7 Reasons to Grow Vegetables in a Hydroponic Garden

Many people are hesitant to try to plant their crops in a hydroponic system. If you are one of these
people who still doubt the benefits of a hydroponic system, then you are in for a treat. This article
will discuss the benefits of some of the best hydroponic systems out there.
A hydroponic system is a type of gardening wherein the soil is eliminated in the equation. Using
water, nutrients, the plant medium, and the hydroponic system, you can set up your hydroponic
garden. For more information on some of the best hydroponic systems, you may check out articles
at the WeekendGardener.Net.

Hopefully, through this article, we can convince you to switch to hydroponic gardening. Here are the
7 reasons to grow vegetables in a hydroponic garden!

1. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS SAVE WATER
As much as 80% of surface groundwater in the USA is used for traditional agriculture farming. In
comparison, some of the best hydroponics systems only use 10% of the actual amount of water
utilized by traditional farming under controlled conditions. This is because, in a hydroponic system,
water circulates and being recycled over and over again. This allows the plants to absorb water for
their growth. In traditional farming, the unabsorbed water is wasted and drained from the soil,
known as water runoff. In a hydroponic system, the surplus water stays in the system and recycled
back. Water does not leach and only a few amounts of water is lost through evaporation. Given this,
a hydroponic system may save up to 90% of the water that you would normally use in a traditional
soil-based garden. For this reason, hydroponic gardens have been at places where water scarcity or
pollution exists.

2. HYDROPONIC GARDEN TAKES UP LESS SPACE
With hydroponic gardens, a gardener can easily use up a fraction of the space required to grow the
same number of plants in traditional farming. In a traditional farming method, plants will require and
use up a certain size of land for a long the entire growing season. Once this space is occupied,
nothing on or below it can be grown. In a hydroponic garden, a farmer has different options in terms
of strategizing the planting of his crops. He may opt to plant his crops vertically. This allows him to
drastically reduce the land area required to grow the crops. Crops can be grown in areas with small
or limited areas because plants can be stacked on top of one another like cabinets.

3. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS FACILITATE THE CREATION OF MICRO-CLIMATES IN
GREENHOUSES
Many people are not aware of “micro-climates.” Micro-climates are diversity in temperature,
humidity, carbon dioxide, and air in a given greenhouse. Different plants thrive in different climates.
Having micro-climates in your greenhouse could be a great opportunity to plant different crops
simultaneously. With a hydroponic system, you can easily set up an indoor garden that can control
these micro-climates. Many of the best hydroponic can allow you to control many aspects of your
garden such as light, dryness, humidity, and temperature. Once you do this, you will soon observe
micro-climates in your indoor garden.

4. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS ALLOW GARDENERS TO EFFICIENTLY SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTE
NUTRIENTS TO PLANTS
Many gardeners love the Hydroponic System because of its precision and accuracy in supplying
plants with nutrients. Because of the roots of the crops directly in the nutrients media of the
hydroponic garden, the crops do not have to struggle in search of nutrients like what happens in
traditional farming. If you will notice, the roots system of plants in a hydroponic system is shorter
than plants grown in soil. This is because the nutrients are readily available. The nutrients are
dissolved in the water and are readily available for plant use.

5. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS MAKES pH CONTROL EASY
When gardeners prep up the soil for the garden in traditional farms, they need to carefully do some
prep work to make the soil’s pH optimum for the plants’ growth. This is a complex process of
determining the right amount of fertilizers add in the soil. In a hydroponic system, you start with a
neutral pH because water is neutral. You can easily tweak the pH by computing the amount of base
or acidic substances you add in the water. In soil, there a lot of measurements and factors to
consider in doing this since the soil itself has its pH. In a hydroponic garden, you start with neutral.

6. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED IN ANY LOCATION
Hydroponic systems are an indoor system for gardening. However, in reality, these systems can be
installed in an outdoor environment. Hydroponic systems come in modular form so you can put
them in tight spaces or wide-open space. If you choose to stack the plant tray on top of each other,
you can do that. If you want to spread them, you can do that too. You can use it in an arid
environment. You can also install one in cold places. There is a reason why hydroponic gardens are
used as props in many movies about space or the future. This is because it is so flexible. It can be
installed anywhere.

7. HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS HASTEN PLANT GROWTH
The optimal environment that hydroponic gardens offer means that plants are not stressed. As
mentioned above, the roots of plants in hydroponic gardens are shorter. This is because they do not
need to grow them long to find water. Because of this, the plant can focus its energy growing its
leaves and stems. Therefore, plants can grow at a faster rate and ca be harvested at an earlier time.
Many crops have been observed to grow twice as fast in some of the best hydroponic systems. In
one study, it was found that hydroponic plants grow 40-50 percent faster than soil-based plants.
They also tend to produce 30 percent more harvestable produce (leaves, flowers, seed, or fruits)
than their traditionally planted counterparts.