The Benefits of Growing Hydroponic Strawberries

The word hydroponics come from the Greek words hydro meaning water and ponos meaning labor and is a method of growing plants in water without soil. Hydroponics has its roots in ancient civilizations. There is even research to suggest that the Hanging Gardens in ancient Babylon used hydroponic technology.

Fast forward to today where hydroponic technology has advanced with computer automation technology, water pumps, and new growing mediums to the point that normal people can grow hydroponic vegetables in their backyards or large commercial operations can grow thousands of plants with almost the same methods.

One crop that has benefited from hydroponic technology is the strawberry for a couple of reasons. Using a conventional soil based method to grow strawberries on a large scale forces farmers to use Methyl Bromide which is a toxic chemical. Since a hydroponic system does not contain any soil there are no soil born diseases or pests so there is no need to use toxic herbicides, pesticides, or insecticides which damage the environment making this method more eco friendly. For this reason farmers throughout the world are moving into hydroponic gardening in a big way.

Some other reason that more farmers than ever are growing hydroponic strawberries:

1. The hydroponic system can be set up to elevate the strawberry plants so that the fruit hangs down for easy picking.

2. The systems can also be designed vertically to increase the amount of strawberry plants for the space.

3. Since there is not a need to use harsh toxic chemicals in the production, the strawberries end up tasting better.

4. There is a higher yield when growing strawberries hydroponically.

5. When grown in greenhouses or indoors using artificial light this farmers are able to grow strawberries all year.

For all the reasons listed above more people, whether they are commercial or hobby farmers, are discovering the joys of hydroponic gardening.

Basics of Hydroponic Gardening

When people first hear about hydroponic gardening they think it something that is too hard for normal people to do. Well, that true and it's not true. There are huge commercial hydroponic facilities that use very sophisticated computer automation software and have many employees working around the clock. But there are also people who set up backyard hydroponic systems that they make themselves with everyday materials that can be purchased at any mega box store (target, k-mart, etc). It really depends on the amount of food that you want to produce and the method of production that you plan on using. We'll get to the different methods in a minute.

For many people growing hydroponic vegetables is actually easier than growing in soil for a couple reasons. Because in a hydroponic system plants are grown in a soil-less medium there is no weeding required. This is great news for older people who have trouble bending over or for people who just don't want to put the time into building up quality soil. One positive result of there being no soil is there are no soil born pests or diseases. This limits the need for any sort of pesticides. This is good news for anyone who is going to eat the fruit from plants grown hydroponically. This eliminates the damaging effects of pesticides on the environment and people.

Speaking of being environmentally friendly, using the hydroponic method for growing plants uses 1/10th the amount of water as traditional farming. The nutrient water recirculates in the system and it only needs to be changed once a week or so. It is possible to grow plants organically.



Another advantage of hydroponic gardening is the ability to grow vegetables in regions that are not normally able to produce plants like deserts, rocky, or mountainous regions.

Let's go through the various methods to grow hydroponically...


The Wick System
This is a passive irrigation system. Essentially, the plant is grown in a soil-less medium like expanded clay in conjunction with a capillary pad that wicks nutrient solution up from a reservoir to keep the growing medium and the plant's roots moist.

Ebb and Flow
Sometimes also called flood and drain this system consists of two trays. The lower drain holds the nutrient solution and the top tray hold the growing medium. A timer causes a water pump to fill the upper tray with water at set intervals until the water reaches above the drain pipe at which point the water drains back down into the holding reservoir. Once the upper tray fills past this point the water recirculates into the lower tray until the pump turns off and all the water trickles through a small drain hole. This process keeps the grow medium regularly flushed with water and gives the roots adequate air.

Drip Irrigation
Also called top irrigation, a nutrient solution is applied as you would with a plant in a pot. This can either be done by hand or with a water pump and a drip irrigation system.

Deep Water Culture
This method requires a flat with net pots to be placed above a tank of aerated water so that only the roots are suspended in the water.

This concludes this article on hydroponic gardening. Future articles with include topics like: the history of hydroponics, grow media, lighting, and how to build your own systems.

Video of Hydroponic Strawberries in Tailand

This video shows a hydroponic greenhouse in Tailand using a combination of a bag grow and top drip irrigation to grow strawberries in their off season.

Take a look at their methods to get some ideas for you own system. Enjoy...

Urban Farming: Hydroponics in the City

The people in charge of the Science Barge, a hydroponic urban farming experiment in New York City, are leading the way in innovation for localizing food production in large cities. The Science Barge is powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and a biodiesel generator. The Barge uses state of the art computer automation technology to control the environment in the greenhouse. The floating greenhouse facility, which is designed to be a demonstration of how food can be grown in an urban environment, using techniques that conserve water and energy.



With the awareness of hydroponic technology on the rise more facilities like this will be popping up soon all over the country.

Introduction to Hydroponics

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. Because plant roots are not searching through soil for nutrients they are able to grow much faster. In a hydroponic system plant roots are fed through nutrients that are added to the water supply. Hydroponic plants are grown in a soil-less medium, usually hydroton or rockwool but sand, river pebbles, gravel, perlite, or vermiculite can also be used. Since plants are grown in a disease and pest free medium there is little or no need for pesticides.

Because hydroponics is a soil-less stand alone system, it can be used outdoors or indoors. If vegetables are going to be grown indoors then the vegetables are going to need artificial light.

Advantages of Hydroponic Gardening

Plants grown hydroponically tend to be tastier and healthier because nutrients are applied in the exact quantities at the right time. Root systems stay smaller on hydroponic plants so more nutrients are are used to grow the leaves and fruit. Also, since the plants are not grown in soil there is very little chance of soil-born diseases or pests. There is also no need to pull weeds.

Why People Grow Hydroponic Vegetables

It seems much harder to set up a whole hydroponic system than to just stick a seed in the soil and add water so why do people do it? The benefits include:

• Plants are disease and pest resistant
  
• Plants grow up to 50% faster
  
• No digging or weeding required
  
• It's possible to automate the whole system with timers
  
• Control over the environment which yields more nutritious fruit
  
• Makes it possible to grow plants where soil does not allow normally
  
• Little or no pesticides are required
  

What Kind of Plants Can Be Grown Hydroponically?

Almost anything can be grown hydroponically. Some plants will require more space and some are more delicate. Some plants that are recommended for growing are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, lettuce, and broccoli.