Hydroponics is a method of growing houseplants and some vegetable crops that replaces the traditional earth mixture with a nutrient solution (water + fertilizer), while the roots of the plant are held in an inert material.

Earth mix for hydroponics

The material that is used in hydroponics as an earth mixture must meet the following requirements:

1. It should be a material consisting of medium and large particles, such that they would not spill out between mesh cells or slats;

2. The material chosen as an earth mixture must be porous so that it can absorb and retain a large amount of liquid;

3. The material must be resistant to decomposition and not able to rot;

4. The material must be inert or chemically neutral, not emit any odors, decomposition products, the material must not damage the root system of plants, must not enter into any reaction when interacting with the nutrient solution.

The following materials have these qualities:

moss sphagnum is an ideal material for hydroponics, but it is expensive. It can be a stretch to replace it with forest moss, but its water-holding capacity leaves much to be desired, however, forest moss, which has absorbed the nutrient solution, continues to grow, the walls of the mesh or lattice are quickly covered with a solid carpet, the mesh becomes invisible.

It is not surprising that "moss walls" are practiced by some amateur growers.

horse peat, as well as a mixture of peat chips with high-moor coarse-grained peat is more suitable for hydroponics as a substrate. A mixture such as a sponge is able to absorb up to 6-8 times more water or nutrient solution by weight. Gradually, almost all of this amount of liquid is evenly given to the plants.

In addition, the mixture of peat crumbs with high-moor peat is well aerated, the roots of plants do not suffocate, they receive the oxygen necessary for breathing. Peat is practically indestructible; its decay is unlikely.

If sphagnum moss and high-moor peat are suitable for vertical walls, then materials such as expanded clay, perlite, vermiculite, gravel and the most common mineral wool suitable as a substrate for horizontal bowls, pots. These materials are inert, do not interact with the nutrient solution, hold the root system of the plant well, are not prone to rotting, are able to retain moisture and release it to plants as needed.

Another modern polymer capable of holding a large amount of nutrient fluid is hydrogel suitable for hydroponics. Among other things, hydrogel is successfully used in phytodesign for decorative planting of indoor and office plants.

Hydroponic growing utensils

In flower shops, there are already quite a few different models of pots for growing plants hydroponically, that is, without soil. All this variety of hydroponic pots can be divided into two groups:

1. Hydroponic flower pots, in which the root system of plants is immersed directly in the nutrient solution;

2. Hydroponic flower pots, in which the root system of plants is in an inner pot filled with any inert material, such as expanded clay, gravel or hydrogel. The inner pot is partially immersed in the nutrient liquid so that the liquid itself rises to the roots through the capillaries of porous expanded clay or gravel.

The first, outer, pot or vase in which the nutrient solution is to be kept should be as round as possible so that the nutrient solution lasts for a long time and does not evaporate quickly.

There are pros and cons to using hydroponic pots. Changing the nutrient solution is done about once or twice a month, the rest of the time you just need to add plain water if it evaporates a lot.

If you are using an ordinary glass vase, you should wrap the bottom of the vase where the liquid is located with paper or paint. This is necessary so that algae does not form in the nutrient solution. If the solution is in the light, then it quickly turns green, the appearance of a transparent vase deteriorates, and algae begin to grow rapidly in the nutrient solution.

If you purchased an industrial hydroponic pot, then you don’t have to worry about this, because the appropriate coloring has already been applied there, which does not allow greenery to form.

Selecting Plants Suitable for Hydroponic Growth

The choice of plants that can be grown hydroponically is huge because almost any plant can be grown without soil. Various green crops are in special demand, especially in winter, so growing fresh herbs: green onions, dill, parsley, basil, arugula is even profitable. Hydroponics is also good for growing grass for cats and dogs. But when choosing a plant for growing in hydroponics, you can only limit yourself to only a few recommendations.

