Jun 19th, 2009
Hydroponic Misunderstandings Which Have Been Around for Too Long
Roma tomatoes in my hydroponic garden.
From confusion about what this growing method is has arisen unjustified suspicion. Let’s separate the fact from the fiction and take a look at what exactly hydroponics means to the world of gardening and food production.
The word hydroponics is derived from Latin and means “working water.” Hydroponic growing is the soil-less cultivation of plants. Water delivers all of the nutrients to hydroponic plants that they need. To give the plants everything they need to thrive, hydroponic experts have developed nutrient mixes to add to the water.
One common misconception about hydroponics is that is a new fangled, fashionable trend. The reality is that although we think it new, it isn’t and has been used for crop growing for hundred of years. Egyptians are known to have used hydroponics. Great strides have been made in the field since the 1970s, when agriculturalists began studying it in earnest as an alternate means of food production, which perhaps is the reason behind so many people thinking it is a new invention.
People often say that they thought hydrponics and GM food production are linked, whereas nothing could be furyher from the truth. It is a fact that GM crop modification has been declared a solution to starvation among the world’s poor, in the same way as hydroponics has, that is where all similarity ceases. As GM crop methods are so poorly favoured, by the same measure many mistakenly also give hydroponics a poor rating. In fact, hydroponic food is 100% natural food, not modified in any way, and no chemicals are added to the plants to make them grow that they would not get in traditional fields. Genetic modification, is a completely alien idea to the method which is just an alternative to growing in soil, and is not involved.
Some people believe hydroponics is bad for the environment and climate change. The truth is quite a different matter. The hydroponic plant transpires much less water. In fact, only about 1/10th of the water that its soil grown cousin. There is no irrigation water which soaks away into the ground and drains away. In additionally, no discharge of pesticides into the surroundings can take place. Energy is used for lighting hydroponic greenhouse, particularly for lighting, but no more than a soil based crop.
Hydroponics does not have to cost a lot if you are prudent; despite what it looks like to the public. True, nutrient mixtures and growth mediums are expensive, but the field has come a long way in developing reusable materials to balance some of these costs. Small-scale hydroponic operations should be no more expensive than traditional gardens or crops of the same scale.
Nor is hydroponics an obscure gardening technique. It is used in nearly every country on earth, and in some environments, it is the most commonly used technique. For example, in British Columbia, 90% of the greenhouse cultivation that takes place is hydroponic.
One thing people consider a benefit of hydroponics is actually a myth as well. The terms “hydroponic” and “organic” are no interchangeable and the concepts involved are quite different. The biggest number of hydroponic cultivaters use pesticides on their crops. The best thing is that the water based system is contained, while in the field the fertilizer and pesticides often gets washed into ditches, streams and rivers to cause pollution. Hydroponic crops can be grown organically, but don’t assume that all hydroponic crops are.
Another final misconception is that hydrponics is used almost exclusively by the drug trade for marijuana. This is just not true. You can assume that some do use this method for illegal narcotics production, but let us not forget that although regretable these are only a tiny proportion of the total users of this technique.
Hydroponics can be safely predicted to expand massively over the next few years due to its ability to provide food. With better public understanding, as time goes on the hydroponics devotees will find it easier to make their case and get it listened to.
Other articles you might like;
- Edible Flowers in Your Garden
- Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – 6 Easy Tips To Start You Off
- New Rock Bucket Adds Strength And Versatility
- Indoor Bonsai Trees
- Kitchen Design And Lighting Ideas
