Organic Hydroponics: How to Grow Soilless Plants Organically
One of the most heatedly contested debates in agriculture has been that of organic hydroponics. Is it truly possible to cultivate soilless plants organically?
You might think that it's a given that I could give my hydro plants an organic solution to nutrient needs, isn't it? It was not feasible in the past, because organic nutrients were dense and blocked systems.
But these days organic plant nutrition has advanced to the point where this is no longer an issue. Hydroponics can be performed with various organic ingredients.
Many growers still claim that organic gardening is not feasible with a hydroponics setup.
We'll look at this issue in depth and take the time to look at arguments from both sides of the fence, to end the debate.
If you are interested in this approach to gardening, we'll provide our suggestions. We'll begin by defining some terms.
What Is Organic Hydroponics?
Organic hydroponics is a blend of two cultivation methods that are highly regarded in their respective fields: hydroponic and organic.
For those who are brand new to the world of horticulture, we'll quickly define each one of them and provide some background information.
What is Organic growing?
There are many different interpretations of what is truly considered organic. This is the point at which the debate surrounding organic hydroculture comes into play.
But, organic growing is just a way of cultivating which does not use synthetic additives or genetic engineering.
This includes no synthetic plant nutrients, and also no chemical pesticides made of synthetics. This is a tougher approach to growing because it requires you to be able to have your integrated pest control method in place to avoid the need to use pesticides or fungicides in your garden or growing room.
It's also harder to obtain organic plant nutrients since they are absorbed slowly. This means that it takes a longer time for deficiencies in nutrient levels to manifest themselves, and longer to treat. But, here's the reason why many gardeners prefer natural cultivation techniques.
The Benefits of Organic Growing
Organic farming is described as producing a healthier crop. It goes without saying that only using natural, organic fertilizers resulted in a more natural, more flavorful, and smelly crop.
Synthetic fertilizers can overwhelm the natural flavonoids and terpenes of a plant that provide it with its taste and smell. This can be avoided by sticking with organic fertilizers.
Organic growing is, naturally, safer and more healthy for the environment as well as the people who are consuming your plants.
In certain situations, the use of synthetic pesticides could leave residuals behind in your plants, which can be consumed later.
What Is Hydroponics?
This is a far easier one to understand - it's the cultivation method that doesn't require soil.
Instead of inert materials like coco, rock wool, or clay pebbles are used to anchor plants in place. It is dependent on the system you use your plants will receive high-concentrated nutrients directly to their roots.
DWC systems place the roots of plants in nutrient solutions all the time, and an ebb-and-flow system regularly floods them with nutrient solutions before draining off on a cycle.
A hydroponic drip system is a different option. They feed plants with tiny emitters. They function very similarly to drip irrigation. Aeroponics is another type that's worth to be mentioned. It's actually its own subset in cultivation.
The Benefits of Hydroponics
Although hydroponics is not for everyone, it can be very beneficial. One of them is the ability to increase plant growth by altering the number of nutrients that are taken in and their concentration.
Plant roots can absorb nutrients more effectively since they are oxygenated usually by using an airstone and pump. This allows them to grow to their full potential.