עברית
Growing plants, vegetables, herbs, and trees is a hobby I refer to as “my psychiatrist.”
With the emerging cultivation methods, I decided to clarify the topic of Growing in Soil VS Hydroponically. In the following article, I’ll share my personal experience, and I hope to help you understand the differences between soil-based and hydroponic gardening.
I was drawn to the idea of cultivation back in 2015, and as a city dweller, my initial experience was limited to soil-based gardening in pots and planters—until I heard about hydroponics.
I researched the topic a bit and decided to dive into the world of hydroponic growing.
I bought all the necessary equipment, installed it, built and setup, and voilà! A magnificent system was in place, just waiting for me.
My partner, who was even more excited about the idea than I was :), went to the nursery and bought starters (young plants ready for planting) and suitable materials like fertilizers and ecological pest control agents to start our journey with the new system.
Within two weeks, we had various types of lettuce, kohlrabi beginning to take shape, cucumbers, and a variety of other vegetables and leafy greens—our home was brimming with life!
I thought to myself, what if I kept planting seeds in the soil, let them grow a bit, and then transferred them to the hydroponic system? This would save us a lot of money and trips to the nursery to buy starters. I tried tomatoes and Tinkerbell peppers. The mission was successfully completed, and now we have those in the new system as well.
The tomatoes, however, demanded more attention than the other plants we grew. Their roots thickened significantly until they blocked the free water flow. we had to thin them out. This eventually caused them to wither… it seems we’ll need to practice root thinning with the tomatoes a few more times until we get the hang of it 😉
What is the difference between soil-based and hydroponic growing?
| Growing in Soil | Growing Hydroponically | |
| Space | Requires a lot of space | Vertical growing saves a lot of space. |
| Length | Slow | Fast |
| Care | Constant watering, fertilizing, and soil turning | Fertilizing, monthly water cleaning and replacement, and occasional root maintenance |
| Yield | Small in relation to the used space | Very large in relation to the used space |
| Initial cost | Reasonable | Reasonable |
| Ongoing cost | Relatively inexpensive | Can be very expensive if fertilizers are purchased instead of being made by ourselves. |
As you can probably understand, hydroponic growing has many advantages that make it more attractive, yet soil-based cultivation also holds its own value for the following reasons:
- There are certain plants and trees that either cannot be grown or are not convenient to grow in a hydroponic system.
- So far, preparing starters (sowing seeds and growing them until they are ready for transfer) has personally worked better for me in soil than in a hydroponic sponge.
- It’s still enjoyable to work with soil, and it’s pleasing to the eye to see greenery spread around rather than just in the one spot where the hydroponic system is located.
- Regular hydroponic systems cannot support tree growth.
- Plants with invasive root systems are better suited to soil, where they can be grown in separate containers.
- With soil-based growing, wild plants often appear (many of which are beautiful, edible, and even medicinal) when their seeds “land” in my garden with the wind. This alone is worth a lot.
In the following table, I’ll share with you the differences I’ve experienced between growing vegetables and herbs in soil versus in a hydroponic system.
| Growing in Soil | Growing Hydroponically | |||
| Tomatoes – No significant differences |  |  | ||
| Tinkerbell Pepper – Significant quantity differences |  |  | ||
| Cucumber – Significant quantity differences |  |  | ||
In conclusion,
Choosing the right cultivation method is something each person should decide for themselves. Personally, I don’t have a single, sweeping preference—I enjoy both methods because each has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the variety of plants or trees we want to grow. In hydroponic growing, we need to actively provide all the plant’s needs. This method gives us control over the plant’s growth rate and speed, resulting in a larger yield in a shorter time. In contrast, soil-based cultivation offers the plant a natural environment with existing microorganisms. This method requires less intervention from us and is generally more cost-effective.
Whether you choose soil or hydroponic growing, the main thing is to grow!