Zambia Agribusiness Society

Introduction According to the dictionary , hydroponics is the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil. Furthermore, if we break the word into two parts, we have  hydro  and  ponics . Both come from  Greek origins , with  hydro  referring to water and  ponics  from the word  ponein  meaning “to labour or toil.” With that being said, hydroponics can be used just about anywhere and with multiple types of plants. In fact, there’s a lot of fruits and vegetables grown in hydroculture systems! Whether it’s a leafy green like lettuce, kale, or spinach to a juicy fruit like  strawberries, tomatoes, or blueberries , it can be productively grown without soil! But Wait, Don’t All Plants Need Soil? Actually no, plants don’t need soil. Soil is highly beneficial to plants by providing structural support for the roots as well as a substrate to exchange nutrients on, but this can be achieved through various materials. Try thinking of it this way