Since there is no soil, there is less maintenance involved with hydroponics. There is no need for weeding and the worry of pests or soil borne diseases is drastically reduced. Hydroponics is always a soil less culture, but not all soil less cultures are considered to be hydroponics. Many of these cultures do not use the nutrient solutions, which are required for hydroponics. Plants should be visually inspected weekly; this will help determine if there are any in your garden. It’s important to check under leaves, around the stems and in the growing medium or soil for signs of spider mites. If there are tiny holes in any of your plants or crops, this could be a sign that spider mites are lurking. General plants prefer the pH to stay in the 5.5 to 7.5 ranges as going beyond this range inhibits certain nutrients to become less available for the plant to absorb. The key is to monitor the nutrient solutions on a regular basis to make sure the pH is at the right level. Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil as hydroponics cultivates plants in nutrient-rich water. If you are a beginning hydroponic gardener you may want to use the pre-mixed nutrient solutions and observe their effects before you begin to make your own solutions. The basic nutrients needed in any hydroponic solution are potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. These two factors come together to make hydroponics an extremely efficient method of food production. Hydroponics is also environmentally sound. The water consumption in hydroponic growing is significantly less than traditional growth methods; in many cases, hydroponic crops use a tenth of the water of equivalent traditional crops. Many of the items you need for hydroponics can already be found around your house so you can save money before you go full tilt into this hobby. The first thing any hydroponic gardener needs is a dedicated area for their gardening. Most newbie gardeners can either purchase an easy to install grow room or build a greenhouse outside of their home.