Hydroponics and Christmas Trees

We are starting to plant this years Christmas trees that are grown in compost filled plug cells, hydroponics is becoming increasingly popular, hydroponics is growing plants without compost/soil as a growing medium,

Would it be possible to grow a Christmas tree transplant to about 16 - 20cm in height using hydroponic methods all a plant needs to grow is oxygen, water, and nutrients, the nutrients is supplied naturally by the compost, in hydroponics you place the nutrients in the water and the plant goes into a non soil substrate in a pot which is then placed in water and the water level is kept constant,

With the normal method of growing plants in soil, plants get all the nutrients, water and oxygen they require through their roots from the soil. Due to the physical characteristics of soil though one or even all of these essential items may be in limited supply for the roots to pick up.

When plants are grown in water such as with a Hydroponics, As long as the system is correctly setup the Plants receive an unlimited supply of Water.Nutrients are added into the water which the plants are grown in, This ensures the plant can receive exactly the right nutrients to keep it healthy.Also an unlimited supply of oxygen is available as healthy plant roots are always in direct contact with air, although this may seem a little odd as the plants are grown in water. Usually the plant roots are not submerged.

Advantages for growing with Hydroponics

No messy soil

Less Maintenance, No need for watering of plants

Less Pests as they can’t live in the soil

Less Root disease caused by soil

Christmas tree transplants are grown in root trainer/plug cell trays if the seedlings of the Christmas trees are still grown in these with the substrate with nutrient rich water running under them they will still have food and water but will they still grow to the required size as it take about 2 years to achieve a transplant of about 16cm in height

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