How does Hydroponic Produce Differ from Soil-Grown Greens?
Rainbow Chard from our Vertical Farm and Greenhouse in Texas
Hydroponic farming has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the incredible results commercial farmers have seen. These types of plants grow significantly healthier and faster than standard soil-grown plants. Plus, when grown vertically and indoors, they require less land and an accommodating outdoor climate. Instead, you can grow produce in a controlled environment where a virtually limitless supply of water and nutrients are available. In short, when done correctly, your produce is rich in color, high in nutritional value, and better-tasting.
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a technique for raising plants without the use of soil and utilizing minerals in nutrient-rich water. Here are five key elements to achieving a functioning hydroponics system:
Root support: Although soil isn't required, you still need something to support your plants as they grow. Commonly, materials are used, such as coconut fiber, peat moss, rock wool, and vermiculite. Make sure to avoid materials that may compact, such as sand or gravel, due to its low water-holding capacity and weight.
Fresh water: You can ensure healthier plants by using filtered water with a balanced pH. Plants ideally need a pH level of 6 to 6.5, and controlled water allows you to deliver this ideal pH level, as well as being nutritionally superior to the water soil-grown plants normally get.
Nutrients: You'll need a mineral solution that contains plenty of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients to help your plant stay productive and healthy. Compared to all the other methods of enriching produce, like fertilizer or crop rotation, this is far superior.
Oxygen: You may need to leave open space between the water reservoir and your plant's base for oxygen. You may also use an air pump or air stone to oxygenate your plant.
Light: With all plants, you need light. For those growing hydroponics indoors, you'll probably need some form of artificial lighting. We usually recommend a mix of natural lighting and artificial lighting, since that has a lower electricity bill. However, your plants can get by on purely artificial lights, like LEDs. Every plant has its own unique requirements for placement of lights and the amount of lights needed.
How is Hydroponic Produce Different?
Improved produce quality: Since the system uses clean water, quality nutrients, and operates in a controlled environment, hydroponics improves the taste and quality of produce. Produce starts to lose its nutrients less than 24 hours after being picked, and local produce is the best way to deliver delicious vegetables to your customer. That’s another reason why local produce often tastes richer than food that has been frozen and travelled thousands of miles.
Saves water: Water is circulated within the system enabling plants to absorb better water needed for active metabolism. All of the excess water is directed to the storage tank or reservoir to be used over again. Due to its efficiency, hydroponics can save 70 to 90% more water than soil. This means you'll reduce your water bills and help foment continued growth in your crops.
Efficient nutrient supply: With hydroponics, crops don't take as long to grow their roots to find the nutrients they need. This reduces the fertilization requirements for each plant, and allows the plant to take exactly what they need. Plants automatically receive an accuracy dosage of fertilizers in predetermined intervals. These nutrients will be sent to the reservoir, and circulated enabling plants to absorb them more effectively.
Can be grown anywhere with a smaller footprint: The yields per plant are much higher, and the amount of crop that spoils is way lower with hydroponics than soil. These crops can be grown nearly anywhere, and problems like weeds that would normally destroy most crops are removed. Additionally, your hydroponic systems are better designed through vertically tiering your crops to maximize the use of space. You can grow in some of the earth's most remote and harshest environments and harvest amazing crops.
Consistent and fast growth: Greens grown hydroponically grow twice as fast. In general, hydroponic plants grow roughly 30-50 percent faster and can produce 30 percent more than soil plants. A controlled environment also creates predictable harvests consistently. This reduces the price and diminishes any risks for wholesale produce buyers. By optimizing your growing environment, you will increase your vegetable production significantly compared to soil crops. The managed environment helps to provide sufficient nutrients and moisture, so that they don't have to fight for nutrients with neighboring plants.
No outdoor contamination: Traditional outdoor farming involves exposure to larger pests as well as compromised soil from livestock, weeds and severe weather. However, since zero soil is involved in hydroponics, the risk of pests is significantly lowered and weeds are no longer a threat to plant quality and growth. Thus, there will be less food waste.
Less waste: The longer it takes to transport the harvest to its final destination from the point of production, the higher the chance of the vegetable being thrown away. Since hydroponic crops can be grown anywhere in the world, they can be grown locally and in urban areas, closer to larger populations. This means the travel time to get from the farm to the grocery store is reduced. As a result, there will be less waste, shrinkage, and spoilage. Because the shelf life is longer, this means an increase in revenue for grocers and farmers.
Large variety of crops: Hydroponics makes it easier to grow a wide selection of crops, especially in cold climates or when it's out of the traditional growing season. The hydroponic system can grow about anything such as thyme, watercress, parsley, sage, oregano, tarragon, lavender, basil, flowers, catnip, chamomile and more. You can also have the tastiest veggies like cucumber, tomato, or zucchini.
Best Types of Hydroponic Produce to Grow
Hydroponic lettuce: These crops grow extremely fast when cultivated through the hydroponic method. These plants will spend more time and energy to produce rather than searching for the necessary nutrients in the soil.
Hydroponic strawberries: Strawberries are one of the most popular hydroponic berries. Aside from the amazing taste, these hydroponic strawberries can grow at an elevated height. Commercial growers will have a much faster picking rate, have easier cultivation, and experience less fatigue.
Hydroponic tomatoes: Tomatoes are an extremely valuable vegetable in the world and used in many popular dishes. Hydroponic tomatoes allow you to grow them to have desirable characteristics such as being red, vine-ripened, plump, and without blemishes. Growing tomatoes hydroponically eliminates factors like diseases, salinity, and poor drainage that inhibit growth.
Hydroponic peppers: There are so many types of hydroponic peppers that can be grown indoors such as jalapeno, chili peppers, inferno, bishop's crown, demon red, tropical heat, ghost pepper, prairie fire, tabasco, and joe's long Your pepper plants will grow faster due to how easy it is for your plant to find the necessary nutrients.
What’s Next?
Hydroponics is quickly becoming recognized for being the most efficient method of commercial food production. Whether you decide to grow them indoors through artificial lighting or outdoors in the sunlight, there are many advantages to growing hydroponic produce. Enjoy the benefits of growing crops faster, receiving higher yields, tasting better, and minimizing waste. Contact us to learn more about Eden Green Technology and our approach to hydroponic produce.