HORTICULTURE

Detailed explanation-1: -A growing medium can be defined as a substance through which roots grow and extract water and nutrients. In native plant nurseries, a growing medium can consist of native soil but is more commonly an “artificial soil” composed of materials such as peat moss or compost.

Detailed explanation-2: -The correct answer is Hydroponics. Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil. It is the method of growing plants in nutrient-fortified water (nutrient medium), instead of growing in soil.

Detailed explanation-3: -Vermiculite It’s non-toxic, sterile, moist-resistant, and has a nearly neutral pH. Furthermore, while perlite retains water well, vermiculite retains water poorly. However, it doesn’t maintain aeration as effectively as perlite.

Detailed explanation-4: -Plants absorb water from the soil by a process called osmosis – the natural movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration, across a semi-permeable, sieve-like membrane, to an area of low concentration.