What is Hydroponic System? What are the advantages?

Soilless agriculture or hydroponic agriculture is a form of agriculture practiced in stagnant water culture without soil. Plants benefit from a nutrient solution that contains the minerals the plant needs instead of the nutrients in the soil. Therefore, instead of looking for minerals in the entire soil, plants can easily and directly get nutrients from the nutrient solution. Growing media such as sand, peat, vermiculite, perlite, coconut, rock wool or expanded clay aggregate are often used to support plants and their root systems, and they are likely to retain moisture around the roots. The growing medium itself is not a food source. The importance of hydroponic agriculture in our country has been understood in recent years. The number of greenhouse areas created by this agricultural method is gradually increasing. In addition, hydroponic farming has been a method used frequently in space research in recent years. Especially people who will live in permanent human colonies such as Mars and Moon will grow vegetables and fruits with this agricultural method. Hydroponic agricultural method or the products grown with this method have no adverse effects on human health.

What Are The Advantages Of Hydroponic Agriculture Against Grounded Agriculture?

Plants grown in hydroponic systems have optimum nutrient and moisture. Therefore, they grow faster and healthier. The absence of soil means the absence of weeds and harmful insects and diseases from the soil. Another advantage is that the root systems are smaller in hydroponically grown plants, which means that the plant's growth energy concentrates more on the growth of the plant than on the roots. In addition, there is no need to change the pots of hydroponic plants, as the roots are never mixed. There is no need to add fertilizers and pesticides to a hydroponically grown crop. Crops grown with a hydroponic system have a longer shelf life than those grown in the soil. Hydroponic cultivation is easy, it is environmentally friendly in terms of growing healthy plants.

It provides numerous benefits, including: Plants grow 50% faster than in soil because they have easier access to nutrients and water. It is possible to grow crops all year round indoors without sunlight or with artificial lighting. Nutrients are available directly to the plants and do not belong to the growing medium. Little or no pesticides are used. Plants begin to grow in a disease-free environment. Smaller pots can be used, roots can grow without interference. It is possible to cultivate in places where gardening is not possible, for example in poor soil, rocky areas, even balconies. With the use of artificial light, it is possible to create a garden even in a room or garage that you do not use. Less labor is required than in soil cultivation because there is no need to dig or remove weeds. Increased control over overgrowth conditions facilitates the provision of the best possible environment for plants and results in better quality crops and agricultural returns. Fast growing healthy plants grown with hydroponic methods are more resistant to pests and diseases. You will also notice the improvement and appearance in the taste of fruits and vegetables grown hydroponically.

How to Set Up a Hydroponic System? What is Required?

First you need to decide where to install the system in the house. The place where you will install the system can be a garden, balcony, basement, terrace or a closed room. However, you will need a different system and equipment in all these places. For example, in the system you will install on the terrace, you do not need artificial lighting depending on the plant you will grow, but you may have to cover it with glass to keep the temperature constant, as in greenhouses. However, when you put the system in a basement or a closed room that does not receive light, you can also grow products with artificial lighting. It is important to decide how the system will be as well as where you will install the system. Generally, there are two types of hydroponic systems in the market. The first is tubular hydroponics (also known as fluid hydroponics), the second is container-type hydroponics (also known as drip irrigation hydroponics). Tubular hydroponic system is much more useful. You can feed more plants, but it costs a little more. For this reason, in this article, I will explain the setup of a much simpler container type hydroponic system.

Before proceeding with the installation of a container type hydroponic system, I would like to briefly talk about the working principle of this system. As it is known, plants live in their natural life depending on the soil. It continues as the seed develops under the soil and sprouts above the ground. Plants get all the nutrients, minerals and water they need from the soil. In the hydroponic system, a plant without soil gets the nutrients and minerals it needs from the solution water. We can start by putting a certain amount of ready-made plant food in some water in a container. This water is transferred by a water pump to the growing medium at the top of the container where the plants are located, by a thin water hose. Thus, the plant will get all the nutrients it needs from the nutrient water in this solution. However, there are a few important details to be considered in the system. It is very important that the ph rate of the water, its temperature and that the water does not receive light.