The lousy economy over the past few years boasts a silver lining in the temperate Floridian climate where I live. Some folks who lost their jobs have started small farms or expanded existing ones, many of them growing local, organic produce.
While this is a fantastic turn of events, unfortunately, some of these farms have chosen to grow organic hydroponics instead of soil based produce.
Why do I use the word “unfortunately” and “organic” in the same sentence, you may ask?
The reason is because organic hydroponic produce produces big, watery fruit that is very low in mineral content. In a nutshell, organic hydroponics is not nutrient dense food and is basically a waste of money!
The essential problem with hydroponic farming arises through its use of a mineral based solution to grow and nourish the plants instead of soil. Some hydroponic operations even rely on artificial lighting. Proponents of organic hydroponics claim that their produce is just as good as organic produce grown in soil. Such claims are extremely short sighted. To actually assume that an artificial growing environment could ever come close to the perfection of nature is just plain silly!
No mineral solution can ever take the place of black, worm filled, organic soil that is carefully tended and worked by the farmer season after season.
Organic Hydroponics Test Poor Nutritionally
The proof that organic hydroponic produce is relatively nutritionless can be easily and quickly measured with an instrument called a refractometer. Nutritional measurement is performed by squeezing a couple of drops of liquid from the produce to be tested onto the prism of the refractometer and reading the results. The juice should be from the part of the plant that you would actually eat, not the stem or the roots, for example.
The refractometer (click here for a picture of one) measures the amount of carbohydrate and dissolved minerals in the juice. Sweeter, riper produce will therefore test higher brix than unripe produce. Calcium is one of the minerals that increases substantially in high brix produce. The minerals in high brix produce are readily and easily assimilated when eaten because they are in naturally chelated form. This means they are attached to amino acids and are biologically active unlike the same minerals found in a rock, for example.
High Brix Produce Tastes Better
Animals instinctively prefer high brix plants. Cows given a choice of hay will choose the one with higher brix. Cows which graze on high brix grass will produce more nutrient dense milk, butter, and cream too!
Given a choice, humans will choose high brix produce as well because the taste is so much better! Taste will always tell you if the produce is high brix or not. Ever had tomato sauce made from 15 brix tomatoes? It is an experience you will never forget! Organic hydroponic tomatoes generally test at a measly 2 or 3.
Pathetic indeed for the organic price premium you pay per pound!
High Brix Produce Lasts a Long Time Without Rotting
High brix produce is resistant to insects, disease and rot. Have you ever noticed how that box of organic hydroponic strawberries from the store looked so beautiful on the shelf but a mere 2 days later, the berries have developed large spots of rot that have to be cut away?
Produce that rots quickly is indicative of low nutrition, poor quality fruit – organic or not!
What to Choose? (Hint: NOT Organic Hydroponics)
Even local produce grown in soil using conventional means will generally beat out organic hydroponics when measured for mineral content. This is why I tell folks to seek out local produce at farmer’s markets that is grown in dirt, not hydroponically. Buying at farmers’ markets is a great way to seek out quality produce as you can ask the farmer directly how the produce was grown.
Ultimately, the highest brix produce I’ve ever come across is from people’s personal gardens. Working the soil on a small, personal patch of ground yourself is an activity that consistently produces spectacular results. My Mother-in-Law in Australia has a small garden that has the thickest layer of worm filled, black dirt I’ve ever seen. She has been working this soil with compost and other natural fertilizers for over 10 years. There is no doubt that the produce she grows in this dirt is more nutritious and higher brix than any organic produce to be found at the store!
So, actively seek out high brix produce, not just organic and especially not organic hydroponics. Your taste buds and your wallet will thank you.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Weston A. Price Foundation
4 Steps to Keep Monsanto OUT of Your Garden!
Heirloom vs Hybrid Produce
Hydroponic Invasion of USDA Organic
What about Dr. Murray’s work with sea water in hydroponics in his book and then Charles Walters, the late editor of Acres Fertility from the Ocean Deep? I might have got the title wrong. Would using sea agri chemicals help the hydroponic produce with a higher brix reading. I am pro soil, but have read a lot about hydroponics and I’m just curious.
