Soil vs Hydro

Soil is of course Mother Nature's traditional method of plant cultivation and hydroponics is the man made methodology that stems back thousands of years. It was used by the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese as far back as 600BC and experiments to ascertain the plant composition for modern hydroponics go back to 1600 AD.

When done with care and passion both methods can deliver great results but as with much of evolution the science does bring its advantages.

Here are some of them....

Hydroponics is a water based growing system so how on earth can it possibly save water?

Well, bizarre as it may initially sound, it actually uses about 90% less water that the traditional soil rooted growth!

• Hydroponics is typically in a sealed system so there is far less evaporation
• Water does not drip out of the bottom of the container or seep further into the ground
• Water is effectively recycled using a recirculating nutrient reservoir so the only water that is used is that taken in by the plants

We are referring to the likes of crabgrass or dandelions here!

Without a bed of soil there is no place for these to take over and prosper which means less time on your knees evicting them and more time tending to your crop.

Watering and feeding can be completely automated and are not impacted by the weather as an outdoor growth would be.

Referring to the above, the lack of weeds also avoids you losing control!

There are many automated feeding and watering systems available in storewhich gives you more time to enjoy and focus on your crops.

When growing in soil, the water and the nutrients spread throughout the soil. This means that the roots of the plant have to reach out to absorb as much as they require. As the plant grows, the roots have to reach out to seek more food and drink.

Within the hydroponic system the roots are constantly surrounded by a circulating nutrient solution with a constant strength. Therefore they have all the calibrated food and water they need within close and easy reach.

Much as outdoor gardening or indoor soil cultivation can be lovely some of the creatures can be a complete pest!

Similar to the preference of weeds, many pests and plant diseases can only thrive when associated with soil medium.

Traditional outdoor growing does of course rotate according to the seasons.

Indoor growth production is enhanced because it can be in effect all year round.

Where hydroponics has a massive timescale advantage is due to the points made above, in particular the control of watering and feeding.

Plants in a hydroponic system have a consistent and stable supply of their nutrients and water. The control of this means that with a bit of research and experimentation a great level of precision can be obtained.

From this precision the plants have exactly what they need within easy reach and will grow much faster.