Hydroponics essay 2

Some hydroponic growers have found they get yields many times greater when they switch from conventional methods.

Hydroponic plants also grow faster. Many pests are carried in soil, so doing without it generally gives you a more hygienic growing system with fewer problems of disease. Since hydroponics is ideal for indoor growing, you can use it to grow plants all year round.

Photo: These radishes are being grown hydroponically at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Space scientists are particularly interested in hydroponics, because there's no soil in space. If we want to grow food away from Earth, hydroponics may be the best way to do it.

Alternatively, you can grow plants with their roots supported by a nutrient-enriched medium such as rockwool, sand, or vermiculite, which acts as a sterile substitute for soil. Another method is called aeroponics and it's typified by a popular product called the AeroGarden (see box below).