Publisher's Synopsis
★★★ (Full Color Version) ★★★
Are you looking for a new and better way to grow plants in your garden? Then keep reading...
Hydroponics is thought to be the bedrock of food security in the future. Crops are not planted in the soil, and instead, inert growing mediums are used to provide support. Since the plants are grown indoors, the farmer is in control of all growing conditions including the nutrients available to the plant. The result is an increased growth rate, increased yields, continuous production, and other benefits, as compared to conventional farming.
Hydroponics is the method of growing crops without soil but providing all the necessary mineral nutrients. A gardener who takes up hydroponics takes on the responsibility of regulating the nutrients composition in the liquid solution he or she prepares for watering the plants. The gardener must also regulate the frequency of this nutrients supply. In other words, the gardener takes the responsibility of regulating the growing environment of the crops. The good thing is that the entire growing process is highly automated, but it still requires a great deal of up-close management.
Hydroponics is preferred because it utilizes water and nutrients efficiently mainly because both are applied directly to the roots of the plant. The water and nutrients are primarily responsible for the plant's growth. However, their levels need to be controlled, not just managed, so that the nutrients and water levels can be provided at the required levels.
Seeing these benefits, big farms and individual farmers are moving in to cash in on these perks. Restaurants and grocery stores are also taking up hydroponics as a way to provide consumers with fresh food or produce, and in the process, beating the competition. The good thing about hydroponics is that it does not restrict in terms of scale; you could grow one plant or thousands of them; it all depends on you.
This book covers the following topics:
- What is hydroponics?
- Different types of hydroponic garden
- Types of hydroponic systems
- How to build your own system
- Operation cycle
- Best plants for hydroponics
- How to maintain a hydroponic garden
- Plant nutrition
- Pest control
- The hydroponics system: advantages and disadvantages
- Hydroponic tips and tricks for beginners
- Myths and mistakes to avoid
...And much more
The availability of lighting is also an important component in crop production. Adequate lighting is achieved by planting the crops in vertical structures so that the crop's accessibility to light is maximized while the crowding, density, and shading are kept at a minimum. In the present day, hydroponic farming has now taken up 3D planting where the plants are grown vertically, and in multilevel beds.
