The Eternal Battle – Old-school Farming vs. the New Kids on the Block

Growing in soil or going hydroponically – pick a side. 

One can easily see the difference with the plants from hydro and soil growing.

Tutorial for beginners

For ages agriculture has been mostly associated with the process of growing plants in soil.


 However, with the extreme rates of urbanization, the scientific and technological jumps, which our own species is performing each and every second, we are now if not urged at least tempted to try the new trends in farming.

One of which, deservedly wide spread and popular, is hydroponics – or in other words growing plants in water environment. 



Growing your plants is a matter of personal taste, resources and space. And as BigMike, the owner of a Canadian company selling nutrients for plant growing, once said – be no afraid of mistakes, but keep trying. So take your time, research and experiment.

Let’s Get Dirty 

Yes, soil farming is the classic. You go outside, under sun, rain or whatever the nature has decided for you and you get in the vortex of dirt, watering, digging.

What will you need to start? Of-course the first thing that one will need is a place, hopefully with a nice and rich soil.

If not you should research what can actually grow in your region and make the necessary adjustments to it so it fits your future plants’ needs.

Then your own micro universe is ready to emerge. Your future garden needs several other things: to be clean from weeds; stones and all non-organic trash. Then rake it, add compost along with nutrients, and leave it for 2-3 weeks. During this time make sure you keep it clean.

Then start with digging a furrow, arrange it the way you envision your garden to look like, water it a bit and the seeds are ready to jump in.

Healthy plants will keep themselves safe from pests. Insects in your garden are actually beneficial, even the bad ones because they attack only the weak and ill plants. The ultimate way to control the species around your plants is to know the environment, and this comes with practice.

So, observe and learn! In soil growing, if a plant got sickness, the grower can easily  remove the ill plant and continue. However, with hydroponic growing, if something goes bad with the environment, everything dies or suffers the same fate as the first affected plant.

The taste that comes from soil-grown marijuana, however, is something pro farmers claim as unbeatable. However, this type of farming is dirty and fully dependent of your weather conditions and the usual daylight cycle, which can lead to a lower growing rate.

 

We Came From Waters

On the other side of things, growers always can rely on hydroponic method of growing. Currently, the hydroponic way of growing indoor gardens has become quite popular among various businesses.

What you need? Well, a bigger than the average room or growing tent if you a marijuana grower. But, if you want to establish hydroponics for other kind of plants, you can bring out your installation to the back yard as well.

 First for newbie in the field of indoor growing, one have to acquire a reservoir, that will be filled with water (and nutrients) and a container with the mixed growing medium above.

Secondly, drawing the mixture to the container from where the plants will get the nutrients. That’s the basic outline of how hydro actually works. Nutrients play a huge part of this process.

With hydroponic growing, the water is mineral-free and lacks all of organic elements that are present in the soil.

Hydroponic growing can be very species-specific, so choose wisely what plants you are about to grow, decide the scale of your installation and then, see what kind of nutrients they should be fed with.

The General Hydroponics company and most of their competitors have some neat starter kit deals, but don’t just grab the first you see, do your homework first (research, read, decide). As my grandfather used to say, "Measure it three times, cut it once".

Another significant pain-in-the-ass point, is when newbie in growing decide to go with hydroponics, is to maintain the pH levels.

Thankfully on the market we already have products that take care of balancing this component of your growing medium, like pH Perfect® - a product of Advanced Nutrients company. I recommend visit this threat here, as you will read other growers what they had to say about this product. Personally I am just about to try it, so in near future I shall write about my experience.

Personally, I haven't started grow with hydroponics, but I am eager to do so. As I have said in the beginning of this post... I need to find a proper room or place for my future crops. And for anybody who is still doubting to go with growing in soil or hydro, don't hesitate - start growing your medicine god damn it. Start growing your food for Christ's sake.