If you take a look at how technology evolves, it is very easy to notice how farming changed over the years. This is something that can be highly beneficial in the future due to making it easier for the owners of farms to both grow and reap their crops and other products. Right now, we can say that hydroponic farming is what the future will look like. The system gives the farmer a full control and can lead to numerous really interesting advantages that have to be taken into account. This is especially the case when referring to professional solutions like Progrow.
If you didn’t know, hydroponics is a method of growing without the use of soil. More often than not, the soil is swapped as the growing medium for a water-based solution. This is just one of the many ways you can use something similar to this that can provide you with multiple benefits. Plus, you can be sure that you will be able to choose a lot of these.
However, hydroponics is one of the best ones you can use. Hydroponics has been adopted by the agricultural sector for many reasons, a stand-out being that you can get a much higher yield on harvests and even potentially more harvests per year than if grown in other, more traditional conditions. As we’ve already mentioned that you are going to be able to increase all the crops and reap them in the shortest possible time.
Hydroponics allows you to completely manage nutrients and pH in order to guarantee that what you grow receives the necessary nutrients that are necessary for optimal results. All the systems used are closed so the water is recycled when it is not utilized by plants. This is really important if you are interested in protecting the environment. This is a perfectly good thing that can provide you with a plethora of different benefits you can expect from using hydroponics.
A huge advantage for farmers using hydroponics is the fact that plants can be grown indoors. Lighting schedules and temperatures are fully controlled so plant production is instantly improved. Professionals can design systems that utilize both horizontal and vertical space available. This is valuable since it increases planting density. And density is really important for all the plants grown on the farm since it has a lot of influence over the final product made at the farm.
With the use of hydroponics, you can create a farm in a location that does not have the perfect soil conditions for whatever you want to grow. Also, the systems are affordable and give you access to farming opportunities even when the budget is limited. The exact same thing can be said for limited space. You can practically build a farm in locations where this would not be possible. The only thing you need to use hydroponics.
Hydroponics vs. Traditional Methods
It is very easy to notice the advantages of using hydroponics when we compare with soil-grown traditional crop production. This allows us to quickly see the advantages below:
- Water efficiency is up to 90% higher with hydroponics.
- The production of the crop can increase up to 10 times when compared with a regular solution in the exact same available space.
- You can produce crops much faster in the event that the hydroponic system is well-managed.
- The time between consumption and harvest is decreased. This gives you access to an end product that has a higher nutritional value.
- Because of the fact that the environment is fully climate-controlled through the use of indoor farming, you can build a farm in areas where it would otherwise be impossible to produce food.
- You do not have to use pest control products and weed control products. You reduce these chemicals so you manage to save some extra money in the process.
How to Get Started
First up, what you’re going to need for your hydroponics system is a container, whether that’s a growing tent, a large growing container, or something else. There are a number of options available, so be sure to check them out, depending on what your needs are. Since there are a lot of them, you can be sure that this will not be an easy choice. Therefore, you will need to conduct research that will lead you to all of the positive results about using a particular method. So, you can be sure that using hydroponic can provide you with some of these benefits.
Next, you’re going to need to choose the control units for the container. This, amongst other things, will include a heater, a ventilation system, and a lighting unit. Each of these elements can be upgraded as needed to make the system as efficient as you need. For example, if you choose a heater that has a thermostat, a humidity sensor that comes with your ventilation system, and a timer that works with your lighting system, the whole process is going to be much more automated. This will provide you with a lot of the things that can you do at that time, you would otherwise spend on it.
After you’ve got your set up ready, you’re going to need a feeding system. Again, there are a number of options to fit in with your requirements. A passive system is the most basic, which means manually watering your plants. Of course, there are automated options too, such as the nutrient film technique, or the drip irrigation system. Some prefer the manual ‘old fashioned’ way, whereas others like a system as automated as possible. The options are all there, and you can mix and match the components as much as you like to create the perfect system for your needs.
In Summary
On the whole, it is quite clear that hydroponics is much more advantageous for farmers than the regular systems that we are now used to. You can easily benefit from all the advantages we mentioned above but the truth is that at the end of the day, the final decision is up to you.
Take a look at all the service providers that are available and that you can contact them. Then, analyze all the opportunities that exist and do not exist in the area where you live in regards to farming. This should help you make a very good choice.
