Re: Hydrophonics.....Anyone?

I looked into it before along with high density fish farming. Fish farming would compliment hydroponics nicely - free fertilizer for the plants and excess plant cutting feed the fish. More importantly it stabilizes the system, both ways. The goal is to achieve and maintain a balanced system. This I learn from our saltwater aquarium hobby. Actually a saltwater aquarium is not hard to maintain if it is made self-regulating. Startup is difficult. Anyway, with some modern automation I don't see why it would not be possible.

Imagine if you could fit a 10 hectare farm on 300 sqm of land not 10km from a market. No more farm-to-market costs, no more middle men. Consumers would get farm gate fresh products at significantly lower prices and the enterprising fellow would make a good amount of money while having an easy to guard strategic advantage.

Don't know if you saw those 4" PVC pipes, downspouts you called them, in my backyard. I also have one of those rectangular ones but I've not seen it in awhile, but those are too expensive anyway. These were suppose to be my prototype farm before the day job put that one hold, and boat building fun buried it.

Re: Hydrophonics.....Anyone?

Yes, people have been experimenting with fish farming and hydrphonics. No, I did not notice the 4" pipes at your home. I have tried growing lettuce and capsicum (bellpepper) soilless and even tomatoes. Very promising but too much pressure. Pressure from diseases and insects and pressure to sell the produce. You know the saying " sell you or you'll smell it". I shut the business and continued with my orchid farming.

Re: Hydrophonics.....Anyone?

An "open system" hydroponics setup, as I understand it, requires that the composition of the water be closely monitored and regulated. I'm curious how you went about this.

Are deceases a greater problem with hydroponics than with soil based farming? I'd imagine it would be easier since it seems you can control the water and its content easier.

Re: Hydrophonics.....Anyone?

I had a conductivity meter to measure concentration of the ions. But plant take up is difficult to know so one does not know which minerals are absorbed and at what amount. So its also quite a guessing game. Diseases are less for soilless but you still get them though not really soil related. Diseases like the viruses, fungi and a host of many others are still a challenge for soilless agri. Hydroponics addresses the nutrition side but not the disease and pest control side. But it does reduce diseases because it eliminates a lot of soil borne diseases.

Re: Hydrophonics.....Anyone?

What if the ions or group of ions were measured separately using reagents, etc., etc.? In our saltwater tanks, we controlled calcium content and monitored nitrates and nitrites.

Having the plants concentrated in a space should make controlling even the non-soil related deceases easier I thought.

I do not think it's really good idea as farming business. There is much more profitable ways in farming then you see

I do not think it's really good idea as farming business. There is much more profitable ways in farming then you see

You are perfectly right but this idea also can exist, cannot it?))) I think it depends on what do you prefer more - planting and growing plants or growing animals. As for me, I thing a business with cows gives many oportunities for maling money and help to keep our own life naturally. There is meat, milk and money after selling constantly. You can find your constant clients who will buy your milk products and just keep your business with your team. For making it easier you can buy additional farming equipments such as milk cream separators https://merry-farm.com/ which really helps to provide all farming work.