1. In hydroponics, it is not adult plants that take root better, but rooted cuttings or seedlings.

2. For growing in hydroponics, it is better to take plants with a strong root system, so that when transferring to hydroponics, the roots of the plants are injured as little as possible. Suitable for growing hydroponically are indoor plants that need constant watering, such as, for example,

2. Only purified water should be used to prepare the nutrient solution. This will prevent premature algae development. Maintain the pH of the nutrient solution based on plant requirements.

3. Immediately after the transfer to hydroponics, the plants must be kept in ordinary water, and only 1-2 weeks after transplantation, you can replace the water with a hydroponic solution.

4. Try to maintain a constant level of nutrient fluid in the pots (water + fertilizer).

5. Once or twice a month, you need to completely change the nutrient solution to a fresh one.

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What can be grown in hydroponics?

The hydroponic method of growing plants is becoming more and more popular every year. As interest in it rises, logical questions appear as a consequence:

• What plants can be grown hydroponically?
• What plants can not be grown hydroponically?
• Which are profitable to grow for sale? And many others.

Let's try to understand these issues.

What plants can be grown hydroponically

Best of all, hydroponics grows greens.

It includes: parsley, dill, basil, sage, rosemary, cilantro, mint, lemon balm, lettuce, etc. It is also not difficult to grow houseplants using this method, such as: aglaonema, asparagus, aspelenium, cissus, dieffenbachia, hovea, philodendron, phalangium, ivy, ficus, fatsia, common ivy, hoya and many others.

Vegetable crops, berries and even some fruits are in no way inferior: broccoli, green beans, eggplant, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, strawberries, many varieties of legumes, kohlrabi, banana, bell pepper, onion and much more, will also delight you with a wonderful harvest grown in hydroponics.

All of these plants are great for growing hydroponically, both commercially and at home.

But, there are also plants that are simply not recommended to be grown using hydroponics. And this is not because they will not grow, but because of their structural features.

• forming tubers or rhizomes. If this type of plant is not properly watered, the root system will begin to rot. Such plants include potatoes, beets, carrots, cyclamen, etc.;
• mushrooms; having rapidly growing roots (cyperus, chlorophytum);
• short-lived (ekzakum); requiring frequent cleaning. Cleaning is needed in order to remove the remains of leaves and flowers;
• did not clog the hydroponic system (high begonia, balsam); for flowering which requires a cool temperature during the dormant period (hydrangea, clivia and liazalia). This type of plant responds to temperature changes by rotting roots.

It should be noted that each individual solution for hydroponics corresponds to a certain group of plants.

What are the best plants to grow hydroponically?

Before answering this question, you need to think about the purpose of your products. If these are flowers - then for the holidays, vegetables - winter - spring.

For example:

Of the vegetables, the most commercially profitable are tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, cabbage, cucumber, radish.

Among the greenery - onion feather, dill, parsley, basil, arugula.

Flowers are generally among the leaders. The most profitable is the cultivation of tulips, camellias, daffodils, gerberas, passionflowers and many others. others

The leaders among the berries are honeysuckle and strawberries.

Also very competitive are medicinal herbs - lemon balm, mint, sage, yarrow.

Before settling on one thing, it is necessary to take into account all categories of costs (electricity, water, heating, fertilizer, the hydroponic system itself, seeds, nutrient solution, substrate, etc.). Without such a calculation, it is impossible to objectively assess the commercial benefits of growing a particular plant in hydroponics.

Tips from Agrodom

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Coconut substrate, made from coconut peel and fibers ground into small crumbs, is a fairly young material.

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In order for transplanted flowers to grow and develop well, their roots need moisture and the ability to breathe through earthen soil. The usual earth mixture is a fairly dense substance that does not pass life-giving moisture and air to the roots.

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Expanded clay drainage material or expanded clay is one of the varieties of the substrate used for rooting cuttings of roses, carnations and other flowering plants.

Hydroponics is a special system of growing various plants without the use of soil and has its own unique advantages. In fact, this is the oldest form of life that originated in water. Houseplants in hydroponics receive all the useful micro and macro elements from a special solution in which everything they need is contained in the right proportions.

