Many apartment gardeners are starting to get into Hydroponic Gardening. Hydroponic gardening is growing plants without using soil. Instead of soil or potting growing medium; a liquid nutritional growing medium is used. People are finding that with hydroponic gardening many of the soil-related headaches are eliminated as with the hydroponic system. Hydroponic gardening means no soil, so there is no soil mess to clean up, no pests (bugs) in the soil and it is ultimately more cost-effective. It also eliminates heavy planters and bulks of soil left around the house.
Like any garden, to have a hydroponic garden in your home you need a little space, ample light as well as TLC (tender loving care) for the plants you grow. In many apartments, people are pressed for space. It can be done virtually anywhere from a windowsill to a larger area. Hydroponic gardening allows closer placement of plants because extensive root systems are not an issue with hydroponic planting. Among the pluses for this type of gardening you can find with a hydroponic garden, there are no weeds to pull. Another thing is that the water in the hydroponic system keeps recirculating so there is no watering schedule as with a conventional soil garden.
If you are thinking about starting a hydroponic garden there are two types for you to consider. One is water-based and the other is media-based. In a media-based hydroponic setup, the media is not soil but rather things like composited bark, gravel, peat moss or vermiculite. Another consideration is whether or not you want an active or passive hydroponic system. An active system incorporates electric timers and pumps which make the garden function at optimum level. A passive system uses a wicking agent to give the plants the nutrients they require to grow and thrive. (Wicking enables the roots go through some sort of tray or netting that has openings for the roots to hang through to receive its nutrition)
Since the plants are not growing in soil, a nutritional solution is added to the water. The idea in hydroponic plant growth is that there is an alternation between air flow and nutrient solution which eliminates the need for soil. This also allows for plants to grow and flourish all year long regardless of the outdoor climate.
If you are interested in this type of gardening for your apartment you can do your research online or go to your local plant shop for help. You can then decide with the help of the local plant shop salesperson which set up best suits your needs and the needs of the space you are working with or just contact us!
