Listening Between the Lines

Have you seen the tee-shirt with the slogan, "Talk to the hand 'cos the face ain't listening?" Do you feel it's like this sometimes when you are trying to get through to people? But just how good a listener are you? Do you actually "listen between the lines?"

So often we hear about a problem, and immediately jump in. We want a quick fix. However, we are inside our own head, and make no attempt to get into the head of the other person.

As a leader of staff it is very challenging to keep quiet, and to listen. This is the key, though, to getting the best out of your workforce. Take the time to listen to what they are saying. What motivates them? What are they putting up with at work? What issues really concern them?

As a parent, or as a partner, we become mindful of our own listening skills. So often, lack of time, and stress in our lives get in the way of listening to those close to us. We hear, but we do not understand.

It is always tricky being around adolescents with their notorious mood swings. And yet, if you take the time to listen to them, to participate in their lives, you may discover a real friend. The key is to put your own issues on hold, and to get to know the child at his or her level.

My teenage daughter and I were talking about the bombings in London in July. Her value set was obviously challenged. I made time and space to listen to her, and let her drive the conversation. As a result, I was able to build up her trust. A stronger relationship between the two of us emerged.

This is no different from what you could achieve with your own staff. Let them know your door is always open, that you are open to discuss any problem they might have.

Be careful about how high you set expectations. Do you give the impression that you just want to get the job done? Do people feel that you are so focused that you would not listen anyway?

By taking the time to listen you will be able to address their grievance, and move on together. Everyone will be happier, and you will have laid a real foundation of trust.

Julianne Kuhlmann, founder of Kool Results Coaching, offers Leadership Coaching and Consulting services that are tailored to meet the personal and professional development needs of leaders and leadership teams. Julianne provides individual and team leadership coaching, as well as a variety of workshops on leadership development. Contact Julianne at info@koolresults.com.au, and visit http://www.koolresults.com.au

A Time-Saving Programming Tactic that Doesn?t Work

Let's say that you have a software project that's under severe time pressure. Let's say that this deadline is so tight that you already know it will involve many late nights of black coffee and frenetic programming. What can you do to make this process go faster?

I honestly don't know, since the correct answer will depend on one's individual circumstances. However, I can tell you how many programmers do respond under such circumstances. They decide to save time by skipping over the software planning and design phase, and immediately start coding away.

To an inexperienced or otherwise undisciplined programmer, this seems to make sense. After all, the finished product is what truly matters, right? The customer doesn't care about flowcharts, class diagrams or software architectures. All they want is something that works.

It seems to make sense, but it's a foolhardy approach. That way lies madness. We've all heard that an ounce of planning is worth a pound of cure, but in the world of software development, this adage is often forgotten.

If a real estate developer needs to get a house built quickly, does he save time by skipping over the architectural design phase? Does he decide to dispense with blueprints, and just start laying down concrete? Of course not. He knows that the results would be chaotic, and that work will progress more slowly without careful forethought and a concrete plan.

Yet that's the approach that many people take when it comes to software. They decide to just start coding away, thinking that this makes the software development process more efficient. On fairly simple projects, this might work. On anything of moderate complexity though, such an approach is doomed to fail. Sure, you may save time at first. However, without a concrete software plan and a carefully considered design, problems are bound to catch up with you before long. Many of these problems won't become clear until the testing phase comes around, and by then, it may be too late.

Sadly, such reckless thinking is often encouraged in the corporate world. Due to time constraints, a misguided manager may instruct his team to skip over the design work and just start hacking away. This makes the team seem focused and productive, but this strategy can wreak havoc on the project timeline. What's more, the resultant code is often a tangled, poorly documented, chaotic mess. If this software must be maintained for years to come, then you have a recipe for disaster.

Mind you, I'm not saying that an elaborate design is always necessary. If time is short, then one might not have the luxury of an intricate software plan with exhaustive design documentation. However, one should at least have a general software architecture laid out-one which is detailed enough to make the software development process smoother and easier. Programmers rarely err on the side of over-planning, but they frequently fall into the trap of insufficient design detail. Don't make this mistake, if you really want to save time.

About the author:

V. Berba Velasco Jr. is proud to work as a senior electrical and software engineer at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn) a biotechnology company that prides itself on its standards of excellence.

