You would think that deciding to grow a garden without soil is the only decision you will have to make in that process. It’s either with or without soil, right? Well, you are definitely correct that it is either with or without soil, but not everything is as simple as you might think. There are also techniques you have to choose between and those techniques are what defines your whole gardening process. The “hydro jet pressure washer” is the perfect cleaning tool for surfaces. After you choose perfect techniques for your garden you have to maintain it regularly, like planting, watering, extra tree removal etc. Here, you will definitely need a Tree removal company. After that process your garden will look beautiful.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am talking about aquaponics and hydroponics. Both are known as successful soilless systems, but they are definitely not the same. When deciding for one option or the other, it’s only natural that you need to be acquainted with both. That gives you the opportunity to choose the technique that will work best for you.

There are a lot of places online, such as this website, where you can read about the differences between these two methods. The problem arises when you find that some of them advocate for one, and others for the other technique. That’s probably because they are trying to sell you on one or the other, and that’s when you need to be careful and look at the situation as objectively as possible.

In addition to that, it’s perfectly normal for people to have opposing opinions about the two different soilless gardening methods. We are all different and it’s only natural that we like different things. Instead of simply taking someone’s opinion and claiming it as your own, the trick is to hear about both of these techniques and then form your own opinion accordingly.

With that in mind, I have decided to explain both methods respectively, so you will be able to see their differences as well as similarities in an objective light. I won’t advocate for either aquaponics or hydroponics in this article. Instead, I’ll simply give you enough information on both of these systems and help you accomplish the above goal of forming your very own opinion. Let us get started.

The Hydroponics Technique

This system functions on a simple principle and a simple idea. In order to survive and grow, plants need water and they need nutrients. While traditional gardening uses soil as the provider of those nutrients, the hydroponics method has something a bit different in mind.

Since all they need are water and nutrients, why not combine those two things together and leave soil out of the equation?

That’s exactly what hydroponics is all about. Instead of soil, an aquatic solution full of nutrients added with the help of fertilizers is flushed through the root, which gives the plants all the resources they need to grow. This has turned out to be a perfect solution for a DIY indoor vegetable garden grown by people who want things to go easier than the traditional way, who don’t have room to grow a garden outside, and who don’t like the idea of buying soil and using it inside.

The hydroponics technique has quickly become rather popular and it’s no wonder, given some of the amazing benefits that it offers. You use much less resources than with the traditional way, you don’t need any land, and there is even evidence that the plants harvested this way are of much better quality compared to the ones grown in the traditional manner.

Another benefit of this method is the fact that the costs are consistent and predictable. They depend on the size of your garden, but when you calculate how much you spend one month, you can now for sure how much you will spend the next, since these prices don’t tend to vary. Of course, the initial costs of setting up the whole system are a bit higher than the costs you will have later.

The Aquaponics Technique

The aquaponics technique is based on the same idea as the above one. You don’t need soil to make plants grow, so you don’t have to use it. All the nutrients can be secured from another source. There is a big difference between these two methods, though. Aquaponics adds something else to the mix. Let me explain.

Remember the fertilizers that you had to add to the aquatic solution in order to provide your plants with nutrients? You no longer need those, since the nutrients are provided with the help of fish. Yes, you have heard that right. You grow fish in an aquatic environment and they serve as a natural source of nutrients for your plants. That way, you get both fish and plants in your home.

Here’s how this system works: https://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/aquaponics1.htm
By combining these two systems together, you are letting them work for one another without much effort on your part. The fish produce waste that serves as a rich source of nutrients for the plants and then the plants clean the water for your fish. This is not only a useful, but also a rather fun system that isn’t really difficult to maintain.

The biggest benefit of this technique is probably the fact that you get both fish and plants without having to work very hard in order to nurture them. This can be a very rewarding hobby, or even an appealing and lucrative business idea. If you like eating fish, then this is an even better idea for you, because it becomes both fun and rewarding at the same time.

This can also serve as an interesting marketing technique for certain businesses. Say you own a restaurant. Everyone would like to hear and see the way you grow your plants with the help of fish and nurture your fish with the help of plants. That will tell your customers that you care for their health and that you serve only natural and carefully harvested vegetables and naturally grown fish.

When you are deciding between these two techniques, you need to consider the upsides and downsides to both. Eventually, it all depends on your personal preferences. If you don’t like having fish in your home, or anywhere else, then you will probably choose the hydroponics system. If the idea of combining fish and plants is appealing to you, then the aquaponics technique is the way to go.