The history of hydroponics started centuries ago. During the first century cucumbers were grown under transparent stone for the Roman Emperor Tiberius. This was probably the earliest food produced in greenhouses. For the next 1500 years this method was hardly used if at all.
During the 1600’s and 1700’s greenhouses were used a little bit but not to much. The first greenhouses used glass only for a sloped roof, later glass was used for the sides and the roof. The greenhouses were rarely used to grow vegetables, their main use was growing fruits such as melons, grapes, peaches, and strawberries for the wealthy. They were the only ones who could afford the luxury of having fresh fruits year around.
In 1948 the introduction of polyethylene for greenhouse use kick started the amount of food grown in greenhouses. The introduction of plastics increased the use and changed the history of hydroponics and the way to grow more plants in less space. Cement structures to hold water and nutrient solution were no longer needed. Plastic was much liter, cheaper, and easier to use. Greenhouses started switching to hydroponics instead of soil because the soil was too much of a hassle. They were having to remove and replace soil due to soil born disease. Now they were improving the history of hydroponics and how to grow Hydroponic Shop Near Me higher producing plants with better tasting fruit in less time.
The sand culture method was improved between 1925 and 1935 by the New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station. They were developing large scale crop production using hydroponics. At the same time the California Agricultural Experimental Station developed the water and sand culture methods for large scale crop production. After W.W.II the southwest United States showed a lot of interest in gravel culture to grow cucumbers and tomatoes. But the systems were eventually abandoned do to imperfections.
In the late 1960’s there was a renewed interest in hydroponics; this would change the history of hydroponics and how to grow more plants with less space, due mainly to the many ways plastics could be used. At the same time plastics played a key role in the development of drip irrigation. Substantial investments were made in hydroponics due to many promotional schemes. However because of high oil prices starting in 1973, the price of heating and cooling greenhouses got too high, and caused bankruptcies and a loss of interest in hydroponics.
Today there is a lot of interest in hydroponics and people have learned many lessons from the history of hydroponics, mainly how to grow more food using less resources. A large amount of the vegetables for the east coast of the United States are grown in hydroponic greenhouses. In Wilcox Arizona Eurofresh has 318 acres of greenhouse facilities producing tons of fresh delicious hot house tomatoes every day of the year. Many people all over the world have their own hydroponic gardens. They grow their own safe non imported fruits and vegetables all year no matter what climate they live in. Many flower shops all over the United States get their roses and other flowers from hydroponic greenhouses. The future of farming may change the history of hydroponics as people develop ways of producing more food with less resources.