Hydroponics
Have you ever heard of hydroponics? It's a sub category of hydroculture and it means growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent.
Is hydroponics a sustainable alternative to soil gardening? There are different opinions about that. I checked a couple of sources to find some pros and cons and I will summarize the most important aspects.
First of all, hydroponics uses 90% less water than traditional soil gardening. The reason is that the water can be reused by adding more solutions to it which is amazing. Also, it takes less time to grow more vegetables and herbs by hydroponics. There is no need for harsh chemicals to fertilize soil, there is no dependence on the climate or season and it requires less human labour since it can be fully controlled remotely. Moreover, hydroponic farms take less space and it can be built vertically! (it's almost too good to be true, right?) Here is a photo of a vertical hydroponic garden
The green produce grown hydroponically has the same nutritional values as soil grown greens however in some countries hydroponically grown produce cannot be labeled as organic.
What is the downside? Yes, you guessed it right. It is a lot more expensive than soil gardening. There are hydroponic garden kits that you can purchase for your house or you can purchase a big kit for commercial use but either way, it's expensive. Some environmentalists also suggests that hydroponic farms can produce more carbon footprint because there is a certain temperature and lighting need to be maintained to grow vegetables and herbs. Some people also say that they can feel the difference in taste. Last but not least, the variety of vegetables and herbs that can be grown hydroponically is limited.
Nonetheless, it is a good solution for places like California because there is a drought there and using 90% less water to grow vegetables might save their farmers right?
Here is a video that explains hydroponic gardening
And here is another video that explains hydroponic gardening for beginners if you want to have your own little hydroponic garden :)
Is hydroponics a sustainable alternative to soil gardening? There are different opinions about that. I checked a couple of sources to find some pros and cons and I will summarize the most important aspects.
First of all, hydroponics uses 90% less water than traditional soil gardening. The reason is that the water can be reused by adding more solutions to it which is amazing. Also, it takes less time to grow more vegetables and herbs by hydroponics. There is no need for harsh chemicals to fertilize soil, there is no dependence on the climate or season and it requires less human labour since it can be fully controlled remotely. Moreover, hydroponic farms take less space and it can be built vertically! (it's almost too good to be true, right?) Here is a photo of a vertical hydroponic garden
The green produce grown hydroponically has the same nutritional values as soil grown greens however in some countries hydroponically grown produce cannot be labeled as organic.
What is the downside? Yes, you guessed it right. It is a lot more expensive than soil gardening. There are hydroponic garden kits that you can purchase for your house or you can purchase a big kit for commercial use but either way, it's expensive. Some environmentalists also suggests that hydroponic farms can produce more carbon footprint because there is a certain temperature and lighting need to be maintained to grow vegetables and herbs. Some people also say that they can feel the difference in taste. Last but not least, the variety of vegetables and herbs that can be grown hydroponically is limited.
Nonetheless, it is a good solution for places like California because there is a drought there and using 90% less water to grow vegetables might save their farmers right?
Here is a video that explains hydroponic gardening
And here is another video that explains hydroponic gardening for beginners if you want to have your own little hydroponic garden :)
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