Hydroponic cultivation: what is it, what is it for and how does it work?

In recent years, interest in hydroponic growing has steadily increased. This alternative cultivation technique, in fact, has considerable advantages and represents an extremely advanced method of farming, although it has been known since Babylonian times. This may seem like a contradiction, but it actually gives us an idea of how much history hydroponics has behind it: the version that is implemented today has been improved and refined over time, to the point of being the innovative technique that we know. and we implement today. In this article we will delve into this topic to give you a broad overview of hydroponic cultivation: we will start by explaining what it is, and then see its objectives, advantages and disadvantages. Let’s begin!

What is Hydroponic Growing?

Let’s start from the basics: what do we mean by the expression “hydroponic cultivation“? As you might already guess from the name, it is a type of cultivation that is carried out thanks to the presence of water. This technique is in fact often defined as “soilless” cultivation, precisely because the crop is not grown in the soil. Going into more detail, it is important to make a distinction between two main types of hydroponic cultivation:

• hydroponics with substrate. In this first case, a substrate is used, i.e. a mixture of organic and/or mineral materials of various kinds (sand, pumice, perlite, expanded clay, etc.), placed to support the crop. This substrate is irrigated and kept moist with water and various nutrients that benefit the seedlings.
• hydroponics without substrate. In this other case, however, there is no substrate and the roots of the plant are immersed directly in a nutrient solution made up of water and compounds necessary for the plant to develop.

It is therefore a technique which, not requiring soil, can adapt to almost any space, both outdoor and indoor: this makes hydroponic cultivation very flexible and suitable for various contexts.

What is hydroponic cultivation for?

Hydroponic cultivation represents a valid alternative to traditional cultivation but it is even more: especially in some areas of the world, which are poor and not very fertile, this technique proves to be the only possible way. In fact, a hydroponic system can be built anywhere, without too much difficulty. Naturally, it is important to carefully monitor the created cultivation context: it is true, in fact, that since there is no soil, problems related to parasites and diseases linked to it are eliminated, but it is still important to keep an eye on the main control parameters, namely:

• The pH in hydroponics is perhaps the primary factor to pay attention to to ensure good plant development. The optimal range around which the pH should be maintained varies from 5.8 to 6.0. If the pH is lower or higher, it will be necessary to correct it by increasing the pH if the solution is too acidic, or decreasing it if it is too basic.
• electrical conductivity (EC). Conductivity in hydroponics gives us an indication of the quantity of salts dissolved in the water: the higher the concentration of salts, the higher the conductivity of the water. Usually a level ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 is recommended for the germination phase and for the last flowering phase, while a level between 1.0 and 2.0 for the growth and initial flowering phases.
• water temperature. In addition to the two data just seen, the temperature must also be adjusted to remain between a minimum of 15 C° and a maximum of 23 C°. At any time, from introducing new water into the system to maintaining it. The temperature of the water is naturally influenced by that of the environment: therefore if the water is too hot or too cold it may be necessary to first adjust the temperature of the surrounding environment.
• chemical composition of the nutrient solution. Equally important, this factor can vary based on the crop you are growing. In this case, therefore, it will be necessary to ensure that the nutrient solution has all the properties the plant needs to develop strong and healthy, without deficiencies.

Advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic cultivation

Compared to traditional cultivation, hydroponic cultivation brings notable and numerous advantages, such as:

• possibility of being able to cultivate even in the absence of fertile soil, therefore potentially anywhere;
• increase in production in quantitative terms, therefore greater crop yield;
• saving time for the development of many types of crops;
• water saving, since the water used can be recovered and reused (up to 50% water saving compared to conventional irrigation);
• greater respect for the environment, thanks to the absence of pesticides and/or herbicides

However, even in this case there are inevitable disadvantages to take into account. In fact, it is important to know the plants you want to grow well and give them a lot of care (hydroponic crops are more fragile than those grown in soil and therefore require greater attention). Furthermore, not secondarily, we must consider the costs for irrigation systems and energy essential for the correct carrying out of this technique.

Conclusion

Hydroponic cultivation is an innovative technique that can make the difference, especially in cases where there is no space in which to grow or the soil is not suitable for cultivation or for a particular crop to develop correctly. An increasing number of realities are adopting this cultivation technique and we will hear more and more about it over the next few years. Also for this reason, Ortomec has developed a specific harvesting machine for soilless crops: it is the 1500 Float System harvester, which allows to speed up harvesting times and reduce operator fatigue. If you are interested in having more information on hydroponic cultivation or on our harvesters, do not hesitate to contact us: we are at your disposal for any need.