Biblical Hermeneutics ? Part 3

Instead of being passive consumers of Biblical commentary, we can participate in the forming of a very particular, but no less authentic, commentary of our own. The only thing that should happen between text and commentary is exegesis, not homiletics. In other words, we should not become reliant on them. Continued dependence on commentaries will handicap or hinder the development of exegetical skills needed to do independent pre-commentary study. This is why it is probably safest to consult more than one commentary and to consult it at the end of the exegetical process and not the beginning.

Biblical studies is never truly complete until we have attempted to reflect in a careful and systematic way upon what we have learned, and in reflecting, make creative and responsible applications to the situation of the church universal today.

Proper hermeneutics then, play a vital role in the evolution of good homiletics. It not only provides the rule whereby an understanding of the text's original context can be obtained, but it permits the context to be trans-culturally applied to modern times.

Sanders' sermons are good examples of sermons prepared in context and reflect skillful exegesis. He utilized the information he learned in study in very thought-provoking, challenging, and creative way. I believe he was successful in bringing the original context to contemporary times and make the truth pertinent to it. I was most impressed and affected by the sermon, "In the Same Night?" (the sermon can be read in it's entirety here: http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=800&C=1048)

The Old Testament narratives are not stories about ancient people who lived in ancient times. Neither are they allegories inundated with hidden meanings. Rather, narratives are stories which teach indirectly and have the intent of making only one major point though many may be derived from them.

Considered to be "genre within genre," the parables history of interpretation goes back to Jesus, the master Teacher, who extensive use of them betrays the fact that they were one of His favorite teaching tools. Parables come in many forms including true stories, similitude, metaphors (and similes) and epigrams. They function in a manner similar to a joke in that they seek to elicit a response.

The goal of parabolic interpretation is to "catch what the original hearers caught" To accomplish this, we must interpret to determine exactly what the original hearers received and how they responded to it. Having done this, we must decide how to go about reformulating the material in such a way that our present audience can be the recipients of what the original audience obtained.

The exegetical interpretative process begins by locating the reference points and proceeds to identify the audience. Since parables are used to clarify and emphasize a central truth that was being discussed in a particular historical situation, a thorough examination of the parable in its immediate context is also necessary for understanding its meaning.

In general, before interpretation of prophecy, epistles, apocalyptic literature and other unique literary forms can begin; several theoretical, theological and practical issues must be confronted. The basic question we must ask ourselves is whether the literature under consideration can be interpreted using the same hermeneutical principles that apply to other genres, or whether some special hermeneutical method is required.

Bottom Line
One cannot hope to understand and properly interpret Scripture without the benefit of good hermeneutical and exegetical skills. Hermeneutics is necessary because it closes many of the historical, linguistic, cultural, philosophical and theological gaps that otherwise hinder accuracy in Biblical understanding.

Exegesis is a discipline which teaches us to defer judgment until sufficient data have been collected. It teaches us to treat text with great care and respect.

Thus, our approach to Scripture is with an ear attuned and a mind open to what the text has to say before leaping in with a response. We recognize the need for approaching Scripture contextually; to probe for, collect, sort, discern, and weigh evidence. Perhaps most important of all, we measure what we have learned from our own faith tradition against the realities of our Biblical learning experience; to subject ourselves to the objective authority of the text before we attempt the mastery of it either as sermon, manuscript, teaching or discussion material.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

Making Peace with Our Ancestors and Neighbors

As a result of the conflict analysis exercise and a workshop conducted earlier this year by the Liberia Community Infrastructure Program, (LCIP), participants indicated a strong resentment of ex-combatants by the war affected community leading to traditional cleansing ceremonies. Sentiments from both tribes indicated a mutual approval/acceptance of the Zalakai/Zalayei traditional healing process; only being assisted by LCIP. Villagers spoke of not only their support of peace, but more so, the importance of cleansing the desecrated land where people were killed, but not buried; sisters with brothers, but not married. Although past programs have stemmed from studies of post war conflict in other countries, the inclusion of traditional ceremonies integrated into western theory are influencing the real life healing processes. "We must go back to our ancestors to cleanse the land and women can restore the customs of our secret societies and traditional sites.

Prominent citizens from Lofa County still displaced in Monrovia and VOWPEDE were also encouraged to participate in the cleansing ceremonies. The other Lorma communities that participated were the Kugbemai, Betajama, Kpademai, Borloso, Lobaba and Vezela totaling almost 1400 persons.

