Ponos is the god of difficult work or toil in Greek mythology and hydro is Greek for water. These words are joined in modern-day English to describe one of principal methods of growing plants without soil, hydroponics.
Hydroponics literally means working water and is a method of cultivating plants using nutrient solutions in place of dirt. Hydroponics is the oldest of the soil less cultivation techniques and goes back 1000s of years to the early Egyptians, Aztecs and Chinese. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is believed to be an early application of hydroponic cultivation.
Regardless of its ancient roots, modern science has been interested in noticeably advancing the practice of hydroponics with an inducement of growing produce in otherwise non-arable areas of the world. An enhancement in nutrient mixtures and delivery strategies has led to the use of hydroponics as a technique of mass food production. Occasionally the motive is even out of this world. Research studies into hydroponics conducted by NASA are aimed at finding a practical food supply to support space travel and potential colonies on the Moon and Mars.
Photosynthesis in plants needs access to minerals, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrient elements are commonly found in the soil and in standard gardens can be supplemented by commercial plant food. The soil itself is not needed for plant development just the minerals that the soil contains. So in hydroponics, the plants roots are submerged in meticulously measured water based blends of these minerals. With the direct and exactly measured application of nutrient elements to the roots, hydroponics is a sound means of growing plants and for a given yield needs only about 20% of the land and about 10% of the water needed by standard farming. By eliminating the soil you also eradicate all soil born diseases and significantly reduce the need for pesticides. A mist based variation of hydroponics, known as Aeroponics, opens the roots to extra additional oxygen and is even more efficient.
Nearly any plant can be grown utilizing hydroponics, but some plants are way more acceptable than others. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and most herbs are some of the very best choices for hydroponic gardeners. With hydroponics these plants can be grown indoors and crops canbe harvested can occur year round. For urban gardeners or anyone living in a location with little or no access to cultivatable land, hydroponics is an efficient alternative for producing a stable supply of fresh fruit and veggies.
Bob Long is a systems engineer include water gardening in his backyard. He has a series of websites on this topic and is you want to learn more about soil less gardening visit Aeroponic Systems and DIY Aeroponics.