Apr. 29, 2024
Agriculture
Aeroponics and hydroponics are both methods of growing food without soil. Historically, hydroponics has been more commonly used for irrigation both in commercial and domestic setups, since aeroponics involves much newer technology and greater expertise. Both systems provide the nutrients usually accessed by the plant through soil by adding them to a water solution - how this solution is delivered to the plant roots is where the two systems differ.
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In this blog, we explain the main differences between hydroponics and aeroponics, whilst also exploring the benefits and disadvantages of both systems.
Liquid vs mist
In a hydroponic system, plant roots are submerged into a body of nutrient-rich water. However, there is the possibility that roots can become water-logged and oxygen deprived - just as overwatering a house plant can drown it. Growing crops in waterlogged soils can also result in lower yields.
In aeroponics, plant roots are instead suspended in air and irrigated with a nutrient-dense mist. This mimics the natural air pockets in a healthy soil system and increases the plant’s access to oxygen and other atmospheric gases. This can boost the plant’s root health and rate of growth, with significant yield improvements observed across a range of crops.
It’s also worth noting that aeroponics can use far less water - up to 30% less than hydroponics and 95% less than outdoor farming due to there being less evaporation from growing media mounted within the system and a lower volume of water required overall. It also doesn’t require rockwool, the fibrous insulation that many systems use, which is tricky to handle safely, reuse and recycle energy efficiently.
Pests & disease
There are other benefits to the well aerated root zone you’ll find in an aeroponic system. Plant roots are suspended in air and the mist is applied directly to them. This keeps the growing media dry, which means plants are less prone to infections or mould. Using UV sterilisation and filtration within the water recapture and reuse process also ensures that the chance of pests or disease outbreaks are at a minimum.
In a hydroponic system, the matting and beds are more difficult to keep clean, since water will saturate through the growing media in order to irrigate the roots. The combination of water plus artificial light increases the chances of algae growth on the hydroponic beds, which can bloom uncontrollably at times.
Precision irrigation
In an aeroponic system, irrigation can be controlled on a crop by crop basis. Unlike saturating the crops by flooding with water, mist can be administered in very precise amounts and for specific periods of time, which gives a higher level of control than you would find in a hydroponic system. This is because in hydroponics, plant roots are submerged in large bodies of water that cannot be manipulated as readily.
In aeroponics, water, nutrient levels and gas exchange provided to crops can be tailored bed by bed - meaning you can change what is being given to the plants based on their individual requirements and adjusted depending on the plant’s developmental stage.
The cost of growing
One of the biggest benefits to a hydroponic system is that it is simpler to use and build your own system. It’s for this reason that it is often found in grow-at-home kits, or lower cost, lower output horticultural facilities. Since there are no extra components needed to generate mist, the amount of energy used and the capital cost of a hydroponic system is also lower in absolute terms.
In most aeroponic systems, nozzles are used to create mist - these can often clog and break. This is the reason they have not been as widely adopted as you might expect, considering the yield benefits they offer. In response, LettUs Grow have designed a unique nozzle-less system which simplifies the traditional aeroponic systems and reduces maintenance. We aim to deliver all the benefits of aeroponics, with the simplicity of hydroponics.
Aeroponic systems can be far more profitable due to their higher productivity speeding up your growth cycles: faster growth reduces your labour and energy consumption per kg, therefore is financially more efficient. However, both aeroponic and hydroponic systems require business modeling to ensure the crops you are intending to grow are economically viable within your market. Within vertical farming, crops with a higher price point, such as microgreens and herbs, would need to be grown in either system to gain a high profit margin, whereas larger crops such as tomato or strawberries are profitable in greenhouses.
Aeroponics vs hydroponics
Deciding whether to choose an aeroponic or hydroponic system depends on what you intend to grow, the price of your produce and your chosen market. However, as aeroponics provides crops with much stronger and healthier root systems it has a much higher potential performance than a standard hydroponic system. Hydroponic systems can be simpler and cheaper to install but less profitable overall after your first year or so of growing, so whilst this might suit certain systems, aeroponics offers far more benefits to larger scale, commercial growers - from container farms to greenhouses.
This is mainly driven by the productivity benefits of aeroponic systems, which can be considerable and result in greater yields throughout the year for a professional grower. In our internal trials, we have found that we can grow some crops up to twice as fast as in a comparative hydroponic system - with some microgreens spending as little as 4 days on grow beds!
LettUs Grow’s aeroponics is nozzle-free and far simpler for the user than traditional high pressure aeroponic systems, which can be high maintenance. Our experts are consistently working on the technical aspects of aeroponic systems, as well as improving both the range of crops that can be grown in our systems and optimising the environmental conditions for different crops or developmental stages.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Soil Growing
Soil growing means the way to plant your seed cannabis directly into the dirt from either outdoor or indoor pots, so it can naturally grow by absorbing nutrients such as organic matter and minerals broken down from the soil. As a rather traditional and tested method to develop indoor gardens, it shares the following pros and cons.
Pros:
Easy and handy setup for every grower, including beginners. Basically, all you need to do is to prepare a pot with dirt in it and place your seeds in the pot.
Budget-wise option. A pot doesn’t cost you much, apparently.
Ensures natural growing medium with a rich soil microbiome as most of the nutrients come from the soil.
No energy and high-end equipment required.
