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By: Morath, Sarah J.. . Natural Resources & Environment , Summer2018, Vol. 33 Issue 1, p36, 39, 4p; ( AN 140030570)

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By: Nardi, Luca; Metelli, Giulio; Garegnani, Marco; Villani, Maria Elena; Massa, Silvia; Bennici, Elisabetta; Lamanna, Raffaele; Catellani, Marcello; Bisti, Silvia; Maggi, Maria Anna; Demurtas, Olivia C.; Benvenuto, Eugenio; Desiderio, Angiola. Molecules. Dec2022, Vol. 27 Issue 24, p8972. 22p. DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248972. Reading Level (Lexile): 1480. , Database: MainFile

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Effect of using urban wastewater on the performance and microbiological quality of hydroponic paprika (Capsicum annun L.). (English). By: Ibarra-Rondón, Aldo J.; Fragoso-Castilla, Pedro J.; Villero-Wolf, Felix R.; Rodríguez-Jiménez, Dalia M. Información Tecnológica. Dec2021, Vol. 32 Issue 6, p93-100. 8p. Language: Spanish. DOI: 10.4067/S0718-07642021000600093. , Database: MainFile

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Learn the Basics of Hydroponics: The Most Efficient Gardening Method

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When growing plants indoors, hydroponics is one of the best solutions for yielding more, saving space, and conserving water. Learn how to set up a system.

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Hydroponic gardening is space-efficient and takes less water than gardening in soil. Growing in water also means no weeds. With artificial lighting, you can grow hydroponically all year long in Minnesota.

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Inside view of a AmplifiedAg shipping container farm growing Vertical Roots green butter

What is hydroponics? How does it work? How does hydroponic farming compare to traditional farming?

When we tell people that we grow our produce using hydroponics, we usually get something close to this response:

"Sounds cool...sounds like it has something to do with health food maybe? What even is it?"

For all the hydro-curious folks out there, we've put together a primer on the basics of hydroponic farming.

We suggest you start here to learn the essentials of hydroponics, and if you're inspired to try growing some hydroponic plants of your own, c lick over to this page to see what kind of system would work best for you!

So What is Hydroponics?

Put simply: Hydroponics is a way to skip the soil, sub in a different material to support the roots of the plant, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water.

There are multiple approaches to designing hydroponic systems, but the core elements are essentially the same.

What you need:

Fresh water. Were talking primo, filtered stuff with a balanced pH. Most plants like water with a pH level around 6-6.5 . You can adjust the acidity of your water with over-the-counter solutions found at your local hardware, garden, or hydroponic store.

Oxygen. Don't drown your plants! In traditional farming, roots can get the oxygen needed for respiration from pockets of air in the soil. Depending on your hydroponic setup, you will either need to leave space between the base of your plant and the water reservoir, or you'll need oxygenate your container (think of bubbles in a fish tank), which you can accomplish by buying an air stone or installing an air pump.

Root Support. Even though you don't need soil, your plant's roots still need a little something to hold on to. Typical materials include vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, coconut fiber, and rockwool. Stay away from materials that might compact (like sand) or that don't retain any moisture (like gravel).

Nutrients. Your plant is going to need plenty of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients to stay healthy and productive -- just like plants growing in the ground need healthy soil and fertilizer. When you're growing plants without soil, this "plant food" must be included in the water that's feeding your plants. While you can technically make your own nutrient solution, it's easy to buy mixtures online and in stores.

Light. If you're growing your plants indoors, you might have to invest in some special lighting. Each kind of plant will have a different requirement for the amount of light it needs and for the placement of lights (typically referred to as Daily Light Integral or DLI).

While there are other elements to consider as you increase the sophistication of your hydroponic farm (for instance, things like CO2 supplementation), the five listed above are the most foundational elements of any hydroponic system.

By monitoring and adjusting these key variables, you can begin to discover precisely what your plants need to thrive, and replicate those conditions for every grow in the future.

Why Grow Without Soil?

This seemingly subtle shift in how we make food (skipping the soil, that is) is actually revolutionary -- it allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, and to net higher yields with fewer resources.

Grow Anywhere

Yep. Take that, climate change. Growing seasons and regions are in major flux right now as temperatures change and growing conditions change along with them. Even in "normal" conditions, there are plenty of places where the ground just isn't conducive for farming (like deserts, concrete jungles...you get the gist).

