Destroying The Myths Hydroponic F.a.q.'s

In the time that we have been in business as Simply Hydroponics and Organics, we have talked with thousands of people. The majority of these good folks had some knowledge of the wonders of the hydroponic process but hesitated giving it serious consideration.Why? Because they harbored misconceptions about growing plants the hydroponic way -- they had "heard" things.

Please allow us to share with you some of the things these folks had "heard"; perhaps they may be things you have heard, too.

WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?

Let's start by defining hydroponics. Literally, the name means "WORKING WATER" and in reality, it is simply gardening without soil, the growing of plants without dirt. There are six basic kinds of hydroponic systems with hundreds of different variations of these basic six.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt enjoyed fruits and vegetables grown hydroponically. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Hanging Gardens, was in fact a hydroponic garden. If hydroponics is a "new" technology, it is a new technology in general use for thousands of years. Hydroponics is not new -- just different.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS ARTIFICIAL OR UNNATURAL

Plant growth is a real and natural happening. Plants require basic, natural things for normal growth. Simply, hydroponics supplies the plant with what it needs,when it needs it. There is no genetic mutation that takes place inside the equipment nor are there any mysterious wonder chemicals introduced to the plants roots that tricks them into thinking they're on steroids.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

This is totally false. growing plants hydroponically is far more "earth friendly" than conventional gardening could ever be. Hydroponic's usage of water is 70 to90 percent LESS then that used in conventional dirt gardening, and no fertilizer is lost to rain run off. These two items alone, water conservation and the non-pollution of lakes and streams, are major plus values.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS A SPACE-SCIENCE FAR TOO
SOPHISTICATED AND HIGH-TECH FOR THE AVERAGE
PERSON TO UNDERSTAND OR MASTER

Yes indeed, hydroponics can be incredibly sophisticated. If you have visited "The Land" exhibit at Disney World's Epcot Center you have seen high-tech, sophisticated hydroponics with computers and big "black boxes" controlling everything from planting to harvest. If you haven't been to Epcot we urge you to see it. Disney does everything on a grand scale, and "The Lands" is no exception. However, remember that the other extreme to the Disney display is often as simple and un-sophisticated as a hand-watered bucket of sawdust with a single plant.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS FAR TOO EXPENSIVE

Yes it is -- at Epcot Center. Seeing the aforementioned display at Disney, you might assume that it's cost could pay off a rather large chunk of the U.S. national debt. The systems there are on the cutting edge of modern technology. The scientists there are researching ways to grow huge amounts of food in the extreme conditions found on barren waste lands, deserts and even in deep, cold outer space. Smaller systems, practical and easily affordable, that utilizes the exact same principles and work just as well, are available today for the average hobby gardener.

MYTH: THE USE OF HYDROPONICS IS NOT WIDESPREAD

Wrong again. Hydroponics is used extensively the world around and for various reasons. It is used in countries where the climate prohibits or limits growth, where the soil is to poor to support large-scale crop production and in countries where once fertile soil has been abused and is now depleted. In British Columbia, 90 % of all the greenhouse industry is now hydroponic. This, unfortunately, leads to yet another, more popular myth.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS MUST BE USED INDOORS

Hydroponics is as easy to use outdoors under the sun as it is indoors. The advantage to gardening indoors under grow lights is that you, not Mother Nature, control the seasons. Making the growing season twelve months long. However replacing the sun is a relatively expensive proposition.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS REQUIRES NO PESTICIDES

This is one myth that we wish were true. It is partially true, because a strong healthy plant is much less susceptible to attack than a weaker plant. This reduces the need for toxic pesticides to control pests. We use and strongly recommend the use of good organic pest controls (such as the Safer's brand of safe, biodegradable, environmentally safe products).

MYTH: HYDROPONICS PRODUCES HUGE SUPERPLANTS

This is another myth we wish were true. Hydroponics produces superior plant growth, hence, superior yields. Every seed, seedling and plants has a genetic ability to grow at a certain rate,to yield a certain amount of crop and for that crop to taste a certain way. All of these characteristics are controlled by the plants genetic make-up and there isn't anything anyone can do that will make the plant exceed its natural, genetic limits.

Getting a plant to grow to its full potential in common soil is difficult because of the hundreds of variables in the soil's make-up that influence the plant and its growth. It is the ability to control these variables that makes hydroponics superior to conventional gardening. You have full control over what the plant has available to it rather than guessing what the soil can provide. Because of this the plants can do their best.

Dr. Howard M. Resh, in his book HYDROPONIC FOOD PRODUCTION, cites vegetable yield increases that are dramatic; identical cucumber plants produced 7,000 pounds per acre in soil but 28,000 pounds per acre when grown hydroponically and tomato yields that ranged from 5 to 10 tons per acre in soil but 60 to 300 tons per hydroponic acre. The reported results are typical for practically any plant. Said another way, to produce the total number of tomatoes consumed annually in Canada (400 million pounds) requires 25,000 acres of soil. Hydroponically, it would require only 1,300 acres.

MYTH: HYDROPONICS IS USED PRIMARILY FOR ILLEGAL PURPOSES

Henry Ford once received a letter from a depression-era bank robber responsible for the deaths of several law enforcement officers, killed in their attempt to stop him as he fled the crime scene, making his getaway. In his letter, he thanked Mr. Ford for making his Model A Ford such a good getaway car.

The use of hydroponics for illegal purposes is stressed by the law enforcement community whenever an efficient and successful growing operation is uncovered. The total population of hydroponic systems used for illegal purpose paralleled the percentage of the total population of Ford Motor cars used in bank robbery getaways. Somehow, the multitude of hydroponics systems used in normal, legitimate growing operations just doesn't make it on the evening news.

Yes, hydroponics is popular with illegal growers. This popularity is founded on the same principles that make it popular with legal growers -- a bigger, better, higher quality crop.

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