Reaching the village of Vonema presented challenges of mud sliding, rock climbing and intricate driving to reveal a southern side of Woka Mountain. Citizens were still bringing benches as the program rambled to a start with the arrival of a cultural group and Vonema's own musician.

The anticipation of the day's ceremonies created a mixture of emotions as Elders, Chiefs, Zo?'s, Karamors and Imans who had agreed to come together, talked in a quiet rumble in the town of Vonema. Vonema, approximately 13 kilometers from Voinjama, unlike Barkedu a Mandingo dominated society was one only two of the 26 villages, where Lorma and Mandingo ethnic groups live side by side as though the terrible years before have long since passed. The Mandingo representative spoke in Lorma, as a sign of respect for unity, gave his rendition of life in Vonema. According to him, Lorma and Mandingo had always lived together peaceably and had both been afflicted by the war.

Many of the comments at the ceremonies were proof that past meetings were beneficial to understanding what the war affected community expected from the ex-combatants in order to move forward. The ex-combatants agreed the absence of these processes is one of the main barriers to their return and reintegration. It was now about 3:00 p.m., and the LCIP delegates arrived to receive a traditional welcome of dancers, to the village of Barkedu. Mrs. Rachel Muiru, Reintegration Manager, and Ms. Mercedes Cabrera, LCIP's Financial Manager were met with the singing and dancing of a traditional greeting from Zoe's and other villagers.

The Imam had given prior permission for me to continue my reporting during the prayers inside the mosque. The worshippers were attentively perched on their knees as if to begin prayer as the introductions of the LCIP delegation and their functions received response to "Allah.

"The quiet wise voice of the old Imam, explained the morning's prayer in the village mosque of Barkedu was to focus on the libations to ancestors and gods, sacrificial offerings, formal request for forgiveness by the offenders, discussion of reparations, the feast, the cleansing and reconciliation.

The Barkedu Imam opened by saying to the worshippers and guest in the mosque, "We should open our eyes and minds to what would take the American people from their country to bring us together. They show their love. Educated and uneducated must work as a team or the foreigner will come to take over this country."

According to reports and stories from many sources, the stigma of the age old conflict between the Mandingoes and the Lormas stemmed from land squabbles, denial of intermarriages and lack of respect of cultural differences. These issues still play a major role in the natural ability of a once very organized society to heal relationships in the social structure.

The Imam used a "two tree" parable to demonstrate how the effects of war and conflict afflicted everyone regardless of tribe.

Later that day the Imam began a prayer as a signal to the start of the ceremonies in Barkedu. Prayers from the Holy Quaran would be recited the whole night to invoke the God's blessings on the eve of slaughtering the black cow on the Lofa river bank. The waters would have enough force to carry away the impurities from the communities. It took several men to bring the cow to the ground, before it could be prepared for sacrifice. There was laughter as more people joined in to bring the cow to the ground. The Zalakai ceremony continued with the slaughter of the cow with a sheep waiting in the near field as people were still arriving from miles around. The day's ceremonies were not finished as many were still awaiting the arrival of the US representative.

The anticipation on the arrival of the dignitary from the U.S. Embassy, Ms. Tracey Hebert, (pictured below), the representative of the U.S. Aid to International Development. (USAID), brought small children running to change their clothes. [Shown above, Ms. Tracey Hebert, USAID representative, Mrs. Rachel Muiru, LCIP Social Reintegration Manager, Ms. Mercedes Cabrera, LCIP Finance Manager]

Children and other citizens were on the lookout for the arrival of the guest kept the program organizers abreast of the arrival of the VIP. Villagers lined the road for almost a mile with a section of the welcoming party in all white from head to toe in anticipation of Ms. Hebert's arrival. The gleeful crowd broke into dance and song at the sight of the white USAID/LCIP vehicle. Ms. Hebert exited the vehicle and joined in the long symbolic walk to town as casual greetings from awaiting villagers continued on the brushed dirt road to the villages' most modern structure, a central palava hut, probably made of dead block and zinc. Ms. Hebert began her greeting in Arabic, "Al salaam alakaim ," and the crowd pleasingly responded, as she continued her message of hope for lasting peace on behalf of the United States government to a large crowd seated on mats. At each pause, the citizens and other attendees of Barkedu answered with "Praises Be to Allah." Then Mrs. Muiru, a native of Kenya and line manager for LCIP spoke in both Mandingo and English as she also wished sustained peace for them and their children. This time the skillful translator spoke in Arabic as the crowd listened attentively as the facilitator of these traditional cleansing collaborations continued to make emphasis on peace and reconciliation.

