When it comes to some of the problems we are facing in the
world with regards to food production, hydroponic gardening
offers some promising solutions. In the poorer countries
where the terrain or climate is inhospitable to
agriculture, hydroponics offers a means of growing healthy
foods easily. Also, in those areas where the soil has lost
its nutrients or fertile land is hard to come by,
hydroponics can produce healthy foods using minimum space
and resources.
As with all things though, it is not all good news. There
are many pros and cons any grower should weigh before
deciding to commit to hydroponic gardening.
First, the pros. In comparison to traditional farming,
hydroponic growing can be more productive in two ways. For
one, hydroponic gardening saves space. Plants can be placed
much more closely together than in traditional fields
because of the way nutrients are provided to them. As many
as four times as many plants can be grown in same amount of
space using hydroponic techniques! Secondly, hydroponics
minimizes many of the problems associated with traditional
farming which means less sickly, damaged, or wasted crops.
Because hydroponic growers customize their own nutrients
mixes, it takes the guess work out of figuring out which
field has the best soil and proper nutrition for which
crop. The nutrient mix is the right one for the particular
plant, in the right ratios, every time. Also, soil based
diseases are virtually eliminated because there is no soil.
These two factors alone make hydroponics an extremely
efficient method for producing food.
Benefits accrue to the environment as well. The water
consumption in hydroponic growing is significantly less
than traditional methods. In many cases, hydroponic crops
use just one tenth of the water! Also, the water that is
used is used more effectively. For example weeds cannot
come in and steal part of the crop's water supply. And
because the crops are in a controlled environment and not
in a field, there is no pesticide run-off water to
contaminate the surrounding ground.
The benefits are not without their costs however. The
expense of hydroponic growing is an area where improvements
need to be made. The nutrient mixtures and growing mediums
used can be expensive.
Hydroponic growing also requires an increase in energy
consumption. Much hydroponic growing happens in
greenhouses, where significant amounts of electricity are
used in order to give the hydroponic plants all the light
they need.
While research is happening to try and bring the costs down
(such as in the field of aquaponics), hydroponics can be
financially prohibitive for those areas where it is most
needed.
Research in the field of hydroponics is filled with promise
and much research needs to be done. Many of the problems
are being addressed however, and many farmers and amateur
gardeners are eagerly awaiting new developments in this
promising field.
----------------------------------------------------
Author Tony Buel
http://www.hydroponics.com-afl.com
Full Article
http://www.hydroponics.com-afl.com/Hydroponic-Gardening--The
-Pros-and-the-Cons.htm
world with regards to food production, hydroponic gardening
offers some promising solutions. In the poorer countries
where the terrain or climate is inhospitable to
agriculture, hydroponics offers a means of growing healthy
foods easily. Also, in those areas where the soil has lost
its nutrients or fertile land is hard to come by,
hydroponics can produce healthy foods using minimum space
and resources.
As with all things though, it is not all good news. There
are many pros and cons any grower should weigh before
deciding to commit to hydroponic gardening.
First, the pros. In comparison to traditional farming,
hydroponic growing can be more productive in two ways. For
one, hydroponic gardening saves space. Plants can be placed
much more closely together than in traditional fields
because of the way nutrients are provided to them. As many
as four times as many plants can be grown in same amount of
space using hydroponic techniques! Secondly, hydroponics
minimizes many of the problems associated with traditional
farming which means less sickly, damaged, or wasted crops.
Because hydroponic growers customize their own nutrients
mixes, it takes the guess work out of figuring out which
field has the best soil and proper nutrition for which
crop. The nutrient mix is the right one for the particular
plant, in the right ratios, every time. Also, soil based
diseases are virtually eliminated because there is no soil.
These two factors alone make hydroponics an extremely
efficient method for producing food.
Benefits accrue to the environment as well. The water
consumption in hydroponic growing is significantly less
than traditional methods. In many cases, hydroponic crops
use just one tenth of the water! Also, the water that is
used is used more effectively. For example weeds cannot
come in and steal part of the crop's water supply. And
because the crops are in a controlled environment and not
in a field, there is no pesticide run-off water to
contaminate the surrounding ground.
The benefits are not without their costs however. The
expense of hydroponic growing is an area where improvements
need to be made. The nutrient mixtures and growing mediums
used can be expensive.
Hydroponic growing also requires an increase in energy
consumption. Much hydroponic growing happens in
greenhouses, where significant amounts of electricity are
used in order to give the hydroponic plants all the light
they need.
While research is happening to try and bring the costs down
(such as in the field of aquaponics), hydroponics can be
financially prohibitive for those areas where it is most
needed.
Research in the field of hydroponics is filled with promise
and much research needs to be done. Many of the problems
are being addressed however, and many farmers and amateur
gardeners are eagerly awaiting new developments in this
promising field.
----------------------------------------------------
Author Tony Buel
http://www.hydroponics.com-afl.com
Full Article
http://www.hydroponics.com-afl.com/Hydroponic-Gardening--The
-Pros-and-the-Cons.htm
