Advantages of Hydroponics

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Hydroponics is a way to skip the soil, sub in a different material to support the roots of the plant, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water. This seemingly subtle shift in how we make food (skipping the soil, that is) is actually revolutionary –– it allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, and to net higher yields with fewer resources.

Grow Anywhere

Growing seasons and regions are in major flux right now as temperatures change and growing conditions change along with them. Even in “normal” conditions, there are plenty of places where the ground just isn’t conducive for farming (like deserts, concrete jungles you get the gist).

Using hydroponics, we can create hyper-local food systems – and we are! Our container farms are set up right in the communities and regions that we serve. It’s even possible to put a farm directly behind restaurants that want ultra-fresh produce! And when you’re growing hydroponically, you don’t have to hit pause for a season or risk crop loss from inclement weather.

Higher Yields

Plants grown in well-managed hydroponic systems are living the good life. Since roots are bathed in all the nutrients they need, plants spend more time growing upward and less time and energy growing extensive root systems to search for food.

Growth rates vary based on the type of system and quality of care, but hydro plants can mature up to 25 percent more quickly than the same plants grown in soil, with increased crop yield, to boot.

Fewer Resources

We bet you didn’t see this coming: hydroponic systems actually use less water than traditional soil-based systems. This is because closed systems aren’t subject to the same rates of evaporation. Plus, the water used in hydroponic systems can be filtered, re-populated with nutrients, and fed back to plants again so that water is constantly being recycled instead of wasted!

At Vertical Roots, our systems use up to 98 percent less water than traditional soil-based systems.

Other “resources” indoor hydroponic plants don’t need? Pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals, since the hydro crops are protected from many of the pests and plant diseases found outdoors in soil-based farms.

 

 

Easy Troubleshooting

How many times have you walked out to your garden and seen one of your plants thriving while its next-door-neighbor is drooping? In that situation, it’s almost impossible to know which variable is negatively affecting your poor plant. Is it a pest problem? Are the nutrients in the soil different in that spot? Has this plant become your dog’s urinal?

With a hydroponic system, you know exactly what conditions your plants are being grown in. As such, you can easily isolate variables and experiment! Once you find the perfect formula of light, pH balance, and nutrients, you can replicate success without always getting hit with curveballs.

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