A soft-spoken woman from the Mandingo tribe gave a heartfelt description of Ma Kebbeh, a Lorma woman with the God given ability to "put people together." She said, Ma Kebbeh is a woman capable of exuding the warmth of an old friend or family member is well respected by all in the community. Both women then presented the USAID representative with a white chicken and white cloth representing purity of heart, a traditional way of welcoming people in Lofa. White cola nuts were also presented from other attendees as a sign of purity.

Brief prayers were offered as songs and prayer often interrupted the program.

[Villagers at the Barkedu Palava Hut]

Finally just as the day had begun, the Imam once more offered a message of peace from the Koran, and the formal ceremony proceeded to the feast.

[Mrs. Rachel Muiru, LCIP Social Reintegration Manager and the Barkedu Imam] The Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP) is funded by the United States Aid to International Development (USAID) and The American People]

Mrs. Edith C. Bawn is retired from the U.S. Air Force, now living in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Currently serving as a Media Consultant for an international agency. Also editor for http://www.thetrinitytimes.com

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: What are They, Really?

"The physician who knows only medicine, knows not even medicine." Omega-3s are "fatty acids" that help build other fats in the body. They derive their name from their chemical structure -- the "omega" end of the molecule has its first double bond in the "3" position. Know what that means? Do you really care what that means? Isnt fat just fat?

Scientists have found that historically the Eskimos of Greenland have enjoyed exceptional heart health despite a diet very high in fat. After some research, it was discovered that the primary source of the fat in their diet came from sea mammals, which contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Research has uncovered a many beneficial health effects of these types of fats. They are essential for the proper development of nerves, eyes and brains in growing children. They protect against dying from a heart attack. And they have been studied for their beneficial effects on inflammatory diseases (see Dr Barry Sears Books on Omega 3 and inflamation) such as arthritis, lupus and asthma.

Three major types of omega-3 fatty acids exist. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is in plant foods such as flaxseed, walnuts and canola oils.

Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, are found in fish and algae, especially in fatty fish such as salmon, trout and herring.

Human milk contains all three types of omega-3 fats: ALA, DHA and EPA. (DHA is the main type needed for brain, eye and nerve development.)

The American Heart Association recommends healthy people eat omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources to protect their hearts. Have you heard of this miracle?

Scientific Evidence Reveals a Diet Rich in Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Helps Support

A Healthy Brain

A Healthy Heart

A Healthy Immune System

Healthy Joint Movement

Healthy Kidneys

Balanced Mood and Sense of Well Being

Strength and Stamina

And Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels that are Already within the Normal Range*

Your grandmother probably used fish oil in the form of cod-liver oil, which is rich in vitamins A and D. It was used to prevent rickets (a disease resulting in weak bones that is caused by a deficiency of those vitamins). Even though cod-liver oil is one of the most disgusting foods known to man, taking it daily was a given in many households. It turns out the reason that cod-liver oil was so beneficial was not because of those vitamins, but because of its high levels of the long-chain, omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA.

EPA is a key factor for controlling insulin levels, and DHA is essential to maintain and rebuild your brain. So, Grandmother was doing an excellent job in promoting health in your parents.

Equally important, many neurological conditions such as depression, multiple sclerosis, and attention deficit disorders are linked to low levels of DHA in the diet; supplementation with fish oils rich in DHA often show dramatic improvement within a few weeks.

Dr. Barry Sears is a research scientist and creator of the world famous Zone Diet. His most recent book, The OmegaRx Zone - The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil, is the culmination of 20 years of research on the benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil. In fact, Dr. Sears pioneered the development of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil, a highly refined nutritional supplement rich in DHA and EPA. This work continues his life long dedication to using diet to help people maintain their state of wellness.

