Vertical Hydroponics Saves Resources And Space And Produces Quality Crops

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By Ida Dorsey


As the size of the average yard shrinks and urban sprawl continues to expand, people are looking for new alternatives when it comes to gardening and growing their own fresh produce. One such method that is become increasing popular is vertical hydroponics, a technique that can be implemented indoors or outdoors and features upright planting systems that conserve both space and water and offer numerous advantages.

One of the main differences between hydroponic growing and traditional gardening is that soil is not needed. Instead plants grow in a water-based solution of nutrients or another substrate such as gravel. This permits year-round cultivation with no need for crop rotation and it is free of destructive pests. Space is efficiently utilized as plants are stacked in vertical columns and nutrient levels are carefully managed by the grower.

Most plants that can be grown in soil, can also be grown hydroponically. The grower is totally responsible for providing the plants with the nutrients they need to grow and does not have to depend on nature as they must with traditional gardening. It takes less money and work to grow in this way, and often produces a better quality crop.

The need for such tiring tasks as fertilizing, tilling, mulching, and weeding is eliminated with this gardening method, as is the need to worry about the crops receiving too much or too little water. Weather and ground conditions also play no role with hydroponic growing as they do with traditional outdoor soil gardening. Grow lights can be used to allow round-the-clock, year-round gardening.

Those who live in an area with poor quality soil, still have the opportunity to garden if they opt for hydroponics. Since there is no need to use weed killers and pesticides, it is also easier to maintain a healthier, organic crop. Plants grown in this way easily take essential substances required for growth such as oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen from the air.

Plants grown in soil have less consistent delivery of nutrients than those which are grown using hydroponics. The guaranteed balance of nutrients in the right proportions ensures optimal quality of crops and it also tends to produce a higher yield as well. Money is saved by growers who don't require maintenance chemicals and the plants can grow without the threat of being denied sunlight or nutrition do to destructive weeds and pests.

Less water is needed for hydroponic gardens than those which use soil, since the plants are continually submersed in a solution rather than needing to be regularly irrigated. Some growers will also install a timer system to provide automatic fertilization at specified intervals to the crops, which helps to further limit water consumption.

Plants grown in this manner tend to ripen faster because they are receiving nutrients more consistently and do not need to expound energy to draw up water and mineral through their root systems as they need to do when grown in soil. This generally results in produce which has an overall superior quality in term of taste and health value.




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