02 Sep Urban Cultivator Feature #4: “Overturning the Earth“
Back to the Roots
Soil provides mineral nutrients every plant needs, whereas Hydroponics uses water for this and serves as a more sustainable, controllable and less spacious alternative. Without soil however, a plant’s roots have no support and can lose moisture fast. There are several types of substrate available to grow plants without (or with minimal added) soil. For favorable growing results with Indoor Farming systems, it is very important that the root area receives the optimal supply of oxygen. Usually these alternative media are more porous than soil, and provide that oxygen readily once they do not dry out. They also retain moisture well. A good substrate will provide you with easy control over the roots and their environment.
Is using Substrates Cheating?
Short answer: no. The Urban Cultivator lets you decide whether you prefer to grow with soil, substrate AND soil, substrate-only or completely without. As long as you don’t add soil, you’re technically farming Hydroponically, but the choice is ultimately yours. With some substrates it is recommended you add a bit of soil, for example to provide extra protection to seeds during germination. A few examples of substrates used in Hydroponics are made up of peat, lava stone, clay pellets, hemp, sand, sawdust, perlite or coconut fibre. Some are natural, while others are man-made. The advantage of using substrates is the ability to control the ideal conditions for good plant growth and development.
Grow in the Know
A perfect incubation system needs to have all the accessories to grow your products in the way you like best. The substrates we discovered work best for an Urban Cultivator, are peat and hemp. For growing plants without any kind of soil or substrate, we have special Fabric Sheets. Take care to check the recommended watering cycle and nutrient types, which can differ according to your growing style. You can browse our online store to find out more!