Author Bio: My name is Ruth Bird, and I am the owner of 3 dogs, 2 are Registered Therapy Visiting Dogs, my third dog is blind. My passions are health for people and pets and promoting a happy, healthy and wealthy lifestyle. Omega 3 has become one of my favorite topics.

http://www.mimfreedom.com
http://www.mimfreedom.com/dogtherapy.htm

What Can We Learn From the ?Runaway Bride? Story?

Have you heard enough about the "Runaway Bride" yet? Well, stay tuned. This story is not going to wind down for a while. It has the capacity to make celebrities (notorious or not) of at least two people ? the runaway bride and the jilted groom, depending upon how much they each value what's left of their privacy.

I truly feel sorry for Jennifer, because she must be going through absolute torture right now, even if she did bring it all on herself. Everyone makes mistakes in life. However, this unique case deserves some scrutiny ? and it's getting plenty.

I worry that Jennifer could despair at the nationwide censure she is now receiving. But her mistakes hurt the people who are most near and dear to her ? and trivialized the time, emotions, and energy of hundreds of others.

There is no question that weddings are highly stressful events ? so stressful that maybe they're not worth all the distress they can cause. It wasn't the running away that was the biggest problem, as bad as that was for her family and fianc? - it was the concocting of the kidnapping hoax, all because she did not want to admit that she had actually just run off, stressed out with only days to go before her huge wedding. I'm sure she now wishes she'd had the courage to tell it like it was.

When the Truth Came Out on Live TV

The night the truth of the story broke, I was pulling an "all-nighter" for my Saturday morning graduate class, studying for an exam. I had CNN on in the background, so I heard that the missing bride-to-be had been found. There was live coverage on this. Everyone, even the reporters, was gushing and exulting with joy, interviewing the bride's best friends and bridesmaids.

But it REALLY got interesting about two hours before dawn when the police chief in Albuquerque, New Mexico, came out to make a statement. CNN had audio problems at that crucial moment, so I switched over to Fox News, who was broadcasting the same thing live. Lo and behold, what the police chief said changed everything - dramatically. That was when it was revealed that the kidnapping story had all been a lie.

When I switched back to CNN, it was somewhat funny to see the shock and consternation on the faces of the flabbergasted reporters. It's certainly rare to see national news reporters forced to drastically switch gears live on national television that way. One minute they were deeply concerned about a missing woman whose wedding was supposed to be held that very day ? and the next, they were stunned, indignant, embarrassed, distanced now, and ready to cast a completely different light on the story.

Who can blame them? For indeed, what the Runaway Bride did humiliated a LOT of people. She not only humiliated them ? she greatly inconvenienced hundreds of people, misled millions, but worst of all by far, she knowingly brought untold anguish to her own parents and to the man who was committed to marry her ? both by running away without contacting them, and then by telling such a ridiculous and embarrassing lie. In some cultures, a stunt like that would bring irreparable disgrace to her family.

Trying to Lie to the FBI

What makes this story most confounding is that the runaway bride did something very, very stupid by lying about her disappearance. Don't most people know better than to try to lie to the police and the FBI? Don't most people know that it's pretty hard to hold up a tale like a fake abduction under hours of endless questioning by law enforcement officials who are just doing their jobs? Don't most people know that you could get some innocent people sent to prison if your story was actually believed?

This is not a kid we're talking about ? this is not even someone as young as Monica Lewinsky was (and for me, Monica's age did excuse her to a great extent) - this is a 32-year-old woman.

The only explanation for such a stupid move is that the girl was absolutely desperate. She had been caught running away from her wedding, but she still couldn't bear to tell her family and fianc? that she just couldn't face the wedding music.

Getting cold feet before a wedding can mess up a lot of things ? but it's not a crime. We all know it's better to be honest than to get married when you have doubts. But lots of people do exactly that ? get married with doubts, then spend years and years regretting it, with their children paying the price.

Why are people are so involved emotionally in this story? That's because it hits home on many levels. Many of us would like to run away from the pressures of life. But that isn't the main reason ? it's all about honesty, the foundation on which we base our lives each day.

How many of us are truly honest all day long? We may think we're honest, but a closer look reveals many lies woven into our daily lives. Perhaps we think we're honest, but we've never been put to the test yet ? and the test may prove that other things ? like what people think - are more important to us than honesty.

