GROW PLANTS WITHOUT SOIL

Why Plants really need Soil ?

Soil provides nutrients and support to the plants. It gives water and oxygen to plants. So, soil just acts as a medium to provide plants support, water, and nutrients. Soil can be replaced until plants get their nutrient, support and water. By choosing not to use soil, we are also protecting our plants from common diseases, and pests.

Techniques to Grow Plants without Soil

1. Aquaponics

It is an innovative method in which plants absorb the fish waste as nutrients and recycle the water for the fishes. It creates a symbiotic relationship in which fish provide nutrients to plants and water is conserved as we don't need to change the water for fish.

2. Aeroponics

Aeroponics is an advanced type of hydroponics. In this technique plants grows in a mist or air evironment without any aggregate medium or soil.

3. Aquascaping

It is a method to grow aquatic plants generally for the purpose of decorating the aquarium and arranging them with rocks, stones, in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

4. Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a type of hydroculture to growing terrestrial plants without soil by dissolving nutrients in a water solvent. The inert medium like gravel or perlite support the plants with only roots submerged to the nutrients solution.

Raising plants without soil allows farmers to grow more food in less space. It is especially important in our country, where many people go hungry.

Once word got around, people were growing plants in baskets, on patios and on rooftops using only water and a little plant food.

NASA researcher checking hydroponic plants 

Best Plants to grow in a Hydroponic System

Vegetables

• Lettuces
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Spinaches

Herbs

• Mint
• Basil

Fruits

• Strawberries
• Peppers

How to Start a Hydroponic Garden

• Choose a container

There are many types of containers that we can use including fiberglass tank, glass jar, cement trough and metal containers. The container should be leak proof.

• Pick a Plant

Spread newspapers over work area and then carefully remove the plant from its pot. Tap the bottom of the pot while gently easing the plant out.

Then gently brush all the soil from the roots.

• Making Solution

We can make hydroponic solution in two ways. One way is to buy the premixed nutrients. Another way is to mix nutrients. Buy the nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium etc from market to make base of out solution. These are in the form of salt. Mix this salts with water to make a solution. The salts will breakdown and provide nutrients to the plants. The quantities we should use :

2 tsp of ammonium phosphate

4 tsp of magnesium sulfate

4 tsp of potassium nitrate

4.5 tsp of calcium nitrate

Calcium and magnesium carbonates are also common ingredients.

• Supporting the Plant with Solution

Plants can be supported in pure water culture. In water culture, plants grows with immersed in nutrient solution without any aggregate medium. Carefully thread the plant stem. Place the roots into the glass container filled with water.

• Add Light

Move plant to a sunny location and watch it grow!

After about a week, pour out the water and refill. Change the water and the plant food solution about once a month.