This method of growing in Russia is not yet very common. In most cases, the hydroponic system is used on an industrial scale and in greenhouses. Although in world practice hydroponics is already used on a par with traditional cultivation, both in industry and at home.

The name "Hydroponics" comes from the Latin language and means "working solution". Historians claim that primitive hydroponic devices were used even in antiquity. Take, for example, the Hanging Gardens... As a substrate, they took a mixture of earth and stones, a sort of hydroculture...

Coconut fiber, gravel, crushed stone, as well as some porous materials - expanded clay, perlite, vermiculite, etc. can be used as materials.

Benefits of Hydroponic Growing

A very useful and beautiful hobby used at home is called hydroponics. At the same time, there is a significant advantage over traditional plant cultivation. There is no need to constantly monitor the water balance, the flowers will not suffer from a lack of oxygen, there is no problem of an overdose of fertilizers, since the plant takes as much as it needs.

The hydroponic method avoids a number of soil-related plant diseases (rot, nematodes, fungal diseases, etc.), and water needs to be added from two times a week to three times a month, depending on the type of plant and the selected container.

And if an automated water circulation system is used, then labor costs for irrigation, in general, are minimized. The hydroponic method makes the transplant procedure painless for plants, since the roots are not injured.

For the manufacture of hydroponic systems, plastic containers are used with the use of some bronze elements. A hydroponic vessel can be made by yourself from a plastic bottle or any other container. The main thing is that it should be opaque, contain a sufficient amount of liquid, be made of a chemically inert material. A liter juice bag or something similar is perfect.

Nutrient solutions for hydroponics

For hydroponics solution, you can use any drinking water. Distilled and rainwater collected from a clean, non-rusted roof is perfect. Fluid supplies must be stored in a cool and dark place to prevent the formation of algae.

Do-it-yourself hydroponics solution can be made at home or purchased at a specialized store. Sold both in liquid form and in the form of tablets for dissolution. It is necessary to replace the solution once a month in the summer, and every 5-7 weeks in the winter.

In a hydroponic growing system, the pH must be controlled, which should be around 5.6.

To prepare a solution per 1 liter, mix 1.67 g of Uniflor Growth or Uniflor Buton fertilizer and 2 g of 25% calcium nitrate in water. These proportions apply only to soft water. If it is hard, then more calcium is added.

Also, for beauty, you can add special harmless dyes to the nutrient solution. Of great importance in the solution is the substrate, which allows nutrients to penetrate into the roots, and helps to maintain the potted plant at the required level.

Transplanting a plant to hydroponics

Before transplanting, the plant must be watered abundantly or placed in a container of water. After that, it must be separated from the ground and gently wash the root under running water. Next, you need to place the flower in the inner hydroponic pot and distribute the roots evenly over the holes. Cover the roots with a substitute substrate.

No need to fill the solution immediately after transplantation! Pour plain water on top to the desired level in a vessel, and leave the flower for several days. Only then can the water be replaced with a solution. To begin with, use a 10% nutrient solution.

In order to provide the plant with oxygen, it is necessary to immerse part of the roots in the solution. The root neck should be fixed with foam rubber or cotton wool, so that the roots are 2/3 in solution.

Seedlings of flowers or vegetables are grown in the usual, traditional way, then the already grown plants are transplanted into a special vessel.

Suitable for hydroponics houseplants

For your room, you can buy a ready-made plant grown in hydroponics, or transplant a homemade plant into an aquatic environment, with roots that are not difficult to clean from the ground, without worrying about its adaptation at all. After all, most indoor plants in a hydroponic environment feel very comfortable.

The exceptions are those that form rhizomes or tubers, as these can rot. It is not recommended to transfer adult plants with a delicate root system to hydroponics.

Hydroponics is best suited for decorative leafy crops. These include chlorophytum, asparagus, aroid ivy. This environment is also liked by various types of cacti. In general, unpretentious plants obtained from seed or cuttings with a medium-sized root system are suitable for home hydroponics.

