Hydroponics, believe it or not is a form of growth that has been around for thousands of years. We can trace back some of the earliest examples of hydroponics to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Floating Gardens of China. The Hanging Gardens are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and although there is written accounts of the gardens by trusted historians, no physical evidence has ever been found. These ancient texts and drawings show trees grown on a terrace, fed by an aqueduct.
The definition of hydroponics as it’s described today, is simply the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil. The benefit to growing this way is the added level of control granted to the grower. Not only does growing without soil help you prevent a number of pests, it allows you to control exactly how much water and nutrients your plants receive. This added level of control allows for a far greater capacity for water conservation, as you can run the same water back through a recirculating system without losing water to your growing medium like you would with soil. As a result, we at CMP greatly believe that Hydroponics is the future of farming for food, not just cannabis.
In a world where resources are becoming far more scarce and the global climate is changing rapidly, people have begun creating more controlled environments across the world for growing food. From lettuce farmers in Alaska where the climate is far too cold to grow outdoors, or Barley in the Algerian Desert where the climate is too hot, hydroponics have already become a huge asset.
Everything on our blog associated with growing Cannabis will also be applicable to most fruits and vegetables. Have some extra space in your grow? Grow yourself some tomatoes!