Hydroponics and Cardboard Grow Media

Hydroponics and Cardboard Grow Media

One question that growers sometimes ask when sourcing materials for hydroponics projects is how they can possibly cut some corners using a wide spectrum of different types of grow media – when it comes to this question, it’s best to pursue it on a case-by-case basis, since the best grow media for plants varies according to each individual project setup and climate.

Some growers might wonder, for example, whether simple cardboard can provide an effective grow media for plants. Those who have an abundant supply of clean cardboard from a nearby business at their disposal might be tempted to save a lot of money on what goes into their net pots. While cardboard can be an effective grow medium, there are some distinct pros and cons to going this route.

Considerations for Grow Media

Using cardboard as a grow medium involves the same kind of questions that apply to other media. Here are some of the most common issues with changing up what plants grow in:

Density and weight – does the grow media become excessively dense when exposed to water?

Sanitation – is the grow medium sterile enough to prevent unhealthy bacteria from growing in the plant environment?

Porosity – does the grow medium allow nutrient solutions to flow directly to plant roots?

pH value – does this grow media have the right balance of base and acid?

Prepackaged Grow Media: Benefits of a ‘Known Quantity’

From what we’ve seen, we would not really recommend using cardboard as a grow medium. Even if it ends up working, there can be a lot of labor involved in transforming the kinds of industrial cardboard that you see lying around to the smaller bits that constitute a common hydroponics grow medium.

Your hydroponic retailer can provide you with some of the best new products for growing hydroponics plants that come prepackaged and preformatted to help your plants thrive without any extra labor. For more, take a look at the full catalog to figure out how you can best source your own hydroponics gardening project.