Collection: Soilless

Soilless growing involves cultivating a plant in a hydroponic or organic compound medium other than soil. Soil growing can lead to exposure to unwanted pests and toxins and generally produces smaller yields than soilless growing techniques.

Soilless agriculture is a great way to ensure that plants are getting concentrated nutrients and exposure to oxygen at the root level, as soilless mediums are more aerated.

The two main methods of soilless growing include medium culture and solution culture. Solution cultures include flow solution, static solution, and aeroponics. Medium culture involves growing plants in mediums such as coco coir, stonewool, expanded clay pebbles, and peat moss mixtures.

Disadvantages of Soilless Growing

One of the biggest disadvantages of soilless growing is the susceptibility of plants to equipment malfunction, specifically with aeroponic and hydroponic growing methods. In these systems, a broken pump or clogged nozzle can cause plant death very rapidly and the system requires constant attention. Using mediums such as expanded clay pebbles, coco coir, and peat moss mixtures can mitigate these issues and require less attention overall.

Soilless growing set ups can be costly at the start and often require specialized equipment such as pumps, spray nozzles, water tubing and specialized growing tables. Using alternate mediums such as expanded clay pebbles also come with an initial cost to the grower but can be re-used for multiple grows.