It is important to know that flowers that like coolness during the dormant period are not recommended to be grown hydroponically. These include azalea, hydrangea, clivia - their roots can simply rot.

Begonia and balsam very often change foliage, so it is necessary to periodically clean them from drying leaves so that they do not fall into the solution. As well as species in which the root system is actively developing and expanding, which requires frequent transplantation. It includes cyperus.

Hydroponics - it is a way of growing plants without soil. The word comes from the Greek. υδρα - water and πόνος - work, "working solution". When grown by the hydroponic method, the plant feeds on roots not in the soil, more or less provided with minerals, watered with clean water, but in a moist-air, highly aerated water, or solid but porous, moisture- and air-intensive medium, which promotes the respiration of the roots in a limited space pot, and requiring relatively frequent (or constant drip) watering with a working solution of mineral salts, prepared according to the needs of this plant.

Description

In hydroponics, the root system of plants develops on solid substrates (having no nutritional value), in water or in moist air (aeroponics). Coconut fiber is an example of an organic substrate: it is ground coconut shell and bast, from which iron and magnesium salts are washed. Nature provided coconut fiber as the initial soil for the roots of a newborn palm tree. Coconut fiber is lighter than water, therefore, when watering, it does not sink like soil, but swells, filling with air. Each fiber contains in its thickness a large number of pores and tubules. By the force of surface tension, the tubules are filled with the working solution, but the root hair drinks the contents, sprouting nearby. The smooth surface of the fiber allows the root to slide freely from the drunk micropore to the next one. Through a network of microtubules, coconut fiber distributes water and air throughout its entire volume. Coconut fiber, as a fully reclaimed, environmentally friendly substrate, is used on many Dutch hydroponic farms to grow perennials such as roses.

The depletion and pollution of land is not yet obvious, but the lack of water is already acutely felt in some regions, for example, in the UAE, Israel, Kuwait. In these regions, the problem of irrigation is acute. Currently, up to 80% of all vegetables, herbs, fruits in Israel are grown hydroponically. The US Army always has everything it needs to deploy hydroponic greenhouses for vegetables and herbs in the field. Hydroponics is an ideal solution for hot, dry countries, since by saving water at times, you can harvest many crops per year.

In greenhouse cultivation in the northern latitudes, hydroponics also shows excellent results, in the presence of additional illumination of the greenhouse with lamps.

The development of hydroponics in Russia is associated with the growing interest in the so-called. “small farms”, where greens, vegetables, flower and berry crops can be grown on an industrial scale on a small area. Drip irrigation systems are becoming more and more popular. They allow you to create in a short time and at low cost an irrigation system for both traditional land cultivation and for hydroponic installations such as drip irrigation.

Benefits of hydroponics

Hydroponics has great advantages over the conventional (soil) growing method.

Since the plant always receives the substances it needs in the required quantities, it grows strong and healthy, and much faster than in the soil. At the same time, the yield of fruit and flowering ornamental plants increases several times.

Plant roots never suffer from drying out or lack of oxygen when waterlogged, which inevitably happens with soil cultivation.

Since water consumption is easier to control, there is no need to water the plants every day. Depending on the selected container and growing system, you need to add water much less often - from once every three days to once a month.

There is no problem of lack of fertilizers or their overdose.

Many problems of soil pests and diseases (nematodes, mole crickets, sciarids, fungal diseases, rot, etc.) disappear, which eliminates the use of pesticides.

The process of transplanting perennial plants is greatly facilitated - there is no need to free the roots from the old soil and inevitably injure them. It is only necessary to transfer the plant into a large bowl and add the substrate.

There is no need to buy new soil for transplanting, which greatly reduces the cost of growing indoor plants.

Since the plant receives only the elements it needs, it does not accumulate substances harmful to human health that are inevitably present in the soil (heavy metals, toxic organic compounds, radionuclides, excess nitrates, etc.), which is very important for fruit plants.

