DISCOVERING HYDROPONICS: NO SOILUTION? NO PROBLEM! 

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, an innovative and sustainable approach to farming that, while not yet very popular, holds great potential for communities in the Philippines, including our own school.

Written by: Sophia Dueñas

Layout by: Angel Marigondon

July 31, 2025 | 8:40 PM

Have you ever wondered if a plant can grow even if it is not directly planted in soil? Hydroponics is considered an alternative method to traditional soil-based planting because it involves growing plants without using soil. Perhaps this method might be unfamiliar to those who are not part of agriculture. Yet, despite being underrated, this method is already practiced abroad, in the Philippines, and even in our Malatean community. 

Hydroponics: what it is and how it is done

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defined hydroponics as a type of soilless gardening that uses water-based nutrient solutions to grow plants. Although some hydroponic systems may appear to use soil, what is actually present are materials that resemble the texture and appearance of soil. However, unlike real soil, these do not provide nutrients; they simply serve to support the plant's roots. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hydroponics is defined as a type of soilless gardening that uses water-based nutrient solutions to grow plants. Although some hydroponic systems may appear to use soil, what is actually present are materials that resemble the texture and appearance of soil. However, unlike real soil, these do not provide nutrients; they simply serve to support the plant's roots. 

Hydroponic and its history

The term “hydroponic" came from the Greek “hydro” meaning water, and “ponos” means labor, this concept was popularized by William F. Gericke in 1929, who later on improved the study that plants could be grown through the use of water with nutrients dissolved in it. However, Dr. William was not the inventor, but rather the one responsible for popularizing and inventing the process of using water to deliver nutrients directly through the roots is originally discovered by a Belgian philosopher, and alchemist named Jan Baptist van Helmont’s experiments served as the reference for further studies, and it is with the help of Dr. Gericke said that this hydroponics was brought to the attention of the media which is now used widely in our agrarian industry. 

Navigating the benefit and challenges of hydroponic gardening

         Despite hydroponics' early development in the 1900s, why is it  still unfamiliar or undervalued by many? This is because this systematic method is still not known by many of the people, and they still haven't been able to explore it. At the University of Minnesota, hydroponics enables people who live in condominiums and cities to make their own gardens. Not only is it space-efficient, but it also allows people to plant in urban areas where soil is usually scarce. Studies from Hindu officials in the year 2020 found that this method is believed to be 50% faster and healthier than conventional plants that use soil, all because of a factor that needs to be included—oxygen.

The main reason why plants can grow healthy is because of photosynthesis. This is the process of using light and converting it into carbon dioxide and oxygen, which is then released by plants. In a hydroponic system, oxygen is more available because the roots of the plant are suspended in water where oxygen-nutrients are supplied directly. Unlike when planted in soil, water can’t directly flow to the roots of the plant, making oxygen availability limited, possibly causing suffocation of the plants (Alexia, 2025)

In general, soil-based plants are more prone to pests than hydroponically grown plants. With this method, they are able to decrease the risk of pest invasion, but they are also able to lessen our expenses in buying and spraying chemicals used for the safety of their plants from possible pests that can alter the quality of our harvests if used.

Although it has many benefits, hydroponics also comes with concerns and several issues that need to be addressed. According to an article written by a professional gardener named Amanda Brahlek, one key challenge of hydroponic systems is their cost, mainly due to the equipment needed, such as the growing systems. Some parts of the system include nutrient solution considerations like the pH, which is the measure of the acidity and alkalinity in the water used for the growing system, a necessary factor in how well plants can absorb nutrients. Therefore, in order for the plant’s growth to not be altered, the water must not be too acidic (low pH) or too alkaline (high pH). Instead, it needs to be maintained in the right range to help them grow productively and healthier.

The pH scale below shows how acidic or alkaline the water is, which affects plant growth.

While safe from soil pesticides, hydroponics can also cause waterborne diseases such as dengue. As a precautionary measure, replacing the water and nutrients must be done to avoid this problem.

