| The word "hydroponics" is derived from
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| | the late 13th Century CE and introduced
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| two Greek words: cidra, meaning water,
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| | pasta to Italy, commented on what he
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| and punikos, meaning labor; thus,
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| | called the "Floating Gardens." Around the
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| literally "waterworks." Contrary to
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| | same time on the other side of the world,
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| popular belief, the grow system we have
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| | the Mexica - one of the native peoples
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| come to know as hydroponic gardening is
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| | who later formed the Aztec Empire of
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| an ancient form of agriculture, going
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| | Mexico - built a city called Tenochtitlan
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| back 3,000 years. There are references to
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| | on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Where
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| the cultivation of plants directly in
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| | Mexico City stands today, the Mexica
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| water in Egyptian records dating back to
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| | constructed an extensive urban center
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| the time of the New Kingdom and the
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| | that included a type of early hydroponic
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| "Woman-King," Pharoah Hatshepsut around
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| | system upon which plants were cultivated
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| 1460 BCE.
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| | on the surface of the water. These early
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| The best-known hydroponic gardens of the
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| | Mexican "floating gardens" were developed
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| ancient world were the Hanging Gardens of
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| | out of necessity, because arable land was
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| Babylon. Also known as the Gardens of
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| | at a premium in the area. Called
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| Semiramis, the Hanging Gardens are
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| | chinampas, they were actually small,
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| reputed to have been located near
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| | artificial islands that were created by
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| Al-Hillah in present-day Iraq. These
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| | scooping up mud from the marshy areas
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| hydroponic gardens were regarded as one
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| | bordering the lakes. This mud was
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| of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
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| | ultimately held together by tree roots;
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| World.
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| | food plants were cultivated on these
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| The Hanging Gardens grow system was built
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| | "islands," and were amazingly productive.
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| by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BCE.
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| | The modern history of hydroponics
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| His wife, Amytis, was from Media, whose
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| | actually begins in 1627, when Sir Francis
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| people were the ancestors of the modern
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| | Bacon's Sylva Sylvarum was published
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| Kurds. The country of Medea was a
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| | posthumously. In this treatise, Bacon -
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| mountainous one, roughly corresponding to
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| | an English philosopher and contemporary
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| present-day Kurdistan, northern Iran and
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| | of Shakespeare - wrote about the
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| Azerbaijan. Legend says Amytis became
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| | cultivation of terrestrial plants without
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| homesick for the mountains and the flora
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| | soil. Although Bacon died before his
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| of her homeland; Nebuchadnezzar had the
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| | theories could be explored, the idea of
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| Gardens constructed for her. According to
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| | water culture caught on as an area of
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| Greek historians of the time, the Hanging
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| | scientific study throughout the remainder
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| Gardens, a water pipe led into a well
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| | of the 17th Century. By the 1860s, German
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| tower, which supplied water via a number
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| | botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm
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| of vaults for fruit trees growing in a
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| | Knop had perfected the first nutrient
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| layer of asphalt.
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| | solutions for soilless agriculture, and
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| Centuries later, Italian traveler Marco
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| | modern hydroponic gardening was born.
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| Polo, who reportedly visited China during
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