A great article by Eric Hopper from Garden & Greenhouse.
Hydroponic gardening, or gardening without soil, is not a new phenomenon. In fact, some forms of gardening that could be considered hydroponic date back to the ancient Egyptians. Today, hydroponic systems are commonly used in commercial greenhouses and research facilities. Although hydroponics has been around since the Pharaohs, it is the newer advancements in hydroponic system technologies, an increased understanding of plant physiology and innovative hydroponic nutrients that have finally made hydroponic gardening practical for the hobbyist greenhouse grower. After all, most hobbyist growers stand to gain the same multitude of benefits offered by hydroponic gardening as the commercial growers. Read more.