What is Hydroponics?

Hydro means water. Water is a vital part of every living cell, and is the key element for life to exist on earth. Plants also need nutrient elements such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Copper, Iron, Boron, ect. to grow properly. Basically, plants use water to transport the required nutrient elements through their roots to feed the rest of the plant. Traditionally, these nutrient elements are obtained from the soil. The plant roots grow out searching for the nutrient elements and the water needed to take them up. However, the soil typically does not contain the precise optimum nutrients and moisture levels the plant needs. Hydroponics is all about enriching water by creating and maintaining a "nutrient solution" that is perfectly balanced for the plant. When the plant gets exactly, everything it wants, all the time, it will grow as fast, and provide the best flavor and nutritional value, that is possibly can. Hydroponics is growing plants without soil. Absolutely anything that can be grown in soil can be grown hydroponically. The key is determining the precise, ideal, nutrient solution for the specific plant, and consistently providing it to the roots. Typically, by using a general purpose hydroponic nutrient, plants will outperform soil grown plants in the same environment.