We explore the world of hydroponics and how you can garden year round with this clever application that enables you to achieve great results. Nowadays, most foods that we eat are mass-produced from commercial farms. There is a growing sentiment that commercially-grown plants are not any better for our health. This is because of the use of chemicals such as pesticides and other chemical fertilizers in order to ensure a good harvest for farm owners. You might be someone who lives in the city or possibly someone who lives in the country and want an alternative way to grow their own vegetables and fruit for personal consumption to make sure that what they eat is free from such chemicals. Therefore, eating your own vegetables is much safer. There are many ways to grow your own plants at home. The most popular one is through hydroponics.
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is “the process of growing plants without the use of soil.” From the word “hydro,” you can easily have a clue that it is through water. You may have seen a plant with its roots hanging in the water in a jar. This is an example of hydroponics. However, hydroponics today is more than just water. It involves several components such as nutrients and growing medium. WATCH >>> Hydroponic Greenhouse Project, Indoor NFT Pac Choy and lettuce for winter eats!
What is a “Growing Medium” By the Way?
A growing medium is any material or substance in which roots grow. These substances can be sand, gravel, coconut fiber, vermiculite, perlite, Rockwool, and more. Take note that this is an inert substance that doesn’t actually help grow the plants by supplying nutrients. The nutrients are supplied by water solution itself.
Is It Easy to set up a Hydroponic Garden?
Although hydroponic gardening can be more sophisticated, it doesn’t have to be. You can set up your own hydroponics garden at home and even indoor. The important thing is that you need to supply and control the amount of nutrients you will need to supply to your plants. What you need is a light source, growing medium, and water.
Is Hydroponic Food Healthy?
According to a study made by Treftz, it is said that “healthy” anti-oxidant compounds (e.g. Vitamin C, tocopherol and total polyphenolic compounds) were significantly higher in hydroponically grown strawberries compared to the soil-grown, but the opposite was true for raspberries!” In other words, hydroponic food is even healthier than food grown in a traditional way. WATCH >>> Indoor Hydroponic Vegetable Garden After Just 4 Weeks
What Do I Need to Set up a Hydroponic System?
Let us assume you are just a beginner in hydroponic gardening, and you want to set up your own indoor hydroponic garden. You don’t need to think of sophisticated materials. What you need is a tray or anything in which you can put the inert growing medium. You need water and fertilizers together. Moreover, light source is important to plants. In hydroponics, full spectrum-fluorescent bulbs are a good light source. Setting up your own hydroponic garden is not difficult. If you are curious where you can have one, you can have it anywhere in your home for smaller operations, so you can enjoy your favorite fruits and vegetables in limited supply. If you wish to have an indoor hydroponic garden on a larger scale so you have fruits, and vegetables year round it is better to build a separate structure intended only for your plants. There are several types of structures available such as wooden sheds, green houses, and even garages that can be insulated. If you happen to be living in the countryside or have extra land to build in the city than you have the option of having a metal carports built as well. These metal buildings make an excellent option for your hydroponic gardening and possibly act as a workshop, extra storage, or a place to keep your vehicles. What fruits or vegetables would you like to grow in your own hydroponic garden?
—————————————————————————————————————————- 
Author’s Bio Name: Wendy Dessler Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition. Twitter Handle: @outreachmama Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/outreachmama Website URL: https://www.outreachmama.com/
