People enjoy the beauty of plants in a garden, and everyone can appreciate the great food that is grown in backyard gardens. But what if you live in an apartment, and do not have any "land" in which to garden? Do you want to garden on a deck or patio perhaps? What if you would like to grow fresh produce indoors in the winter? Hydroponic gardening is a great way to grow pure food, even if you have no soil, or unusable soil, in which to grow plants.

Hydroponics describes a type of gardening system in which you can grow plants without any soil at all. Instead, you use a nutrient solution that the plant's roots capture. You will likely have healthier plants, because many plant pests live in the soil, which you will not be using for this gardening activity. Because there is no soil, happily there are no weeds for you to pull, either. You can produce more food in a smaller space because the roots of the plants are not in competition for nutrients like they are in soil, so you should get higher yields of produce from this fantastic gardening method.

There are different types of hydroponic systems that you can try. One is a passive system, where plants sit in direct contact with the nutrient solution. This one requires an air bubbler to keep the plant roots from rotting. Another system type is a nutrient film technique. This requires the use of PVC pipe. The plants sit in the pipe and water and nutrients are continuously streamed into it. Aeroponic-type systems utilize a mist or spray of nutrient solution directly on the plant roots, and the roots are not submerged. The roots of the plants are not growing in soil, but they still need some sort of medium in which to grow. Sand, gravel, vermiculite, perlite, and rockwool are all mediums.

It does not take much time to maintain a hydroponic gardening system. Only five minutes a day to check the nutrient reservoir and pH levels should do it. Every other week you will need to replenish the nutrient solution with a fresh batch.

There are a huge variety of plants that can be grown hydroponically. Vegetables are very popular. Wouldn't it be nice to lettuce, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes any time of the year? Now you can with hydroponic gardening. Maybe you would enjoy some fresh flower bouquets for your home. No need to run to the florist when you have hydroponically grown flowers within your reach on a balcony or patio.

Indoor gardening using hydroponic methods opens up a wide world of plant-growing opportunities for all gardeners, no matter where they live.