Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without the use of soil. I believe the use of hydroponics in the production of crops would prove to be an improvement over traditional soil gardening for multiple reasons. For one, the growth rates of hydroponic plants are 30-50% greater than those of traditionally grown plants under the same conditions. The plants grown using hydroponics also have a greater yield. In hydroponics, the nutrients the plants need are mixed into the plants water, eliminating the plant’s need to search for its nutrients. Since the plant uses little energy to find and breakdown it’s food, it is able to spend more energy on growing quickly and producing more fruit. Thus far, hydroponic plants have had fewer problems with bug in infestations, funguses and diseases. Hydroponics also uses considerably less water than traditional gardening and because of their general healthiness, hydroponically grown plants require fewer pesticides. Since hydroponics don’t use topsoil, soil erosion is not an issue. Lastly, hydroponics take up less space and can be compa cted with plants growing vertically. For additional information on how hydroponics works, please view the following links: https://www.hydroponics.net/learn/hydro … inners.asp       
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj4MzjxjGck

This is such an interesting approach! I had never heard of hyrdoponics' benefits over traditional planting, and I'm glad you've brought it into my awareness ad hopefully the awareness of others as well. It doesn't seem difficult at all, and could be an easy, but very impacting switch to make! I love that anyone cold do this at home using one of the kits, and for an economical price! I will definitely be looking into this planting option.

This approach of growing plants is quite unique! It sounds very beneficial. It would be a better way of growing plants in areas where there is little water, because it doesn't use as much water. Also, since pesticides are not used to help the developement of these plants, this method of growing plants would be healthier for the environment. Thank you for bringing this concept to my attention!

If you are going to be going through Florida anytime soon, then you should stop by Disney World's EPCOT greenhouses. They have an extensive collection of hydroponically grown produce which they show in a guided tour. This link has more information on the attraction: http://inhabitat.com/mickey-mouse-sustainable-farming/

http://www.whyhydropower.com/HydroTour3c.html

This article relates to your concern. Looking at different ways of growing products to reduce our ecological footprints is a great start!

Hi Lauren, I have heard amazing things about hydroponics and I agree that it would be an incredibly productive method of helping the environment. I live in California and lately we have been having a pretty sever drought. Many of the agricultural producers in the state have been struggling, it would be amazing if we could systematize and develop a universal method of farming like this that could benefit our water usage and production. I wonder how effective the method could be on the large scale.

This idea is very interesting. The benefits of growing crops as well as other plants without the use of soil would be many. This could help places that are going through droughts. The increased growth rate could also be very beneficial. I am also curious as to how effective this method would be on a large scale. I am also curious about how many places are already using hydroponics.

Hi Lauren! Although I don’t know much about hydroponics, after reading your post, I realized the great advantages that it can have. I decided to learn more about the possible harmful effects of soil and found this article on soil pollution, http://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/soil/. I learned that soil pollution is toxic chemicals in soil that can threaten the health of humans and animals as well as plants. This article states that the main cause of soil pollution is human activity. This includes spills and processes of manufactures. If humans can change their habits and find more eco-friendly alternatives, we would not have as many environmental issues such as soil pollution. I think hydroponics would be a great way to reduce or even eliminate soil pollution and its effects on the planet.