No need to mess with the ground: hands are always clean; hydroponic vessels weigh little; in the house, on the balcony or in the greenhouse, it is clean and tidy, there are no extraneous odors flying over the pots of sciarids, and other unpleasant factors associated with soil cultivation.

Simplicity and cheapness.

Methods

There are the following methods of growing plants using hydroponics:

• hydroponics (water culture)
• hydroculture (substrate culture)
• aeroponics (air culture)
• chemoculture (culture of dry salts)
• ionoponics

Hydroponics (water culture)

Hydroponics (water culture) is a growing method in which a plant is rooted in a thin layer of organic substrate (peat, moss, etc.) laid on a mesh base, lowered into a tray with a nutrient solution.

The roots of plants through the substrate and the openings of the base descend into the solution, nourishing the plant. With the hydroponic method of growing plants, aeration of the roots is difficult, since the oxygen contained in the nutrient solution is not enough for the plant, and the root system of the plant cannot be completely immersed in the solution. To ensure the breathing of the roots between the solution and the base, an air space is left for young plants 3 cm, for adults - 6 cm. At the same time, care must be taken to maintain high humidity in this space, otherwise the roots will dry out quickly. The nutrient solution is replaced once a month.

Aeroponics (air culture)

Aeroponics (air culture) is a method of growing plants without a substrate at all.

The plant is fixed with clamps on the lid of a vessel filled with nutrient solution in such a way that 1/3 of the roots are in the solution, and the remaining roots are in the air space between the solution and the lid of the vessel and are periodically moistened. In order not to damage the stem of the plant with the clamp and not to prevent it from thickening as it grows, it is recommended to use soft elastic pads, for example, from foam rubber.

In addition to the above method of growing plants on aeroponics, you can use the method of pollinating the roots with a nutrient solution. To do this, a fogging sprayer is placed in the vessel where the roots are located, with the help of which a nutrient solution in the form of tiny drops is supplied to the roots 2 times a day for 2-3 minutes.

With aeroponic cultivation, it is especially important to take care of maintaining high humidity in the space surrounding the roots so that they do not dry out, but at the same time provide air access to them.

Chemoculture

Chemoculture, or dry salt culture, in which plants take root in an organic substrate soaked in a nutrient solution. (for example, "Dutch" cacti is one of the options for the culture of dry salts).

Ionoponics

Ionoponics - originated one and a half - two decades ago ionoponic - the culture of growing plants on ion-exchange materials. As a substrate, ion-exchange resins, fibrous materials, blocks and granules of polyurethane foam are used.

Completely new possibilities for the reproduction of especially rare species and forms are provided by in vitro propagation methods, when a whole plant is obtained from a piece of its tissue or even a single tissue cell. The essence of the method is that really rich nutrient solutions are used (and even with vitamins and hormones) and under normal conditions the microflora will instantly settle there. To avoid this, the explant is cultured under sterile conditions.

The mechanical substrate for plants is usually agar. This is a seaweed jellied meat.

The most widespread is hydroculture - a method in which plants take root in a thick layer of mineral substrate (gravel, expanded clay, vermiculite, etc.).

Types of plants that can be grown soilless

At present, the technology of growing plants without soil throughout the year, using a special nutrient solution to feed them, has gained great popularity. This technology is called hydroponics and allows you to "garden" anywhere in your house or apartment.

Generally speaking, almost all types of plants can be grown in a soilless way. Let us first consider seedling plants that can be transferred to a soilless type of cultivation. The most proven such crops that live without problems on a nutrient solution are philodendron, phalangium, ivy, ficus, fatsia, common ivy, hoya.

When growing crops from cuttings or seeds using soilless technology, the choice of plant can be absolutely free. In addition to the above, asparagus, anthurium, indoor linden, coleus, begonia of all varieties, cissus, dracaena, monstera, dracaena have proven themselves well. Separately, I would like to highlight the well-known cactus, which grows on a nutrient solution literally before our eyes, striking a huge number of large spines.

