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Hydroponic Gardening

From the Greek roots hydro, water, andmeaning work, hydroponics is the science of growing plants in water, without soil.rants are supported in an inert, non-organic medium such as sand, fine gravel or mica compositions, which are saturated withnutrient solutions for short periodsThese solutions typically containphosphorus, potassium, calcium,urn, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron,ar.d copper. All of the essential inor-t foods are available to plant rootsquantities.

Hydroponic gardening requires a troughner for the plants, an aggregate suchgravel or vermiculite for root supportrater supply with a pH rating of betweenNeeded nutrient solutions are addedwater regularly.

Vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes and spinach can be cultivated in hydroponic gar-Li well as strawberries, grapes, various herbs and flowers.

Hydroponics has intrigued scientists and.irists because it eliminates the needin ordinary cultivation. Its main ad-is in the labor saved by automatics and fertilizing, although installationLre higher than costs for plants usingSo greater crop yields result from hy-c gardens. Until very recently, corn-acceptance and implementation of hydroponics methods have been impeded by high..he reliance on chemical nutrient solu-and frequent testings, and the greater-ity with soil cultivation by most

With mounting interest in urban agriculture and rooftop food production, however,hydroponics seems destined to assume greatersignificance. The organic grower can eitheruse a tea made from high-quality compost, orcan mix a basic solution of one tablespoonfish emulsion, one tablespoon liquid seaweed,and a teaspoon of blood meal to each gallon ofwater. The mix varies, depending on the typeof plant to be grown. Less blood meal shouldbe used with flowering and fruiting producethan with leafy crops. Other nutrients canalso be added: blended eggshells, for example,might be helpful when added to a cabbagecrop. Organic hydroponics is very much in adeveloping stage, and a taste for experimenta-tion is essential.

While soil is cheaper than perlite or ver-miculite, it is significantly more difficult to cartup to a rooftop in bulk. Moreover, containersoil is prone to rapid leaching and usually re-quires repeated fertilization, so the actual costof organic fertilizers for hydroponically grownplants is comparable with that for conven-tionally grown plants. Hydroponics advocatesalso point out that since hydroponic roots donot need to grow as far in search of nourish-ment as the roots of soil-grown plants, plantingdensities can be more intensive and higheryields can be achieved.

The equipment for hydroponic produc-tion can be constructed simply and inexpen-sively. The container must be elevated slightlyat one end and have drainage holes at theopposite end. One-inch plastic pipes withholes drilled every three inches are laid aboutan inch below the medium and raised at bothends of the box. Smaller rubber hoses comingfrom the nutrient supply are inserted into thepipe at one end; the upward bend in the pipe at the opposite end stops the flow of the solu-tion. A gravity system for controlling nutrientflow, composed of two five-gallon buckets ele-vated on boxes and standing two feet abovethe top of the growing container, makes it easyto add nutrients and care for the hydroponicplants.

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