Right now, most of the vegetables you come across in a store have been shipped in from afar, and have lost nutritional value along the way.

Using hydroponics, we can create hyper-local food systems - and we are! Our container farms are set up right in the communities and regions that we serve. It's even possible to put a farm directly behind restaurants that want ultra-fresh produce! And when you're growing hydroponically, you don't have to hit pause for a season or risk crop loss from inclement weather.

Higher Yields

Plants grown in well-managed hydroponic systems are living the good life. Since roots are bathed in all the nutrients they need, plants spend more time growing upward and less time and energy growing extensive root systems to search for food.

Growth rates vary based on the type of system and quality of care, but hydro plants can mature up to 25 percent more quickly than the same plants grown in soil, with increased crop yield, to boot.

Fewer Resources

We bet you didn't see this coming: hydroponic systems actually use less water than traditional soil-based systems. This is because closed systems aren't subject to the same rates of evaporation. Plus, the water used in hydroponic systems can be filtered, re-populated with nutrients, and fed back to plants again so that water is constantly being recycled instead of wasted!

At Vertical Roots, our systems use up to 98 percent less water than traditional soil-based systems.

Other "resources" indoor hydroponic plants don't need? Pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals, since the hydro crops are protected from many of the pests and plant diseases found outdoors in soil-based farms.

Easy Troubleshooting

How many times have you walked out to your garden and seen one of your plants thriving while its next-door-neighbor is drooping? In that situation, it's almost impossible to know which variable is negatively affecting your poor plant. Is it a pest problem? Are the nutrients in the soil different in that spot? Has this plant become your dog's urinal?

With a hydroponic system, you know exactly what conditions your plants are being grown in. As such, you can easily isolate variables and experiment! Once you find the perfect formula of light, pH balance, and nutrients, you can replicate success without always getting hit with curveballs.

Think you're ready to try it out?

Click here to see what setup makes the most sense for your space and lifestyle.

And send us a snap of your new garden! You can hit us up on Instagram @verticalroots .

We can't wait to see how it goes for you.

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The What and Why of Hydroponic Farming - Vertical Roots

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Skip to content Inside view of a AmplifiedAg shipping container farm growing Vertical Roots green butter When we tell people that we grow our produce using hydroponics, we usually get something close to this response: "Sounds cool...sounds like it has something to do with health food maybe? What even is it?"

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Introduction

"HYDROPONICS" is the growing of plants in a liquid nutrient solution with or without the use of artificial media. Commonly used mediums include expanded clay, coir, perlite, vermiculite, brick shards, polystyrene packing peanuts and wood fiber.
Hydroponics has been recognized as a viable method of producing vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers) as well as ornamental crops such as herbs, roses, freesia and foliage plants. Due to the ban on methyl bromide in soil culture, the demand for hydroponically grown produce has rapidly increased in the last few years.

History

The word hydroponics comes from two Greek words 'hydro' meaning water and 'ponos' meaning labor. This word was first used in 1929 by Dr. Gericke, a California professor who began to develop what previously had been a laboratory technique into a commercial means of growing plants. The U.S. Army used hydroponic culture to grow fresh food for troops stationed on infertile Pacific islands during World War II. By the 1950s, there were viable commercial farms in America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Advantages

It can be used in places where in-ground agriculture or gardening is not possible (for example, dry desert areas or cold climate regions).

More complete control of nutrient content, pH and growing environment.

Lower water and nutrient costs associated with water and nutrient recycling.

Faster growth due to more available oxygen in root area.

Elimination or reduction of soil related insects, fungi and bacteria.

Much higher crop yields.

No weeding or cultivation required.

Some crops, such as lettuce and strawberries, can be lifted from ground level to a much better height for planting, cultivation and harvesting. This gives much better working conditions and hence lowers labor costs.

Crop rotation/fallowing is not necessary.

Transplant shock is reduced.

Disadvantages

Initial and operational costs are higher than soil culture.

Skill and knowledge are needed to operate properly.

Some diseases like Fusarium and Verticillium can spread quickly through the system. However, many varieties resistant to the above diseases have been bred.

