No longer a quaint hobby for those with a tiny windowsill as their only green space, hydroponics has grown into a multi-million-dollar business, being pushed by rapid technology changes in nutrient reproduction, lighting and easy-to-install grow systems. America’s Best Hydroponics & Garden Center in Palmdale leads our area in both grower supplies and education.
Europe actually leads the United States in hydroponics, although the North American market is expected to be the fastest growing marketplace by 2020, according to RnR Research. Europe, like Japan, has a higher density of people per mile than the United States on average, so circumstances have dictated that they jump on the hydroponics market earlier, with hydroponics providing higher yields compared to traditional agriculture, the lack of farm-friendly land and unfavorable climatic conditions for agriculture in many areas.
Hydroponics has been called ‘farming for city-dwellers’. It uses very little room, working well on windowsills as well as closets and greenhouses, and is perfect for those with physical issues, as you can raise or lower your setup to meet your personal needs.
The biggest seller for most people embracing hydroponics is the lack of weeds – which means little to no weed killers, no digging and no heavy bags of manure to deal with. With the lack of extra bug-killing chemicals to grow your produce comes the added luxury of a better, cleaner taste to your produce and, some say, a higher vitamin content.
The hydroponics market has matured to the point where they can now offer a good/better/best marketplace of choices across the areas of lighting, nutrients and individual grow systems, so there is something for everyone, regardless of experience or budget.
Lighting alone has seen significant improvements with the continuing improvements being made in LED lighting. Although LED lighting can be more expensive from an upfront cost standpoint, they have the advantage of lower electricity costs and none of the heat problems of HID lighting which can require an actual HVAC system to keep your crop in an optimal setting. Your needs may vary however, and it would make sense to talk to a trained staffer at Hydroponics Unlimited so they can fit the best system to your immediate and future needs.
With twenty-eight years of experience and knowledge in the field of hydroponics, America’s Best Hydroponics is the recognized area leader for both startup operations and seasoned growers. With an impressive array of books, videos, DVDs and a free monthly newsletter, chances are very good you will find the right tools or a seasoned staff member to help you create or cultivate your own home-grown garden.
Would you like to embellish your green thumb tales by supplying your own tasty fruit and vegetables to your dinner table or the next cookout? Do you have your physician’s approval to grow your own herbs for your own specific minor medical ailments?
Have a spare closet calling out to you to be used? Then hydroponics may be the answer to the question you always wanted to ask. With a starting price as low as thirty dollars, your hydroponics grow system will allow you to brush up on your back-to-nature skills, and knowing you grew the produce yourself will make it taste all the sweeter.
America’s Best Hydroponic Center & Garden Center is located at 641 West Palmdale in Palmdale, near the intersection of Palmdale Road and Trade Center Drive. Supplies can be ordered from their website, or by phone at 877-94-HYDRO (49376).
