Hydroponic Gardening For All
The household name of IKEA has made their widely anticipated move into hydroponics, and such a move is certainly a statement of intent for continuing to be at the forefront of democratically functional-yet-happy product designs, leaving other gardening retailers down in the soil. Their gardening departments are somewhat a staple conclusion to their ever popular blue-shed stores these days, with people often finding themselves unable to help themselves picking up those final greeneries before they make their way to collect their new much-loved flatpack furniture or checkout. The move into offering the contemporary concept of hydroponics is surely to be a welcomed one. =\A method of growing plants and flowers using only mineral nutrient-rich liquids (and sometimes within an inert medium such as gravel), but crucially without soil (or often sunlight), hydroponics is a curious and interesting concept. Via the added nutrients and the right lighting conditions, hydroponics allows anyone to own and enjoy a garden in any small space all year round. Did you know that most of the vegetables that you eat everyday are grown via hydroponics? Now you can join in and enjoy the concept too.
"The challenge was to make growing plants in a hydroponic system simple, so that anyone could succeed...", Helena Karlen of Swedish Agricultural Science University explains. IKEA, with the help of many Swedish university scientists, have launched their new Krydda / Vaxer series commercially this month, and the collection of products are ideal for providing you with everything you need to get those plants growing, even in winter. Perfect for anyone that perhaps lives in a small urban dwelling, of limited budget, without a garden, or simply of general curiosity, hydroponics will certainly have you interested from day one of their growth.
The products launched by IKEA work by two systems that are interlinked. Seeds are firstly placed in the Vaxer's moistened starter plugs, and once sprouted, the plugs are then planted into Krydda pots and encased by pumice stones as the plant grows and matures. The flexibility of the hydroponics allow you to either place the growth unit on a windowsill, or beneath a low-energy LED lamp that allows cultivation irrespective of season.
Regarded as a bold move for Ikea as it continues its promotion for sustainability, SATORI & SCOUT reckon this hydroponics set will be really quite appealing to the mass market. With the range drawing inspiration from IKEA's homeland Sweden as much as afar afield as China, plant cultivation is as contemporary as it is historically intriguing. Being one of the world's largest companies that sells its products to a global customer base, a common issue that can often arise is cross-culturality, however this hydroponics set is an ideal solution "...whether you live in the northern parts of Sweden in the wintertime, or if you live in Singapore, China or North America.", Ronnie Runesson of Ikea explains.
IKEA are perhaps a world leader in satisfying consumer demands for a healthier, more sustainable way of living, and the hydroponics sets are but one new initiative that they have plans for to create their anticipated model of a 'circular IKEA'....
Available from £5, discover and purchase instores and online at Ikea.com.
Photography Credit : Ikea.com