How fast do hydroponic plants grow? Hydroponic plants are not just a good investment, but also an excellent choice for urban farming. They grow in a very short time and the success rate is high. Let’s find out how fast hydroponic plants grow. In this blog, we also have an article about best lettuce hydroponic growing system that you might want to read about it.
Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants without soil, by using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent.”
Wikipedia.org
What is Hydroponic
Hydroponics is a growing field of horticulture. It is a method of growing plants in water culture systems, and is not just limited to vegetables. There are many other plants that can be grown hydroponically, and they include flowers, fruits, and herbs. Hydroponics is more productive than traditional methods of farming, because it allows the plant to be watered and fertilized by an automated system.
The roots do not need soil or any form of nutrients, since the nutrients are provided through the nutrient solution. In addition, there is no soil erosion due to cultivation and harvesting. This makes hydroponics popular among home gardeners looking for healthier food options.
The primary difference between indoor gardening using soil and hydroponic gardening is that in soil based gardens, the soil provides nutrients while hydroponic gardening uses solutions for this purpose. When you grow a hydroponic garden indoors, you will need to use a grow light as well. A grow light has a bulb that emits artificial light used to promote growth in your plants. Without these lights, your plants would not get enough sunlight to develop properly.
Hydroponics is a way to skip the soil, sub in a different material to support the roots of the plant, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water.”
Verticalroots.com
How Fast Do Hydroponic Plants Grow
So, how fast do hydroponic plants grow? Hydroponics has been shown to offer a number of benefits over traditional earth gardening. A hydroponic plant grows 30–50% quicker than a soil plant cultivated under same circumstances. Additionally, the plant’s output is increased. Scientists think that the stark disparities between hydroponic and soil plants are due to a variety of factors.
Hydroponics’ History
Hydroponics is derived from two Greek words: “hydro” which means water and “ponics” which means work. For thousands of years, the notion of soilless farming, or hydroponics, has existed. The Babylonian Hanging Gardens and China’s Floating Gardens are two of the first instances of hydroponics. Around 1950, scientists began experimenting with soilless gardening. Since then, other nations such as Holland, Germany, and Australia have successfully adopted hydroponics for agricultural cultivation. Nowadays, hydroponic farming is being promoted as a way to bring fresh produce to consumers around the world at a lower cost.
Types of Hydroponic Farming
There are different types of hydroponic farms that a person may opt to build. These include the following:
- Vertical Farms – Vertical farms use large towers as the main structure where crops grow in the air. They are great for urban settings where space for agriculture is scarce. Some examples of vertical farms include the United States Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) project, or the Agri Tower in Dubai.
- Flatbeds – Flatbeds are raised beds on a flat surface, usually concrete. This type is best suited for those who want to start small and expand their operation over time.
- Tunnels – Tunnels are underground tunnels filled with nutrient-rich water flowing through a series of tubes, allowing for maximum efficiency. This is one of the most expensive methods of hydroponic farming, but if you’re serious about producing high quality organic foods, then it might be worth the investment.
What Are the Advantages?
When compared to conventional methods of growing produce, hydroponic farming has several advantages. One advantage is that it does not require much land space. Most commercial greenhouse operations require 10 times more land than what is needed for hydroponic farming. Another advantage is that hydroponic farms save energy. Soil requires lots of irrigation, making it less efficient to grow food in areas without access to rainfall. Further, the fact that hydroponic farms do not require soil makes them ideal for places like deserts. And finally, hydroponic farming allows farmers to raise crops year round because they do not have to worry about seasonal changes.
Is It Safe?
One of the biggest concerns regarding hydroponic farming is safety. Although there have been no reported cases of contamination from using hydroponic systems, there have been some incidents involving equipment manufacturers. As a result, people should always take care when purchasing new hydroponic kits. However, even though there have been no known health problems related to hydroponic farming, it is still important to know how to properly maintain your system.