When growing you get to ask yourself the question of growing in soil or using a hydroponic system. Another question you might have is, what is a hydroponic system. Hydroponic system means using water as the main growing medium compared to using soil. There are pros and cons of using both.
Hydroponic system:
Pros:
Can control the quality and quantity of the nutrients easier.
Takes up less space
Can do outdoor and indoor growing
Lowers the chance of diseases and pests
Cons:
More expensive upfront (However in the long run it is more cost-efficient)
Requires more attention and patience
Set up the water reservoir, it will hold the water pump and air stone along with the drainage line. Then you have the grow table, the plants will gain and return the leftover water to the reservoir. Each bucket at the grow table should be able to hold 19 liters and needs to have holes drained into the base to let the excess water out. Full up the buckets with clay pellets after soaking them overnight. Use the plastic tubing from the water pump and place it across the table. Use the drip line gear to pierce holes into the buckets and attach the drip line emitters to the ends of the drip lines. Practice the system to make sure it’s working before putting the plants in. Water should be constantly moving from the air pump that helps it run and stay oxygenated. Now you can fill up the reservoir with the nutrient-rich water solution and place the germinated seeds inside the pellets.
Soil:
Pros:
Doesn’t require as much care and attention compared to the hydroponic system
More forgiving growing process
Does well growing outdoors
More affordable
Cons:
Slower growth period
Using soil attracts bugs and pest
When growing with soil you can do it outdoors or indoors in a pot filled with soil. There are many different soils with nutrients in it already that you can research to choose the best one. Starting with the germination stage you can soak your seeds for 12 hours to help with the process. After soaking them you put them on a towel or paper towel and keep out of direct sunlight but keep them warm. They usually open up within 48 hours depending on the type of seed and conditions it’s in. You then put them in the soil not too deep or too close to the surface. Then you follow through with the rest of the stages of growing. Check out my blog on the 4 Stages of Growing for further information.
Written By: Madison Brown
