Various pollutants exposed to in plant soil may remain in our bodies even several years after exposure.
This fact, and others, has encouraged researchers to study ways to limit the plant’s exposure to mediums that can contribute to a person’s poor health.
Hydroponics is a gardening method that does not require soil as a planting medium.
Soil Is Not Important
Researchers have discovered that plants primarily use soil as a reservoir where water and nutrients may be stored for later consumption. Even plants are usually found growing in soil; terrestrial plants can survive without dirt as long as they have access to the nutrients necessary for their growth.
Hydroponic gardening replaces the soil medium with materials that may be more suitable for human health, such as wool, perlite, and gravel. These provide stability for the plant’s roots without the contaminants that are sometimes lingering in the soil.
The most crucial factor to be considered in hydroponic gardening is the mineral solution that replaces the natural reservoir found in soil. Usually provided in a water reservoir, the nutrients fed to the plant must be carefully measured to meet the plant’s specific needs. And, because few plants can tolerate constant exposure to the water reservoir, the solution must also be administered in calculated doses.
Hydroponic gardening has the advantage of a clean environment not dependant on the mess and fuss of soil. The absence of earth also guarantees the absence of soil-borne pathogens that may affect the plants and produce being grown.
The clean, orderly design of a hydroponics growing system makes it ideal for dry climates with a limited growing season; a hydroponic system can be easily constructed in a greenhouse or home and will provide healthy crops without excess and weight of soil.