I am always surprised by the size of the produce that spills out of hydroponics or aquaponics systems: trees of basil, vast sheafs of silverbeet, rocket leaves the size of your palm. It always looks vibrant and healthy, like an over-extroverted and enthusiastic cousin. And not an inch of soil in sight.

These two methods of food production have been gaining ground both commercially and on a domestic scale as people explore innovative ways to meet greater fluctuations in our climate and dwindling soil and water resources and, for a host of environmental and economic reasons, the need to grow food closer to where we eat it.

Clean hands

There are many historical precursors for this type of cultivation: Egyptian, Chinese, Indian and Mexican cultures have all grown food in “floating gardens”. Where arable land was minimal, these gardens provided a much-needed, abundant food supply and there are many that still do today.

In 1492, Leonardo da Vinci noted that plants need certain mineral elements to grow and this observation inspired curious amateurs and scientists alike over the next 500 years to evolve a system of production based on water, the right mineral nutrients and light.

In 1929, Professor William Frederick Gericke of the University of California at Berkeley created a sensation with his 25-foot tomatoes grown in mineral-nutrient solution rather than soil. Modern hydroponics had arrived and has now spread worldwide, from Israel to Armenia, North Korea to the Caribbean, with Canada now second only to Holland in hydroponic food production.

During the Second World War, hydroponically grown food was used to feed soldiers in the South Pacific. At Wake Island, a rocky atoll in the Pacific used as a refuelling stop for Pan American Airlines in the 1930s, hydroponic vegetables were grown for passengers, as once again soil was poor and it was prohibitively expensive to air-lift fresh produce.

The benefits

While many gardeners who enjoy getting their hands dirty may find the technical infrastructure of either hydroponics or aquaponics systems offputting, the benefits far outweigh any concerns, including:

• Faster growth rate, crop maturity and yields
• Consistency and quality of crops
• Drastically reduced water and nutrients compared with soil-grown produce
• Crops can be grown in places where ordinary horticulture is impossible due to poor or contaminated soil
• Reduced growing area required
• Systems can be set up at a comfortable working height, excellent for people who are elderly or have disabilities
• Relative freedom from soil diseases and pests
• Weeds are virtually non-existent
• Water stress is reduced in hot conditions
• Less ongoing maintenance required
• Great for rental properties, as all the infrastructure can be moved