Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions in water. It has advantages like not requiring soil, allowing plants to be grown anywhere, reusing irrigation water to save on costs, and reducing soil-borne diseases. However, hydroponics also has disadvantages such as high start-up costs, the risk of plant death from failures in the hydroponic system, and the large amounts of energy required to produce the materials and fertilizers used. Different hydroponic systems include wick systems, ebb and flow systems, and aeroponic systems.

1. Hydroponics
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a method of
growing plants using mineral
nutrient in water, without
the use of soil. It’s a soilless
solution of growing plants.
What are the advantages?
• No soil needed – can be grown anywhere,
especially useful if land is at a premium.
• The water that the plant uses can be reused,
this saves on water costs.
• Soil-borne diseases are significantly reduced.
Diseases don’t spread so well without soil and
reduced health hazard to consumers.
• Water & nutrients are conserved – a
hydroponics system recycles nutrients and
produces less pollution than land based plants.
What are the disadvantages?
• Start-up costs are very high – hydroponics
technology is still very expensive
• Any failure to the hydroponic system can lead
to rapid plant death resulting in high losses to
the producers.
• Hydroponic plants require different fertilizers
and containment systems and so to produce the
mineral wool & the fertilizers that are needed,
a large amount of energy is required.
Different types of Hydroponics?
Wick system – Plant sits in container and is connected to a
reservoir of mineral solution.
Ebb & Flow - Rockwool, clay pebbles, sand (etc) are placed in a pot
and act as soil for plant’s roots and solution put into pot.
Aeroponics – Plant roots supplied with a consistent saturation
environment where a fine mist spray lightly coats the roots with
nutrient liquid solution. Proven successful in commercial production.