The subject of hydroponics is new for some gardeners. I am still learning and experimenting in this area myself. There are many ways to grow new seeds and plants when using a hobby greenhouse and this is one of them. You can combine a variety of methods in starting plants and seeds in your greenhouse for best results. Give yourself some time when learning and you can catch on quickly using hydroponics for expanding your gardening enjoyment.
Hydroponics is a derived from a Latin word that is translated to mean working with water. Hydroponics in gardening is where you are growing plants in a pool of water or in a flow of water. Most often this water is high oxygen content. The difference is that with soil a plant must have balance in nutrients and the environment to grow, which is rarely found. This is why when you plants seeds or plants in your garden that some will grow and others won’t unless you condition the soil. Using hydroponics in the greenhouse to start and grow plants is a great way to replicate the environment that the plants need to thrive before actually planting them.
When you use hydroponics to start and to grow plants, you are using water, a nutrient solution that replicates the decomposed salts in the soil. This solution of salts and nutrients is absorbed in the roots and promotes healthy long roots that sill support the plants when you transplant them to pots or outdoors into your garden. There are many gardeners who prefer this method because their soil is not optimal. In areas where there is little rain, or high occurrences of drought, hydroponics is used often for starting gardens, plants, vegetables and even trees!
Using water with a solution of nutrients is a controlled growing environment. The roots that absorb the nutrients are found to grow longer and healthier and these are best for supporting new plants. Of course, there are areas of the country where the soil and the environment conditions are near perfect for growing many types of plants but using hydroponics in the greenhouse is an even better method because you also control the heat and the light that this plant receives during the infancy stages of these plants.