Growing Systems

Hydroponic systems can either be liquid or aggregate. Liquid systems have no supporting medium for the plant roots; whereas, aggregate systems have a solid medium of support. Hydroponic systems are further categorized as open (once the nutrient solution is delivered to the plant roots, it is not reused) or closed (surplus solution is recovered, replenished, and recycled).

Liquid Hydroponic System:

They are closed systems.

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): Plants are placed in a polyethylene tube that has slits cut in the plastic for the roots to be inserted. Nutrient solution is pumped through this tube.

Floating Hydroponics: Plants are grown on a floating raft of expanded plastic.

Aeroponics: Plant roots remain suspended in an enclosed growing chamber, where they are sprayed with a mist of nutrient solution at short intervals, usually every few minutes.

Aggregate Hydroponic System:

Open system:

Rockwool Culture: It is the most widely used medium in hydroponics. Rockwool is ground-up basalt rock that is heated then spun into threads making wool. It is very light and is often sold in cubes. Rockwool can hold water and retain sufficient air space (at least 18 percent) to promote optimum root growth.

Sand Culture

Closed System:

Gravel

NFT and Rockwool: Plants are established on small rockwool slabs positioned in channels containing recycled nutrient solution.

These system are further categorized into:

1. Passive systems use a wick and growing media with very high capillary action. This allows water to be drawn to the plant roots. The Wick System is by far the simplest type of hydroponic system (Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Wick System.

2. Active systems work by actively passing a nutrient solution over your plants roots. Examples include:

The Water Culture System is the simplest of all active hydroponic systems. The platform that holds the plants is usually made of Styrofoam and floats directly on the nutrient solution. An air pump supplies air to the air stone that bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots of the plants (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The Water Culture System.

The Ebb and Flow System works by temporarily flooding the grow tray with nutrient solution and then draining the solution back into the reservoir. This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer. The timer is set to come on several times a day, depending on the size and type of plants, temperature, humidity and the type of growing medium used (Figure 3).

Figure 3. The Ebb and Flow System.

Drip Systems are probably the most widely used type of hydroponic system in the world. A timer controls a submersed pump. The timer turns the pump on and nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by a small drip line (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The Drip System.

NFT Systems have a constant flow of nutrient solution, so no timer is required for the submersible pump (Figure 5).

Figure 5. The NFT System.

The Aeroponic System is probably the most high-tech type of hydroponic gardening. A timer controls the nutrient pump much like other types of hydroponic systems, except the aeroponic system needs a short cycle timer that runs the pump for a few seconds every couple of minutes (Figure 6).

Figure 6. The Aeroponic System.

Nutrient Management Techniques

The major disadvantage of a closed system is the difficulty of nutrient management. Four main techniques are commonly utilized.

Technique 1

Water addition, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) control are all automatic. The pH is a measure of the acidity of the substrate and controls the availability of mineral nutrients; whereas, the EC gives an estimate of the nutrient content.
The recommended pH for hydroponic culture is between 5.0 and 6.0 because overall availability of nutrients is optimized at a slightly acidic pH, and the EC level should be 1.5 to 3 dS m⁻¹

Technique 2

The water makeup of the holding tank is automatic, usually by float valve, i.e. the tank level is held steady. Here both water and nutrients are being taken, but only water is being replaced. Therefore, the EC will fall until the tank solution is brought up to strength by nutrient addition. The EC is periodically checked and adjusted to the required value by adding nutrient to the tank by hand. The pH is adjusted if necessary by adding acid (dilute sulfuric acid) to lower the pH or an alkali (dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution) to raise the pH.

Technique 3

The holding tank is partly or completely run down then refilled as a batch by adding water and/or nutrient. The important aspect of this technique is that the effects of the addition are checked.

Technique 4

The holding tank is partly or completely run down then refilled using a standard strength nutrient solution. However, the resultant EC in the system is not checked or adjusted. This technique can lead to disaster.

Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponics

Commercial hydroponic growers need a more accurate control of the components in a nutrient solution to achieve commercial success. Numerous 'recipes' for hydroponic solutions are available. Many use different combinations of chemicals to reach similar total final compositions (Table 1).

Table 1. Major element and micronutrient ionic forms and normal concentration range found in most nutrient solutions (Jones, 2005).

