Veggies and herbs that grow in hydroponics method

Growing vegetables or food crop hydroponically for yourself or family is great start towards sustainability and safety. You get to enjoy the confidence and the pride of eating food that you grew yourself, controlling all of its inputs so that you know what’s in your food. If you start to think, though, that you would like to branch out and start growing food for sale, it is important to be a bit more selective about what you grow.

Hydroponic greens are common in most marketplaces and are highly recommended by hydroponics suppliers in India. They are a staple of hydro production and chances are, you will not be able to provide a much better product in the marketplace as there are no established hydroponic growers in India. There are, however, several other crops that can be grown hydroponically and provide a much greater return than lettuce or greens and it would be great to get to know them.

Before setting out to grow any hydro crop for profit, it is important to perform a market analysis. Visit farmers’ markets, local grocery stores, and any place where folks who care about the source of their food go to shop. This is important because the vast majority of the market does not care where their food comes from. As hydroponic farming in India is fairly new not a lot of people have heard of the same or know about its benefits. This exercise will tell you what is being grown and what you can expect to charge. This varies greatly from region to region, and it should not be assumed that because one crop is profitable in one area, it will be in another.

Regardless of which crop is selected for profitability, it must have some similar characteristics if it is to be successfully marketed. It must be a crop that realizes a high yield per unit area or otherwise has a quick turnaround in its growth cycle.

The crop should be one that cannot be grown year-round in your particular region with conventional field production. It should also be apparent that the quality of the hydroponically grown crop is at least as good, if not better, than its field-grown counterpart. A few crops that you can explore that grow well in hydroponics are. Basil is a tropical crop that fares well in hot and humid climates and can be grown very well using NFT technology. Basil grows well and is a prefered crop for hydroponic farms in Tamil Nadu. The other crop that hydroponic farmers in India prefer to grow is Lettuce, this is because there is a huge captive demand for lettuces both from organised players like supermarkets as well as QSR restaurants. Lettuces which are also referred to as salad greens in India enjoy a very healthy image. India’s new middle class has recently embraced the salad culture of which lettuce forms the centerpiece. Moreover, its international appeal and the healthy image is causing a lot of micro players like local roadside eateries and sandwich shops to switch over from cabbage to lettuce. Kale Is another crop that is preferred by growers as this is a fairly new crop but offers a variety of post-processing options thereby making it a very versatile option. Kale is extremely healthy and if often referred to as a superfood. Kale is used in everything from juices to chips, in a variety of forms like dried herbs and pastes. Kale is a relatively new and is not very easy to find in supermarkets, making it an attractive crop option. Spinach or palak a is a very popular Indian green consumed throughout the country. Spinach grows very well in NFT systems and can be grown easily year round.

In conclusion greens like basil and lettuces are prefered exotic crops whereas kale is a great option for a speciality grower who would like to focus on a crop as it offers a wide variety of post-processing opportunities. Palak on the other hand is a product that is consumed across the country and finding a market for the same is very easy.

Environmental benefits of the Hydroponic method

As global warming becomes a bigger issue for the average citizen, consumers and government leaders are always looking for better ways to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and help the environment. Perhaps one of the greatest ways India can cut back on harmful greenhouse gasses is through examining how we produce and distribute our food supply. Hydroponic growing in India has numerous possibilities to not only produce, larger, better-tasting vegetables, but also help the environment. Here are the main ways that hydroponic growing may be the way to “go green” in the future.

Land – It is estimated that approximately 10 million hectares of arable land is lost every year for a variety of reasons. With farmers being increasingly pinched on the amount of land that can be used for traditional soil gardening, hydroponics, in arid places like Gurgaon, may prove to be the solution. Because every element of this style of growing can be closely controlled, it can produce larger yields, making the same amount of vegetables in just 1/5th of the space.

Location – This is important because it cuts down on the distance that food may have to travel to reach is a destination. Whenever a vegetable is out of season in one part of the world, it is in season in another part. So these vegetables are often created and shipped to those areas where they are not in season, where the scarcity can drive up prices. This means the transportation of the food requires a great deal of fossil fuel because of the transport. With advances for hydroponics in India, we can grow virtually any vegetable in any season in any part of the country, so they can be grown closer to their sale point and use up less fuel. For example, Hydroponics in Gurgaon would greatly benefit the nearby areas as well. Using Hydroponics in India, we will be able to experience produce that tastes a lot better too, because the shorter distance that they have to travel means that they can be picked when they are ripe.

