Benefits & Advantages of Organic Hydroponic Gardening

Last week we talked a bit about what hydroponic gardening is. Nowadays, hydroponic gardening is widely accepted by many farmers and gardeners. The mere presence of so many organic hydroponic greenhouses today is proof of its popularity and accessibility to accommodate more plant and crop production.

Here are some benefits and advantages of using organic hydroponic gardening.

1.  The hydroponic gardener doesn't need to worry about watering.

2.  As long as the organic fertilizers are added to the water in the right amounts, the concentration should not hurt the roots, so you also don't need to worry about over-feeding, as long as you follow the proper schedule.

The hydroponic garden of Howard M. Resh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3.  Many organic hydroponics greenhouses are used for research and studies for plant and seed propagation using the science of hydroponics. Scientists use them to perform helpful experiments about technological advancements on how to improve organic and other fertilizers for use in crop production.

4.  Less space is needed to accommodate and attend to more plants than could be sustained on a similar patch of soil.

5.  Hydroponics gardening helps gardeners conserve time and effort. It relieves many forms of labor needed for traditional soil-based gardening, such as keeping the soil wet, sowing, weeding the soil, and nurturing the soil.

6.  Unlike in traditional agriculture, plants can be grown closer together because the roots of the plants are smaller in contrast to a larger plant or crop than they would be if grown in soil.

7.  A farmer or gardener can practice multiple cropping for he can harvest and plant the crops at the same time, thus increasing harvest over traditional gardening methods.

8.  He may also be able to grow larger and healthier plants because the organic fertilizer is supplied directly to the roots of the plants.

For more on organic gardening with hydroponics, check out How to Grow Fruits, Vegetables & Houseplants Without Soil: The Secrets of Hydroponic Gardening Revealed.

Two Important Tips for Home Hydroponics Gardens

The requirements for plants are the same whether you are growing a garden traditionally or with a hydroponics method.  In hydroponics, the nutrients the plant would get from the soil are replaced by a growing medium that can be purchased at gardening supply stores. The need for water and light is still just as important though.  Light can come from a natural source, an artificial source or a combination of the two.  Depending on the type of  hydroponics system the method that your plant gets water will differ too.

Image via Wikipedia1. In order to get the best results from your home-based hydroponics garden, find a south-facing window to give the plants the best natural light.  If this isn’t possible, you can purchase special lights that are specifically designed for plants.  Instead of using a fluorescent light, buy what is known as a discharge light. This imitates the light the plants would naturally get from the sun and will produce healthier and hardier plants.

2. The water that the root system is growing in needs to be healthy water full of nutrients and this can be determined by checking the pH level (it should be a pH level of 6). The pH level should be checked on a regular basis to ensure it is not too acidic or alkaline. If the reading is too high, add small amounts of vinegar and keep re-testing until you can the reading you want. If the water reading has a pH level that is too low, use the same procedure to raise the pH level except use baking soda instead of vinegar.

By growing your plants with hydroponics, you will see faster and more abundant growth. The method in which the plants get their nutrients is more efficient and results in robust and prolific plants – whether they are houseplants, vegetable plants, or herbs.

Related Articles on Hydroponic Gardening:

• Winter Gardening With Hydroponics (nhlsustainablegardening.blogspot.com)
• Hydroponics - A Novel Blessing Of Technology (tfollowers.com)
• How you can Get Started out With Hydroponics Merely (bigsexymedia.com)
• Homemade Hydroponics Passive System Is Eco Friendly and Grows Great Tasting Vegetables Almost Automatically (prweb.com)

Helpful Hydroponic Gardening Resources: