Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroponic Gardening
By Leo Eigenberg
Hydroponics is a soil less gardening technique that has seen significant growth in popularity. This type of growth process relies on nutrient solutions to help the plants grown instead of using regular soil. Hydroponic gardens are low-maintenance and not dependent on soil texture, tilling, spraying pesticides, fertilizers, soil borne diseases, and weeding.
A well planned hydroponic garden offers a reliable solution to grow healthy fruits and vegetables which often contain greater nutritional benefits. Also, the plants can grow faster as the added nutrients are absorbed much faster by the root structure.
Below are the major advantages and disadvantages associated with hydroponic gardening:
Advantages
Grow anywhere
Hydroponic gardening is a versatile growth option and makes it possible to plant fruits and vegetable inside or outside providing the proper conditions are met.
Less water
Hydroponic gardening is less reliant on water and uses about 1/20th of the water required by a regular soil-based garden plot.
Sterile environment
Hydroponic gardening systems create a plant production method that is sterile. This system does not depend on chemicals like fertilizers or pesticides to help grow the plant life. Plus, the sterile growth environment means there is less chance of soil contaminates, such as pests and diseases.
Faster Growth
Fruits and vegetables produced in a hydroponic gardening setup are likely to grow nearly twice as fast as a regular garden. Also, it is possible to grow more plants in smaller spaces. Plants are able to grow in close proximity, which means a fully grown crop is about 20% larger than a soil-based garden.
Soil testing
Because the hydroponic systems are soil free there isn’t a need to test or promote the health of the soil at regular intervals.
Year-round gardening
Growing the fruit and vegetable crops in an indoor environment makes it easier to produce healthy plant life throughout the year.
Disadvantages
Set-up
The initial set-up of the hydroponic garden is usually quite high.
Relies on power
The majority of hydroponic gardens depend on a source of power to ensure the water or similar nutrients are provided at regular intervals. A power outage can leave these types of plants unhealthy and dry. Any issues with the power supply will mean the plants need to be watered manually.
Technical knowledge
A certain degree of technical knowledge is certain to benefit those wishing to use the hydroponic gardening systems for their gardens. Learning the proper growth techniques is needed before being able to get the positive results from this gardening process.
Get more information at the hydroponics store by visiting http://www.totalhydro.com
This Pros and Cons of Hydroponic Gardening first appeared at Small Garden Design