Aquaponics is a farming combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. Traditional aquaculture is the practice of fish farming. Traditional hydroponics is farming plants in soil less media or strictly in nutrient solutions. Aquaponics combines the two practices to form a co-dependent farming ecosystem that capitalizes on the benefits of aquaculture and hydroponics and minimizes the negative effects of each.
The success of your garden is directly related to the quality of light provided to the plants. If you are using natural daylight for your hydroponic garden, then you have the best possible light source available. Unfortunately, the amount of daylight available varies during the year and it is not possible to successfully grow certain plants year-round without supplementing daylight. If you are using artificial light provided by sources such as metal halide or high pressure sodium (HPS), you need to remember a few things:
Along with hydroponics, container gardening is also a great way to grow your plants indoors. Whether building a small herb or vegetable garden in your kitchen or growing colorful flowers to brighten a room, using containers is easy, fun and versatile. There are also a huge variety of pots to choose from, such as clay, stone, terra cotta and glazed pottery.
To begin your garden, first think of what you wish to plant. Almost anything can be grown indoors, and you can enjoy plants that would otherwise not survive outdoors, depending on your climate. If you wish to create a space for vegetables and herbs, look for a south or west-facing window that receives lots of sun.
Community gardens are places for people to grow fresh flowers and produce somewhere other than where they live. Perfect for apartment dwellers, community gardens allow plant-lovers to sink their hands into the dirt. In inner-city, urban areas, community gardens provide beauty in often run-down neighborhoods. Turning vacant lots into gardens is proven to lower crime in the area. Community gardens provide residents with gathering places to meet and get to know each other. The gardens do foster a sense of community.
Parents pack shrieking children into the car for an afternoon at the local U-Pick farm. Looking forward to hours swatting mosquitoes, baking in the heat, and sneaking sun-ripened strawberries into their mouths, the promise of strawberry ice cream and strawberry shortcake keeps them motivated. This family may be in for a surprise! U-Pick operations have started moving, in large numbers, to vertical hydroponics farming systems.
Water is the fuel that makes the hydroponic garden’s engine run. However, just like gas, not all water is the same.
In urban centers, the water is treated and you can usually find out its mineral composition by making a quick call to your local utility company. In rural areas, our water composition varies over short distances. You may have soft or hard water in your area, while just a few miles away, the water may have sulfur in it.
Food shortages and food inaccessibility due to economic reasons are problems common to countries around the world. Land unsuitable for traditional farming contributes to food shortages, as do urban conditions preventing self sufficiency. Hydroponics gardening and farming techniques are being used around the world to help fight hunger.
Fresh produce in remote and inhospitable places is now economically feasible, thanks to the science of hydroponics. Areas such as the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, which are devoid of native mammals and native trees, now have access to nutrient rich fresh vegetables thanks to Stanley Growers.
Why worry about pH levels?
In order to ensure the success of your hydroponics project, it is essential to maintain the pH and nutrient concentrations. Unlike soil based gardening where nutrients are supplied in varying concentrations depending upon the locale (soil type, fertilizer, etc), in hydroponics gardening the nutrients are supplied in a much more controlled way by the gardener.
More on Help Ensure Your Plants Absorb the Required Nutrients - Monitor pH Levels
Horticultural technology is growing back to natural sources. One of the most valuable new developments in recent years is a series of planting containers made of coir, or coconut fiber. Coir pots are 100% biodegradable when placed in environments hospitable to natural breakdown. Until such time, the pots retain their shape for three to five years, making them natural choices for outdoor container gardens year after year.