Concentration Range
Element Ionic Form mg/L, ppm

Soil versus Hydroponics

There is no physiological difference between plants grown hydroponically and those grown in soil. In soil, both the organic and inorganic components must be decomposed into inorganic elements before they are available to the plant. These elements adhere to the soil particles and are exchanged into the soil solution where they are absorbed by plants. In hydroponics, the plant roots are moistened with a nutrient solution containing the elements. The subsequent processes of mineral uptake by the plant are the same (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Origin of essential elements in soil and hydroponics.

Nutrition and Hydroponics

There is no conclusive evidence that produce grown hydroponically are more nutritious or healthier than produce grown by any other method, although some small studies indicate that it may be possible. Many countries, such as Holland, do not differentiate whether the produce has been grown by hydroponics or by any other methods; they just concentrate on the quality of the produce. Produce quality is more likely to remain consistent in hydroponic systems, as plants are often less stressed than in other systems.

Hydroponics in the Home Garden

For the hobbyist, hydroponics is a highly technical specialized form of agriculture that has an ever expanding application to everyday use. At the same time, home hydroponic gardens have become so simple that people without a green thumb can be successful in growing flowers and vegetables in their homes. Many of the advantages of commercial hydroponics also apply to the home and hobby gardeners. In many industries, small systems are developed, then expanded for large scale use. Conversely, in hydroponics, large scale commercial production is becoming more common, while it is more of a challenge to make smaller systems economically feasible.

Planning Commercial Hydroponics

Hydroponic systems are only one of the options available when you are considering whether to grow a crop. Planning for a commercial business should, therefore, follow the normal sequence for considering any horticultural enterprise. Don't overlook soil growing. You need a worthwhile reason to use a hydroponic system instead of soil.

If you do choose to go with hydroponics, you should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of production system for your crop of interest. For short term crops such as lettuce, the common choice is recirculating NFT or flood and drain gravel channels. For longer term crops or those very vulnerable to root disease, the common choice is nonrecirculating, media-based systems.

During recent years, there have been an increasing number of companies offering a range of turn-key packages. They sell a total package of protected structure, hydroponic and support systems, and often include consulting and marketing agreements.

List of some Hydroponic Suppliers

Future

Hydroponics may be used in underdeveloped countries for food production in limited space. It is even feasible to grow hydroponically in areas of poor soil conditions such as deserts. The desert sand serves as a good growing medium and seawater can be used to mix nutrient solution once the salts have been removed. The popularity of hydroponics has increased dramatically in a short period of time leading to an increase in experimentation and research in the area of indoor and outdoor hydroponic gardening.

Additional Reading

Jones, J.B. 2005. Hydroponics: a practical guide for the soilless grower. CRC Press. Boca Raton. Fla.

Mason, J. 1990. Commercial hydroponics. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW.

Resh, H.M. 2004. Hydroponic food production: A definitive guidebook for the advanced home gardener and the commercial hydroponic grower. Newconcept Press, Inc. New Jersey.

Savvas,D. and H. Passam. 2002. Hydroponic production of vegetables and ornamentals. Embryo Publications. Athens, Greece.

Arjina Shrestha

Graduate Student, Ornamentals

Bruce Dunn
Assistant Professor, Floriculture

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An explanation on what hydroponics is, instructions for how to construct a system and guidelines on how to maintain a growing garden.

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Michael Sweat, Richard Tyson, and Robert Hochmuth

The Aztecs amazed the Spanish conquistadors with their floating gardens, and now 500 years later you can impress your friends and neighbors with yours. A floating hydroponic garden is easy to build and can provide a tremendous amount of nutritious vegetables for home use, and best of all, hydroponic systems avoid many pest problems commonly associated with the soil. This simple guide will show you how to build your own floating hydroponic garden using material locally available at a cost of about $50.00 (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Construction Steps

Build a rectangular frame using 2-by-6-inch or 2-by-8-inch treated lumber. The frame should be 4 feet, 1-inch wide by 8 feet, 1-inch long. This size frame eliminates the need to trim the floating styrofoam, however, the size can be varied to suit personal needs.

Line the frame with a 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheet to form a trough to contain the nutrient solution. Be sure the site is level and free of any debris, which could puncture the plastic liner.

