The
advantage to hydroponic vegetable gardening indoors is the fact that
plants can be grown year round. Plants grown outdoors only have enough
time to produce food or flowers once, possibly twice a year, but this
food is desired year round. This has created a huge global market for
fresh vegetables. During winter in the northern hemisphere, fresh fruit
and vegetables are imported from farming countries in the southern hemisphere,
where it is their growing season.
This desire for fresh fruits and vegetables has created a huge shipping
industry devoted to supplying fresh foods, but at a high cost. Hydroponic
vegetable gardening indoors is helping to alleviate that cost by allowing
food to be grown indoors and out of season. With a greenhouse, light
can easily enter and temperature is easily regulated but the length
sunlight is still a major factor.
Hydroponic vegetable gardening indoors often requires the addition
of a grow light for maximum effect. These can increase the amount of
day time that the plant perceives, allowing them to flower in winter,
and then again in spring, summer and fall. Controlling the light cycle
can have beneficial or detrimental effects on plants depending on how
they are used. Having the lights continuously on is good for growth,
but prevents flowering. Different combinations of light cycles have
to be understood before attempting to grow without sunlight.