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Year-round Hydroponics Gardening   by Murielle Freegard

Modern farmers face brutal challenges. One season serves fierce drought, the next brings torrential rain. There are diseased crops and insect infestations to worry about. Year-round hydroponics gardening has brought profit and peace of mind back to today's hardworking farmers.

In times when natural rainwater, fertile lands or ideal growing conditions are scarce, hydroponics has been considered by farmers to be some kind of heaven-sent miracle. No longer are farmers completely at the mercy of the seasons. Now, they can grow crops throughout the year, and yield healthy harvests, no matter the season or the weather. That is the biggest benefit of gardening with hydroponics.

Early documents show that plants were successfully grown, without soil as the source of nutrients, as early as 1699 at the hand of a man named Woodward. It's also believed that hydroponics gardening was the method used for the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In more "modern" times, the roots of hydroponics methods were evident back in the 1840s. Researchers at that time developed a formula that contained all the essential nutrients that needed for healthy plant growth, including nitrogen, carbon dioxide, phosphorous, potassium and hydrogen dioxide. With these essential nutrients in place, there was absolutely no need for soil. Then, a group of German botanists adopted this idea and went on to develop the basic nutrient formulas and hydroponics growing techniques that are still in use today.

Growing successfully with hydroponics gardening requires as little as 10% of the land used in traditional farming and less than 10% the amount of water. You can use even less water by re-circulating the liquids used for hydroponics gardening.

Many popular types of produce are successfully grown using hydroponics gardening. Growers who practice year-round hydroponics gardening enjoy broccoli, cabbage, celery, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, grapes, lettuce, melons, onions, peppers, pole beans, radishes, tomatoes and strawberries.

Hydroponics produce is rarely affected by the insects that typically thrive in soil, or the diseases caused by soil microorganisms. This is another big bonus of growing with hydroponics. Farmers are less inclined to use insecticides to prevent pest infestations, so their crops are cleaner and chemical-free. Produce can be picked ripe and enjoyed immediately, so no chemical preservatives are needed. This is a huge benefit for people who like their produce the natural way.

Water conservation is another important feature of hydroponics gardening. In dry climates, where precious water must be re-circulated, hydroponics systems can greatly improve yields. It's also possible to quickly grow a large yield of hydroponics produce in a relatively small area. In fact, it is not unusual to grow four heads of lettuce in the same amount of space it would take to grow one lettuce head with traditional soil gardening.

Various techniques are available for those wanting to try year-round hydroponics gardening:

* Aqua Culture Hydroponics

In this type of hydroponics system, the roots of the plants are held in a large waterproof tank. With mesh or string supporting the plants, the roots are able to hang in the water and obtain food from the nutrient formula contained in the tank.

* Gravel Culture Hydroponics Gardening

Gravel culture is a more costly system to install and maintain. Hydroponics systems using gravel culture involve a waterproof bench filled with inert pea-sized gravel. This gravel is used to support the roots of the plants. A solution containing all the essential nutrients required by the plant is pumped into the gravel from a holding tank. The pump is turned off when the bench becomes filled with the solution, and the solution drains back to the holding tank.

Despite the method of hydroponics chosen, it's important to replenish the nutrient solutions periodically. Of course, proper lighting is also required. A number of grow lights should be set with automatic timers to deliver the appropriate amounts of light to the plants.

It's easy to find a purchase the materials and supplies you'll need to build and maintain your hydroponics garden. Visit your local gardening center to learn more. Soon, you'll be on your way to enjoying fresh produce all year with hydroponics gardening.

Source:

Author Murielle Freegard contributes to several popular Internet sites, on family vacation and home garden topics.

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