Calcephobic plants, such as azalea, camellia, various types of heather, grow well without soil if the substrate is chemically treated with acid and the pH value of the solution is maintained in the range from 4.7 to 5.8. Bromeliad crops (bilbergia, guzmania, vriesia, aregelia, tillandsia), which are mainly epiphytes (they feed on both roots and leaves), grow well without soil, provided that their leaves are filled with a solution that is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.

The most common soilless vegetable crop is the tomato. In addition to it, kohlrabi, cucumbers, and radishes develop well. Great aesthetic pleasure can be obtained by breeding a banana in a nutrient solution. A banana requires a lot of nutrient solution, but after a year it “swings” up to two meters in height.

Thus, as you already understood, if you comply with all the requirements (for lighting, thermal conditions, the necessary level of air circulation and some others), which are individual for different types of plants, then absolutely any plant can be grown using soilless technology, getting indescribable pleasure from your year-round home garden. It is undesirable that asphalting be carried out next to the planted plants, because cars will often drive on it and this can damage them. The only exceptions are cars equipped with HBO from Slavgaz. They certainly won't do any harm.

Hydroponics allows you to achieve the most ideal results when growing a particular plant. And while the idea of ​​growing the "perfect" plant has different meanings for people, hydroponic methods cater to everyone's needs. For example, an orchid fanatic might define the ideal plant as one of rare variety, color, or symmetry. For a commercial tomato grower, the ideal plant can be determined by its rapid growth, disease resistance, palatability, and long shelf life.

The site contains a large database of various plant cultures suitable for growing hydroponically, as well as recommendations for their cultivation.

bulbous plants

Bulbous plants are well suited for room culture. Vermiculite is an ideal medium for bulbs, as it always retains optimal moisture and contains enough moisture to allow the plant to be left unattended all day long. However, for the success of the bulbous pot culture, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations listed below.

First of all, you need to plant the bulbs in capillary pots. When planting, the hyacinth bulb should be only half in vermiculite. All bulbs should be planted immediately after purchase, as they quickly become soft and begin to rot. The supply of nutrients in the bulbs with normal moisture is enough for the formation of roots. However, excessive moisture should be avoided before the bulbs begin to germinate. Before planting the bulbs, the vermiculite must be well moistened. In the future, as the vermiculite dries, water should be added in very small portions.

Good results in my practice gives the following technique. After planting, I put the pots in a dark room or in a closet. For ventilation, I leave the doors open for some time. If possible, I maintain the temperature at about 13 °. As soon as the sprouts reach a length of 2.5 cm, I transfer the pots to the darkest place in the room, since they should be transferred gradually to full daylight hours. It takes about three months for the development of the root system and the formation of a green sprout 2.5 cm long. After a week or 10 days, the pots can be switched to full light and begin to regularly feed the plants with a nutrient solution.

In everite trays, the bulbs are placed at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Once the plants have finished blooming, there is no need to keep them in pots unless you want to grow your own bulbs for planting next season. Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, amaryllis, buttercups, tigrinum lilies, crocuses, freesias, gladioli, lilies of the valley and tuberoses grow very well in pots with vermiculite at room conditions.

Spices

Mint, sage, thyme, tarragon all grow very well in hydroponic conditions. Many of them produce yields that allow the transition to industrial culture. The homeland of most of the herbs used in our time is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and in the territory east of the Mediterranean Sea up to India. These are countries with a hot climate, so crops of herbs should be located in sunny places.

essential oil plants

Hydroponics, apparently, will be greatly developed in the desert regions of the globe, where land is cheap, and powerful plants are being built to desalinate sea water. The climatic conditions of some deserts are ideal for essential oil and medicinal crops. Thanks to optimal pH and balanced nutrient solutions, the quality of essential oils is greatly enhanced. It is well known that the quality of oil obtained from essential oil plants, such as mint and lavender, is highly dependent on soil type and weather conditions. By careful selection of the nutrient mixture and the optimum pH, the quality of the essential oil can be influenced. With conventional agricultural practices, weed control plays an important role, which can degrade the quality of the essential oil of a cultivated plant. Hydroponic beds are weed free and can be cut and left in place until shipped to the factory.

