Supporting structures may be necessary to hold up the plants, as plants loaded with fruit, for example, are heavy. Do not attach supports to the ends of beds because the weight of the plants may warp the structure and cause leaks or draining problems. All supporting wires are suspended from overhead supports that are spaced at intervals alongside the troughs. Cooling of the hydroponics area can be achieved by ventilation, as transpiration of moisture off the leave cools the plants just as perspiration cools the human body. Slats or windows that allow the air to circulate should be included in the arrangement.
Plants produce oxygen during the day, under lighted conditions, and carbon dioxide during the night.
Hydroponics areas attached to living areas thus can oxygenate and cleanse the air of carbon dioxide, but should be closed off during the night so that oxygen is not depleted from the sleeping areas. Pollination can be done either by bees or by hand, by manually shaking or tapping the flowers once a day, going flower to flower so as to spread the pollen. Pollination helps increase fruit yield, and for some produce makes the difference between a high yield or no yield at all. A. Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil. The plants thrive on the nutrient solution alone.