What Are Hydroponic Gardening Systems, Anyway?

While it may seem very "sciencey," people have been experimenting with hydroponic gardening systems for hundreds of years. The word "hydroponics" is from a Greek terms that literally means "waterworks." hydroponic systems allow for the cultivation of plants with roots placed directly into a nutrient medium, without the use of soil.

History
It was actually the Greeks of 2000 years ago who started studying the possibilities of cultivating plants without soil, but it was not until the 1930s that modern hydroponic growing systems began to be developed.

One of the first successful hydroponic systems was set up on Wake Island in the years leading up to the Second World War. In those days, the tiny atoll was a refueling stop for the now-defunct Pan American Airlines; since transporting fresh food there was not cost-effective, hydroponic growing systems were put into place in order to raise fresh vegatables for passengers and workers on the island.
In 1978, the seminal work Hydroponics Food Production by Dr. Howard Resh established the basic three-part nutrient formula that has become more-or-less standard in hydroponic growing systems around the world. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has studied hydroponic gardening systems closely; with the recent discovery of massive aquifers under the surface of the Moon, it makes the establishment an off-planet colony in the near future a very real possibility.

Hope For The Future

As population growth continues its uncontrolled spiral in the world's poorer region and the specter of famine raises its ugly head, hydroponic systems offer the most likely solution. Depending on the crop, it is possible to raise between three and twenty times the amount of food that could be grown on a comparable amount of land. Those living in overcrowded cities could benefit from hydroponics kits inside their own homes, while the possibility of skyscrapers that house massive hydroponic systems to make up urban farms is already being studied.

Gardening In Your Basement

There are many different hydroponic gardening systems that you can use in your own home. Some hydroponic growing systems consist of no more than inexpensive Mason jars. It is also possible to purchase ready-made hydroponic kits that will have you up and running in no time.
Either way, you will soon appreciate the benefits of hydroponic gardening systems when you are able to enjoy fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter!