subject: 4 of the Most Frequently Asked Hydroponic Gardening Questions [print this page] 4 of the Most Frequently Asked Hydroponic Gardening Questions
Before you can go and build a hydroponic garden, you must first know what exactly it is and the duties and level of commitment it entails. Hydroponics, in essence, refers to the ability to grow plants in the absence of soil. Despite what science books have taught us over the years, all plants and vegetables do not require air, sunlight, and water in order to thrive.
Below are four of the most frequently asked questions by gardeners new to the idea of hydroponic gardening:
"Can plants really be grown indoors?"
Contrary to what we've grown to know about sunlight and its vital role in helping our plants grow, growing plants indoor by way of hydroponics is indeed possible. In order to grow plants indoors you must be cognizant of the fact that several additional supplies and growing techniques will need to be put to use in order to grow plants properly. For example, in hydroponics, your plants must maintain a specific temperature of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in order to grow to their fullest potential. Additionally, maintaining your garden's nutrient solution daily and being able to provide sufficient supplies of water is necessary to keep your indoor garden from withering away.
"How long will it take for my hydroponic garden to grow?"
Taking the first steps to starting a hydroponic garden will take commitment, dedication, and most importantly, time. Unlike traditional gardens where you may see seeds branching out in a matter of days, hydroponic gardens take longer to see growth since the nutrient solutions and indoor lighting factors that you must work with are more complex.
Additionally, other factors that you should take into consideration are the types of hydroponic garden plants you wish to grow and how big you'd like your garden to be.
"How will my hydroponic plants receive light?"
Because you are not growing plants outside in copious amounts of sunlight, you'll need to supply your hydroponic garden plants with artificial light by way of hydroponic grow lights or light bulbs. The intensity of the light you provide your plants is also crucial since you will need to provide enough heat from the bulbs to aid in your plants growth but not too much to significantly raise the temperature of your garden plants.
"Why should I start a hydroponic garden over a traditional garden?"
There are many advantages of starting a hydroponic garden over a traditional garden which include:
Ease of manageability to control the environment in which your plants (or vegetables) are growing
Does not require copious amounts of water to grow
Assurance of all of your plants (or vegetables) growing properly
Very little need to participate in hard labor to till your garden
No need to purchase expensive soil/fertilizer
In short, starting a hydroponic garden is the ideal choice if you are concerned with providing the healthiest, most pesticide and contaminant-free environment.
