At home, where the issue isn't maximizing productivity, organic gardening techniques are fine. In our organic soil-based garden we mulch, use organic fertilizers (composted manure) and compost to amend our soil. We plant garlic, chives, and marigolds around our vegetables which helps with pest control. Ladybugs and lacewings also help to control pests. We rotate crops. We do not use inorganic pesticides. In fact we use no pesticides. But we are using considerably more water than with our hydroponically grown crops. And we are spending much more time maintaining our garden. And our yields are less. And we are dealing (somewhat ineffectively) with pests. And we really don't know if our soil and microbe environment is optimal. But we do the dance anyway. We are not only comparing traditional agriculture with hydroponics, but we are embracing a connection to the earth. In essence we are embracing a future while not throwing out the past.

Continue Reading