Background of the Study

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. Most commonly, hydroponics cultivates plants in nutrient-rich water, although hydroponics can also be considered to be the practice of growing plants in other aggregates, such as a soil-less bark-based mix. Hydroponics is an advantageous method of gardening both for home and commercial use. There are no weeds to deal with, and hydroponic plants are typically more healthy, mature earlier, and use less space. In addition, because it is entirely water-based, it is possible to fully automate a hydroponics system, so if the gardener is absent for an extended period of time, the plants will not suffer. The water is typically reused, as opposed to traditional farming methods where much water is lost through evaporation or runoff.

There are three different ways of culturing hydroponically-grown plants. The simplest one, the nutrient film technique, simply uses a plastic trough as a container. Holes are placed in the top to hold the plants. The trough is sloped slightly, so the solution will flow to a reservoir.
Other methods include aeroponics, which suspends the roots in a mist rather than a solution, and aeration, which uses an air pump to deliver oxygen to the roots that are immersed in the solution.

An aggregate system of hydroponics uses inert material, such as clay pebbles or foam chips to surround the roots and provide support to the plant.