7 essentials to start your own hydroponic garden in UAE, for 2023

7 essentials to start your own hydroponic garden in UAE, for 2023

If traditional seems daunting, try going soil-less. Lettuce, spinach, cilantro and other leafy vegetables will grow just fine in water, always available for picking, for a gratifying farm-to-table experience. Set up a hydroponic system in a kitchen corner or on the window sill; as long as there's water, light and nutrients, you'll enjoy fresh ingredients all year round. Hydroponic farming replaces soil as the medium and focuses on growing greens in nutrient-rich water. Interestingly, aquaculture uses less water than soil-based systems. For home gardeners, hydroponics gives them the opportunity to grow a vegetable bed, without a balcony or an outdoor space. "In soil cultivation, you need land, an irrigation system, manure, compost, and other essentials. With this new technology, you can grow food in a very small space. Hydroponics is also very mobile in nature. If you're moving, you can easily reinstall the system in your new apartment," said Harish Hebbale, a horticulturist with Souq Garden, a plant retailer and landscaping service provider in the UAE. There are fewer incidences of soil-borne diseases and pests, too, which may make traditional gardening stressful. Plus, with children around, Hebbale considers this form of gardening to be a fun, learning activity at home: