Is Farming without soil possible?
Doing gardening without soil sounds interesting, it is called hydroponics. This is possible with technological advancement in this field. Not only for house plants, but you can do proper farming this way. There are many viable fruits, leafy vegetables as well as vines that grow well in this system. In the long run, it is a very profitable and clean system to work with.
So, what is the hype about hydroponics?
It comes from the Latin term, working water. It needs multiple plastic trough in a series to make this work. Water is the medium of supplying nutrients and oxygen as well. We may think that is a new way of doing things, but the basic idea had been used in ancient times as well. The hanging gardens of Babylon are made on the same principle. Nowadays the plastic trough has made it easier to use it even for a small scale plant growing in buildings.
What is the benefit of this system?
Minimal space is used in this type of farming. Their water usage is amazingly low. It is only 10% of the amount used in the traditional farming method. Easy to assemble parts like a plastic trough and net pots. It is an environmentally-friendly method of growing plants.Â
Various components of hydroponics:
You will need a few elements as a basic, to begin with, this method of farming. Growing media is a must. It is used instead of soil. It is there for support and does not give any nutrients. They are generally Ph neutral. Air stones and air pumps are needed to pass oxygen to the plants through the water. Also, this prevents them from drowning. Then there are net pots that allow the roots to grow the full length and go freely. They are not tangled and there is a healthy plant.Â
