How Soilless Agriculture Can Help Our Environment, Reduce War and Make Delicious Food

Hydroponic Farming: Saving the Planet with Produce

Have you ever stopped to wonder what's special about the full head of "hydroponic" lettuce -- roots, plastic container and all -- next to the iceberg and romaine lettuces in the grocery store? Have you traveled to Canada and marveled at the acres and acres of greenhouses along the highways leading to Toronto? Have you ever seen "locally grown" tomatoes for sale in winter, and wondered how they ripened in the snow? This article will removes the mystique surrounding soilless agriculture with a brief consumer's primer on hydroponics -- including why this extraordinary technology will make life better for you, your community, and the world.

Hydroponics is a form of soilless farming which uses a water-based solution as the plant growth medium (Wikipedia). Plants, it turns out, do not need soil to thrive if the water the roots receive contains all the absorbent nutrients they need. Fertilizers may enrich the soil but plants only take in nutrients in the presence of water (YGoY.com). While traditional produce is grown using acres of farmland, hydroponic farmers tend their crops in greenhouses and other indoor structures.

While hydroponic systems can be created outdoors, the vast majority are covered by greenhouses. Inside many commercial hydroponic greenhouses, crops are grown in trays at waist-height. The seeds are started in "plugs," or shaped bits of fibrous, spongy matter in which allow the seedlings to sit properly in the tray, provide the roots access to the water solution, and provide the farmers with a little something to hold the plants with.

Saving Space, Water & Our Environment