Hydroponics
Hydroponics
Hydroponics (pronunciation: /ˌhaɪdrəˈpɒnɪks/) is a subset of hydroculture, which is a method of growing plants without soil, by instead using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent.
Etymology
The term "hydroponics" comes from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water, and "ponos" meaning labor.
Overview
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water based, nutrient rich solution. Hydroponics does not use soil, instead the root system is supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rockwool, clay pellets, peat moss, or vermiculite. The basic premise behind hydroponics is to allow the plants' roots to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution, while also having access to oxygen, which is essential for proper growth.
Types of Hydroponics
There are two main variations for each medium, solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture does not use a solid medium for the roots, just the nutrient solution. The three main types of solution cultures are static solution culture, continuous-flow solution culture and aeroponics. The medium culture method has a solid medium for the roots and is named for the type of medium, e.g., sand culture, gravel culture, or rockwool culture.
Advantages
Hydroponics has many advantages over traditional soil-based farming. These include faster growth rates, higher yields, and the ability to grow plants in areas where soil is not available or is contaminated.
Disadvantages
However, hydroponics also has some disadvantages. These include the need for a constant supply of water and nutrients, the risk of waterborne diseases, and the initial cost of setting up a hydroponic system.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hydroponics
- Wikipedia's article - Hydroponics
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