Hydroponics 101

Is hydroponics right for you?

- Madison Moulton

Hydroponics has recently become a popular buzzword in trendy gardening circles, but it often raises questions for the average gardener. So what on earth is it?

This three-part series, Hydroponics 101, will answer all your questions and provide you with the tools to begin your own hydroponics journey. But first, it is important to consider why people choose hydroponics and whether it is the right option for you.

What is hydroponics?

Although it has received a recent bump in the ratings, hydroponics is definitely not a new gardening method. The first evidence of hydroponic cultivation dates back over two thousand years, but it has advanced in leaps and bounds through scientific research in the last century. NASA has even investigated hydroponics as a potential food source for astronauts on Mars.

Hydroponics is essentially growing plants without soil and providing their nutrients directly through the water. From Greek, it literally translates to ‘working water’; ‘hydro’ meaning water and ‘ponos’ meaning labor. Plants typically get their nutrients from the soil, but the idea behind hydroponics is that plants can grow just as well, often even better, when the nutrients are delivered to the roots through their water.

How does it work?