Hydroponics Vs. Soil Vs. Soilless (For Beginners)
Hydroponics Vs Soil Vs Soilless for BEGINNERS | Choosing a Medium for your INDOOR GARDEN
There are so many ways to garden. They all have their pros and cons. There’s no right or wrong way, so which way is right for you?
In the last video, we discussed how we like to start seeds here in our basement. Since then, our seeds have sprouted, and it’s time for them to move into our next medium of choice.
As they are now, these little seedlings can go in any style of medium we choose. Hydroponics, soilless medium, or organic soil. The direction you take is a matter of personal choice, and the truth is, a seasoned grower can have success with any of these options.
Let’s discuss the options.
Soil:
As we’ve learned over the years, and in our experience talking to many many gardeners, generally new growers like to (and should) start in soil. They’ll get a few successful harvests in, they’ll get curious about hydroponics, and they’ll invest in some hydroponic system that they’ll either love or hate. From there the grower will begin to settle on a system that is right for them, one that fits both their lifestyle and personal preferences.
Soil is, in fact, a great medium to start in. In the beginning, I recommend just getting a good bag of quality potting soil from your local hydroponic store and not reusing the soil in different batches, but simply taking the spent soil to your outdoor garden.
The only issue with reusing soil is that you have to re-amend it with organic inputs to keep it fertile, and that can be difficult for beginners to estimate. Typically, professional organic gardeners do regular soil testing to determine the type and amount of fertilizer needed.
The most important thing about growing in soil is learning exactly how to water. I know this sounds simple, but knowing when to water and truly understanding what overwatering means can make or break any soil-based garden. It’s even been written that in ancient China and Japan, in order to become a bonsai master, the apprentice would be required to spend the entire first year doing nothing but learning the art of watering.
Hydroponics:
If you’re into tinkering and optimizing and tuning up that proverbial sports car for maximum performance, then hydro is for you.
Yes, you will get faster growth in a hydroponic system than you will get in soil. However, that speed can come at a cost. Catastrophic failure happens more often in hydroponic gardens. Pump failure, floods, power outages, pathogenic fungi, these can all kill your plants and are all far more likely in a hydroponic system.
Soilless:
This is our preferred method of growing, soilless medium. (But it doesn’t have to be yours!) It’s kind of like hydroponics without so much hassle.
The two main types are, coco coir and peat. You will hear growers on both sides of the debate as to which is better, but we find this to be a gray area.
Peat is very clean, and an easy product to find generally. However, a major downfall that comes with peat is it’s hydrophobic, meaning that when it dries out, it wants to stay that way.
Coco on the other hand, absorbs water quite well and will move water around the pot, creating a much better consistency within the medium. However, coco can be considered dirty, because it is both salty and can carry fungus-net larvae.
Think of soilless medium as sort of a happy medium between soil and hydroponics, seeming to enjoy the advantages of both.
During the winter time in our area, it’s pretty hard to find any growing medium other than coco. But it comes conveniently compressed in cubes, and it can be easily delivered by amazon.
Choosing A Container:
Now that we’ve chosen a medium, let’s choose a container. Like soil, when growing in coco or a soilless medium, it’s a good idea to step up in container size and not to just go straight from a small plug into a large container.
So, we’re going with a classic, the red solo cup. We like using these because they’re cheap, reusable and the perfect size for our next stage of growth. Just take some scissors, cut a few holes in the bottom, and you’re good to go.
Next, you’ll want to hydrate the coco with water that I have already added fertilizer to, and repot these plants. On that note, for best results, I HIGHLY suggest using the Masterblend 3-Part Fertilizer Kit. I’ve gone through a lot of different fertilizers over time. This is, without a doubt, all that I use now. (You can find it here). We’ll be making a video specifically on fertilizer, so make sure to follow Garden Labs so you don’t miss anything.
Lighting: Hydro vs. Soil vs. Soilless
Now that we are potted, I’ll set these kiddos in the tent, set the timer for about 16 to 18 hours of light, and allow them to sit for about two weeks, until they’ll need to be repotted again.
If you need a grow tent, here are several trusted options you can choose from:
https://shopgardenlabs.com/product-category/gro-tents-and-film
And here are some great lights:
https://shopgardenlabs.com/product-category/lighting
Other Factors: Hydro vs. Soil vs. Soilless
Besides the light, the only other critical item that we will need in this tent is a couple of fans for air circulation. As air passes over the surface of the leaf, evaporation occurs from the moisture on the leaf surface. This evaporation is also known as “transpiration” in the plant world. What that does is create a negative pressure within the plant and suck the water up through the roots. That’s what allows the plant to drink! In other words, without wind, the plant can’t eat or drink.
We noticed it was a bit chilly in this tent. So we took a small space heater and we connected it to our thermostat that came originally with a heating mat. The back of this thermostat says it allows up to 1000 watts, while the back of the heater says it only uses 750 watts, so everything here checks out. We’ll set the temperature somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees, and let it ride.
It’s important to monitor the environment of your indoor garden, so if you need, you can find what you need to do so here.
https://shopgardenlabs.com/product-category/controllers-and-meters
I hope this article taught you something new, and at least helped bring you step closer to finding your preferred gardening method. Our conversation can continue down in the comments. If you have any questions, write it down there. We’d love to help!
For the video, click the link below:
Hydroponics Vs Soil Vs Soilless for BEGINNERS | Choosing a Medium for your INDOOR GARDEN
Thank you for hanging out, and never stop growing!
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