First off, let me give you a definition of hydroponics: Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil, most often in a soil-less mix.
That is a pretty general explanation of what hydroponics is, but that does truly cover the basis for what makes it hydroponics. When growing in soil as humans have for years and years, the plants are actually getting a portion of their nutrients from the soil itself. The difference with hydroponics is that the plant is not getting any nutrients from the growing medium, but instead the nutrients are fed to the plant through a nutrient solution that is fed into the hydroponic medium. By growing using hydroponics, this then gives the grower the ability to control the nutrient intake and oxygen intake of the plants.
Hydroponics works so well because the plant is able to take in food as fast as it can be used. It is also able to get a high amount of oxygen, especially compared to soil growing where oxygen to the roots is limited.
If you are interested in using hydroponics to make your gardening job easier, think again. Contrary to popular belief, hydroponic gardening, such as ebb and flow hydroponics, does usually take a little bit more maintenance and time. You will need to spend more time in the garden because your plants will grow faster, there are more things to check, and more can go wrong.
Don't think hydro isn't worth it though, people all over the world wouldn't be using these hydroponic systems if they weren't worth it! Plants will grow less leafy foliage and more dense flower buds, and plants are actually ready for harvest a few days earlier than growing in soil.
Besides ebb and flow hydroponics systems, there are also the following systems: air tables, deep water culture (dwc), top feed systems, nutrient film technique (nft), and aeroponics.
If you are interested in finding more information out about ebb and flow hydroponics or any other hydroponics system, please visit our store by clicking here: Ebb and Flow Hydroponics
