Growing Plants without Soil
Land availability is crucial for food production. But nowadays, as cities continue to grow in size and living accommodations continue to shrink, the average person has less and less space to grow their own food. For this reason, basic hydroponics is developing as a much-needed boon, helping to produce different kinds of fruits and vegetables even in limited space.
Simple hydroponics can be defined as gardening without soil. Under this new growing method, healthy plants grow in a mineral-rich water solution, rather than a bed of soil. While some may be sceptical of this approach, it has been shown that root systems can actually grow better in water than in soil!
1. How does a hydroponic system work?
In this type of agriculture, water is mixed with macronutrients to form a balanced solution that aids plant growth and results in greater yields. Instead of soil, this agricultural system uses inert media such as clay particles, peat moss, perlite, rock wool, etc. Hydroponic automated grow systems allow plant roots to obtain nutrient water and oxygen without soil. As a grower, you will be responsible for controlling the pH and nutrient factors of the water, which will aid in the rapid growth of your plants.
2. What is in the nutrient solution?
Hydroponic plants often rely on nutrient-rich solutions that provide them with both oxygen and sustenance. Nutritional solutions for hydroponic systems can be easily purchased from the market or created from the plants you grow. The perfect mix should contain certain major nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and nitrogen, as well as minor nutrients, such as phosphorus, sulfur, and calcium. Certain micronutrients are also required, such as magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, molybdenum, and boron.
This basic solution must be properly stored in food-grade quality containers at room temperature and kept away from direct sunlight. It’s also important to shake the bottle well before feeding the plant. If you put too many nutrients in your hydro grow system, the leaves may turn brown, burn, or even curl. If they receive insufficient nutrients, the leaves are likely to turn yellow. This is a good indicator to help you monitor and adjust the number of nutrients your plants receive.
3. What kind of hydroponic plants should you grow?
While hydroponics allows you to grow a wide variety of plants, you should consider growing vegetables that are best suited for your system. For example, plants such as cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, and lettuce can best adapt to the extra water.
If you want to start growing with an automated indoor grow box, you should start by researching plants you would like to grow, then consider their scale and possible development. This will help you choose an ideal growth medium and nutrient solution. Leafy greens, for example, grow well in hydroponic culture, while vegetables with deeper root systems like cucumbers and beets prefer growing media like coconut husks or even peat moss.