Does Hydroponics Make Plants Grow Faster?
Do Plants Grown in Soil grow Faster or Does Hydroponics Make Plants Grow Faster?
Hydroponics is a gardening method that allows you to grow plants in a nutrient-rich solution, without any soil. You’ve probably heard that hydroponics makes plants grow faster, so you might be wondering if it’s true and why plants grow faster in hydroponics. The good news is this is most certainly true, and in this article, we’ll explain why plants grow faster in hydroponics and how much hydroponics speeds up growth.
Why Do Plants Grow Faster in Hydroponics?
The main reason why plants grow faster in hydroponics than in soil is plant nutrition. When comparing plant nutrition in hydroponics and soil, the main difference is how your plants get their nutrients. In hydroponics, plants get the nutrients they need from a nutrient solution, which is essentially nutrients either in liquid or powdered form dissolved in water. This means plants don’t have to search for nutrients like in soil, and they get what they need delivered straight to their roots. There are a lot of different nutrient formulas in hydroponics, depending on what type of plants you’re growing and at what growth stage they are, which allows you to tailor your nutrient solution to your plants’ needs.
In addition to that, hydroponic plants are typically grown indoors, so you can provide them with perfect conditions in terms of temperature, lighting, and so on—no cloudy days, scorching heat, or surprise frosts to impede the growth of your plants.
Furthermore, growing mediums used in hydroponics allow for more oxygen to get to the roots, promoting better root growth. More oxygen means plants can absorb nutrients better. Combined with the fact that plants get the perfect amount of nutrients available via the nutrient solution, this means that they don’t need to spend energy to search for the required nutrients in the soil. Plants also don’t have to break down the nutrients found in nutrient solution because the nutrients are already broken down, ready for plants to absorb and use for growth.
How Much Does Hydroponics Speed Up Growth?
All of this combined means plants grown hydroponically grow 30–50% quicker and produce better yields than plants grown in soil. And this is only one of the benefits of hydroponics, among many others. Hydroponics is often considered better that traditional soil gardening because it’s more efficient, uses 90% less water, you can grow more plants in the same space and incorporate vertical hydroponic setups, there are fewer pests and diseases, no weeding, and you can grow hydroponically all year round indoors or in a greenhouse. If you’d like to find out more about hydroponics vs. traditional soil gardening and which is better, we have a detailed article on that topic here. Hydroponics is an excellent technique that allows you to grow fresh, delicious produce all year round, and it’s definitely worth trying if you haven’t already!
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By Max Barnes
Max Barnes is a long-time homesteader and author. Max grows the majority of his own food year-round using a variety of different methods, including hydroponics. Hydroponic gardening plays a huge part in his homestead and self-sufficiency goals.
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