Hydroponic growing is a type of horticulture which at the most basic level involves pumping water containing nutrients to support the growth of crops rather than using soil. This method has been experiencing a resurgence in the past century due to our deeper understanding of the key elements of creating healthy plant life such as sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients. With the advancement of technology in recent years we’ve been able to push forward with innovations of hydroponics such as using dedicated warehouse space to create vertical farms and indoor farms utilising sensors technology to grow our crops.
These advancements lead to increased crop turnover, year-round growing potential and the ability to set up farming units in metropolitan areas which lie far away from suitable arable land. We’re going to explore what exactly hydroponic farming entails, how it compares to traditional farming, the challenges and the commercial viability if you are looking to venture into this field.
What is Hydroponic Farming?
Hydroponic farming can possibly be backdated to 600BC and the gardens of Babylon, according to Hellenic culture. This city sits along the Euphrates river in present day Iraq and is believed to have used the river for means of irrigation to grow their food in an such an arid environment. If successful, this would be the earliest we would have seen hydroponic growing techniques. The earliest published work on this technique was in 1927 ‘A Natural History’ by Francis Bacon and since then there has been a constantly growing interest in how this horticultural method can be best utilised for our food produce needs.
Thanks to constant advancements in technology, there are many types of hydroponic growing systems available now:
Aeroponic Systems: Aeroponics involves suspending plants in the air and misting their roots with a nutrient solution. This method provides high oxygen levels to the roots, promoting rapid growth, but requires precise control over misting intervals and nutrient concentration.
Nutrient Film Systems: In NFT, a thin film of nutrient-rich water flows continuously over the roots of plants that are suspended in a sloping channel.
Deep Water Culture System: Plants are grown in suspended pots with the roots submerged in an oxygenated water reservoir beneath.
Wicking System: A transport material such as cotton is wrapped around the plant with the other end placed in a nutrient dense reservoir to provide a consistent flow of nutrients.
Drip System: In a drip system, a nutrient solution is delivered directly to the base of each plant via a network of tubes and emitters.
Ebb & Flow System: Plants are grown in a substrate which experiences flooding with a nutrient solution and left to drain before repeating.
Comparing Hydroponics to Traditional Farming
Traditional farming uses soil as the substrate to deliver nutrients to plant roots and this requires three steps to prepare the soil. Ploughing, levelling and fertilising. First the land is ploughed to increase aeration, then the field is levelled to improve irrigation and finally it’s fertilised to support growth of the crops. The farmer can then sow the seeds in the field.
With hydroponic growing on the other hand, the preparation comes from preparing the plant to be placed in a hydroponic system. Seeds need to be placed into a growing medium and provided with the right amount of nutrients and light to facilitate root growth, and after 2-3 when the roots are sufficient they can be transferred into the hydroponic system.
When it comes to water usage, hydroponic systems use 98% less water than traditional farming due to the fact the water is recirculated throughout the system and isn’t wasted through soil. This does come with an increased energy cost to keep the system operational however.
Scalability is also an important point. For those looking to get into hydroponic growing, the ability to scale a farm is far greater if funding allows. Because vertical farms can easily by utilised here, you’re only limited by the size of your units, of which you can acquire more of. In traditional farming, you’re limited by the amount of fields you own.
Benefits of Hydroponic Farming
As we briefly mentioned before, water usage in hydroponic systems has a 98% reduction compared to traditional methods.
The controlled environment utilised here allows for precise control over nutrient levels for different crop types, pH balances of the water, and environmental conditions allowing for the same crops to be grown year round.
Hydroponic growing offers greater pest and disease management. Soil-borne pests and diseases are no longer a threat in these systems due to the lack of soil needed for growth.
These systems are generally more sustainable as they don’t contribute to topsoil degradation and they don’t require chemical fertilisers and pesticides to protect their crops. This in turn reduces the harm on local wildlife such as hedgehogs, damselflies, beetles, butterflies and more.
Disadvantages and Challenges
Setting up a hydroponic growing operation is not a cheap investment. You need space, growing units, pump systems, high energy costs, a wide selection of sensors to be installed, and more. CambridgeHOK estimates that on a commercial level a 500sqm vertical farm which is more reliant on manual labour and less on automation will cost in the region of £1,200-£1,400 per sqm. If you’re looking for a much smaller operation, they can be produced within the tens of thousands but this is small scale.
Hydroponic farming requires a lot of technical knowledge and maintenance to ensure the systems are running correctly and are regularly monitored. Systems such as a wick system will require less knowledge, but there is still a lot of technical aspects to consider.
Energy consumption in these farms is significant. If you’re required to keep the lights on and water systems pumping (depending on the technique) you can bet that energy costs will be a significant chunk of change.
Managing the nutrient solutions is also an important factor. There are many moving parts in hydroponic farming which all need to work together to supply a smooth flow of nutrients to the plants. This requires vigilant monitoring.
Commercial Viability
The increasing consumer preference for locally grown, fresh produce has boosted interest in hydroponic farming. This trend is particularly strong in urban areas where traditional farming space is limited.
As sustainability becomes a key concern, businesses are looking to hydroponics for its potential to reduce water use, minimise land requirements, and lower carbon footprints.
Advances in technology, such as automation, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, and LED lighting, are making hydroponic systems more efficient and easier to manage, enhancing their commercial appeal. Will we see these elements reduce the cost in these farms? We’ll see.
Potential Returns on Investment (ROI)
Hydroponics is particularly viable for high-value crops such as herbs, leafy greens, and specialty vegetables, which can command premium prices.
The ability to produce crops year-round, regardless of season, can lead to more consistent revenue streams and the ability to supply out-of-season produce.
Savings on water, fertilisers, and pesticides, combined with faster growth cycles, can result in higher yields and quicker returns compared to traditional farming methods.
Real-World Examples
GrowPura, founded in 2012 is pioneering food production through their vertical farming technology and offer organisations to create their own farms through their technologies.
Fischer Farms are building their vertical farms on a mass scale with the backing of Gresham Farms.
Grow Up Farms are a vertical farm in Kent, providing wonderful produce and focuses primarily on leaves.
Wrapping Up
Hydroponic farming, although having been around for centuries, is still a developing technology as we discover more innovative ways to grow produce under better conditions and at a quicker rate. When compared to traditional farming, it’s cheaper in the long run, it utilises urban space more efficiently, it uses far less water, and enables us to grow produce at a quicker rate.
Which solution you choose will depend on your access to funding, resources and time. We’d recommend going down the route of hydroponics if you can as we believe the future opportunities will be larger. If you would like to find out more about this technique of growing, please do get in touch with us to ask. We previously ran our own grow room in Hoult’s Yard in Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne and took away a lot of useful experience.
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