Hydroponics

Hydroponics

 What is Hydroponics?

Modern urban farming uses a vertical hydroponics system. Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without soil. They can grow, herbs and vegetables and are planted in inert growing medias that allow the plants to receive oxygen, water, and light. The hydroponics farms are able to optimize plant growth, provide fresh local foods to eat whilst minimizing water use and space. The disadvantage is you only have little variety that you can grow.

Advantages of Hydroponics:

• No soil is needed, less mess and no pests 
• No need to transport it far 
• More efficient, less space/fewer resources are needed 
• Less water, can use up to 80% less than on the ground
• Control the environment, can grow all year round
• Takes up less space

Why is farming being moved into cities?

• Not enough farmland
• Climate change has lower the crop production above land
• 20-40 of crops that are grown are destroyed by pests

How do they work? 

The cloth medium is placed down on the allocated area, the cloth has seed placed on top and water. It will be water at least once a day and the LED lights will be on for about 8-10 hours a day to encourage growth. As the seed grows the roots lead down into the solution chamber. The solution chamber pumps out aeroponic mist to help water moisturizes the roots and keep the temperature right for them to grow. This process can be repeated again after minutes of harvesting the first load. 

There are several different ways to grow food underground but this is the most sufficent. 

What conditions does it need to be in?

Water + Nutrients + Light +Carbon Dioxide + Oxygen

-Light is essential to plant growth. LED lights are commonly used in Hydroponics, there are special plant LEDs with optimum wavelength ranges available for this purpose. They need to get 8-10 hours a day.

-Plants need Oxygen for growth. Hydroponics uses a high content of dissolved oxygen in the water, which improves the absorption of fertilizer in the plant. 

-Water is an important element of plant growth providing the plant with moisture which is necessary for metabolic processes. It also carries Nutrients and contains dissolved Oxygen.

-Carbon Dioxide is an important component in the growth process of a plant. It can be an advantage when the CO2 is absorbed and processed by photosynthesis under the impact of light. 

Temperature- the best growing condition for the plants is around 18-25 degrees celcuis. This would be the constant temperature range the room would have to be in.

The room would be able to have view windows for people to be able to see the plants growing. It might need blinds to allow the plants to have some darkness during the time it's not supposed to have too much light. 

Sources: https://www.igrow.news/igrownews/vertical-farming-with-hydroponics

https://www.freshwatersystems.com/blogs/blog/what-are-hydroponic-systems