For further information and training, contact:

Physiology Section, Institute of Plant Breeding
Crop Science Cluster, College of Agriculture UP Los Banos
Tel No. (049) 576-0024, (049) 536-5287

Growing Your Own Hydroponics Garden: Introduction to Hydroponics Gardening

Hydroponics gardening becomes more and more popular these days. Some consider it miraculous. But what is hydroponics gardening after all? How does this system work? Why is it considered more convenient and more successful than classic gardening (geoponics)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing your own hydroponics garden? Here are some answers to the questions above.

With hydroponics you can grow plants (fruits, vegetables, flowers etc) using water and mineral nutrients instead of soil. The idea behind hydroponics gardening is to provide the plants with all the nutrients they need to absorb, without using soil. Besides, soil is just a nutrient reservoir and it’s not critical to the plant growth.

You can grow almost any kind of plant using hydroponics techniques but there's no guarantee that you will produce greater crops and more nutritious or better tasting products than with quality soil. What is certain is that hydroponics gardening is cheaper, less tiring and it allows greater control of the plant itself.

Here is a list of the great advantages that hydroponics gardening has to offer comparing with classic geoponics gardening:


- In geoponics gardening you kill the plant when you remove it from the ground while in hydroponics gardening you can package the plant and keep it alive and fresh for longer periods of time.
- In geoponics gardening you have to dispose, sterilize and reuse a solid medium while in hydroponics gardening you don't even use any kind of solid medium.
- In hydroponics gardening you have eye contact and full control of the plant's root system while in geoponics gardening roots are hidden in the ground.
- In hydroponics gardening there's no need to worry about over watering or under watering the plant while in geoponics gardening you always have to change and adjust your watering techniques according on the weather and the soil condition.
- Hydroponics gardening can be developed in areas where there's no quality soil present. For example in areas covered with snow or in a space station while geoponics gardening should always be developed in quality soil in order to produce best crops. - Hydroponics plants is an excellent plant research and plant learning tool. They can be transferred anywhere without any hassle. In order to study a geoponics plant you have to move to the place where the plant grows.
- Plants grown with geoponics methods may suffer from all kinds of diseases, pesticides, weeds etc. caused by the presence of soil. In hydroponics gardening there's no soil at all no weeds and no pesticides of course.
- The use of water to maintain and preserve the plant can be dramatically reduced in hydroponics gardening, while in classic geoponics gardening you always have to use more water than you need for irrigation.
- A hydroponics garden may be set up with timer systems to automatically fertilize the plants while in geoponics gardening fertilizing the plants is always a pain and most of the times it must be done manually.
- Plants grown with hydroponics techniques are healthier because they receive a balanced and controllable portion of nutrients while with geoponics gardening you can never be sure about the plant's nutrition because there are too many factors to consider, for example whether the soil already contains enough minerals to grow the plants or whether it should be enriched with the right mix of minerals etc.

Here are some of the disadvantages of having your own hydroponics garden:
- Hydroponics gardening usually relies in electrical systems like timers or pumps. These systems control critical aspects of the plant's nutrition routine. If any of the system fails it could result to the total destruction of the plant. In geoponics gardening you just add the water and let soil do the rest.
- If you are serious about hydroponics gardening you need more technical knowledge and information on various subjects (different solutions and mediums, types of irrigation, various materials etc.) while in geoponics gardening the rules are pretty standard and well known to almost everybody.
- Hydroponics plants require close attention, care and support and will die if not frequently monitored while geoponics plants do not require such close attention.

Hydroponics gardening gives you the chance to grow almost anything anywhere. In your kitchen, in your roof-top or anywhere inside your apartment. It can be done easily and effectively if you know what you are doing and you love

gardening and plants

Why Hydroponics?

Often times when you mention hydroponics people think of it as being relatively new. But perhaps the earliest recordings of hydroponics in use were in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, where plants were grown in a steady stream of water. The word hydroponics as we know it today is derived from two Greek words: 'hydro' meaning water and 'ponos' meaning labor. The term hydroponics was first used in the late 1920's by a professor in California named Dr. W.F. Gericke. He developed a technique, pioneered into a commercial means of plant production.Hydroponic technologies were further developed throughout the 1930's and 40's in North America, Europe, and Japan due to the inspirations of Dr. Gericke's work.During WW II, the United States Army used hydroponics to grow fresh produce for troops stationed on infertile Pacific islands. In America, Britain, Europe, Africa, and Asia, there were viable commercial farms operating by the 1950's.Today, hydroponic culture is being used to successfully grow vegetables, flowers, fruits, and herbs in a great variety of countries across the world.

 

Advantages:

Soil is unpredictable, with problems in changing temperatures, moisture holding capacity, available nutrient supply, proper root aeration, and disease and pest control. Hydroponics alleviates some of the problems of nature, while giving the farmer precise control of the plants and often times the seasons.

 

HYDROPONIC PRODUCE AND HEALTH

In 1994, a test was commissioned by an investment group to determine the vitamin and mineral content of hydroponically grown crops in comparison to soil grown crops, both organic and non-organic. Plant Research Technologies Laboratory in San Jose, California, analyzed tomatoes and sweet peppers. The hydroponic produce showed a significant increase in vitamins and minerals beneficial to human health over the soil-grown produce. Not only were they of higher nutritional value, the flavor was reported to be outstanding. The hydroponic crops were further analyzed to search for chemicals on the EPA's "priority pollutant list," of which, none were found. Although hydroponically grown produce, while usually free of pesticide and other chemical hazards, does not generally meet the rather narrow definitions of "organic," it can offer superior flavor, nutrition, appearance, freshness and shelf life. Many small hydroponic growers are recognizing these market trends and cashing in on the huge demand for higher quality produce. Small growers find that gourmet restaurants and local markets are delighted to have access to superior quality produce, whether organically or hydroponically grown. Since "organic" is pretty much out of the question, an increasing number of hydroponic growers are promoting their produce as "pesticide-free." This gives the consumer the reassurance that their fruits and vegetables have been grown following the most important principal of "organically" grown produce.

    Minerals required for plant growth are provided directly, completely eliminating the need for soil and soil-organisms.The result is much higher growth rates, yields and even crop quality than organic methods can achieve. This is not what some people want to hear, but it is the simple scientific truth - and practically all scientists and educators in the fields of agriculture and chemistry know it and will be the first to agree. In fact, the kinds of materials that are permitted for use under "organic" regulations are not of sufficient purity to be used for hydroponic culture.

    Consumers want to buy produce that is not tainted with hazardous chemicals or poisons. There is an increasing public demand for methods which are gentle on our delicate planet and which don't harm the soil, water or ecosystems. Hydroponic farming methods fit properly into this system of values if used appropriately. Hydroponics protects soil because it doesn't use soil. Far less water is required for hydroponic culture and consequently more food can be cultivated with less water.  Since hydroponic technologies are more efficient than soil methods, more people can be fed with less area and ecological impact.