Hydroponics in the international scene

Hydroponics can be done at home but can also be extended into much bigger projects globally. According to the US Department of Agriculture, NASA has tried growing plants in space without using soil. It is possible because of the water technique of hydroponics, which provides a reliable source of food supply, especially in places where soil is limited. Furthermore, the US and Canada use hydroponics to grow crops. While European countries like Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany have a high-tech and large scale of hydroponic farming, Asian countries like Japan and Singapore use vertical and rooftop farms. Additionally, countries with deserts maximize the use of hydroponics to grow foods and adapt to the continuous problem of climate change. (Gallagher, 2024)

Hydroponics in the Philippines 

According to Statista, the Philippines has over 5 million hectares of land that can be used for agriculture. This is advantageous to many of the Filipinos, especially those who live in rural areas such as provinces and rely on farming as their source of living. Although the country has lots of land for farming, the main problem is the continuous change in our weather, like typhoons and the dry season. Such becomes problematic because the soil’s condition depends on the weather we experience. When there is too much rain, the soil becomes too wet, causing plants to drown and be damaged during typhoons. Meanwhile, when the weather is too hot, the soil becomes too dry, making it not suitable for farming. Hydroponics in the Philippines can be viable to use as an alternative method especially during difficult weather, however, it is not meant to replace  the traditional way of farming in the Philippines. 

Some businesses in our country were able to thrive with the use of hydroponics as an innovative way of farming. In a feature article from Inquirer published in the year 2023, Denso Philippines was able to establish a Smart Agri Tech hydroponic farm in Ibaan , Batangas. Approximately Php 60 million worth of investment for the project was later on approved by the Board of Investment in the year 2022. Their farm cultivates harvests such as herbs, arugula, etc. Denso PH’s consumers are mostly hotels, restaurants, and other food-service clients in our country. Their high cost for this project is for utilizing a growing system that includes technology integration and automation in controlling water reuse, nutrient addition, and balancing the pH level of their water. 

Hydroponics in the Malatean community 

Behind the Our Lady of Remedies Building (grade school building),  hides a vertical garden where the hydroponics method was used. The MCS teachers like Ms. Remigia Langit, together with Mr. Constantino Bucag and Ms. Mary Grace Camplon, were tasked to take care of these plants. According to Ms. Langit, the hydroponic lettuce vegetables were already harvested last April, since it would be the start of the new school year. In an interview with Ms. Camplon,  she dove deeper into how the hydroponic plants were grown and how the project began: “Medyo magastos siya sa umpisa, kasi kailangan mo iprovide ang materials. Pero over time, nagiging cost-efficient naman kasi nakakatipid ka sa tubig at space. Mabilis din lumaki ang tanim, kaya pwede mo ibenta para mabawi ang nagastos.” (The hydroponic method can be a bit expensive at first since you need to provide the materials. But over time, it becomes cost-efficient because it saves water and space. Plants also grow faster, so you can sell your harvest to recover your expenses.)

According to an article from extension.umn.edu, the simplest type of hydroponic gardening is called “Deep Water Culture.” It only needs a clean container that can hold water, plus a lid or floating material like Styrofoam with holes where the plants can sit. The roots stay underwater, but not completely, so they can still get oxygen. At our school, seedling trays were used instead of pods, which The Plant Culture PH confirmed are suitable for hydroponics. They chose lettuce since it’s one of the easiest and most ideal plants to grow this way—it grows fast and is simple to harvest. Ms. Camplon also shared that they added water-soluble nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the water, which helped the plants grow well and produce better-quality harvests.

In conclusion, hydroponics is a viable alternative method for growing plants. However, it still needs to undergo improvements, especially with the current technology in some countries. Although it introduces challenges, its benefits are enough to encourage people to try this interesting way of growing plants within the space of their homes. Hydroponics has been used for centuries, but it is still unfamiliar to many because of its lack of exploration, but despite being unfamiliar to many, greater awareness could open new possibilities in making gardening more accessible, and perhaps inspire our generation to start growing their own plants– even without soil. After all, this is an interesting planting method still waiting to be explored by many.