Hydroponics Essay

Hydroponics is being used by gardeners and farmers across the globe. It is very different than soil gardening and has many advantages. Recently, hydroponics has grown popularity, but it's been around for thousands of years, hydroponics is soil-less gardening and is said to make plants grow 30-50% faster which could lead to more production. Even though it isn’t new it is said to be the farming of the future.

Although hydroponics has just recently become a popular growing method, it has been used for thousands of years. Throughout history, hydroponic principals have been used in ancient civilizations and is now being used in gardens around the world. According to Bambi Turner of How Stuff Works, the hydroponic method was used around 600 B.C.

According to “Hydroponics 101”, plants mature 30-50% faster and produce 30% more than plants grown in soil. Since nutrients are fed directly into the plant’s roots, they don’t have to work hard trying to obtain the nutrients from within the soil. Plants can focus on growing tall instead of growing a deep root system. Produce companies can use hydroponics to grow more in less time. According to researchers and scientists from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, conventional agriculture has lots of negative effects on the environment and hydroponics would be a way more water and land efficient alternative. Conventional agriculture is the practice of growing crops in soil, in open air, with irrigation, and the use of nutrients, pesticides, and herbicides. It has large land requirements, puts off high concentrations of pesticide and nutrient runoff, causes soil degradation leading to erosion, and uses inefficient amounts of water. 38.6% of ice-free land and 70% of withdrawn freshwater is devoted to agriculture. By using hydroponics, companies can save water, time, and produce more. As the population is growing, food production has to too. People are coming up with new solutions and are taking gardening to the next level. According to Attila Nagy from Gizmodo, there is a greenhouse in the center of Tokyo called, “Pasona O2” that is using LEDs and hydroponics to grow all sorts of plants indoors. It is called high-tech urban farming. Located underneath an office block, they grow 100 different types of fruits and vegetables that they serve in a restaurant above. There are so many advantages of hydroponic farming and big industrial farms, produce companies, and even small businesses should take those into