Clean, Soil-Free
Hydroponic Gardening
Food Safety & Security
Without question, the use of the many commercially produced pesticides and herbicides during the twentieth century has helped to significantly increase the output of food in the world today, greatly reducing, but obviously not eliminating, world hunger.
However, the misuse and misrepresentation, as well as more intensive research on many of these products, has often resulted in their removal from the marketplace for safety reasons. To make matters worse, bizarre government regulations ban many carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides that are manufactured in the United States from being used on food crops grown in the U.S., yet allow these same products to be exported for use on food crops in other countries that are destined for sale in the United States, leaving many Americans wondering just how safe their food supply really is. Adding to these concerns are recent bacterial E-coli contamination issues connected to improperly composted manures and irrigation water flowing through nearby cattle farms.
In a soil-free hydroponic growing environment, the use of herbicides is completely eliminated and the need for pesticides is greatly reduced, since soil is the breeding ground for many of the worst plant pests that afflict growers and gardeners today. Integrated pest management techniques, which encourage a balance of beneficial insects that are natural predators to destructive garden pests, is particularly suited to soil-free growing and vastly reduces, or completely eliminates, the need to use chemical pesticides.
Of course, one of the most simple and overlooked benefits of growing without soil is the fact that the food is cleaner! Soil-free hydroponic produce requires less time in the kitchen because there is no dirt or bugs to wash off, and less worry about residual chemicals.
And most importantly, growing your own fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs gives you the ultimate control over what goes on and in your food. Home gardeners now have a multitude of safe alternatives to promote a healthy garden for both your family and your plants.
Next section:
The Nutritional Benefits of Hydroponic Grown Food
