Recirculating vs. Drain-to-Waste Hydroponic Systems
CropKing hydroponic systems can be placed into two broad categories: drain-to-waste and recirculating. A drain-to-waste system delivers a nutrient solution to the crops and the “run-off" is expelled. Sometimes these systems are also referred to as “feed to waste” systems. In comparison, a recirculating system delivers a nutrient solution to the crops and the “run-off” is returned back to the reservoir to be fed to the crops again. Many growers want to use recirculating systems in order to conserve as much water as possible, but growing certain crops using recirculating systems may become more expensive, require special care, and in some cases, growers may end up using more water than growing the same crops using drain-to-waste systems. The pros and cons of each are outlined below:
|
Drain-to-Waste |
Re-circulating |
|
Pros |
|
|
|
|
Cons |
|
|
|