Every child knows successful gardening requires soil, water, plants and sunlight, and that if you are missing any of those ingredients, your efforts are doomed to failure.

Every child is wrong.

It may not be possible to replace all of those four options as yet, but along with artificial lighting as a replacement for the sun, soil is one more element of gardening we are learning can be successfully omitted under the right circumstances.

Today, hydroponics is used in a variety of settings. Wherever soil is unavailable, hydroponic gardening seems to appear. Wildcatters on offshore oilrigs grow their own tomatoes. Cooks on nuclear submarines hydroponically grow vegetables to use in there crew’s meals. Right now, plants are growing on orbiting space stations without a single grain of soil.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 - A Different Kind of Garden including Why Do We Use Dirt In The First Place? - The Organic Question
Chapter 2 - Crystal Clear Advantages to Hydroponic Gardening including Size - Climate - Control - Growth - Conservation - Nutrition
Chapter 3 - Essential Hydroponic System Components including Plants - Advice and Information on Acquiring Plants for Hydroponic Gardens - Water Quality “Hardness” - Oxygen in the Mix for Healthy Roots
Chapter 4 - 6 Basic Hydroponic Systems including Water Culture - Ebb and Flow - NFT - Drip System - Wick System - Aeroponics
Chapter 5 - More on Nutrients Solutions including Basics - Diagnosing Problems with Solutions - Other Considerations When Adding Micronutrients
Chapter 6 - Light Overview including Types of Lights - Understanding How Different Lights are Rated - Elements of Effective Lighting
Chapter 7 - Building Your Own Hydroponic Garden including Water Culture Directions - Building a NFT System
Chapter 8 - Troubleshooting Your Garden including Blossom Drop - Blossom Set - Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes - Bolting of Lettuce - Bolting of Radishes - Damping Off - Droopy Leaves - Misshapen/Deformed Tomatoes - Insects - Patchy Growth - Salt and Mineral Build-up - Spindly Growth - Tip Burn
Chapter 9 - Conclusion
Chapter 10 - Going a step farther
Appendix - The Bigger Picture including Hydroponics Could Increase the World's Fresh Water Supply - Hydroponics Could Lessen Pesticide Use - Hydroponics Could Fight Global Hunger

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