045ISSUE 32OFFGRIDWEB.COMaccess to lime. Maybe the only affordable real estate on the market is
reclaimed surface mined land. The land could be rocky, heavily compact-
ed, and not likely to be tillable without a few years of prep work.
Hydroponic production may be the best (or only) solution for grow-
ing vegetables in scenarios like this.
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organiza-
tion, global food production will need to increase by 70 percent by
2050 in order to provide for a projected 9.1 billion people. Plus this
growth must happen as more and more cropland is lost to urbaniza-
tion and as tighter regulations are placed on farmers in regards to
emissions and environmental impacts.
Hydroponics represents one method by which food production can
expand into regions not historically known for their suitability to agri-
culture. This science can be defined on the most basic level as soilless
production. Plant nutrition is delivered via water, and the plants are held
in place by inert materials, wire trellising, or other means.
Hydroponic growing has a place even if the soil is decent. It can ex-
tend the growing season and make protection from severe weather
and wildlife more feasible. One of a gardener’s worst enemies is
weeds, so an avoidance of weed pressures may be another motivator
toward hydroponic production.What Plants Crave
No, it's not Brawndo. A plant requires 16 elements for optimal growth,
which can be remembered with the jingle, “C. Hopkins Café Mighty
Good, Managed by Cousin Como Clark” (C HOPKNS CaFe Mg Mn B
CuZn CoMo Cl). Of these, carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) are
supplied by air and water. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K),
calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg) are macronutrients that
the plants require in relatively larger amounts. The remainder — iron
(Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co),
molybdenum (Mo), and chlorine (Cl) — are micronutrients, which plants