Trust is Everything

The greatest lesson of all in the story of the runaway bride is how much we all need to be able to believe in what others tell us. We rely on the word of others and base our actions on our trust in their truthfulness. Many actions were taken and much agony was experienced based on the trust people had in this woman ? the woman they all thought they knew so well.

Because this turned out to be a fabrication, it will affect how people react the next time something like this happens. People will be cynical and much more cautious ? something most people were not this time. There were a few voices who wondered if Jennifer's case could be one of "cold feet" ?but very few, because everyone insisted that she would never do something like run off without telling anyone.

Jennifer's distress should remind us all that we don't have to be perfect, and we don't have to live up to other people's expectations of us. If we try to do that, the cost can be too great ? it costs us our true selves. Trying to live up to the expectations of others was too much for Jennifer twice ? first when she ran away, and second when she was unable, day after day, to admit to her family that she had felt the need to run away.

This young woman ? and all of us ? needs to accept who she really is and know that it's all right to be who you are. Even if it ruins a large and lavish wedding, that's much better than what she may be facing now.

We all make mistakes. Lots of us make huge mistakes. We're just lucky that most of us never have to deal with the publicity of our mistakes that Jennifer now has to face. The picture of her with the towel covering her face spoke volumes. We all need to stop and think before we ever do anything for which we'd want to cover our face later.

As for Jennifer, she should hire a writer and start working on a book. She's probably going to need the money. If she isn't charged and fined, she'll certainly want to make a big donation to her town's police force ? the one that missed a slain colleague's funeral to look for a runaway bride.

Sarah Tanner is a writer about relationships and charm. Visit her website, http://www.howtohavecharm.com, and sign up there for her unique emails about charm and relationships. You will receive free ebooks on relationships and self-improvement with each email! You are welcome to reprint this article if you include this resource box with all links unchanged.

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners

The Basics of Hydroponics Gardening.

What is hydroponics gardening?

Derived from the Latin Hydro, meaning water and Geoponics, meaning the study of agriculture, hydroponics is the science of growing plants using a solution of suitable nutrients instead of soil. Most types of plant can be grown very successfully using hydroponics.

In conventional gardening the plants are grown in soil and take their nourishment from the chemical compounds contained within that soil. The hydroponic gardener replaces the soil with a balanced, nutrient rich, solution that the plant can absorb with ease. Because the plant does not have to work so hard to absorb the available nutrients it saves energy which can then be utilised for stronger growth.

Because of this energy saving, plants grown using hydroponic methods outperform conventionally produced plants in both growth and fruit production. Due to the consistent results and good profit margins, more and more commercial growers are turning to hydroponic production. Totally organic production is possible using specially designed organic nutrients, giving excellent, inexpensive, vegetables and herbs.

There are several different types of hydroponic system, but all share the same basic principle of supplying the plants with nutrients and water. The most common systems are:

Water Culture, Aquaculture, or Nutriculture.
This is a Hydroponics system in which the plant roots are immersed in water containing a complex mixture of dissolved nutrients. A simple example of water culture is the Hyacinth bulb growing in a wine goblet shaped glass, its roots growing down into the hollow goblet stem.

Aggregate Culture.
In this system a material such as sand, gravel, or marbles supports the plant roots. It is important to note that the support material, unlike soil, does not absorb nutrient. It merely traps it in the spaces between the grains or stones allowing the plant roots to freely take up the liquid.

Continuous Flow Hydroponics Systems.
In these types of system the nutrient solution flows constantly over the plant roots. This is the most commonly used system for commercial production.

Aeroponics.
This system is one in which the plant roots hang in the air and are misted regularly with a nutrient solution.

There are a number of pre-packaged hydroponics systems available for both the commercial grower and hobbyist. Individuals, who lack building skills, or are inexperienced plant growers, should consider one of these kits as an introduction to hydroponics, a fascinating and challenging hobby. Similar systems can be built at lower cost, however, by those of you who have the expertise.

The requirements for healthy, strong, disease-free plants are covered in my next article entitled - - What do your plants need?

Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, John R Haughton - All Rights Reserved

A partner in a thriving retail hydroponics supply business, Rickie Haughton is the owner of http://hydroponics-gardening-information.com/ which aims to cater for all levels of expertise in the field of hydroponics gardening. The website is packed with good content about all aspects off hydroponics gardening and offers a free newsletter to all subscribers.