hey guys I am new to hydroponics and have began to research the topic. And I was wondering if people could let me know a few things about it.
1). why choose hydroponics of soil?
2) what are some of the benefits hydroponics have on plant growth?
3). what are some downsides to using hydroponics?
4). What are some current issues related to hydroponics? Or what issues are you personally having with hydroponics.
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shonpierson
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- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:00 am
- Location: Minnesota
shonpierson wrote: 1). why choose hydroponics of soil?
I'm not sure what you mean here....
2) what are some of the benefits hydroponics have on plant growth?
Plants grow faster and bigger since they don't need to spend so much energy on growing roots since the nutrients and water are available closer to the plant.
3). what are some downsides to using hydroponics?
Dependency on electricity. All forms need a air pump to aerate the nutrient solution. Some need pumps to bring the solution the plants. Lights if indoors. Some more things could be used.
4). What are some current issues related to hydroponics? Or what issues are you personally having with hydroponics.
Keeping the pH at 5.8 granted where it is at it fine I'm just picky.
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fintuckyfarms
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- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:37 pm
- Location: Southeast Washington State
shonpierson wrote:hey guys I am new to hydroponics and have began to research the topic. And I was wondering if people could let me know a few things about it.
1). why choose hydroponics of soil? So I don't have to weed, bend over, prepare the soil and I can plant whatever I want whenever I want.
2) what are some of the benefits hydroponics have on plant growth? Plants seem to grow and mature faster and yeild more. There is no set grow season and you can grow inside the house, in a greenhouse or outdoors.
3). what are some downsides to using hydroponics? You have to watch the nutrient temperatures very closley and since there is not any soil to act as a buffer, if something goes wrong it goes wrong fast.
4). What are some current issues related to hydroponics? Or what issues are you personally having with hydroponics. Just trying to find other people locally that grow something besides cash crops.
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FarmerJohn
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- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:59 am
- Location: upstate NY
1.using hydro avoids many problem that occur with soil, pest control, soil born diseases, ground rot.
2. Indoor lets you grow year round
3. my biggest drawback is finding information on soiless solutions for various vegetables starting from either seed or clones as well as the choice of the type of lighting
4.getting a straight answer to any 1 problem, it seems that each person I talk to has a different solution to the same problem
2. Indoor lets you grow year round
3. my biggest drawback is finding information on soiless solutions for various vegetables starting from either seed or clones as well as the choice of the type of lighting
4.getting a straight answer to any 1 problem, it seems that each person I talk to has a different solution to the same problem
1) I use hydro because I do not have get enough sunlight at my urban apartment to grow outdoors, so I have to get creative and grow indoors. Plus, if done right, it can be quicker to grow a plant in a laboratory like environment (but it is definitely more complex - soil is more forgiving to the newbie gardener).
2) It's like growing in a test-tube instead of the real world. The real world is a complex and ever-changing ecosystem, but in a lab like environment you can grow "plants on steroids" if you are good at it. However, it can be costly and difficult to get started. It is hard to get good advice for new Hydro users on the web because every hydro setup is unique, and there are advantages and disadvantages to all of them.
3) It can get costly to get started, and there is certainly a steep learning curve involved. I cannot stress enough that you should learn how to grow in soil before delving into hydro because it will give you a good background on what environment the plant needs to thrive. Although they are expensive, if you are serious about learning hydro then it is worth buying a continuous PH meter. For me it really helped to see what was happening to the nutrient reservoir. Watching the EC/PPMs and the PH fluctuate helped me to understand what was happening to the plant. But if you cant afford a continuous meter, just be sure to change your nutrient water frequently (once a week or so, more if you have a really small reservoir).
4) In my case I converted a shelving unit into a grow-box, but the unit gets too hot on the inside, leading to root rot (which then leads to all sorts of secondary problems like fungus, diseases, and pests). Although root rot is caused by not enough oxygen to the roots, warmer water simply cannot hold as much oxygen as cooler water, so the roots become oxygen deprived and rot regardless of how many air pumps I use to oxygenate the water. In my case I will likely need to spend 300-400 on a water chiller to make my setup work correctly. From talking to others, heat and ventilation are the two most common problems in most indoor grow rooms -- you will always need more ventilation than you think you do. Lack of adequate ventilation can also cause molds and fungus when the plants cool down at night.
2) It's like growing in a test-tube instead of the real world. The real world is a complex and ever-changing ecosystem, but in a lab like environment you can grow "plants on steroids" if you are good at it. However, it can be costly and difficult to get started. It is hard to get good advice for new Hydro users on the web because every hydro setup is unique, and there are advantages and disadvantages to all of them.
3) It can get costly to get started, and there is certainly a steep learning curve involved. I cannot stress enough that you should learn how to grow in soil before delving into hydro because it will give you a good background on what environment the plant needs to thrive. Although they are expensive, if you are serious about learning hydro then it is worth buying a continuous PH meter. For me it really helped to see what was happening to the nutrient reservoir. Watching the EC/PPMs and the PH fluctuate helped me to understand what was happening to the plant. But if you cant afford a continuous meter, just be sure to change your nutrient water frequently (once a week or so, more if you have a really small reservoir).
4) In my case I converted a shelving unit into a grow-box, but the unit gets too hot on the inside, leading to root rot (which then leads to all sorts of secondary problems like fungus, diseases, and pests). Although root rot is caused by not enough oxygen to the roots, warmer water simply cannot hold as much oxygen as cooler water, so the roots become oxygen deprived and rot regardless of how many air pumps I use to oxygenate the water. In my case I will likely need to spend 300-400 on a water chiller to make my setup work correctly. From talking to others, heat and ventilation are the two most common problems in most indoor grow rooms -- you will always need more ventilation than you think you do. Lack of adequate ventilation can also cause molds and fungus when the plants cool down at night.