Hydroponics Grow Box

Growing with hydroponics is easier than growing in the field.

If you have decided grow your own plants, then you have a decision to make right now. Do you want to grow your plants indoors with hydroponics, or do you want to grow your plants outdoors in nature. There are many advantages and disadvantages to growing outdoors versus indoors with hydroponics. This article will discuss the differences between growing indoors with hydroponics and growing outdoors with soil, and the many advantages of growing indoors with hydroponics versus growing with soil.

Let's begin by talking about gardening outdoors. Gardening outdoors has a lot to the advantages and disadvantages versus growing indoors with hydroponics. First we'll talk about some of the advantages of growing outdoors. That's the sun. This sun is the most powerful light bulb you will ever find. The amount of lumens of the sun puts out is not matched by any light bulb that man can manufacture. Meaning that plants grown in nature with direct sunlight will be able to grow like monsters. The sun doesn't cost you anything. Light bulbs can get a little pricey versus this sun which is in a huge source of free energy, if you own a good piece of land that is.

When you grow in nature you have to deal with bringing water to your plants. You'll have to build an irrigation system of some sort to make sure that fresh water is getting to your garden. Whether you bring that water in from a river with a pump and generator, or manually water your garden every couple days this will take some work setting up. Also when growing outdoors you never know who might come across your garden and trespass. Often animals will eat up your fresh fruits and vegetables that you have spent so much time growing. Not to mention the outdoor pests that will attack your outdoor garden and cripple your crops.

However you can consider growing indoors with hydroponics using a grow box. If you do grow indoors with hydroponics I would highly recommend purchasing a prebuilt hydroponics grow box to grow your indoor garden all year long with ease. A hydroponics grow box is a machine that is constructed specifically for the purpose of growing plants hydroponically indoors with no mess and not a hike away. A grow boxes will often contain a light, a hydroponics, system of some type, and timers, as well as the nutrients and everything you need to grow a plants in a self contained grow cabinet. The grow boxes are shipped assembled and ready to use when you get them so no problems setting them up like the outdoor garden which takes a lot of time to prepare, working in the hot sun. All you have to do is simply move the grow box into a room and you're ready to grow after you plug it in.

With a hydroponics grow box you have complete control over your grow. You are not relying on nature or the sun's seasons, so you can set your timers for maximum growth and forget it. You have complete control over when the plant gets water using the water pumps. You have more control over your hydroponics grow when you know that you won't have rodents, and other types of intruders. So growing indoors becomes more convenient, safer, and a lot cleaner than growing outdoors in soil. When you consider that the yield you get indoors is every bit as big as the yield you can get outdoors it's a no-brainer. Growing indoors with hydroponics is the way to go...

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what is a hydroponic

Hydroponics simply means growing plants without soil. Food for the plants, which are called hydroponic nutrients, are dissolved in water and fed directly to the roots. The plants form smaller roots and grow in inert grow media. Hydroponic vegetables are healthy, vigorous, and consistently reliable. Hydroponic gardening is clean and extremely easy and requires very little effort.

 The word hydroponics comes from two Greek words, “hydro” meaning water and “ponics” meaning labor. The concept of gardening without soil, or hydroponics, has been around for thousands of years. Hydroponics is proven to have several advantages over soil gardening. The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30 to 50% faster than a soil plant grown under the same conditions. The yield of the plant is also greater. The extra oxygen in the hydroponic growing mediums helps to stimulate root growth. Plants with ample oxygen in the root system absorb nutrients faster. The hydroponic plant also requires very little energy to find and break down food. The plant then uses this saved energy to grow faster and to produce more fruit. Hydroponic plants also have fewer problems with bug infestations, disease, and funguses.

 Hydroponic gardening offers several benefits to the environment. Because of the constant reuse of the nutrient solutions, hydroponic gardening uses considerably less water than soil gardening. Fewer pesticides are used on hydroponic crops as well as they are not necessary. Since hydroponic gardening systems use no topsoil, topsoil erosion is not even an issue. Most of the principles that apply to soil fertilizers also apply to hydroponic fertilizers, or nutrient solutions. A hydroponic nutrient solution contains all of the elements that the plant would normally get from the soil. These nutrients can be purchased at a hydroponic supply store and come in liquid or powdered mixes. Like soil, hydroponic systems can be fertilized with organic or chemical nutrients. An organic hydroponic system is considerably more work to maintain. The organic compounds have a tendency to lock together and cause pumps blockage.

 Hydroponic systems are characterized as passive or active. An active hydroponic system actively moves the nutrient solution with a pump. Passive hydroponic systems rely on the capillary action of the growing medium or a wick. The nutrient solution is absorbed by the medium or the wick and passed along to the roots. Passive systems are usually too wet and do not supply enough oxygen to the root system to maximize growth rates. Hydroponic systems are also characterized as recovery or non-recovery. Recovery systems, or re-circulating systems, reuse the nutrient solution. Non-recovery systems apply the nutrient solution to the growing medium, but are not recovered.

 Most consumers question whether they should buy or build a hydroponic system. If the consumer has the mind of an engineer and dreams of building their own hydroponic system, they should consider buying one first. Buying a system, which does not cost a lot of money, will allow them to have a better understanding of how hydroponics works. The hands- on experience is worth the cost of the system and they will likely be able to reuse the parts in the system when they decide to build their own. Consumers should do their research and get all of the information they can. Hydroponics is a constantly changing industry and the consumer should be prepared to be patient. Building ones own system can be very rewarding or very frustrating. Hydroponic gardening is the wave of the future and is currently being studied in classrooms around the country, horticultural societies, and in government funded research at major universities. It is also fast becoming a popular hobby, as it is fun, exciting, and easy to get involved in.