Growing Mediums

Soil vs Hydroponics:

Gardening with hydroponics is a revolutionary new way of getting the highest quality results and very large yields.  Whether you are growing vegetables, flowers, house plants or herbs, hydroponic gardening is fast becoming the preferred method of any size indoor garden.  Most hydroponic applications are fully customizable from one plant, to 12 or even 24 pot single systems.  Hydroponics allow you to have complete control over what nutrients are delivered to your plants, in what PPM concentration, and how often.  Most hydroponic systems are fully automatable as well.  The water in a hydroponic system is stored in a large reservoir and is typically recycled, saving water in the long run when compared to soil, and also avoids pests that may be in the soil you bring into your garden.  Some things to consider when choosing hydroponics are listed below. 

• Recirculating Hydroponic systems can use up to 90% less water than traditional soil grows.  
• Hydroponic systems take up much less space, allowing up to 4x the number of plants to grow in the same space as a typical soil grow.
• Hydroponic growing can be fully organic if desired, depending on the media and nutrients used. 
• Hydroponic systems enable the grower to have complete control of nutrients make faster plant growth possible.  
• Hydroponic growing can be fully automated, however hydroponics can get tricky depending on how complicated your system and the nutrients you choose.
• Hydroponics require close monitoring due to all the different factors the gardener must control. 
• Desired PH for Hydroponic growing is generally between 5.8 - 6.2.

Growing Medium: There is no soil to anchor the roots in a hydroponic grow system, requiring a rooting medium.

• Rockwool stone fibers are fashoined into cubes and used as an achor for the root system.  Rockwool cubes can be used in all typed of hydroponic systems and offer excellent drainage, oxygen to water ratio, and a great medium for the roots to take hold.  Flushing/rinsing is recommended before use.  Rockwool cubes are the most commonly used medium for seedling germination as well as an excellent medium for clones.  See our Rockwool Cube Products Here
• Peat mixes are very customizable depending on your desired levels of water retention and aeration. 
• Clay pebbles are considered an ecologically sustainable growing medium offering a low cost and reusable solution for hydroponic systems.  Clay pebbls offer great moisture retention and root oxygenation and can be reused if properly sterilized. 
• Coco coir is comprised of shredded coconut husks, providing excellent aeration and water retention, while not effecting the PH levels of your nutrient solution. 

Types of Hydroponic systems:

• Ebb and Flow:  A very affordable and one of the first types of hydroponic systems to be widely available.  Your plants are grown in rockwool cubes which sit in a tray that is flooded with nutrient rich water several times a day, typically on an automated timer from a connected reservoir.  Other systems have each plant in its own bucket, with the roots suspended in a growing medium such as clay pellets, rather than a tray.  Very easy to maintain and fully scalable from small to large scale grows, Ebb and Flow hydroponics is a great options.  View them here. 

• Drip System:  These systems use tubes connected to a reservoir to drip feed roots from above, as opposed to ebb and flow, which introduce nutrients from below.   Air stones in the reservoir replenish oxygen and keep the water mixing.  Similar to Ebb and Flow, there are single bucket drip systems as well as larger systems.  Drip systems require frequent cleaning, but when they work properly they are an excellent way to have incredible yields.  View them Here.

• Aeroponics:  Instead of the roots being directly in contact or flooded intermittantly with water, aeroponic systems use a nozzle to mist an oxygenated nutrient solution directly onto the roots from below.  Like all hydroponic systems, aeroponic systems require a nutrient reservoir and can are fully scalable from single plant up to large commercial applications.  

Gardening with Soil has been around since the beginning of time.  Growing your plants in soil does have its benefits and drawbacks.

• Many growers who prefer soil claim that it yields superior tasting produce in comparison to hydroponics.  
• There are many types of soil that come pre-mixed with nutrients; organic or otherise, which allow you to buy soils tailored for exactly what you are looking to grow.  Some advanced growers choose soil with no nutrients, allowing you to add your own amendments.
• Growing in soil is fairly straight forward and more forgiving.  Soil grows are more stable, as you generally will not encounter quickly changing conditions that can happen overnight in hydroponic systems. 
• Soil applications typically use more water due to drainage from the growing medium and evaporation. 
• Even when acquired from a reputable source, soil can contain unwanted variables such as pests, parasites or disease.
• Desired PH for soil growing is generally between 6.0 - 6.8.

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