Benefits of hydroponic gardening
The many benefits of gardening without soil
Though the benefits of hydroponic gardening are numerous and well documented, the commercial hydroponics industry has yet to truly hit the mainstream. Part of the reason for this is that governments worldwide continue to equate hydroponics with marijuana and have persecuted hydroponics companies accordingly (read about Operation Green Merchant for an American example). But as time passes, environmental concerns and a decline in arable land will inevitably foster a global awareness of the advantages of hydroponics for farmers and home vegetable gardeners alike.
Hydroponics versus soil
Hydroponics is gardening without soil. In hydroponic gardening systems, plants are placed in a growing medium and nutrients are provided directly to the roots.
Many people are surprised that plants don't require soil to live, but soil can sometimes be a very inefficient growing medium. Plants expend a great deal of energy growing root systems so they can search the soil for the water and nutrients they need to survive. By providing constant and readily available nutrition, hydroponics allows plants to grow up to 50% faster than they do in soil.
Gardening without soil offers many other benefits:
- complete control over nutrient balance
- pH and nutrient levels are simple to measure and maintain
- significant reduction of soil pests and diseases
- greater spacing efficiency due to smaller roots
- concentrated feeding reduces water waste
Environmental benefits of hydroponic gardening
One of the heralded benefits of hydroponic gardening is how it can alleviate poverty while simultaneously easing strains on the environment. Hydroponic gardening systems can be set up to recycle water and nutrients, greatly reducing the resources necessary to grow food.
Recycling hydroponic systems use as little as 10% of the water that traditional agriculture requires, a tremendous benefit in areas entirely dependent on irrigation. Hydroponic gardening virtually eliminates the need for herbicides and pesticides, and hydroponic gardeners need only use about 1/4 the fertilizer that traditional gardeners require.
As the amount of arable land continues to decrease (over 10 million hectares per year are lost), another environmental benefit of hydroponic gardening will gain attention: Hydroponic gardens can produce the same yield as soil gardens in about 1/5 the space. And because artificially lit hydroponic gardens are not dependent on growing seasons, they can produce yields several times a year rather than just once. It has even been speculated that in decades to come, hydroponics will become a significant food source for over-populated urban regions, with people growing food on rooftops or in basements.
Disadvantages of hydroponic gardening
Since we've given you the benefits of hydroponic gardening, we should probably list its disadvantages. And there are a few.
The primary disadvantage of hydroponics at this time is cost. Because hydroponic gardening is still something of a rarity, even commercially, the initial equipment needed for hydroponic systems can be expensive. But there's an up side even to that. Once you have a hydroponic garden established, the cost of running it is cheaper than soil gardening.
Another disadvantage is that pump-driven hydroponic systems can be susceptible to power outages. For that reason we recommend having a back-up power source available should you build a hydroponic garden.
Another disadvantage often cited is the hydroponic gardener's greater need for technical knowledge. We quibble with this one a bit. If you're getting into hydroponic gardening, chances are you've done your homework beforehand and you've already had significant gardening experience. Setting up an air pump and monitoring a nutrient solution isn't like flying a space shuttle.
If you're diligent and conscientious there's no reason to be daunted by the idiosyncrasies of a hydroponic gardening system. And as you can see, the benefits of hydroponic gardening far outweigh the disadvantages.