Hydroponics is an interesting new method for growing plants and crops. One of the cool things about hydroponics is that it does something that most traditional farmers and gardeners would see as impossible: it allows you to be able to grow plants without any soil! Hydroponics helps because without the need for soil and the right systems in place, you can be able to grow crops all year long without having to worry about soil conditions or living in a region where there is no healthy ground to grow your food in. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, this method for growing crops uses less water than soil-based systems and all it requires are plants, a container, water, nutrients, and a light source.
Hydroponics allows people to be able to grow crops indoors using UV lights, water, and some specialized containers. In New York, Maryland, and California, hydroponics is being used to produce food in urban areas that were originally considered unfit for producing food or basic farming. “We have to look at growing food in urban environments,” he said. “So, how do you leverage and activate underutilized space?” says J.J. Reidy, the founder & CEO of a real estate design company that helps people build basic indoor hydroponic greenhouses for farming.
While all of this probably sounds pretty complicated for the average person to do in the comfort of their home, there are hydroponic systems that the average person can easily use to grow crops without having to use overly complex systems or break the bank. There are some hydroponic systems you can purchase online that let even a person living in a small apartment show off their green thumbs!