noun
hydroponics; water culture
Refers to growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water. Common in agricultural and gardening contexts.
水栽培でレタスを育てています。
I'm growing lettuce using hydroponics.
More formal and technical term for hydroponics; 水栽培 is a simpler, everyday equivalent.
Compound of 水 (water) and 栽培 (cultivation). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term transparently describes soilless plant growing.