Wazzup Pilipinas!
If for cases where there is very minimal access to soil and space, you may consider planting veggies using the hydroponics method.
If wala kang lupa dahil you are living in a condo or apartment floor, bibili ka ng loam soil at paso. Madaming dapat i-consider sa hydrophonics. Kelangan mong bantayan ang ph level, kelangan mo ng series of tester gaya ng ph, tds at ec meter. Pero pag nakompleto mo yun at natuto, sagana ang aanihin.
Nakakalibang at sigurado ka pang malinis sng harvest mong gulay if you plant them on your own at the comfort of your rooftop or veranda, it even possible ain your garage or any space where you either have sunlight or a lighting system alternative to the sun.
Yung pipes with running water tawag dun NFT- Nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique where in a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as channels (medyu magastos to kasi needed mo ng power to operate the system, or setup a solar panel system as investment)
Where as ang sa styro box you can consider it as Kratky method. The Kratky method is a passive hydroponic technique for growing plants suspended above a reservoir of nutrient-rich water. The Kratky method has applications both for commercial food production and as a small-scale and low-maintenance technique for home growers. mas simple at madali gawin ito passive type lang ito. Tanim and forget ang style pero syempre balik balik ka rin baka na peste na yung halaman mo "
During this Covid-19 pandemic quarantine period, the setup lessens stress and anxiety by keeping you occupied. There is also Joy in seeing your plants sprouts, and grow up, eventually being part of your veggie harvest.
Reasons Why Buy hydroponically Grown Crops
Great taste and good for you.
Specialty varieties of crops provide the best flavors but require extra TLC. Through hydroponics, these crops thrive by providing their ideal growing environment with optimized lighting, climate control, and regular irrigation. These nutritious crops are packed with vitamins and minerals essential for our health.
Farm-to-fork freshness, year round
Every season is the perfect season to grow hydroponic produce. The use of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) allows the highest quality crops to be harvested and delivered same-day, dirt-free, and at the peak of freshness to your dinner table any day of the year. Crops like lettuces can be delivered as a living plant, remaining fresh for weeks after harvest and especially no preservatives added
No soils needed
In a sense, you can grow crops in places where the land is limited, doesn't exist, or is heavily contaminated. Hydroponics has been considered as the farming of the future to grow foods for astronauts in the space (where there is no soil) by NASA.
Hydroponics is water-saving
Plants grown hydroponically can use only 10-20% of water compared to field-grown ones. In this method, water is recirculated. Plants will take up the necessary water, while run-off ones will be captured and return to the system. Water loss only occurs in two forms - evaporation and leaks from the system (but an efficient hydroponic setup will minimize or don't have any leaks).
Fewer pests & diseases
And like weeds, getting rids of soils helps make your plants less vulnerable to soil-borne pests like birds, gophers, groundhogs; and diseases like Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia species.Also when growing indoors in a closed system, the gardeners can easily take controls of most surrounding variables.
Less use of insecticide,pesticide and herbicides
Since you are using no soils and while the weeds, pests, and plant diseases are heavily reduced, there are fewer chemicals used. This helps you grow cleaner and healthier foods. The cut of insecticide,pesticide and herbicides is a strong point of Hydroponics when the criteria for modern life and food safety are more and more placed on top.
Photo credit Rafael Pagaling
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