In arid areas where ionized water is used for irrigation, windproof palos should also be created from essential oil shrubs. Very suitable for South and South West Africa Leptospermum citratum- one of the types of tea bush from Australia. As soon as the bushes reach a height of 1.5 m, they can be trimmed annually, like a regular green hedge. All cut branches are used for distillation and an oil is obtained, which is easily sold in the soap industry. The oil content is 1-1.5%, and the oil itself contains 75-85% citralaldehydes, which, when split, give 50% citral and 35% citronellal.

The following four types of mint grow well under hydroponic conditions: Mentha piperita- peppermint, Mentha arvensis- field mint, M. spicata- green mint M. pulegii- swamp mint. The essential oil of the first of these types is widely used for the preparation of first-class sweets and liqueurs. The second type of oil is used in the pharmaceutical industry for the preparation of cough mixtures, for the preparation of menthol. The third type of oil is necessary for the production of chewing gum, the fourth - for the pharmaceutical industry. A typical hydroponic bed produces 450 g of essential oil, which corresponds to 112 kg of oil per 1 ha.

The possibility of hydroponic culture has been established: dill, coriander, fennel, geranium, vetiver, goldenrod and yarrow, which also provide essential oils.

Essential oil crops are grown by dry top dressing. Pallets are made one brick high above the ground. The depth of the trench is usually at least 30 cm. Before filling the pan with sand and vermiculite, the quality of the drainage is checked. Gravel, stone and other materials are not suitable for growing essential oil plants using the dry top dressing method.

medicinal plants

Plant roots grow well in vermiculite, so industrial hydroponics of medicinal plants grown for their roots can be cost-effective. Experiments have shown that belladonna, ipecac, aconite, ephedra, gentian, dandelion, ginger, jateoriza digitalis and turmeric give good yields in hydroponic conditions. Gentian is used in the composition of medicines more often than other root medicinal plants. An infusion of gentian roots is added to bitter tonics. It grows well in hydroponic beds and produces high quality roots. The same can be said about yateoriza digitata, which comes from East Africa.

In plants such as Datura, belladonna, foxglove, leaves are used. Datura is found as a weed in many parts of South Africa, and when cultivated gives a good cash income. Desert areas can be used under license under strict control for the cultivation of crops that produce drugs, such as opium. The yield per unit of hydroponic area is highly consistent and can serve as a control in its own right.

Plants whose flowers are used for medicinal purposes, such as Roman and Dalmatian chamomile, also produce good yields in hydroponic conditions.

Regulated nutrition and optimal pH make it possible to obtain medicinal plants that exactly meet their specific requirements. For example, with a hydroponic culture of belladonna and other alkaloid plants, it will be possible to increase the content of alkaloids by 20% compared to their amount in plants grown in soil.

Seaweed

In recent years, it has been established that some algae can serve as a very important source of food. One such algae is called chlorella. Hydroponic cultivation may in the future be widely developed in deserts. Chlorella grows very fast, gaining 3,000 times its weight in 2-3 days. From 40 to 80 tons of product can be obtained per year from 0.4 ha. Chlorella contains many times more vitamins than an orange, and is much richer in protein than meat.

Proteins, fats, sugars and vitamins can be extracted from chlorella cells to be added to other foods such as bread and margarine. Thus, malnutrition could forever be a thing of the past. Chlorella fats can replace other vegetable oils used to make soaps, drying oils, varnishes and paints. Sublimation of dry chlorella produces chemicals similar to those obtained from coal. Fermentation of this alga produces methane, which is used as a fuel for gas generators.

Literature

• Bentley M. Industrial hydroponics. - M.: Kolos Publishing House, 1965. - 819 p.