Modern Organic Farming Without Soil [Part1]

Introduction:

Farming or agriculture has been an integral part of the human race since time immemorial. Years went by and  population grew. The basic human nature to live in clusters or groups saw the concentration of the major chuck of population in specific geographical locations, forming cities and towns. Most of the modern day cities have very little vegetation and very little fertile soil. No one is to be blamed, but when one population increases it takes up the space of another, sadly it is the trees and vegetation that we chop down starting a chain reaction. I have no intention to bring out any melodrama here so let me cut to the chase.

The best way to put forth the topic would be through a series of question and answers, and here it goes.

Q: Is soil absolutely necessary for cultivation ?
Now, that sounds like a stupid question. The plain and simple answer is NO, cultivation can be done without the use of soil.

Q: How is it possible ?
The answer is not in the soil,the answer is in the plants. Just like humans adapt to varying dwelling conditions, so do plants. The more comfortable the living conditions, the happier the plants. To understand this further, let us look as what the plants need for a healthy growth.

Q: What do plants need ?
Lets keep this very simple. Plants need food to grow and this is taken in through the roots, the leaves use sunlight and process the food. The stem as we know helps in transportation and also in giving form to the plant.

Coming back to the soil, it is a variable mixture which changes from region to region. Soil primarily contains substances such as silica (silicon dioxide), rock powder, minerals and organic and inorganic substances. It has two primary functions as far as the plants are concerned,  firstly it provides the nutrients and secondly it helps build a foundation so that the plant can stand upright.

Both these functions are made possible by the plant roots. Which brings us to the next question...

Q: What do the roots need ?
The root is a very interesting part of the plant. Silently working underground, cut off from out naked eye this intricate labyrinth decides whether the plant should live or die. It would be quite apt to say that the roots are the heart of the plant. If the leaves or stem are under attack they resist quite well and they are quite hardy to environmental changes. In the case of roots, too much water can rot the roots and too little can kill the roots. Once either happens it is very difficult to revive the plant because the whole system shuts down. The more complex the plant the more complex the situation. The roots also need aeration in healthy quantities.

Q: What is the ideal condition for the root?
Roots need nutrients, a strong foot hold to keep the plant upright, moisture and air. If we provide a condition congenial to this then we have a healthy plant.

If we can provide such a condition without using soil and if we use only organic nutrients, then we have a perfect and healthy plant. In part two we will see how this can be achieved so that we can grow our vegetables on our balconies or terraces.