Hydroponic Gardening: No Soil Required

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without using soil. Generally, hydroponic gardening involves the use of water as a growth medium. No doubt you can find a more scientific description of the process. But for the home gardener, that's probably all you need to know.

Many people might wonder how hydroponic gardening is possible. Many people are convinced that soil is necessary for the growth of a plant. It's a source of water, energy, support and nutrients. These are all required in order for the plant to thrive. But these elements are also available from other sources.

Water is an absolute essential for any plant. However, soil isn't the only way to provide it. You'll find that a lot of plants grow naturally in inhospitable environments such as sand and gravel, or even floating atop the water.

The energy provided by the sun's rays and its heat are also essential to a plant. But there are other ways to provide your plants with energy apart from sun-saturated earth. The sun's rays have the same effect on a plant's leaves regardless of whether it's in the ground or not. The essential process of photosynthesis occurs even when you leave the upper part of a plant exposed to sunlight. Some plants flourish even with no light at all. They will, however, still need some energy to power their natural growth processes.

Many of the plants that appeal to the home gardener need some physical support. Most often, this is achieved by planting them in the ground. This is why a plant's roots spread out and its stems are resistant to the wind's force. But other supporting mechanisms can achieve the same result. Try weaving string through a fence-like structure, or fasten some craft sticks to the top of a container. There are other ideas that will also do the trick.

Nutrients are another of the important elements for a healthy plant. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and various trace elements. In a natural environment, the plant will take in these nutrients from the soil around it. But there are other ways to provide these important nutrients to your plants.

A common way of doing this is to keep the plant's roots covered in a water-based liquid nutrient solution. Some hydroponic systems feature a grow tent that is able to hold in moisture. A nutrient solution is misted onto the roots regularly in order to keep them saturated. This practice has similarities to aeroponics, another method of soil-less gardening.

Attractive and thriving plants can result from hydroponic gardening. There are many kinds of plants that can thrive above ground. Just make sure you provide for their needs.