A hydroponic growing system, in which plants are grown in an artificially controlled environment without soil, offers several distinct advantages over a soil-based growing environment.
1. Hydroponics saves water.
This is by far and away from the most important difference when discussing hydroponics vs. soil. Water is at an all-time shortage, and the more we can save and put to the best use possible, the better.
2. Hydroponics saves space.
In a typical soil-based garden, a plant's roots need to spread out in the soil to gain access to enough oxygen and water. In a hydroponics system, the plant's roots are directly submerged in an oxygenated nutrient solution, allowing them to remain much closer together.
3. Hydroponics speeds up growth.
Yes, you read that right. Using hydroponics will actually speed up the growth of your plants. Take lettuce for example, from seed to harvest it will take around 60 days on average to mature in soil. With hydroponics, you can cut that time in half, and enjoy your lettuce at roughly the 30-day mark.
4. Hydroponics gives you complete control.
Part of the reason your plants are growing so fast is that you have complete control. As the grower, you control the temperature, control the amount and intensity of the light, and control the nutrients. You can even control the humidity depending on your setup. This lets you act just like a mad scientist in a lab, tinkering and adjusting these parameters until your grow is just perfect. You become the master of your plant’s environment.
5. Far fewer pests and disease.
The beauty of hydroponic gardening is the lower likelihood of encountering pests and disease. Don’t be mistaken thinking they don’t exist at all, because they do. They are just far less prevalent than in our outdoor gardens. The biggest threat to our hydroponic systems is usually nutrient deprivation, and thus caused by our own doing.
6. No weeding!
Many growers love gardening until it comes time to weeding. When we speak to wannabe gardeners, the largest mental hurdle they have to actually start is not wanting to weed. We always have great news for this group, start with hydroponics.
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