Water – When watering a typical soil garden, much of the water used gets lost in the soil, which means a lot more water has to be used. In a hydroponic garden, the water is recycled. This puts a lot less stress on the increasingly strained water supply.

Pesticides – While pests are by no means completely absent in hydroponics systems, the closed, controlled environment can eliminate many of pesticides that are often necessary to keep bugs from destroying traditional crops. This means much less poison on plants, in rivers, and more importantly, on the food we eat.

All of these factors, plus the improved taste that can result from this style of growing has made hydroponics the choice of many large-scale greenhouses. In fact, as many as ninety percents of the greenhouses in British Columbia use hydroponic growing. As the benefits of hydroponics become more obvious over time, more greenhouses are sure to follow suit.

What Hydroponic Supplies do I Need to Start Hydroponic Gardening?

If you are a hobby gardener looking for a Hydroponics Retail Supplier in India look no further than the FutureFarms store. FutureFarms is a Chennai based Hydroponics Retail Supplier in India which sells Hydroponic Equipment across the country.

The FutureFarms hydroponic kits in India are holistic growing solutions designed to provide one with all the essentials needed to get growing! If you want to try your hand at being an urban hydroponic farmer FutureFarms hydroponic kits in India are for you!

With a Hydroponic Growers kit, you will receive a FutureFarms hydroponic system of your choice along with all the accessories that you need, to take you from seed to harvest.

But what exactly is Hydroponics?

1.Seedling Tray & ProGro Mix: It is not advisable to sow seeds in your hydroponic system as your rate of germination will be very low. For this reason, we provide you with a seedling tray and ProGro mix to help you germinate your seeds separately into seedlings which are then ready for your hydroponic system!

2.General Hydroponics Europe Flora Series Tri Pack Nutrients: Every plant needs 3 macronutrients and 11 micronutrients to grow. In hydroponics, to ensure maximum yield, nutrients are added in a predefined ratio at each stage of growth to give the plant exactly how much it needs when it needs it! The Flora Series Tri Pack consists of three bottles; Grow, Bloom and Micro of 500 ml each and a feeding chart to instruct you on the dosage of each nutrient. General Hydroponic Europe is a global leader in nutrient manufacturing and we at FutureFarms are the only licensed Hydroponics Retail Supplier in India that provides you with their nutrients because we want you to have the best!

3.Bluelab ppm pen: How do you know how much of the nutrients you’re giving your plants are actually being consumed? With your ppm pen! The Bluelab ppm pen measures the electrical conductivity (EC) of your water which in turn tells you how much nutrients you have in your reservoir. The EC readings will help you discern how much of your nutrients are intaken by the plants and therefore how much more you need to add! Bluelab is a Kiwi company that makes the best water testing equipment in the world. We at FutureFarms are the only licensed Hydroponics Retail Supplier in India to provide you with Bluelab equipment.

4.General Hydroponics Europe pH test kit:: Plants tends to favour a slightly acidic medium for growth because this is when they are able to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients. The pH test kit helps you measure the pH of your water.

5.pH buffers: What happens if your water is too acidic or too basic? This is why you have pH buffers. If your water is too acidic, a few drops of the pH up solution will help you decrease its acidity to bring it within the ideal range for your plants to flourish. Similarly, if it’s not acidic enough, a few drops of your pH down solution will do the trick!

FutureFarms designs Hydroponic Kits to meet your every budget, space, and plant requirement! While the head office is based in Chennai, FutureFarms has a logistic network that caters Hydroponic kits to all of India. Check out FutureFarms online store now to start growing!

Build an Efficient Hydroponic System in Easy Steps

Hydroponics is vying to become the go-to method for home growing. It reduces the physical effort involved in growing crops at home and offers a much simpler formula to grow crops. To build a hydroponics system you can go about it in 2 ways, build your own from scratch or buy prefabricated hydroponics systems from a Hydroponics Equipment Supplier in India.

To build a basic NFT( Nutrient Film Technique) system you will need to understand the basic application of the Nutrient Film Technique. Which is to suspend roots in the shallow flow of water. The water supplied to the plants is to be nutrient-rich and oxygenated. A flat or round pipe is a good choice for this technique. Upvc has been found to be the longest lasting and safest for use in hydroponics.NFT is a great technique for large-scale hydroponics in India for its advantages such as low usage of water, electricity, and Nutrient.

The NFT hydroponic system is also a great way for beginners to start. It maximizes crop per sqft and is easier to maintain due to its recirculating configuration. A basic NFT system has 4 parts. Inlet, outlet channel, and reservoir. Water needs to be circulated through these sections.

Deep water culture systems also have recirculating systems but they give more space for media and interplant space for growing vine and large rooted fruiting vegetable crops. These usually use buckets that are round or square to accommodate the large root systems and have means for efficient trellising. Be aware that fruiting crops have longer cycles and require pollination which can be done manually to grow fruit.

Raft systems are easy to build and need nothing more than a tub and styrofoam. These systems are not the most water efficient and require frequent clearing of algae and careful protection from contamination.

It is good practice to improve aeration with the use of air stones and an air pump to supplement oxygenation of water in standing water and deep water cultures.

Building an efficient hydroponics system also means taking into account the requirement of the crop that is being grown. Raft systems are very good for growing roots in the early stages of the plants’ life I.e to be used in the nursery. NFT caters to plants with small root systems like herbs in contrast to DWC systems meant to grow large plants like tomatoes.

We at future farms make prefabricated units for beginners and home growers. We have leveraged our knowledge of doing large scale hydroponics in India to make easy to assemble kits that are efficient and space saving. These kits avoid the hassle of having to make your own kit and the expensive tooling required to build a system efficiently. We only use certified food grade material in our systems for both commercial and home has grown, and supply the best quality of accessories, nutrients and testing equipment from our international partners.

Brief Insight About Hydroponics Farming

Agriculture uses 70% of the world’s fresh water supply, and by 2030, the total demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40%. In order to sustain the growing population we need to rethink what we eat and how it’s grown.

Nearly ninety percent of the Indian population live in areas with some form of water stress or food production deficit. With increasing water scarcity due to frequent droughts and declining land availability for farming, Hydroponics Farming and Soilless AgTech appears to be the need of the hour.

What do you need and why do you need it?

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants, food crops or flowers in a liquid medium without the use of soil. Hydroponic crops can be grown in controlled environments, even indoors, year-round, regardless of the outdoor climate, so long as the needs of the crop are met. Plants grown hydroponically uses the same basic elements as plants grown conventionally in soil more efficently: air, water, light and food. The hydroponic grower is to make specific crops have these 4 requirements in the correct proportion.

Hydroponics in India

Hydroponics in India is a growing industry, and likely to become even more in demand. The benefits of Hydroponics Farming in India are numerous. In addition to higher yields and water efficiency, when practiced in a controlled environment, hydroponic systems can be designed to support continuous production throughout the year.

Hydroponics technology in India, in recent years, has become very versatile, ranging from rudimentary home & hobby setups to highly sophisticated commercial enterprise farms.

Hydroponics Technology is the most sustainable for farming in the future. Compared with traditional soil-based agriculture, the solution is:

More Consistent: Producing predictable quantities and quality for higher yield and profit

More Efficient: Producing more cycles and more crop, nearly 5x times crop per area with lesser resources, like water, space and labour

Cleaner: Reducing pathogens and avoiding usage of harmful pesticides and toxins

Closer: Reducing carbon footprint by growing closer to urban areas

When it comes to Hydroponics Farming in India it is important to look for reliable, experienced and successful Hydroponic Suppliers in India. FutureFarms enables largescale farmers to grow various commercial and specialty crops including leafy greens, lettuce varieties, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, strawberries, and more.

FutureFarms has enabled many growers take that next step, some farms expanding to multi-acre hydroponic productions. FutureFarms provides more than just the systems and supplies. FutureFarms provides a full turnkey hydroponics project management solution including training programs to help the farmer until the first harvest. FutureFarms continues to support the farms by connecting them with a network of world-class suppliers. Partnering with some of the leading greenhouse manufacturers, environmental control manufacturers, input supplies and instrumentations to help growers continue to succeed in the hydroponic journey. With the current sophistication of fertigation systems, instrumentation and technological advancements, the future of hydroponics farming in India appear bright.