5 Ways Hydroponics Help the Environment

There are many benefits in hydroponic growing: bigger crops and larger yields can be seen compared to growing in more traditional methods. But, what are the ways Hydroponics help the environment? In this article we’ll take you through exactly what hydroponics are and 5 ways hydroponics help the environment. 

What is Hydroponic Gardening? 

Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without using the traditional medium of soil. Instead an inert medium such as coco is used to support the roots of the plant. While providing the plant all of the nutrition it needs by feeding from nutrient rich water. 

Hydroponic systems largely are closed systems, which means that plants are being grown entirely indoors. Allowing you the gardner, to no longer be beholden to mother nature’s own growing timeline. 

There are many different approaches to hydroponic growing, but some core elements are the same. 

Fresh Water

Only quality water, pH balanced water will do! Most plants like water with a PH level of around 6-7. The acidity of the water can be adjusted manually with a PH solution. 

Below we’ve linked to our BAC PH PLUS and MINUS solutions. 

BAC pH Minus 1 Litre: https://mp.lg-cms.com/product/bac-ph-minus-1-litre/ BAC pH Plus 1 Litre: https://mp.lg-cms.com/product/bac-ph-plus-1-litre/ 

Oxygen

Just like us humans, plants need oxygen too! In traditional farming the root system can breathe from air pockets in the soil. Depending on the hydroponic setup you will either need to create a space between the base of the plant and the reservoir or by oxygenating your container. 

Root Support

Even though soil isn’t needed for the plants nutritional needs, the plant still needs something to hold on to. Typically, vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, coconut fiber and rockwool are tried and tested mediums for consideration.

Light

All plants need light, so your indoor garden will need some light to create the photosynthesis needed for growth. Each plant has a different requirement when it comes to its daily light requirements. Be sure to check that the square footage of the room you intend to grow in when purchasing a light. 

Nutrients

Without the inclusion of soil there will be a lot of nutrients that the plant requires to thrive that just won’t be present, this is where we need to add our own. 

While there are lots of nutrient products on the market below we’ve highlighted a couple of products to help you get started. 

BAC Organic Grow: https://mp.lg-cms.com/product/bac-organic-grow/ BAC BAC Organic Bloom: https://mp.lg-cms.com/product/bac-organic-bloom/ 

While there are elements to consider when you’re refining your hydroponic system these listed above are the five most fundamental foundations of an indoor garden. 

Getting higher quality crops and larger yields in small spaces to boot is great, but in what ways does hydroponics helps the environment? 

The 5 Ways Hydroponics Helps the Environment 

1. Less Land Used

Today more than ever, space has become an ever increasing issue and having a garden of your own isn’t always an option. Outdoor gardens take up a lot of space. However a hydroponic garden can be fit into even the smallest of homes. Grow pots such as the MEGAPot can be placed together, without causing problems in the rate of growth in plants. 

2. Saving Water

When looking at ways that hydroponics helps the environment look no further than water! With a global water crisis just around the corner, saving water has become more important than ever. Hydroponics is an excellent way of decreasing wasteful water consumption. 

3. Reduced Pesticides

Growing hydroponically isn’t completely insect free, but there are a significant number less pests involved in the process of soilless growing. Pesticides are not only harmful to the environment they are also harmful to humans and animals though either air exposure or ingestion. 

4. Helps Eradicate Soil Erosion

Soil erosion has become a large problem in some parts of the world. In some countries large areas of old forest, which are a part of the earths ‘lungs’, are being cut down and cleared to be converted into large areas for agriculture. 

5. Reduced Use of Fossil Fuels

Hydroponics allow their users to grow at home, which means less need to use transportation. This will cut down on pollution. 

Also in a larger sense, humanity consumes a great deal fossil fuel transporting fresh food goods across the country. Hydroponics allow commercial growers to establish smaller greenhouse locations closer to their intended markets. 

Although, short term you may not be able to see the effects. On a long term scale the flexibility that hydroponic growing allows may well be able to diminish the carbon footprint created by the food production and market transport industries. 

Benefits of Hydroponics 

So, it looks like that Hydroponics could have a massive impact on the environmental impact of the planet, if used correctly. But, what are some other of the benefits for the grower? 

• Grow Indoors: Growing indoors is not only great for using up a small space wisely, but it gives you the ability to grow all year round. Allowing you to control the temperature and have the plants grow on your schedule. 
• Healthier plants: As briefly touched on earlier in the article, growing in a soilless medium will eradicate many pests and obviously soil-borne diseases are no longer an issue. Also, when the plant isn’t wasting energy on expanding its roots, they can spend more time growing. 
• No Weeds: Nobody likes doing the weeding, but when you’re growing hydroponically that’s not a problem. Growing in a closed environment means unless you plant it, it won’t grow. And with no soil for the weeds seed to latch on to the seed won’t take root. 

To Conclude: 5 Ways Hydroponics Help the Environment 

In this article, we’ve explained what Hydroponic growing is, how growing in a soilless medium can help you the gardener and 5 ways hydroponics help the environment. 

If you have any questions or need help in regards how growing hydroponically can help save the environment and your garden, feel free to get in touch with the team at MEGAPot. You can call us. Or fill out our contact form.