Compiled by Sors Pretorius
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a technology for
growing plants in nutrient solutions
(water containing fertilizers) with or
without the use of an artificial medium (sand, gravel, vermiculite,
rock wool, perlite, peat moss. coir,
or sawdust) to provide mechanical
support.
What do you need to start hydroponic production?
Liquid hydroponic systems have no
other supporting medium for the
plant roots: aggregate systems have
a solid medium of support. Hydroponic systems are further categorized as open (i.e. once the nutrient
solution is delivered to the plant
roots, it is not reused) or closed (i.e.
surplus solution is recovered, replenished, and recycled).
Hydroponic growing (as opposed to
soil growing) allows you to control
the nutrient levels for your plants
directly. Because of the higher control over nutrients, hydroponically
grown plants generally have a
much higher yield than similar
plants grown in soil.
Hydroponics growing
A plant gets its food source by turning Co2, light and water (or hydrogen) into carbohydrates through a
process called photosynthesis. With
hydroponics growing, plants are
grown without soil so they must
As seen in the picture, irrigation pipes carrying nutrient solutions
(water containing fertilizers). Also notice the plastic containers containing artificial medium to provide mechanical support