Source: Atami

Have you ever heard of Hydroponics? It’s been gaining popularity recently, but it’s far from a ‘new’ technique of cultivation, where crops are grown in just water. No soil, no pots, no other substrates involved. Many ancient civilisations have utilized it throughout history, so it’s hardly a new technique.

The name literally means ‘Working Water’ (Hydro = water, Ponos = labor) and can be traced all the way back to Egyptian hieroglyphs describing the cultivation of plants in water. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Floating Gardens of the Aztecs are great examples of this ancient Hydroponic cultivation. But what innovations have taken place to make it such a popular and accessible growing method this present day? We’ll explain it all in this blog!

Hydroponic growing, or hydroculture, comes with a lot of benefits. The really special ability is that you are able to grow and consume foods in areas that are not capable of supporting crops in soil. Which is probably also the reason hydroponics was even integrated into the space program by NASA at some point! It has proven to be a very sustainable method of cultivation. Considering most pests, diseases, vermin and fungi come from soil, hydroponic crops are less vulnerable for it and don’t need harmful chemicals and pesticides. This makes our air, water, soil and eventually our food, a lot cleaner! Hydroponic growing goes hand in hand with the popularity of living more consciously and environmentally friendly.

So how does it work exactly? It’s actually an advanced but simple system to grow your crops with minimal interference. The roots of your plants grow in pebbles or rocks made from clay, which protect the roots from external influences. This method of growing helps the roots to absorb nutrients much more easily from water instead of from a substrate. Because of this, the plants will have a more steady growth and a bigger, more reliable yield and harvest.

Now that you know more about Hydroponics, is this something you would like to try? Or are you already familiar with it? We think it is a very interesting method! Hopefully, these sustainable trends are here to stay. Isn’t it great that there are so many different ways to be kind to the environment and Grow like a Pro?

#growlikeapro #AtamiSouthAfrica