Just add water ... really.

Now, this may seem scandalous, but here's the thing: You do not need soil to grow your plants. OK! I said it!

All soil does is offer a place for nutrients and water to assemble until plant roots find them. Of course, this revelation won't stop me from spending hours amending my garden beds to gain the perfect tilth. If you plan to grow plants in the ground, the roots need good aeration and easy access to all the essential vitamins and minerals.

But for a new way of looking at how vegetables can be grown - really, a wave of the future if you pardon the pun - hydroponics is now viable for the homesteader as well as the commercial grower.

What has many gardeners excited about hydroponics at the macro level is the option of growing ample food in smaller spaces while dramatically conserving use of fertilizer and dwindling water supplies. Many, if not most, commercial hydroponics facilities recycle or reuse their water and nutrients in some way. Hydroponics may be the next big thing in agriculture as well because plants grow about twice as fast in solution or media. There is no contact with soil, thus reducing the risk of contaminants, such as E.Coli.

Home growers may want to sidle up to a revolution. Although the term "hydroponics" would seem to suggest growing only in water, it includes both hydro and "soil-less" sterilized media. Rockwool that is melted and spun into fine fibers has been a popular medium for years, according to Aqua Serene Hydroponics in Eugene. Rockwool is basalt, or volcanic rock.

But you may be more interested in waste-free clay pebbles or rooting cubes made of cocoa fiber, which can be composted and are in abundant supply.

Alert readers of Sunday circulars will have noticed recent advertisements for the sleek AeroGarden (aerogrow.com), with its bushy bouquet of countertop-grown herbs and vegetables. The Aero-Garden employs "aeroponics," a technology developed by NASA for space exploration and seen by millions of visitors to Disney's Epcot Center. Aeroponics suspends the roots in air but exposes them to high humidity and a periodic drench of nutrient-rich water.

Home growers interested in putting together their own system, rather than purchasing one ready-made, can tap the expertise of Aqua Serene Hydroponics or look online for additional resources. Greentree Hydroponics (hydroponics.net) offers the simple Homegarden unit, and at Tasty Harvest Hydroponics?(tastyharvest.com) you'll find the "bare bones" Baby Bloomer unit. Do-it-yourselfers may be more satisfied with these simpler systems that are less a package deal than the AeroGarden, which comes with seed kits and growing pods designed specifically for this system.

Until recently it was hard for organic growers to find reliable nutrient systems in hydroponics. Do-it-yourselfers might appreciate that the demand for stable organic nutrients led to greater research and much wider availability and range of products.

Family-size units ahead

Countertop and windowsill hydroponic units are attracting more attention for gardeners interested in growing crops of gourmet greens, container-size tomatoes and peppers, and limited supplies of specialty herbs, such as parsley, all winter long. The controlled environment is perfect for tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables that need a steady supply of nutrients and water.

And with industrial designers already experimenting with larger units, homeowners in the future can expect to see sleek, refrigerator-size hydroponic units that offer crop yields that better meet the demands of an entire family. Until then, perhaps go catch the wave - albeit a small one.

Tracy Ilene Miller is a freelance writer who lives and gardens in Eugene. She may be reached by e-mail at [e-mail].