Hydroponics: Beginner’s Guide for Hydroponics System

by Sam Anderson

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, which is the growing of plants in a soil
less medium, or an aquatic based environment. Hydroponic growing uses mineral
nutrient solutions to feed the plants in water, without soil. For those of us who love growing plants these are exciting times indeed. We are no
longer limited by climate or by season in the pursuit of our harmless pleasures. We
can now grow virtually any plant at virtually any time of the year – the only limitation
is our imagination. The simple, effective hydroponic systems now available,
coupled with modern horticultural lighting, have transformed our hobby and freed
us to grow our favourite plants where and when we choose. That's simple. If you give a plant exactly what it needs, when it needs it, in the
amount that it needs, the plant will be as healthy as is genetically possible. With
hydroponics this is an easy task; in soil it is far more difficult. With hydroponics the plants are grown in an inert growing medium (see below) and
a perfectly balanced, pH adjusted nutrient solution is delivered to the roots in a
highly soluble form. This allows the plant to uptake its food with very little effort as
opposed to soil where the roots must search out the nutrients and extract them.
This is true even when using rich, organic soil and top of the line nutrients. The
energy expended by the roots in this process is energy better spent on vegetative
growth and fruit and flower production. If you grow two genetically identical plants using soil for one and hydroponics for
the other, you will almost immediately see the difference this factor makes. Faster,
better growth and much greater yields are just some of the many reasons that
hydroponics is being adapted around the world for commercial food production as
well as a growing number of home, hobby gardeners.

46 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2017

About the author

Sam Anderson is an American book reviewer and author. He is the critic at large for The New York Times Magazine. Prior to joining The New York Times Magazine, he was a book critic at New York Magazine. In 2007 he received the Balakian Award for Excellence in Criticism from the National Book Critics Circle.

He holds a masters degree from Louisiana State University.