This is a great article if you are interested in reading about hydroponic industry as a whole. It details the history of hydroponics, the industry today, and some of the benefits of growing hydroponically. The article speaks on the larger scale production of vegetables but is easily related to the small time farmers who have hydroponic grow rooms of their own. Most of the article used tomatoes as the subject for discussion. Tomatoes were traditionally picked for the size and uniformity of the fruit, however; consumers’ tastes and preferences have shifted. They now desire a fruit that is full of flavor and high in nutrient content. Growing hydroponically has enabled, both, small and commercial farmers to produce more high quality fruit.
Another interesting topic discussed is the comparison of growing hydroponically to that of field growing. Growing hydroponically requires higher nutrient doses and the threat of power outages could ruin crops. That doesn’t mean that field growing is completely energy efficient in itself. Field growing does not recapture resources, takes longer to grow, yields less than growing hydroponically, and finally has mother earth to deal with. Yields are varied on a year-to-year basis due to weather and other environmental conditions. While growing hydroponically will help feed all of the worlds population in the future.
Article by, Brett McCormick, managing partner of Good Green Builders. Good Green Builders is a grow room contractor in Oakland California. For more information or a free consultation give me a call at (415) 246-8055.
Source: www.culinate.com
