Why I Grow Food Hydroponically

Outdoor Gardening Is Ok But...

Recently, after a bout with stage four lymphoma, an aggressive type of cancer I'm told, I became increasingly interested in eating a healthy diet and even growing my own food. At first I started my endeavors in a conventional garden. As I set about to do this I began to discover there was a bit of a learning curve associated with gardening, especially outdoor gardening. There were bugs, trees blocking the sun and a whole host of other problems to be overcome.  As I researched the solutions to my gardening problems, I happened upon the idea of hydroponic gardening. There was also a learning curve associated with hydroponic gardening but not nearly as steep.  

I immediately began scouring the internet for articles and videos on how to garden and grow organic food hydroponically. There are more than a few and I had the time on my hands while I was recovering from my treatments. Soon I felt I had enough knowledge to try my hand at this new project.

My First Hydroponic Bin

Hydroponic gardening is not at all difficult and a beginner can get started with very little expense, although a look at the website of any local hydroponic store will tell you that there is plenty of money to be spent for those who must have all the latest and best gear. I began my first “deep water culture” with an inexpensive storage bin that was lying around, a fish-tank bubbler and air-stone, some homemade lights, some plastic solo cups and some hydroton and nutrient from an internet auction site.

Baby Veggies In My Expanded System

I took some seedlings that I had started in my kitchen window and didn’t have room for outside and stuck them in my newly created hydroponic setup and the results amazed me. Not only did they survive, they thrived. Soon they were much much larger and healthier than those I was growing outside. I was sold. Soon I was sustainably harvesting Italian kale, collard greens and even a cucumber. Admittedly there were plants that didn’t make it and each mistake was a lesson not to be repeated. It is not difficult to tell when the plants are happy and when they are not.

Red Kale Starting to Take Off

I also immediately began expanding my hydroponic system. I bought several more bins this time from a restaurant supply store and some larger lights and began to set up something on a slightly larger scale. I also got some four gallon buckets that a local restaurant was throwing away, some perlite and some PVC pipe and began to grow tomatoes, goji berries and even a pineapple in a "Dutch bucket hydroponic system". 

Pineapple in a Dutch Bucket

The actual upkeep of the systems takes very little time each day. I merely refill the bins with nutrient solution from time to time and harvest the leaves and tomatoes when I make a salad. I am not yet able to grow all of the food we eat but I am able to supplement our needs with some of the best tasting healthiest foods on the planet. I know where it came from and no one has touched them but me.

Hydroponic Veggies Grow Faster

Because I had the time, I was able to learn in that way but not everyone has the kind of time on their hands to scour the internet for articles and how to videos. Sure you can buy organically grown food if you want to and we do that as well but there is something therapeutic about growing and handling the plants yourself. I have discovered that no food tastes as good as the food you grow yourself hydroponically.  

Get Growing Now

If you are excited to start producing fantastic vegetables but fear that you do not have the expertise or the patience, then there is a solution that can make things very simple for you. You can skip the trial and error stage and start producing amazing crops immediately. Hydroponics 101 has compiled a simple course that can make your learning curve much easier. Check it out by here and happy growing.