WHY HYDROPONICS?

effective plant cultivation

The reason why the field is turning to the soil less way of growing plants comes down to its effectiveness. Hydroponics is the right choice whenever we require fast, high-yielding year round production with constant quality. Let’s have a look at what allows hydroponics to provide significantly higher yields compared to traditional ways of farming.

growing plants without soil

hydroponic substrate

In the core of hydroponics lies the hydroponic substrate, which replaces soil used in traditional farming. There are a multitude of various substrates, which all share common properties – made of light, porous material capable of retaining the right amount of water. Additionally, the substrates need to be inert so they would not change the properties of the nutrient solution.

Hydroton

Hydroton is a recyclable clay fired in the form of small balls. With their ability to absorb water up to 90% of the volume, contribute to sufficient substrate moisture. The balls guarantee a perfect supply of air to the roots.

Coconut fibres

Coconut fibres are visually very similar to soil. Due to their properties we use them as hydroponic inert substrate. Coconut fibers are very light and enriched with useful bacteria allow good development of the roots.

Rockwool

Rockwool is a mineral wool made for cuttings, but in hydroponics it has found wide application as an ideal substrate for various growing methods. The optimal structure forms a stable base for the roots.

hydroponic fertilizer

Whereas soil inherently contains nutrients, when it comes to hydroponic substrates the nutrients need to be supplemented as the substrate itself does not contain any. Using custom made nutrient solutions developed in collaboration with producers of ferilizers we can find the right fit for any plant at any stage of growth.

cooperation with manufacturers

High-quality hydroponic fertilizers are produced in an environment friendly way. Our main partner is Netherlands-based company PLAGRON, one of the largest producers of hydroponic fertilizers.

hydroponic vs traditional

In traditional agriculture, we fertilise with (dissolved) powdered salts, a kind of raw material for plants, which are only absorbed by the plant after the salts have been broken down by micro-organisms. The nutrients in hydroponics are transported directly to the roots and absorbed by the plants immediately.

possibilities of DFT

There are multiple ways of distributing the nutrient solution across the surface of the vertical farm. One of the most common techniques is NFT – Nutrient Film Technique. Through testing in our systems we have determined that an alternative method – Deep Flow Technique yields better results.

multicomponent fertilizers

To prevent individual components cross-reacting with each other fertilizers are typically supplied as multicomponent solutions – commonly made of two or more separate parts. This then requires a controlling unit, which assures accurate dosing of the individual components.

component A

component B

pH DOWN

plastics in hydroponics

Not all types of plastics are suitable for the use in hydroponics. We only use materials with high UV and chemical stability in order to prevent leaching of microplastics into the systmes and degradation of the solution piping.

POLYPROPYLENE - PP

POLYPROPYLENE RANDOM - PPR

POLYETHYLENE - HDPE

OXYGEN IN HYDROPONICS

Last but not least – the system needs adequate supply of oxygen. The main goal of hydroponic growing is the maximal aeration of the root system. Oxygen plays a crucial role in all essential processes that take place in the system. Where there is no oxygen there is no life.