With so many growing methods out there, it can be a daunting task as a grower in choosing the right application for your garden. Each method has its loyal practitioners and piece of the gardening world. These methods include drip systems, ebb n’ flow, recirculating, flood and drain and water culture just to name a few.
Once settled on a method, a media must then be chosen; soil, rock wool, coco coir, or water culture all have their benefits and specific growing applications. In addition, within each method there are branches of techniques that one can choose from, and these are continuously improved upon and tinkered with. The saying “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” has never been more true for the gardening world. One method that has been proven to produce is water culture.
Methods such as recirculating deep water culture (RDWC) produce quality and quantity that are unrivaled. Other benefits include precise control, reduced maintenance, and increased efficiency. These reasons and more are why you should take that next step and jump to RDWC.
1. Precise Control
A major benefit of growing in the Under Current® is it gives the grower precise control over their plants feeding and root environment. Nutrient strength, water quality, pH levels, oxygen levels and root zone temperatures are all controlled by the grower in the Under Current® system. This control over a gardens major processes is a tremendous advantage when growing high value crops and is achieved because the media used in the Under Current® is water and does not contain any of the carbon base matter often found in soil. This physical media contains by-products, such as minerals and additives that can change the chemistry of nutrient solutions as they interact with the root structure, often with negative outcomes (i.e salt buildup). The blank canvas that water provides growers is unparalleled, and when combined with a premium nutrient line such as Cultured Solutions® a grower can truly become a master of their garden.
2. Reduced Maintenance
Most gardeners will agree that growing any type of crop is a labor of love. It can be a dirty, labor intensive activity, but one that is highly rewarding. With that said, another benefit of growing in the Under Current® is the reduction in labor when compared to traditional gardens. There are no soil bags to lug around and hand watering is a chore of the past. Under Current® grows can be completely automated, meaning they are easily adaptable to pH / nutrient dosers, top-off reservoirs and water chillers. The consistency of automated systems, ensures your plants are receiving everything they need, when they need it, at all times.
In addition, after harvest clean up and sterilizing of equipment is also made easier because of the water based media. Utilizing a product such as Cultured Solutions® UC Roots during the growing cycle and after harvest cleanup will prevent calcified buildup and unwanted diseases from spreading. Disposal of media should also be taken into consideration when choosing a growing application. Soil, coco-coir, rock wool, clay pellets and other solid media are not easily disposed or recycled. These medias can also have negative environmental impacts in both their processing and disposal. The Under Current® uses very little, if any, of the mentioned medias.
3. Higher Yields and Increased Quality
Under Current® grown crops are known for their incredible growth rates and top quality production. This can be attributed to plants receiving a continuous flow of nutrient solution through their root zone. No longer must plants exert energy searching for food like in traditional soil based gardens. This saved energy results in increased plant growth rates and maturity. These increased growth rates translate to the yield and quality known to hydroponics and unrivaled when compared to other growing applications. The Under Current® provides the ideal growing conditions plants need to produce at optimum levels. With everything provided, plants can then concentrate on resin and terpene production. All the qualities growers look for in premium crops.
4. Increased Efficiency
The design of Under Current® system allows the growing process to be less resource intensive. Water is conserved because plants only take what they need, and will eventually use 100% of the water provided. This is in stark contrast to other types of growing applications where it is common practice to have water run off up to 20-30% (drain to waste). The modular design of the Under Current® system also contributes to water conservation by reducing the evaporation process. Water is circulated, always encompassed within the system, rarely exposed to the harsh atmospheric conditions found in typical growing environments. Any unused water or nutrients can be safely reused or recycled into your outdoor garden.
In addition to conserving water, the circulation and aeration functions of the Under Current® system require less nutrient inputs. The high levels of aeration and constant nutrient circulation through the root zone help optimize plant nutrient uptake. This translates to plants receiving all the essential minerals needed for explosive growth more efficiently when compared to other growing applications.
The Under Current® systems and Cultured Solutions® nutrients were designed with these attributes in mind. They work harmoniously as a “Proven Production System”.
5. Reduced Stressors
Under Current® grown plants are also not exposed to many of the common soil based stressors such as induced drought, mineral salt build up, or soil borne pests and disease. When growing in soil it is only a matter of time before a grower must deal with soil-borne pests and disease. These hitchhikers can spread from garden to garden, often being brought home from unlikely sources. Physical, dense, and moist media provide the perfect living and breeding environment for these pests. These include fungus gnats, roots aphids, spider mites and thrips just to name a few. With the Under Current®, the water media used and the sterile requirements deter many of these soil-borne pests from making your garden their home.
Another line of defense against pests is that Under Current® grown plants grow quickly and are typically healthier than their soil grown counterparts. These healthy plants are better equipped to resist and fight off any of the above pests. Stronger, thicker cell walls are harder to penetrate and are quickly healed over. These sturdy plants are also capable of producing and carrying a successful harvest.
There you have it, the Top 5 Reasons you should be growing in the Under Current®. The benefits of the Under Current® cannot be understated. Less maintenance, increased quality and quantity are what every grower strives to produce. If these are important to you then the Under Current® system is right for your garden.
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