Secure one end and side of the liner to the top edge of the frame with 1-by-2 inch furring strips or lattice using wood screws or small nails.

Place a 4-by-8-foot sheet of 1 1/2 inch thick styrofoam insulation in the lined frame. Make sure the edges have sufficient room to allow the garden to move up and down. If necessary, adjust the frame to make it square with the styrofoam. The styrofoam sheet will create a floating platform in the wooden frame you have constructed.

Fill the water garden with approximately 20 gallons of water. The water will form the plastic sheeting to the sides of the frame. Secure the other end and side of the liner to the top edge of the frame.

Continue filling the water garden with water to a total depth of at least five inches. Keep track of the total gallons of water you add.

Add water-soluble fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, 24-8-16 or similar analysis, but always with micronutrients, at a rate range of 1-2 level teaspoons of fertilizer for each gallon of water used in the water garden. In addition, add Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) at a rate range of one-half to one level teaspoon for each gallon of water. Use a soft broom to mix the water & fertilizer in the garden or premix all fertilizer in a bucket before adding to water garden (Figure 2). Note this fertilizer is built for water sources where calcium is abundant in the water supply. Much of Florida's water is high enough to meet the calcium needs of most plants. However, if your water supply is low in calcium, you will need to add a calcium source from a hydroponic supplier or use a standard hydroponic fertilizer with calcium included.

The pH of the final solution is generally between 5.5 and 6.5 which is fine. If the pH needs adjustment downward, household vinegar can be used.

Light rainfall will have little effect on the water garden; only extensive flooding would require fertilizer adjustment based on the amount of water added by rainfall. In the case of heavy rainfall diluting the solution, you must know how many gallons of rainwater was added, then add only the fertilizer for that number of gallons. Use a rain guage to know how many inches of rain fell, then you must know how many gallons per inch of depth in your container. The solution in the garden needs to be replaced periodically for optimum production. You can grow two crops of salad greens in the same solution before changing the entire solution and starting with a new batch.

Commercially available "net pots" (Figure 3) or styrofoam coffee cups with slits cut in the bottom may be used to hold the young seedlings.

Use a hole saw or sharp knife to cut holes in the styrofoam. A 2 1/2-inch hole saw is needed to drill the correct-size holes in 1 1/2-inch thick styrofoam when using the 3" Net Pot or a styrofoam cup with slits cut in the bottom and trimmed at the top. Using 2" Net Pots will require a 1 3/4-inch hole saw for the 1 1/2-inch styrofoam (Figure 4). The hole size should allow the bottom of a cup to be level with the underside of the styrofoam. If a thicker sheet of styrofoam is used, a larger hole will be needed for a 2 inch net pot. It is very important that once the cups are placed in the holes, they do not extend down lower than 1/16 inch below the bottom of the styrofoam sheet! This allows the root mass to wick up water without being totally submerged, which might lead to drowning of the root and plant death.

Optimum plant spacing for most plants would be 6 inches from the sides and 12 inches apart to form 32 holes for planting.

Transplants used in this system should be grown to be fully rooted in a typical soilless media. Transplants can be grown at home in many root ball shapes in a loose media, rockwool foam cubes, purchased from garden suppliers, or grown in compressed peat pellets.

Place young starter transplants directly into the cups. Use toothpicks, if desired, to hold the transplant in an upright position. Do not remove the soilless media from around the transplant. Also, do not pack additional media around the plant root ball inside the cup. The transplant root ball sits inside the cup alone and should be surrounded by air.

The most critical aspect is the depth of placement of the net pot or transplant root ball in the solution. Do not place the pot or transplant too deep in the solution. A flat bottom transplant cube or disc media will wick up more water than a pointed root ball. If the media seems too wet, tilt the cube so only a portion of the root ball actually touches the water.

After placing the young transplant in the net pot or styrofoam cup, do not add any potting mix or other material around the young transplant as this will keep the roots too wet and inhibit oxygen intake (Figure 5).

Add extra water and fertilizer as needed to keep the styrofoam sheet floating on a minimum of 5-inches of solution.

