Can Plants Grow Without Soil? Hydroponic Gardening is the Answer!

Hydroponic Gardening is the system in which plants can be made to grow without soil. Using hydroponics to grow plants can be beneficial for many growers since it allows plants to be grown much faster and many times with less problems.

Plants are grown in a solution which consists of water and dissolved nutrients required for the particular plant. There are several hydroponics techniques and systems that are used in producing thriving plants

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The different types of hydroponics systems and techniques include the nutrient film technique (or NFT), aeroponics, and the aeration technique.

With the aeroponics technique, plants are secured using rigid pipes, screens, or films. The nutrients are dissolved into the plants' water supply and the plants' roots are suspended within the water. The plant then obtains its food nutrients directly from the water or from an air mist which is sprayed directly onto the plant roots.

Hydroponic gardening also requires the use growing media. Different mediums can be used which have to retain the food rich moisture. They must also be able to physically support the plant roots. The following have been the most effective media so far: expanded clay, perlite, styrofoam, sand, rockwool, vermiculite, pea gravel.

Many types plants that can be grown in a hydroponics system. Some plants will grow better in hydroponics system than others, but some of the most popular are lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, watercress, and various other edible plants.

Tree seedlings and flowers can also be grown using hydroponics. Hydroponic greenhouses have been producing millions of plant seedlings every year. These are then transplanted and grown at other locations where they are later planted into soil.

If you are just a beginner at hydroponic gardening, you will no doubt be satisfied with the quality of your crops and the faster rate of growth. Hydroponically grown plants will grow and mature faster and yield an earlier harvest of vegetable crops.

There are many benefits to growing your own plants in a hydroponics system. Hydroponic gardening doesn't require a fertile farmland or a large water supply growing plants. Vegetable and plants can be grown year round. Hydroponic vegetables and plants in almost any small space, or a basement, or even an apartment balcony.

The hydroponic systems require less space because the plant roots don't have to spread and search for food and water. The smaller space requirement makes hydroponic gardening perfect for limited space home gardeners.

Hydroponic plants can also be grown in nurseries and greenhouses as well. The benefit of growing these plants without soil in a sterile medium includes not having to remove weeds or dealing with soil-borne pests and diseases. And since all the nutrients necessary for the plant are readily avaliable to it, the plant is noticeably healthier than the plants grown in soil.

The greatest benefit to hydroponic gardening is the ability to automate the hydroponics system with timers and remote monitoring equipment. This reduces the time it takes to maintain the plants and the growing environment. It also allows the grower to leave their system for long periods of time without worrying about watering plants.

Hydroponic growing without the use of soil is not simple, but with time it will become an easy routine. Hydroponics offers the advantage of many techniques that can be beneficial to your plants and produce a richer and healthier plant.

Can Plants Grow Without Soil? Hydroponic Gardening is the Answer!

Author of Hydroponic Gardening: Tony Buel Hydroponic Gardening Article Found at: Hydroponic Gardening -Grow Without Soil

Gardening Without Chemicals

The color may be different, the shape may be different but the taste will also be different!

Organic gardening is simply growing plants without the use of pesticides or herbicides, instead relying upon insects, birds, shade, sun and trying and testing a combination of all things natural. It can be fun it can be rewarding ,the taste, the satisfaction of harvesting fruit or vegetables that you know are fresh and aren't full of pesticides and herbicides.

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Companion planting, the organic gardeners pest control

By growing numerous types of crops you create a habitat for beneficial insects and animals, deter problem pests, and enrich your soil. Companion planting isn't new, it can be traced back to ancient Roman times and probably all the way back to the beginning of gardening. Just to survive, just to get food on to the table the ancient gardener and farmers must have used organic gardening companion planting plans before the arrival of Eco warriors, pesticides had not been invented! Maybe thats why folk living in Faulkland have all got healthy rosy cheeks

Try the old tried and tested, Corn, Squash and Bean combination in a small corner of your garden and taste the difference.

By separating crops you create a garden dependent on pesticides or herbicides. Take a walk in a local wood or a field that has been left to nature, even a disused petrol forecourt, runway or old factory gradually turning back to green and see natural harmony at work. There are bugs that feed the birds, small mammals managing ground growth, and larger mammals including badgers and foxes managing the smaller ones.

Every garden needs birds and wild animals. As well as being a pleasure to watch, the birds eat greenfly and caterpillars from your plants, animals (badgers and hedgehogs) eat slugs and snails . Also, as the farming countryside becomes more and more hostile to wildlife, domestic gardens are becoming an increasingly important habitat for our wildlife.

This is the environment that can be created in your garden, making it harmonious for birds and the bees and providing a peaceful place to grow things to eat and a relaxing place to sit with family and friends.

This doesn't mean you have to let your garden become over grown with weeds, they need to be controlled, some are beneficial but all weeds should be removed before they go to seed.

Being Eco friendly doesn't mean going to extremes. It doesn't mean turning into Eco Worriers, we can still have a patio or decking. It does mean caring about our environment and it does mean having a garden we and our family and visitors can enjoy or what would be the point.

Try these Eco friendly landscapers tips for greenfly and slugs

Greenfly do not like lavender. Any plant that attracted greenfly I manually squish them off but also tried smearing crushed lavender leaf on the infested area it worked. Greenfly/blackfly dont like Nasturtians and Marigolds try planting them between the Broadbeans.

Because the carrot fly finds its way to Carrot seedlings by smell I planted rows of garlic between my carrots having a strong smelling plant close by confuses the carrot fly . It worked for me, try it.

For the same reason Lavender and garlic are good companion plants for roses too.

Slug repellent plant? Cant think of a plant but jam jars sunk into the soil around lettuce plants and part filled with beer work, slugs love it and probably die happier than if they were poisoned with slug pellets. Safer too for birds and hedgehogs. (I don't think 'organic' slug pellets are any better).

Another good and wildlife friendly way is to put sharp sand around the edge of pots or in rows along side seedlings - the slugs don't like crossing the sand. Putting copper wire around the top of plant pots is supposed to stop slugs too - I've never tried it, let me know if it works. Encourage birds, frogs and hedgehogs into your garden they eat slugs and snails. Picking them up and throwing them over the wall might work for you but wont help your relationship with neighbors .

Gardening Without Chemicals

I am a landscaper interested in wildlife friendly garden design and build. More on my website http://www.flowerpotman.com