If you’re like me, you probably started your gardening hobby by growing in soil. I started with some aloe vera, flowering plants like marigold, rose, and green chillies from the local garden store, threw them in some pots and watered them for a few days. Watching them grow over the months was an amazing introduction to the magic of growing my veggies and herbs. However, I was hungry for more. I Came across a new technology by growing plants without using soil, that's right it was Hydroponics!!!

However, I was hungry for more. I Came across a new technology by growing plants without using soil, that's right it was Hydroponics !!!

Hydroponic is “working water”, breaking down to the word “hydro” meaning “of water” & ponos meaning “working”. I was fascinated by how fast and beneficial it was to grow hydroponically for both commercial growers and hobbyists like myself.

Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solutions by supplying an ideal nutrition environment for optimum plant performance. Plant performance may be further optimized by controlling the climate and lighting. Employing a greenhouse provides natural lighting while controlling the climate as per the plant.

The science behind hydroponic.

It began with experiments to discover the basic nutrient requirements of plants and in which way the plant processes those elements. Evolving the knowledge to automate the delivery of nutrient mix for the plant to enhance development and also, adjusting the nutrient for specific plants and specific stages of plant growth.

Is it too complicated ?.

For instance, we know plants use more nitrogen throughout the green growth phase when the plant is young, and increase the amount of phosphorus throughout the flowering and fruiting stage. Additionally, plants will tend to do whatever they need to survive when they are in less than desirable conditions. These less desirable conditions reduce the growth and tend to seriously affect the product quality and flavour of the plant. But they have healthier benefits. Plants grown hydroponically are generally healthier than their soil-grown counterparts because they receive an almost perfectly balanced diet and rarely come in contact with soil-borne pests and diseases. Since hydroponic systems reduce water and nutrient stress to the plants, they grow faster and can be grown closer together without starving each other. Healthier plants also produce higher yields. Perfect plant conditions result in perfect plant production.

Its never too late to start, Hydroponics is easy if anyone understands the basic plant science and a bit of curiosity to learn and unlearn.