Indoor growers can certainly pursue their craft the conventional way, with pots and grow tents that let them create a micro climate. But there are other options out there besides growing plants in containers with conventional media (potting mix).

Specifically, hydroponic systems come to mind, and though there are many different types of hydroponic systems (some of which are easier and more cost-effective to set up than others) they all offer unique potential advantages to indoor growers that adopt them.

Here are some of the biggest potential benefits of investing in a hydroponic system for your indoor growing setup, all gleaned from the experience of our experts in controlled indoor environments. 

And, when you’re done you’re researching, you can get to building your perfect indoor hydroponic system. AC Infinity has all of the resources and tools you need to construct an effective indoor hydroponic system that will offer quick growth and high yields.

A Deep Water Culture System Lets You Skip the Soil

Not all hydroponic systems will allow you to skip any sort of root support medium, but a deep water culture system, also known as a DWC system, exposes the roots directly to the water you’ll be using in the system and does not require any sort of mix or medium.

It is true that there are some higher costs associated with setting up a deep water culture system, but at the same time, eliminating the growing medium will lower the expense down the line, and potentially reduce the complexity of your growing operation.

One note: though you can eliminate soil from a DWC system, monitoring and control are essential to optimal plant growth, growth rate, and eventual yield. The benefit is real, but it isn’t “hands off” by any means.

Vertical Hydroponics Systems Maximize Space

With some hydroponic systems, you can arrange and grow plants vertically, which is typically not an option in a grow tent in which you are growing plants in pots.

Therefore, depending on how you set up the system, hydroponics should be seen as an excellent option for any indoor growers that are very limited in terms of space. In fact, getting more out of the space enables you to leverage greater overall system efficiency, assuming proper environmental controls are in place.

When Properly Managed, Plants Will Grow Faster

Hydroponic systems enable very precise control over nutrient delivery as well as the roots’ exposure to water and oxygen. Doing so produces ideal growing conditions for the plants (assuming you are attentive to the needs of the species) which enables faster growing. It is critical, however, to maintain optimal pH levels, control the nutrient strength in the solution, and even the electrical conductivity of the solution, among other factors.

In a nutshell, optimal growing conditions support the fastest plant growth. Some even claim that hydroponic systems enable their plants to reach maturity (or fruiting or flowering stages) in as little as half the time required when growing in the ground (or in pots). Now, granted, some plants will grow faster than others, regardless, but ideal hydroponic conditions will yield faster-growing plants across the board.

Potentially Bigger Yields

One massive advantage of these systems for indoor growers is that, not only do plants grow faster, they grow bigger and produce bigger yields. This compounds on top of space maximization to really offer significant advantages to indoor growers with limited space.

The reason that hydroponic systems produce bigger yields are the same as those which encourage plants to grow faster. You can closely control nutrient delivery and ensure ideal growing conditions to plants grown hydroponically, which in turn encourages a bigger yield, regardless of what you’re growing. And, the precision of these systems, which enable easy quantification of inputs and isolation of factors, makes it possible to make data-driven adjustments to further boost the yield.

More Precise Control Over Nutrient Absorption

While it is also true that you can relatively precisely control nutrient administration when growing in pots, you’ll have a greater degree of control with a hydroponic system, regardless of what type of system you go with.

The nutrients delivered through these types of systems are solely suspended in the water delivered, which gives you complete control over ratios and densities. These systems also offer the flexibility and control to administer automated nutrient dosing (which streamlines the process) which, when paired with a hydro sensor, helps maintain consistent nutrient delivery with constant manual adjustments. Moreover, since there is no soil in a hydroponic system, you’ll never even need to consider soil exhaustion.

Waste Less Water

One of the biggest advantages of hydroponic growing systems is that they inherently waste less water than other forms of plant cultivation. Even when you grow indoors, in a grow tent, some water will be lost to evaporation or runoff through the pot.

In some hydroponic systems, especially in closed, recirculating systems, not only will you consume less water, but you can recirculate what might be considered “runoff” and reuse it later. Furthermore, monitoring nutrient concentration and water conditions can help eliminate (or minimize) reservoir changes, which diminishes water waste even more. Some systems even allow for moisture recovery and recirculation, effectively eliminating the water that’s lost through plant transpiration, which otherwise would be wasted even if you never overwatered your plants. The bottom line is there is no system as efficient as a recirculating hydroponic system when it comes to water usage and waste.

Control Diseases

One of the main avenues by which both insect-borne viral and fungal pathogens propagate themselves is through the soil. Because hydroponic systems generally don’t use growing media, and do not use a common medium (there’s no potting mix in the conventional sense) you’ll have greater control over the manifestation and spread of diseases. These systems also allow for very precise control of pH and nutrient levels which reduce plant stress, a key factor in the manifestation and spread of diseases.

Explore Indoor Grow Tents, Hydroponics Accessories, and More Here

As you can see, hydroponic systems offer considerable benefits when they are carefully planned and set up, and monitored and controlled with equal attention to performance. Explore our collection of hydroponic grow kits, sensors in addition to indoor grow tents and other growing accessories, making it easier than ever before for you to create a fully cohesive and integrated system at home. If you have any questions about the process or what’s needed given what you plan to create, get in touch with us.