Hydroponics Basics
What Hydroponics Is
Hydroponics is growing plants without soil. The roots take up water and dissolved nutrients directly from a solution, or from an inert medium that holds the roots and is fed with that solution.
What Plants Need
- Water with dissolved nutrients.
- Oxygen at the roots, which most hydroponic systems supply by air exposure, an air pump or a moving film of solution.
- Light, from the sun or a grow light.
- Support, from a net cup, a growing medium or a frame.
Why Growers Use It
Hydroponic systems let you control the water and nutrients directly and can take less space than a soil garden. They also need more attention to the solution, because problems in the water show up quickly in the plants.
Where to Go Next
Read the Systems guide to compare setups, then Nutrients and pH and EC to start feeding your plants.
