Hydro Vs Mother Nature

[maurert]

Curious,
Is it cost efficient to go with hydroponics? I know that the end product is of higher quality but I just throw a few tomatoes in the ground and let Mother Nature do the rest. It just seems to be more cost more work and I guess Hydroponics has gotten a bad name. When I think of someone setting up a hydroponics garden I think they must be growing something illegal. My wife is a chef and we want to start an herb garden, only nether of us has a green thumb. I planted some THYME once but it did not last very long.

 

[HydroChuck]

I am about nine months from beginning an effort to grow hydroponic herbs and tomatoes. I noticed that the supermarket prices are higher if the tomatoes are labeled greenhouse or hydroponic. It appears that there are a number of variables which are very important to maintain, and the result is a controlled, optimized environment.
Great to see a hydroponic forum

 

[MatBrener]

I consult on intensive and sustainable cropping systems that includes hydroponics. I have been working with an urban farm for over a year now and we have found that hydroponics is one of the technical solutions that will allow brownfields to be redeveloped as agricultural facilities. When designed and managed correctly hydroponics can be very cost-effective. Most hydroponics in this country rely on controlled environments (greenhouses) but we have found that hydroponics can be very robust and survive difficult conditions. Presently we are consulting on a development in Central America where we will be using hydroponics (along with other techniques) to help conserve forest area by getting more production out of currently cleared areas.