Crops

Several leafy salad crops such as lettuce (romaine, Boston, bibb, & leafy lettuces, Figure 6), mustard greens, mizuna, mint, chives, and kale grow well during the cool season. There are fewer crop options for the warm season, however, basil, Swiss chard, cucumber, watercress, and some cut-flowers, like Zinnia and sunflowers have done well. Growing with floating systems does not override the normal challenges of gardening in the warm season in Florida.

Not all crops do well in the floating gardens; however, small-rooted, short-season crops generally grow well. Crops that prefer wet rooting conditions grow better than those that prefer dry conditions. For example, watercress grows very well, but spinach and periwinkle do not grow as well in a floating garden.

Container Choices

This publication guides you in the steps to build a 4x8 ft floating garden using wood and a plastic liner. Many simple containers can also be used to make a floating garden. Examples include: children's or pet pools (kiddie pools), small plastic storage containers, trash cans, and buckets. Many shapes and sizes of containers will work, but they should be able to maintain a 4-6 inch depth of nutrient solution for the best success. Containers with straight up sides are preferred.

New Research

Ongoing research with plants such as tomato in floating systems indicate that larger plants may require more above-water rooting volume (more air-space) in order to produce successful yields. To produce more root mass above the water, you may want to test a system that uses two stacked styrofoam floats with holes drilled in the bottom one and all but a six-inch edge around the perimeter cut out of the top one. Fill the empty top float with perlite, vermiculite, or other hydroponic media and plant vegetables or flowers into it the same way you would plant a normal garden. Preliminary results show this method to be promising if starter fertilizer is used on the young plants until their roots reach the fertilized hydroponic solution below the floats.

Tomatoes and peppers are also challenging to grow in floating systems due to the high nutrient requirements for calcium. Blossom-end rot is caused by low calcium in the fruit. Supplemental calcium can be supplied in addition to the recipe above. These calcium products are available at most of the same suppliers that sell the net pots. However, for challenging crops like tomato and pepper, greater success will be achieved with standard hydroponic fertilizers where one of the ingredients is calcium nitrate. All crops can be grown with regular hydroponic mixes,

Additional Resources

For more information on hydroponic production, please visit our website at http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu.A copy of a DVD on several hydroponic topics "Hydroponics for Small Farms and Gardens" may be purchased for $25, plus tax, by contacting the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore at (352) 392-1764 or online at http://www.ifasbooks.ufl.edu, DVD1247. A video on the floating hydroponic garden is also available to view online on the Virtual Field Day website at http://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu as part of a series of hydroponic video modules.

Hydroponic Suppliers

Pentair Aquatic Eco-systems, Inc.-https://pentairaes.com/ -1-877-347-4788-net pots, hobby kits, hydroponic supplies.

Hydrogardens, Inc.-http://www.hydrogarden.com -1-800-634-6362-net pots, hydroponic supplies.

Verti-Gro, Inc.- 1-800-955-6757 or 1-352-347-9888-vertical and other complete hydroponic gardening supplies.

CropKing, Inc.- 1-800-321-5656-hydroponic supplies, hobby greenhouses.

Worm's Way, Inc.- 1-800-283-9676-hydroponic supplies, hobby kits.

Future Growing LLC- http://www.futuregrowing.com -hydroponic growing systems and supplies.

Growers Supply, Division of Farm Tek- http://www.growerssupply.com -1-800-476-9715-hydroponic systems and greenhouse supplies.

Note: This is a partial list of suppliers of hydroponic materials and supplies. Mention of the above suppliers is not intended to be an endorsement of their product or a preference over other suppliers.

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University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension outreach is a partnership between state, federal, and county governments to provide scientific knowledge and expertise to the public. The University of Florida (UF), together with Florida A&M University (FAMU), administers the Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

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Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil, and can include an aggregate substrate, or growing media, such as vermiculite, coconut coir, or perlite. Hydroponic production systems are used by small farmers, hobbyists, and commercial enterprises.

According to USDA: "Growing plants in water culture or sand culture without soil are procedures that have been used by physiologists studying plant nutrition and by other plant scientists for more than a century." ( Growing Crops Without Soil. Beltsville, MD: USDA, rev 1965.)

This page provides links to current and historical research publications as well as information from universities and extension.

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Find resources for small farmers, home hobbyists and commercial businesses on hydroponics - growing plants in a water-based, nutrient solution without soil.