WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?

January 05, 2022

WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?

The term "hydroponics" basically relates to something healthy related to water. Over the last few decades, people have become more interested to know how the food they consume is grown.
So to all those people curious about hydroculture, we are here with all in and out about hydroponics. In simple words, hydroponics is a kind of horticulture method in which plants are grown in an aqueous solvent of mineral fertilizer instead of soil.

Plants traditionally extract the necessary nutrients from the soil and produce the desired result. However, in hydroponics, the plant is grown in water that is nutrient-rich, so the roots don't have to use energy on nutrient extraction and can instead focus on the plant's maturation, which results in budding flowers and fruit.

Photosynthesis is the process through which plants sustain themselves. Plants need chlorophyll to absorb sunlight (a green pigment present in their leaves). They divide water molecules received by their root system using the energy of the sun. Hydrogen molecules react with carbon dioxide to form carbohydrates, which plants use to survive. The oxygen is subsequently released into the atmosphere, which is critical in maintaining our planet's habitability.

From the process of photosynthesis, we can observe that plants do not require soil to survive. They rely on the soil to provide them with water and nutrients. When nutrients are dissolved in water, they can be given directly to the root system of the plant through flooding, misting, or immersion.

Through studies, experts have come up with numerous techniques to cultivate hydroponics. But the essentials are similar, and they are as follows:

Fresh Water:
Clean, high-quality, filtered water with a pH that's just right. Most plants like water with a pH of 6–6.5. One can modify its acidity characteristics with over-the-counter remedies.
Oxygen:
One of the very crucial elements for any plant to survive. Traditionally, plant roots acquire oxygen from the voids available in the soil for respiration; but, in hydroponics, one must leave space between the base of your plant and the water reservoir, or oxygen may be supplied to the water through bubbles, as in a fish tank.
Nutrients:
To stay healthy and productive, your plant will require lots of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients, just as plants grown in the ground require nutritious soil and fertilizer. When growing plants without soil, this "plant food" must be mixed into the water that your plants are fed. While you may technically manufacture your nutrient solution, it's far easier to buy ready-made combinations online and in stores.
Root Support:
Even though you don't need soil, your plant's roots still require something to cling to. Vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, coconut fiber, and Rockwool are examples of common materials. Avoid materials that may compact (such as sand) or that do not retain any moisture (like gravel).
Light:
If you're growing plants indoors, you may need to purchase some specialized lights. Each type of plant will have a unique requirement for the amount of light it requires as well as the positioning of lights (typically referred to as Daily Light Integral or DLI).

Of course, there are several other types of equipment that increase the fineness of hydroponics. But if you are aware of the above-listed things, you are good to go!

The elegance of the idea of hydroponics is that it allows people to grow food anywhere, with fewer resources, which makes hydroponics a revolutionary concept.

The word hydroponics comes along with the thought of growing anywhere.

Yes, that's true. Through hydroponics one can grow these vegetables directly behind the backyard of a restaurant or farmhouse. In fact, can create and control the temperature and pH condition of the water. Additionally when food is grown hydroponically one does not have to take a pause and cultivate as many crops as they want.

With a vague idea of hydroponics, it is often thought that it will consume more water than traditional farming but here's a twist.

A kilogram of tomatoes requires 400 liters of water to grow using intensive farming methods, but only 70 liters using hydroponics. Because hydroponics need far less water to produce, people in harsh environments with limited access to water may be able to cultivate their food in the future.

It's difficult to believe that hydroponics leads to higher yields than conventional farming, but it is true. Plants when grown in well-managed hydroponic systems thrive. Plants spend more time growing upward and less time and energy establishing huge root systems to look for nourishment since their roots are drenched in all the nutrients they require. Growth rates vary depending on the type of system and the quality of care, but hydro plants can mature up to 25% faster than soil-grown plants, with enhanced crop output to boot.

Eradicates uncertainty:
When you stroll through a garden we often see that one plant is blooming and the one next to it is drooping? This can be the result of a soil patch being not nutritious enough and thus leading to an unhealthy plant. But this scenario can be changed in the case of hydroponics as all the uncertainties are managed in the form of nutrients, light, pH balance, oxygen, etc. hence more productive crops are obtained on harvesting.
Now that we know what is hydroponics let's talk about its techniques. There are hundreds of different hydroponic methods, but they are all variations or combinations of six main hydroponic systems.
Deepwater culture:
It is simply the cultivation of plants in aerated water. Deepwater culture systems, often known as DWC systems, are one of the most simple and widely used hydroponic technologies on the market. A DWC system suspends net pots containing plants over an oxygen-rich nutritional solution reservoir. The roots of the plant are immersed in the solution, ensuring that it has constant access to nourishment, water, and oxygen. Some believe deepwater culture to be the finest form of hydroponics.
Wick system:
Plants are nestled in growing media on a tray that rests on top of a reservoir in a wick system. This reservoir contains a water solution containing dissolved nutrients. Wick systems are by far the most straightforward type of hydroponics. Wick systems are passive hydroponics, which means they do not require mechanical components such as pumps to function. As a result, it is excellent for situations in which electricity is either inconsistent or unavailable.
Nutrient film technique:
Plants are suspended above a stream of continually flowing nutrient solutions that wash over the ends of the plant's root systems in nutrient film technique (NFT) systems. The plant channels are at an angle, allowing water to trickle down the length of the grow tray and into the reservoir below. The reservoir's water is then aerated using an air stone. The nutrient film technology is a hydroponic recirculating system.
Ebb and flow hydroponics:
It works by flooding a plant bed with nutrients from a reservoir below. A timer is included in the reservoir's submersible pump. When the timer goes off, the pump starts filling the grow bed with water and nutrients. When the timer expires, gravity slowly drains the water from the grow bed and returns it to the reservoir.
Drip System:
The aerated and nutrient-rich reservoir in a hydroponic drip system delivers fluid through a network of tubes to individual plants. This solution is slowly dripped into the growing medium surrounding the root system, keeping the plants hydrated and nourished. Drip systems are the most common and widely used hydroponics method, particularly among commercial producers. Drip irrigation systems can be as simple as individual plants or as complex as large-scale watering operations.
Aeroponics:
In Aeroponics devices hang plants in the air, exposing their naked roots to nutrient-rich spray. Aeroponics systems are enclosed frameworks, such as cubes or towers, that can accommodate a large number of plants at the same time. Water and nutrients are stored in a reservoir before being pumped through a nozzle, which atomizes and spreads the solution as a fine mist.