Cons:
Requires decent gardening or plant growing skills, as growers have to take care of the plants manually. Although the setup is easy, it’s not the case for actual practice. For example, improper temp and humidity for cannabis
can result in your plants decomposing.
Due to the soil environment that fosters biotic stresses, plants can easily get sick.
Because the nutrients have to be broken down in the soil before they are absorbed by your plants, soil growing often takes a long time and has gentle crop yields.
Highly limited to the location, season, and quality of the soil.
Highlights & Drawbacks of Hydroponics
Unlike soil cultivation, hydroponics creates an artificial environment that allows your plants to grow without soil. So where does the nutrient come from? By implementing liquid nutrient-rich solutions where the roots are dipped in, the hydroponics system automatically and directly supplies your plants with needed nutrients, water, and oxygen.
As a modern growing method, what are the pros and cons of the hydroponics system?
Pros:
Regardless of the climate and location, plants can be grown anytime from anywhere.
An automatic growing procedure that does not require much daily maintenance.
Efficient plant growth and better yield thanks to the direct and sufficient nutrient supply.
Reduced risk of soil-borne diseases and pests, due to the overall environment.
Efficient water usage since it’s a closed-tube system with only a fixed amount of water being filled in.
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Related links:Cons:
A well-established hydroponics system can cost a great fortune. Also, the setup process is quite complex and requires professional handwork.
Once the system breaks down, it can be a hard job for growers to fix it.
Growers will have to measure and manually add nutrients to their plant roots, which requires specialized knowledge in planting.
Since the roots are immersed in water all the time, it’s likely to cause root rot.
Heavy reply on electricity and water. No electricity, no working hydroponics system.
Differences Between Hydroponics vs Soil
With a basic understanding of the pros and cons of each growing method, we can further move forward to see what differences they have in terms of planting your cannabis and other plants.
Plant Growth Speed
Overall, plants grown in hydroponics systems grow and complete the full stages of plant growth faster than those grown in the soil. In the hydroponic system, plants can receive a constant supply of water and nutrients, leading to faster growth rates. However, soil-based cultivation requires the plants to expend energy searching for nutrients in the soil, which takes time.
Yield [Quality & Quantity]
Similarly, due to precise control over growing conditions and stable nutrient delivery, the hydroponic system is proven to produce 20-25% higher yields than soil growing. It’s obviously way more efficient than soil growing as well. However, the quality of crops is less certain.
While hydroponic-grown plants are generally healthier and stronger than soil-planted crops, studies have found that soil-grown produce can have higher levels of certain micronutrients, such as calcium and magnesium. But if you use a well-designed and scientifically formulated hydroponic system, the mineral content can remain the same as that of soil-grown products.
Water Usage
Hydroponics growing typically uses less water than soil-based cultivation. In the hydroponic system, water is recirculated and generally won’t be replaced unless you spot algae in the water. However, water can easily evaporate or drain away in soil growing, so daily watering is a must.
Control Over Growing Conditions
Unlike soil cultivation, which relies heavily on environmental factors, hydroponic systems allow you to precisely control growing conditions, including pH levels, nutrient concentration, light exposure, temperature, etc.
When talking about hydroponic vs soil, in addition to the differences mentioned above, other factors such as the cost, space coverage, and ease of use are also worth considering.
How to Choose the Right Growing Method
Reading so far, guess you’ve had a rough idea about which approach is better for your plant growing. If not, why not check the factors below to know how to choose the right growing method?
Growing Experience
Are you a novice or an experienced grower? Hydroponics systems require technical knowledge and are more complex to handle, requiring the grower to provide the necessary nutrients and environmental conditions for plant growth. Comparatively, soil cultivation is simpler and more beginner-friendly.
Indoor Or Outdoor Growing
Hydroponics is better used for indoor growing due to the need for electricity and watering systems, while soil cultivation can be applied both indoors and outdoors as it is naturally suited to handle meteorological factors.
Personal or Commercial Grower
For commercial growers, it’s recommended to choose the hydroponics system because it is more efficient and allows for higher crop yields. However, if you are a personal grower, you may prefer soil cultivation because it is simpler and requires less equipment.
Conclusion
After reading this post, you should know the pros and cons of the hydroponics system and soil cultivation. By checking the deep comparison which lists major differences that hydroponics vs soil, you can further understand which growing method to go for. We’ve also picked factors to help you choose the right growing method at the end.
FAQs about Hydroponics vs Soil
1. What are the disadvantages of hydroponics?
The disadvantages of hydroponics growing include the following:
Heavily relies on power and equipment.
Expensive investment in the initial setup.
Requires expertise and knowledge about planting growing.
The waterborne environment can trigger diseases such as pythium, phytophthora, and fusarium.
2. Do plants grow faster hydroponically or in soil?
Hydroponics. Plants grow 40-50 percent faster than plants growing in soil cultivation. The same is for the yield. Thanks to the controlled environment that constantly produces nutrients, Hydroponics-grown plants yield 30 percent more than those growing in soil.
3. What are the benefits of hydroponics over soil?
30% more crop yields. Meanwhile, the harvest becomes much more predictable.
Produce healthier and stronger plants in general.
Less manual maintenance, including daily watering, nutrient supplement, etc.
Less water usage and waste. You won’t have to change the water system unless it’s biotically polluted.
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