Garden Year-Round with Hydroponics

Modern farmers face brutal challenges. One season serves fierce drought, the next brings torrential rain. There are diseased crops and insect infestations to worry about. Year-round hydroponics gardening has brought profit and peace of mind back to today's hardworking farmers.

In times when natural rainwater, fertile lands and ideal growing conditions are scarce, hydroponics is considered by farmers to be some kind of heaven-sent miracle. No longer are farmers at the mercy of Mother Nature. They can grow healthy crops throughout the year, and yield full harvests, no matter the season or the weather. This the most important benefit of gardening with hydroponics.

Early documents show that plants were successfully grown, without soil as the source of nutrients, as early as 1699 at the hand of a man named Woodward. It's also believed that hydroponics gardening was the method used for the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In more "modern" times, the roots of hydroponics methods were evident back in the 1840s. Researchers at that time developed a formula that contained all the essential nutrients that needed for healthy plant growth, including nitrogen, carbon dioxide, phosphorous, potassium and hydrogen dioxide. With these essential nutrients in place, there was absolutely no need for soil. Then, a group of German botanists adopted this idea and went on to develop the basic nutrient formulas and hydroponics growing techniques that are still in use today.

Growing successfully with hydroponics gardening requires as little as 10% of the land used in traditional farming and less than 10% the amount of water. You can use even less water by re-circulating the liquids used for hydroponics gardening.

Many popular types of produce can be successfully grown using hydroponics gardening. Growers who practice year-round gardening with hydroponics enjoy broccoli, cabbage, celery, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, grapes, lettuce, melons, onions, peppers, pole beans, radishes, strawberries and tomatoes.

Rarely is produce grown hydroponically affected by the insects that typically thrive in soil, or the diseases caused by soil microorganisms. This is one of the main advantages to hydroponics gardening. In turn, farmers are less inclined to use insecticides to prevent pest infestations. As a result, the crops do not carry traces of insecticides. Further, the produce can be picked ripe and enjoyed immediately, eliminating the need for chemical preservatives. That's a huge benefit for people who like their produce pure and clean.

Water conservation is another important feature of hydroponics gardening. In dry climates, where precious water must be re-circulated, hydroponics systems can greatly improve yields. It's also possible to quickly grow a large yield of hydroponics produce in a relatively small area. In fact, it is not unusual to grow four heads of lettuce in the same amount of space it would take to grow one lettuce head with traditional soil gardening.

If you'd like to garden year-round with hydroponics, you have various techniques available:

* Aqua Culture Hydroponics

With this type of hydroponics gardening, the roots are held in a large waterproof tank. The plants are supported with mesh or string, and the roots dangle freely in a liquid solution. This water contains nutrients, so the roots absorb everything they need for the plants to grow and thrive.

* Gravel Culture

Gravel culture is a more costly system to install and maintain. Hydroponics systems using gravel culture involve a waterproof bench filled with inert pea-sized gravel. This gravel is used to support the roots of the plants. A solution containing all the essential nutrients required by the plant is pumped into the gravel from a holding tank. The pump is turned off when the bench becomes filled with the solution, and the solution drains back to the holding tank.

Despite the method of hydroponics chosen, it's important to replenish the nutrient solutions periodically. Of course, proper lighting is also required. A number of grow lights should be set with automatic timers to deliver the appropriate amounts of light to the plants.

It's easy to find a purchase the materials and supplies you'll need to build and maintain your hydroponics garden. Visit your local gardening center to learn more. Soon, you'll be on your way to enjoying fresh produce all year with hydroponics gardening.

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