HYDROPONIC - ALL ABOUT IT

HYDROPONICS is a method of growing plants in a soil-free media, fed with a mixture of nutrient and water. Instead of soil, an inert, sterile growing media is used, and combined with nutrient enriched water, plants are provided with the exact minerals and nutrients they require. When somebody tell other people that we grow he produce using hydroponics, many will usually get something close to this response: It sounds cool…sounds like it has something to do with health food maybe? What even is it?”. For all the hydro-curious folks out there that they have put together a primer on the basics of hydroponic farming. May be a good suggestion is that you start here to learn the essentials of hydroponics, and if you’re inspired to try growing some hydroponic plants of your own, to see what kind of system would work best for anybody. So What is the story about  Hydroponics?. Hydroponics is a way to skip the soil, sub in a different material to support the roots of the plant, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water. There are multiple approaches to designing hydroponic systems, but the core elements are essentially the same. This blog in "Anim Agriculture Technology'' simply write about hydroponic for all interested readers.

Hydroponic requirement are Fresh water  especially a filtered stuff with a balanced pH. Most plants like water with a pH level around 6–6.5. You can adjust the acidity of your water with over-the-counter solutions found at your local hardware, garden, or hydroponic store. Oxygen are important for plant to grow. So don’t drown your plants because for  a traditional farming, roots can get the oxygen needed for respiration from pockets of air in the soil. Depending on your hydroponic setup, you will either need to leave space between the base of your plant and the water reservoir, or you’ll need oxygenate your container (think of bubbles in a fish tank) in which you can accomplish by buying an air stone or installing an air pump. Root Support is important even though you don’t need soil but your plant’s roots still need a little something to hold on to. Typical materials include vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, coconut fiber and rockwool (See photo above). Stay away from materials that might compact (like sand) or that don’t retain any moisture (like gravel). Nutrients important for the plant is going to need plenty of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients to stay healthy and productive  just like plants growing in the ground need healthy soil and fertilizer. When you’re growing plants without soil, this “plant food” must be included in the water that’s feeding your plants. While you can technically make your own nutrient solution, it’s easy to buy mixtures online and in stores. Hydroponics needs  Light because if you’re growing your plants indoors, you might have to invest in some special lighting. Each kind of plant will have a different requirement for the amount of light it needs and for the placement of lights (typically referred to as Daily Light Integral or DLI).

While there are other elements to consider as you increase the sophistication of your hydroponic farm (for instance, things like CO2 supplementation), the five listed above are the most foundational elements of any hydroponic system. Ability to monitor and adjust these key variables, you can begin to discover precisely what your plants need to thrive, and replicate those conditions for every grow in the future. In the basic question of why Grow Without Soil?. This seemingly subtle shift in how we make food (skipping the soil, that is) is actually revolutionary it allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, and to net higher yields with fewer resources. Due to climate change, growing seasons and regions are in major flux right now as temperatures change and growing conditions change along with them. Even in “normal” conditions, there are plenty of places where the ground just isn’t conducive for farming (like deserts, concrete jungles). Right now, most of the vegetables you come across in a store have been shipped in from afar, and have lost nutritional value along the way. By using hydroponics, we can create hyper-local food systems and we are. The container farms are set up right in the communities and regions that we serve. It’s even possible to put a farm directly behind restaurants that want ultra-fresh produce! And when you’re growing hydroponically, you don’t have to hit pause for a season or risk crop loss from inclement weather.

Is that true hydroponic system able to produce higher yields?. Plants grown in well-managed hydroponic systems are living the good life. Since roots are bathed in all the nutrients they need, plants spend more time growing upward and less time and energy growing extensive root systems to search for food. Growth rates vary based on the type of system and quality of care, but hydro plants can mature up to 25 percent more quickly than the same plants grown in soil in or with increased crop yield, to boot. Anybody didn’t see this coming: hydroponic systems actually use less water than traditional soil-based systems. This is because closed systems aren’t subject to the same rates of evaporation. Plus, the water used in hydroponic systems can be filtered, re-populated with nutrients, and fed back to plants again so that water is constantly being recycled instead of wasted. At Vertical Roots, the systems use up to 98 percent less water than traditional soil-based systems. Other “resources” indoor hydroponic plants don’t need? Pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals, since the hydro crops are protected from many of the pests and plant diseases found outdoors in soil-based farms. It was an easy troubleshooting where by how many times have you walked out to your garden and seen one of your plants thriving while its next-door-neighbor is drooping? In that situation. With a hydroponic system many know exactly what conditions your plants are being grown in. As such many can easily isolate variables and experiment and once anybody find the perfect formula of light, pH balance, and nutrients, you can replicate success. Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

December 2020.

Updated and posted on May 2023.