Hello! welcome to my blog about designing and building hydroponics systems. What is unique about this site, and my method to hydroponics is that I am using them in somewhat different circumstances, and with very different materials than most would use.
I live on an Island in the Caribbean, and with the near perfect climate, one would wonder why hydroponics would be of any use. There are several reasons:
1. Thieves
Crime is not a huge problem on this island, but for some reason people here seem to think its totally OK to "take" plants. The problem is so bad that few even bother to grow anything at all, preferring to ship produce in from the mainland. Because of this, fresh produce and greens like lettuce are hard to find, and if you do they are in poor shape by the time they reach the island.
2. Animals
Common pests like rats and birds will help themselves to plants in a garden, but the real problem is roaming livestock. Farms here don't keep their animals (such as cows and horses) contained by fences and rarely tie them up, so its common to wake up to see your trees eaten.
3. Salt
Beautiful ocean views come at a price for gardeners, strong winds and salt spray from the waves crashing against the shore will slowly kill many plants. This is in part reason why you only see palm trees on the beach, few plants can withstand the salt that builds up on the leaves.
4. Land
Buying land here is tricky, and also expensive and not worth doing if the only reason is for the sake of your garden. Many of the people who live here don't even own the land that they themselves live on, so if you want to buy you're in for a headache. With hydroponics you can have a full, lush garden inside a tiny apartment.
5. Cheap electricity
People complain that the electricity on the island is ridiculously expensive. But in my experience everyone in the world complains about their electrical bill no matter what it is. When we rented a two bedroom house here, our bill was on average around $11 US per month. That included a fridge and other appliances, so a few grow lights isn't likely to make a dent.
