The Urban Farmer, Try the Forums!

The 

Hydro Forums  page is like an “ASK IT” service; if you’re having
problems with your hydroponics setup, or just have a general question about
hydro, here’s the place to ask. It is very easy to submit your question, no
registration or emails needed. Just go to the submission box and start typing!

We will do our best to answer your question, and also welcome comments and
suggestions from other site visitors. This should prove a very valuable resource
for you as you build and operate a system.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Today’s economically spurred resurgence of the home
vegetable grower can’t entirely be dubbed a “return to the earth.” Many
burgeoning farmers aren’t breaking soil, they’re using hydroponics.

“There are a lot of new people interested in growing, and many of them are
realizing that hydroponics just makes a lot more sense,” said Bob Hochmuth, a
multicounty agent with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences. “It’s one of the most reliable ways to grow crops. And,
for people that don’t have a lot of land, which I think is a lot of these new
growers, it’s a more cost-effective investment.”

“Across the country, there’s been more and more interest in locally grown
products. Now, these economic conditions are coming in into the mix and making
people think long and hard about the best way to do it,” said Tim Carpenter,
owner of Verti-Gro Inc. in Summerfield, Fla. Tim claims that demand has nearly
doubled over the past year.

“Hydroponics involves mechanics and plumbing, and it’s not going to be right for
everyone,” he said. “But for a good percentage, it’s just going to be a very
practical choice.”
Simply put, hydroponic techniques are used to grow plants in structures that
supply water and nutrients without soil.

These structures allow plants to be grown in greater density and with better
control of variables such as pests, the overuse of fertilizer and exposure to
foodborne pathogens like salmonella.

Additionally, hydroponic techniques usually involve growing the crops inside
greenhouses or in tight clusters. These methods mean protection against bad
weather and a year-round growing season — big boons to growers interested in
using their crops for supplemental income.

“Hydroponics isn’t easy, and it’s not something that just comes to you,” said
Belinda Cheney, who uses hydroponics to grow vegetables and ornamental flowers
on her small farm in O’Brien, Fla., as a way of supplementing her family’s
income while remaining home with her children.