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"Hydroponics Overview"

Hydroponics, by definition, means working water. In practical use, it means growing plants in a solution of water and nutrients, without soil. For the home gardener, hydroponics is growing in a more efficient and productive manner, with less labor and time required. In most hydroponic systems, you also use less water and can grow in a smaller space than with conventional gardening.  

 In some hydroponic growing systems, an inert growing medium, such as perlite or rockwool, is used in place of soil This medium should be porous, stable and inert. Food and water are fed directly into the growing medium. In other hydroponic systems, no growing medium is used and the plant roots are suspended in a grow channel, where they receive fresh water, food, and oxygen.

In hydroponics you provide the exact nutrients your plants need, so they can develop and grow to their fullest potential.  

To learn more about commercial hydroponics, check out the Encyclopedia of Hydroponic Gardening CD-Rom, or the video, Hydroponic Farming. Commercial hydroponic farms exist world wide, producing both exotic, high-end vegetables and staple crops. In the US the most common hydroponic crop is tomatoes, followed by cucumbers, lettuce and herbs. Hydroponic farms range in size from small greenhouse operations to huge indoor facilities that cover as many as 60 acres. The package, How to Start and Succeed in the Hydroponics Business, provides extensive information on the commercial hydroponics industry and what it takes to get started with your own hydroponics business.

In the classroom, a hydroponic garden allows hands-on learning in the areas of plant science, plant nutrition, plant physiology, plant care, nutrient and pH testing, and agriculture. A unit in hydroponics also enforces practical uses of chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering. The monitoring of a hydroponic garden by students helps instill a sense of responsibility while enforcing skills in testing, analysis, experimentation, data recording, and critical thinking. The Hydroponics Educator's Package includes a complete curriculum and multimedia tools to guide educators in teaching a unit in hydroponics.