Home Garden
# Home & Garden >> Garden & Lawn >> Vegetable Garden

Plant Food That Doesn't Need Soil to Grow Vegetables

For centuries, common wisdom held that growing plants in the soil was the only way to grow. In the past few decades, growing methods have expanded to included soil-less growing methods. Soil acts as a reservoir that holds nutrients for the plants but, you really don't need the soil. By suspending plants so their roots are more accessible, you can spray or mist nutrient mixes and water on the roots. With the combination of oxygen reaching the roots and readily available nutrient sources, your plants should grow and thrive readily.

  1. Non-Soil Growing Methods

    • Hydroponics and aeroponics are the two main forms of growing plants without soil. Hydroponic growing involves suspending the plants in a pH-neutral, soilless medium, such as clay pebbles. Mix nutrient solutions with water and spray it onto the plants. Aeroponic growing also suspends the plants, but the roots hang freely, while you mist or spray the water and nutrients onto the roots. The oxygen also reaches the roots readily with this method. Cycle The water and nutrient solution back through for both of these methods so you have little waste and less cost.

    Nutrient Solutions

    • You usuaally find hydroponic and aeroponic plant food in premix solutions. You will probably find numbers on the plant solution packaging, such as 15-10-15. These numbers indicate the percentage by weight of the primary ingredients needed for plant growth. These are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Other nutrients may be present in the mix that can help plants grow. The macronutrients often used are calcium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, potassium phosphate and potassium nitrate. Some of the micronutrients that may be used are iron, zinc, copper, manganese and boron.

    Nutrient Forms

    • Nutrients for soilless growing methods come in a variety of different forms. Dry, powdered mixes are an option, as are liquid mixes, nutrient enhancers and slow-release fertilizers. Mix all of these solutions with water before delivering them to the plant roots.

    Where To Buy

    • Find these nutrient solutions at commercial nutrient manufacturers and online distributors. Some well known manufacturers are Better Grow Hydro, American Agritech, Better Grow Hydro, Fox Farm, Earth Juice and CANNA. When you are purchasing your nutrient mix, confirm that professional chemists made it. This way you can be fairly certain that you are getting a product that will give you the results you want.

Previous:

Next:

Vegetable Garden
  1. Plants That Grow in a Few Weeks
  2. Food Plant Sustainability Design Guidelines
  3. Plants That Grow in Full Shade
  4. Types of Seeds That Grow Into Plants
  5. Vegetables That Need Lime
  6. How to Grow Food on a Balcony
  7. The Best Vegetables to Grow in a Raised Bed
  8. Flowers That Are Good to Plant Among Vegetables
  9. Plants That Need a Lot of Water to Grow
  10. How to Grow Vegetables in Self-Watering Pots
  11. Vines That Will Grow in Gravel
  12. What Do Strawberries Need to Grow?

Home Garden © https://www.98905.com