CURIOUS MINDS SOUTH AUCKLAND 2024 - PROJECT #11

Hydroponics: Gardening without Soil

James Cook High School

This 10-week project during term 3 saw over 300 Year 10 students at James Cook High School in Manurewa explore whether hydroponics could be an efficient method of growing vegetables in Auckland, where housing density and food prices are on the rise. 

Working with STEM expert Krishna Khatri-Chetri, the students set up indoor deep water culture hydroponic systems. They used regular monitoring and observations to compare crop growth across different kits, testing each plant's growth under varying conditions. 

This engaging, hands-on experimentation successfully brought plant biology to life for students. So much so, that a new year 10 horticulture course has been created next year specifically around hydroponics. This specialist course will see students dive deeper into the science of growing food and the many applications that hydroponics can have in the future, where time and space for traditional gardens are at a premium.

The students would also like to investigate the viability of hydroponics for urban community gardens in the future.