Soilless Gardening
Hydroponic Setups

Soilless Gardening and how does hydroponics work?
The best hydroponic setup for your garden and how to build your own hydroponics system

Hydroponics or Soilless Gardening is growing plants and vegetables without soil. Hydroponics is actually a Greek word...or should I say, two Greek words which mean 'water' and 'labor' (I knew Hydro meant 'water' but the labor bit...!)

You can grow herbs, salad, vegetables or ornamental plants inside or outside in hydroponic systems. If you have limited garden space and want to grow fresh herbs and veggies all year round soilless gardening is for you! You can set up unit in the house and grow quite a lot of plants in a small area.

Indoors of course you have add grow lights for plants to give them adequate light. With the temperatures in a house and the light you basically have summer all year round! The plants reward you with all year growth and supply.

What are hydroponics and how does hydroponics work?

Actually plants can be grown in mineral nutrients or they can be grown in an inert mixture such as sand or perlite, as long as the liquid minerals get to the plants feeding system it doesn't matter.

One of the most popular system for homeowners is the ebb and flow hydroponics system. This flood and drain system floods the roots several times a day. Suitable fertilizer is added to the water and supplies the plants with the necessary nutrients.

You can also build your own hydroponic system.

The ancient Greeks were known to use soilless gardening but it wasn't really developed and expanded until the 1600's when it was used mostly for research.

The benefits of hydroponics

The advantages of hydroponics are obvious, especially if you live in a place that is rocky or has no soil at all for plant growth. You can also control the nutrient content so crops are generally bigger in size and quantity. Diseases of the soil are avoided and soil-less areas, such as your living room, can be used to grow vegetables!

Today, vast greenhouses use hydroponic setups, particularly for salad crops such as tomatoes and lettuce, but also there has been a major growth of smaller, home based growing units.

We have tried to bring together as much information and advice as we can so that your experience with soilless gardening is meaningful and successful... let alone vegetableful. (...okay, no such word!)

Do you have a gardening question?

Click here to ask 'Little Miss Greenfingers'!

Now just choose, from the list below, the type of advice you are looking for,
and click and go...

1...Soil-less Systems:
Basic Hydroponic setups and the two main systems used.

2...A Homemade hydroponic System:
Gardening without soil in your home.

3...Grow Lights For Plants:
Which is the best type of indoor plant lights for your purpose? A guide to indoor grow lights.

4...Water Gardening:
Learn about the benefits of Water Gardening.

Come back often because we are adding informative articles on a regular basis...and many more videos too!

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