What Is Soilless Cultivation? A Detailed Explanation of the Key Technical Points

Many vegetables and fruits are now grown using soilless cultivation, because this method saves more resources, reduces labor, and increases yields. Below, let us take a look at what soilless cultivation is and what the related technical points are.

1. What is soilless cultivation?

Soilless cultivation is a growing technique that does not use soil; instead, the roots absorb a manually prepared nutrient solution, and mechanized planting is used to produce seedlings in one go. For soilless cultivation to succeed, the ratio and concentration of the nutrient solution must be well controlled. Common soilless cultivation methods include mist cultivation, water cultivation, and substrate cultivation.

1. Mist cultivation

This soilless cultivation method compresses the prepared nutrient solution into a mist and sprays it onto the roots of the plants. The roots hang suspended in the middle of the container. In fact, it can also be considered a form of water cultivation.

2. Water cultivation

The water cultivation method means placing the roots of the vegetables or fruits being grown directly in the nutrient solution, without using a substrate, so the roots directly absorb the nutrient solution to grow. Compared with soil cultivation, the main root is more prone to degeneration.

3. Substrate cultivation

Substrate cultivation is one of the more commonly used soilless cultivation methods. The main practice is to fix the roots of the fruits or vegetables being grown onto an inorganic or organic substrate. Then the nutrient solution is supplied to the plants through trickle irrigation. This growing method requires a relatively small investment, saves resources, and has low costs, so it is favored by growers everywhere.

Soilless cultivation has many advantages. It can speed up the growth of vegetable or fruit seedlings and save time in raising seedlings. In addition, this method removes the worry of insufficient water or nutrients and makes scientific management more convenient.

2. What are the key points of soilless cultivation techniques?

1. Strict water quality requirements

Because the nutrient solution in soilless cultivation is very closely related to water quality, poor water quality may cause soilless cultivation to fail. This is especially true for water cultivation among the three methods: if the concentration and some elements are not adequate, toxic effects will directly occur. Generally, the water suitable for soilless cultivation is rainwater, neutral water.

2. Preparing the nutrient solution

The most critical part of soilless cultivation is the preparation of the nutrient solution. Different plants require different concentrations of nutrient solution, so considerable effort must be put into this aspect.

3. Choosing a suitable substrate

Many types of substrate can be chosen for soilless cultivation. You can adapt to local conditions and choose a substrate suitable for the vegetables or fruits you are growing according to the local substrate sources. When choosing a substrate, try to choose one that is relatively cheap and easy to obtain.

In summary, soilless cultivation is a scientific growing method with many advantages, but not all vegetables and fruits can use this growing method. In addition, you also need to master the related growing techniques.