What is Hydroponics? 

The word hydroponics comes from the latin word “hydros”, meaning water, and “ponos”, meaning labor. Simply put, hydroponics means water working, or growing plants in a water and nutrient solution that eliminates the need for plants to search for nutrients in soil. Hydroponics is often referred to as “dirtless farming,” or the art of growing plants without soil.

Why grow plants without soil? In growing plants in a traditional soil-based setting, plants develop a huge root system that takes up much of its energy.  It needs that root system to search the soil for food and water.  In hydroponic farming, the same nutrients that a plant would find in the soil are fed directly into the root base.  This eliminates the need to use energy to maintain a large root system, and instead allows the plant to redirect its stored energy into producing foliage, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.  The plants in our hydroponic system are grown in pots that are stacked vertically and use a medium of 80% pine bark and 20% peat moss topped with coconut fiber. This medium is simply used to retain moisture and holds no nutrients.  All nutrition comes from a combination of water and nutrients delivered through a drip system up to 4 times a day.  The strength and pH of the solution is closely monitored so that each plant receives just the right amount of food. The result is faster, larger growth and a much higher yield of fruit.  Hydroponic fruits and vegetables are often larger, tastier, and more nutritious because each plant is receiving exactly what it needs, in the right proportions, in a more efficient manner than soil-based planting.