expensive, plus its messy, and youll also drastically reduce pest problems. These advantages alone are more than enough of a reason to switch to hydroponics. To begin, youll need to get some equipment.
The Equipment
You can find hydroponics equipment at any store that specializes in this type of plant growth. However, you can also make your own materials if you know how. Youll first need your reservoirs to put your plants in. You can use plastic jugs, jars, and you can even use a bathtub if you wish. The container should be void of light because you can get algae growing inside, which can contaminate your nutrient rich solution, which will also harm your plants. If you have plastic or glass containers, you can cover them with tin foil or some other substance that blocks the light. Once you have your containers, youll also need lighting, a pump system and your solution for growing your plants.
Lighting can come from sunlight, or artificial lights such as High Power Sodium lights, or HPS, which are great for providing enough Lumens to promote plant growth. The pump systems are sold at hydroponics stores, but you can also use an aquarium pump, just as long as it provides enough oxygen to allow your plants to survive. The solution can be made yourself or you can get premixed solution from any plant store.
Once you get good enough at hydroponics, youll be able to grow whatever youd like without using a bit of soil. Its cleaner, its fun and its very easy once you have the fundamentals down. Now all you have to worry about is what to grow in your new hydroponics farm. |
