Alternative medicine has been rapidly growing in the United States over the past decade. Ever since California legalized herbal remedies for medicinal use, and states like Colorado and Washington legalized them for recreational use, people are rapidly realizing the endless benefits that come from alternative medicines (that which is not a regulated pill or formulated in a laboratory). The alternative therapy industry in the U.S. was estimated to be at $13.7 billion by just 1990. This expenditure rate had already doubled by 1997, and the industry has only grown ever since.
With herbal therapy and natural product usage becoming more common among adult usage (reported at 18.9%), it’s an industry worth considering getting started in. Comparative to the traditional methods of farming, there are better, more technological ways to produce herbs. This type of farming is called hydroponic growing.
The method of growing plants without soil, hydroponic combines mineral nutrients with a water solvent to grow plants at a controlled rate. The benefit of hydroponic growing compared to traditional farming is numerous: hydroponics allows for 4 times the amount of crops to be grown than traditional farming in the same amount of time; hydroponics is said to use 90% less water than traditional soil farming; some crops can grow two times as fast with hydroponics than traditional farming.
Hydroponics works based on controlled settings. Hydroponics are correctly grown by controlling the amount of nutrients, water, oxygen, and light that is introduced to the plants, most particularly within a cloning tray with a dome. To efficiently control these settings, the right gear is required. Let’s explore the gear you should look into:
- Grow Light Hanger: hydroponic plants need controlled light, and a light system is the way to provide this for them. Most will allow you to control the wattage at which these bulbs will run at, giving you the chance to fine-tune your lighting system so that your plants can grow to your their best ability.
- Hortilux 1000 Watt HPS: regarding lighting systems, you want the best bulbs available. The hortilux 1000 watt HPS is a fantastic option as it will provide a wider array of the light spectrum to your plants, of which will produce higher yields and more prominent flowers.
- Cloning Tray With A Dome: plants often grow only under the right conditions. As a grower, you want to guarantee that your plants have the right environment to grow in — that is what hydroponics is all about, after all. A cloning tray with a dome will allow you to start your growing season as early as you wish. The ultimate benefit of a cloning tray with a dome is that you’ll have the ability to insert your plants onto a heat mat, keeping your plants at an efficiently controlled temperature.
- Submersible Water and Air Pumps: your cloning tray with a dome only works if the humidity is properly controlled. While your cloning tray with dome will control the temperature at which the plants are being grown, you’ll need to efficiently control the air levels within the dome, as well as the amount of water that is being provide to the plants. This available unit will allow you to correctly feed your plants the nutrients/water they need, along with the air quality inside of the dome.
