May 28, 2013

Is Hydroponics In Your Future? By Tim Hodson

Last week, I read an article about a company who is leasing space in the greenhouses at the former Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, Calif., to grow kale, spinach and lettuce using hydroponic growing techniques.

The company, Go Green Agriculture, is kind of like a high-tech horticulture start-up. It is leasing 6 acres of greenhouse space from the Leichtag Foundation that bought the 67-acre Ecke property last year. Company CEO Pierre Sleiman does not have a horticulture background, but began tinkering with hydroponics while he was still a college student studying computer science and business.

Sleiman told The Coast News that it took him a while to figure out exactly how he could grow in a soil-free environment, but after some trial-and-error, he is now growing crops year-round in the Encinitas greenhouses. Today, Sleiman says, the company is producing hydroponically-grown vegetables for local restaurants and grocery stores and is looking to expand in the future.

You can learn more about Go Green Agriculture at www.gogreenagriculture.com.

Have You Considered Hydroponics?

Growers say they are turning to hydroponics for certain crops because they like the control that they have over the growing process. They like using the soil-free environment to be able to control crop quality, pests, diseases and other growing conditions to produce their products.

Does your company use hydroponics? If so, how long have you been growing hydroponically and what kinds of crops are you growing? In your opinion, what are the benefits to growing hydroponically? Are there any drawbacks?

If you currently are not using hydroponics, is your company considering using hydroponic growing techniques? If so, when do you plan to incorporate the technology?

Drop me a line at thodson@greatamericanpublish.com and let me know what you are doing or plan to do with hydroponics in your greenhouses.

– Tim