Hydroponic Gardening
The name hydroponics for the practice of growing plants using only water, nutrients and a growing medium—i.e., without soil—was coined in 1937 by UC Berkeley scientists Dr. William Setchell and Dr. William Gericke. The name derives from hydro, the Greek word for water, and ponos, the Greek word for labor. The technique is much older than the name, however, as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (ca. 562 BCE), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, apparently employed the technique. The Aztecs and ancient Chinese also independently developed hydroponic growing methods.
The advantages cited for soil-less growing of plants through hydroponic techniques are honestly too numerous to list here in full. Among these are greater yields, much faster growing times, more holistic technology, higher produce quality, reduced operating costs, reduced plant spacing, no dirt or weeds, better plant disease control, and even the possibility of growing food during space travel! There is no time like the present to learn a new technique for growing healthy, nutritious food right in the comfort of our own homes—information that any of the following books will provide! Included is one children’s book.
