Surely everyone would agree that plants need soil, water, and sunlight to grow. And that’s also one of the first things we learn in biology class. But what if that’s not true?
It is actually possible to grow a farm or garden without soil – what is called a hydroponic system. So what is hydroponics? Read on and learn about the definition and benefits of hydroponics.
>> Learn more: Nurture Your Garden With Seeds Now Review
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics comes from the ancient Greek words “hydro”, meaning water, and “ponics”, meaning labor. The water is working here and allowing the plants to grow rapidly.
At its core, hydroponics is a method of growing plants. But instead of using soil, hydroponics relies on a nutrient-rich solution based on water. We can replace the soil by using organic substances such as perlite, clay pellets, rock wool, coir, peat moss, or vermiculite. The idea may seem novel, but it actually dates back thousands of years and helped fuel population growth as the availability of arable land decreases.
Benefits Of Hydroponic Gardening
Here’re some advantages of hydroponics that prove it is the future of farming:
1. Grow Anywhere
Yes. Climate change greatly affects farming. The growing seasons and areas are trending to big changes right now as temperatures change and growing conditions change with them. Even under “normal” conditions, there are many places where the ground is not conducive to farming (such as deserts, concrete forests).
Currently, most vegetables you come across in a store are shipped from afar and lose their nutritional value along the way.
So hydroponics helps us to create hyper-local food systems! Our container farms are located in the communities and regions we serve. And when you’re growing hydroponically, you won’t have to pause a season or risk crop failure due to extreme weather.
2. Higher Yields
One of the benefits of hydroponics that everyone wants is high yields. Plants grown in hydroponic systems live better than traditional soil growing methods. Because roots are watered in all the nutrients they need, plants spend more time growing upwards and spend less time and energy developing extensive root systems in search of food.
Growth rates vary depending on the type of system and quality of care. But plants grown in water can mature up to 25% faster than the same plants grown in soil, with increased crop yields.
3. Fewer Resources
One of the benefits of hydroponics that will surely surprise you is that it uses less water than traditional soil-based systems. This is because closed systems do not have the same evaporation rate. Plus, the water used in a hydroponic system can be filtered, regenerated nutrients, and supplied back to the plants so that the water is continuously recycled instead of wasted!
Other “resources” hydroponic growing system doesn’t need? Pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. Because aquatic plants are protected from many crop pests and diseases found outdoors in soil-based farms.
4. Easy Troubleshooting
How many times have you stepped out into your garden and seen one of your plants thriving while your neighbor’s tree next door is drooping? If you’re not a professional gardener, it’s almost impossible to know which variables are negatively affecting your poor plant. Is it a pest problem? Are the nutrients in the soil different there?
So, a hydroponic system is created to solve your problem. You will know exactly what your growing conditions are. Thanks to that, you can easily isolate variables and experiment! Once you find the perfect formula of light, pH balance, and nutrients. You can successfully reproduce without always having to go through the trouble.
Potential Harms
However, hydroponics is not always the best choice for all plants. Naturally, there will be higher costs in a system that you have to consider more than in soil.
The setup and creation of a hydroponic system can take your time and there is always the worry that an unforeseen event like a pump failure could harm the plants. And finally, you still need to be careful about how they control nutrient solutions and pH levels.
Conclusion
So now you know what hydroponics is and all benefits of hydroponics over traditional methods, it’s time to explore. Discover what the Trimleaf Technology team can do for you and find out how you can start your own greenhouse!