What is Hydroponics

Put simply, hydroponics can be defined as; growing plants without using soil.

Plants are supported in an inert medium, for example a rockwool cube, and are fed a nutrient solution. This nutrient solution contains all the elements a plant needs for healthy growth and so, rather than concentrating energy on searching for nutrition, the plant focuses all its energy on foliage and flower growth.

The plant takes as much or as little nutrient from the solution at it needs.

Growers that cultivate hydroponically have full control over their plants development. By feeding different levels of essential elements at different stages in the plants life cycle it is possible to accelerate root development, stimulate - or slow - vegetative growth, and then trigger and enhance flowering.

As well as constant availability of water and nutrient, plants grown hydroponically also have an abundant supply of oxygen to their roots.

Hydroponic growing medium such as clay pebbles, coco or rockwool have an open structure that provides a highly oxygenated root zone and hydroponic techniques such as NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) and Aeroponics are essentially ‘bare rooted’, leaving plant roots open to absorb as much oxygen as possible.

This constant supply of oxygen, nutrient and water accelerates plant growth and leads to increased yields.