People come into the store all the time and ask us, why use hydroponics instead of dirt? Most of the time we will simply point at our plants, tell them how old they are and then they start to understand.

Hydroponics grows faster. Side by side comparisons have proven over and over that hydroponics is faster by up to two thirds the growing time. Sometimes, depending on your crop this can even be up to half the growing time of traditional dirt methods.

Here are some other reasons hydroponics grows better than dirt.

• Up to a 70% water savings. Most hydroponic methods use a recirculating system. The water will go from a reservoir, up to the plants, and back to the reservoir. The key is air. Keep the reservoir airated with an air stone or two and your plants will love you.
• Hydroponics requires only around 25 percent of the nutrients and fertilizers required of soil-based plants.
• Hydroponics is healthier due to the fact you don't have to use pesticides or worry about soil born insects.
• Hydroponics gives everyone the opportunity to grow their own food at home, thus cutting down transportation emmissions and costs.

So why isn't hydroponics taking over? This is due to several disadvantages associated with these systems. The first is the high capital investment when compared with soil farming. Though hydroponics is typically much cheaper over time, it does require an upfront cost to establish any sort of system. Next, there's the threat of power failure, which can cause pumps to stop working and ruin crops. Finally, many people fear that hydroponics requires substantial know-how and research, when in fact, it's very similar to traditional gardening. After all, plants rely on certain nutrients in order to grow, and these nutrients don't change, no matter which system you're using.