Pros and Cons of Hydroponics 2018

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When looking at anything for the first time it's not a bad idea to check out the positives and negatives before making a decision.

Hydroponics is becoming a massively popular gardening technique both commercially and residually. Find out why here:

Hydroponics Pros and Cons 2018

Hydroponics Pros 2018

Space Saving. Hydroponic grow systems take up much less space than a traditional garden. In a pinch for space or want to grow plants year round indoors? Hydroponic gardening might be right for you.


Time saver. A lot of people will disagree with this point as you do have to check your hydroponic system regularly. Not only do these systems enable plants to grow faster due to the fact that the grow lights can stay on much longer than the sun's cycle, but the startup time and effort is minimal to plant a first time garden 

If you think about all the time shopping, for the right seeds, soil and other tools, most hydroponic systems come with everything you will need including starter seed packets.

By the time you mix the soil, dig and plant your seeds. Water and roast a hydroponic garden will already be taking off. 

Low maintenance. Which brings up the next point, low maintenance is a huge factor in these setups. No keeping away pesky bugs and animals (in most cases, we'll get to that at the con side), less watering (hydroponics uses about 20 times less water than traditional gardens) and no weather factor. Meaning wind, draught conditions or extreme heat or cold won't effect a hydroponic system.

Yes there will be pruning, watering and feeding just like a regular garden. Maybe more pruning since these gardens grow faster, but if your end goal is to have happy thriving and growing plants, this is part of the process anyways.

Convince and customization. Using the AeroGarden as an example, it comes with everything you'll ever need and more out of the box. Grow lights, filtration, growing medium, liquid nutrients and startup seed pods. This system is nearly as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Assemble an easy system and select what kind of garden you are planting
2. "plant" seed pods
3.  Just add water

With efficiency at the forefront, both the DIY and AeroGarden enthusiasts can benefit from plenty of add ons. For example adding additional water tanks for quick and easy refills. Saving you time and effort. Just like an automated watering system on an outdoor garden, hydroponic setups can be just as easy.

Not to mention all the colorful and unique designs offered, or the simplicity of thing that can be upgraded from LED light swaps, light reflectors for improved efficiency and maximum effectiveness, there's a lot to be said about what's out there.



Now nothing is perfect and the con list is just as long. Considering both sides before making an informed decision is our job at Hydroponic Heirlooms.

Hydroponic Cons 2018

Pollination. This comes up first because most places won't tell you how nature works. Literally the birds and the bees. Without having butterflies and bees in your home to jump from flower to flower spreading pollen, that leaves it up to you.

Luckily gently rubbing a cue-tip or AeroBee from flower to flower will do the job.


Pests, insects and disease oh my. Have you ever left some fruit out and it seems like by some form of magic fruit flies spawn out of thin air? 

Well the same thing happens with Hydroponic gardens but with aphids. These harmless looking small specs of an insect can wreak havoc on a garden.

With a little research there is a natural cure for this problem. Growing tobacco. The tobacco plant gets a lot of bad rap, but the truth is it is a natural pesticide that keeps pesky insects away.

I always grow one tobacco plant near my systems and this keeps bugs at bay.


Most indoor plants grow in close proximity to one another. This means that if things aren't taken care of properly, plant and water born diseases can be prevalent.

The good news is most garden setups come with air bubblers to keep water from getting stagnant.

A pro tip for anyone gardening indoors is to follow the directions and be observant. Blight and other plant diseases can quickly spread if it's not detected and treated.
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Power outage and system failure. Just as outdoor plants are dependent on the sun, indoor plants are dependent on grow lights.

It's not common but if a power outage or system failure occurs, there's a chance you could lose everything.

Battery backups and power outage memory technology like the AeroGarden displays is a safeguard to losing your garden. However if a system craps out, you might have to start from scratch.

Conclusion

These are the pros and cons we've seen first hand. Some pros can be cons and some cons can be pros. For me personally I love pruning and pollinating my plants. I feel like there's a certain connection that is build.

Using some of the coolest technology out there to grow life, food and for fun is a special experience where technology meets nature. To keep both life and ease at the forefront I find it especially rewarding reaping my first harvest or seeing my first seed sprout.

Yes I'm a proud plant parent....
No I don't talk to my plants...
You talk to your plants....


Thanks for reading this and if you have questions or would like to add to or discuss any of the pros and cons listed we'd love to read what you've got to say and grow together.  ​