Soil vs. Hydro: Which is Better for Indoor Growing?

In 2017, when we talk about soil vs hydro plantations, we’re usually referring to indoor vs outdoor growing. This is because indoor mediums are rarely 100% soil. People tend to use substrates like coco coir and rockwool, which are soilless mixtures. Most fully-soil operations out there will be found in outdoor plantations. Let’s dive into what the differences between hydroponic and soil growing actually are.

Soil

Indoor plants prefer rich soil that allows for maximum drainage, in fact, many growers switch out soil for perline to increase drainage. Nutrient rich materials like earthworm castings or manure can be added to improve the health of your greens and make sure the crop gets everything it needs. Plants absorb nutrients from soil, so during the flowering stage it’s important to use just the right kind and amount of nutrients to maximize your yields and prevent any a nutrient deficiency. Even with the best soil you will still need to supplement some nutrients to maximize your results.

Pros:

• Many claim that organically grown soil makes the indoor plants taste much better.
• Soil is much more forgiving for beginning growers when compared to hydroponics.

Cons:

• Indoor plants will grow slower in soil when compared against plants that were grown in hydroponic environments.
• Plants will be slower to recover from problems and show signs much later in soil.
• Lower yields are harvested with soil compared to other growing methods.

Hydro

Hydroponics is growing indoor plants by using any growing medium other than soil. These alternatives (which are often combined) include gravel, coco coir, sand, mister air, vermiculite, peat moss, perlite, hydroton, and/or just water. During the entire process you must provide the plant with all its nutrients by way of its water supply.

Pros:

• Nutrient levels are easily controlled and managed on a micro scale.
• Plants grow faster, giving you more harvests each year when growing indoors.
• No worries about indoor plants or soil-born pests and diseases.
• Grows can be entirely automated with hydroponic systems.
• Problems can be solved much more quickly compared to soil grows.

Cons:

• Hydroponically grown indoor plants doesn’t have as good of a taste as soil grown.
• Problems can overtake plants much more quickly in a hydroponic system .
• Hydroponic grows aren’t always easy for beginners, especially when using complicated growing methods.

 The pros and cons of each method

What differentiates these two methods is mainly a matter of yield vs quality. Growing outdoors with a soil medium will generally allow for much higher yields. Outside, there is no height limitation and with soil, the roots can grow and branch out freely. With proper care, a soil medium can help you grow plants that are 2m tall, offering more than 400g of quality bud per plant. Using hydroponic methods in an indoor operation won’t allow for indoor plants this tall. Therefore, yields won’t be as high because the roots are limited by the size and volume of your coco coir, mesh pot, water bucket, grow room, etc.

Quality works in the opposite way. It’s much easier to control an indoor hydroponic plantation. You’ll be giving the plant the exact nutrients it needs under the perfect indoor grow lights(maybe you use the best led grow light) in an environment with the ideal humidity. This will also allow you to automate most of the growing process.

Soil is not as controllable. When growing indoor plants outside, there will be temperature changes, uncontrollable wind, and even humidity variations. These are hard to predict and impossible to master. One can only adapt to the outside environment and hope for the best. Soil also contains organic matter and bacteria that might not be too favourable for your plant’s health. These will be hard to identify until visual changes manifest on the plant.

You’ll have to base your decision on finding the best combination of quantity and quality for your situation. Soil is a much more familiar medium than hydroponics and is more advisable for first time growers. There is a lot of information out there. Conduct further research to make a more informed decision.

Final verdict

At the end of the day, it is easy to see that hydroponics offer a great deal to any indoor grower. Hydroponics are often seen as the ultimate option for people who want large, fast harvests in an indoor grow tent. If you are growing smaller harvests, soil can be an excellent option for a personal stash, but professional harvests have to have a hydroponics system in almost every case.

Also in Indoor Growing Guides