Hello. I just came across this article while doing some research on whether I should start an organic, soil-based garden, or a hydroponic garden based on the nutrient quality of the end result. It definitely seemed like a good article, until I read the comments and did some further research. As Hobby Baker commented, the refractometer only measures the concentration of sucrose (cane sugar) in water. [ http://www.bs-ltd.com/general_pdfs/techb_pdfs/R016.pdf ] Some hydro produce can tend to contain more water, thus giving it a lower reading. That reading, however, does not indicate the actual nutritional values of that particular produce. According to an article written by Nkrumiah Frazier from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Office of Sustainability, “Another obvious benefit of hydroponically-grown produce is enhanced nutrition. Compared to their soil-bound counterparts, fruits, vegetables and herbs grown hydroponically typically offer a significantly increased amount of the vitamins and minerals that we all need to maintain good health.” [ http://www.usm.edu/blogs/green/2009/01/the-great-debate-organic-farmi.html ] I am not saying one is right and one is wrong because so far, I have yet to find an article with documented, scientific research, that includes controls, variables, the whole 9-yards, to back their statements. I agree that you should not write an end-all-to-be-all article on a subject based on a test you performed using an instrument whose readings are often misunderstood, according the the PDF link I entered earlier in this post. You can see by some of the other posts, just how influential articles like these can be. For me, I shall continue my research with an open mind….
There is no cane sugar in fruits and vegetables! If this is true, why are some fruits and veggies much higher than others? Measuring the dissolved solids in the juice of the produce which is exactly what the refractometer does and is indicative of other minerals present. It is a very good indication of the quality and nutritional value of produce.
Actually a general TDS or PPM test is usually done via an EC meter. Total dissolved solids in water directly changes the electrical conductivity of the liquid. This still would not prove your point as it doesn’t target specific minerals.
One piece of fruit having more natural sugars than another is completely normal.
On top of that, hydroponic produce is usually most popular due to a lack of chemicals/pesticides, not for the produce somehow being super powered.
Facepalm
This post is full of false and misleading information posted by someone who obviously has zero knowledge of botany and of how plants grow.
-The only difference between soil and hydroponic is the medium in which the plants grow, one being soil, the other being soil-less, could be water, perlite, hydroton, rockwool, etc etc
– The very vast majority of studies made on nutrient content, macro and micro, of soil vs hydroponic clearly find that hydroponic has a higher nutritional value due to higher efficiency in absorption of nutrients.
-Most of the epidemic and diseases of the so called “perfect nature soil” are soil borne disease. E. Coli, Salmonella…Yup, the same ones that kill our kids. I agree that at some point the soil was good, but it is no more, having been abused by the farmers themselves, drenched in herbicide and pesticide year after year. I understand that the image of the farmer working the soil with his hands like back in the days can sound romantic, but the reality is that big agri business with no souls grows what we eat, the use all chemicals possible, gmo seeds, their run offs pollute our source of water, and the kill every living thing around what they grow.
Hydroponic has none of these problems. Don’t believe me? Those gorgeous California strawberries you eat are actually fumigated using Methyl Bromide. Google it, you’ll see just how “natural” and “perfect” that method is.
-We have also messed up mother nature so much with our pollution and abuse of ressources that now we are faced with unpredictable weather, more drought, floods, natural catastrophies, earthquakes, etc etc. All these factors combined with the increase in world population threathen our food supply. What is the only method that can shield the plants from the elements, delivers higher yields of higher quality produce in a consistent manner? You guessed it, it’s hydroponics :)h
I don’t mean to be a jerk or anything, but I find it dangerous that people in a position to influence a certain readership that the liberty to spread downright false information. Some research clearly should have been done…
I don’t eat gorgeous CA strawberries. I eat gorgeous local Florida strawberries grown in the ground. I hate the organic hydroponic ones. They are huge and full of water and have no taste compared with the smaller, natural ones grown in the dirt.
I have done research on this … with a brix meter in my own home. Hydroponics are low low low in brix. Totally not worth the money. Show me hydroponic produce and I’ll show you produce that rots quickly and is low in nutrients. From a consumer standpoint, that’s all I need to know. Scientific mumbo jumbo won’t convince me when the practicality is there for me to observe clearly on my own.
Oh dear… your not too bright are you. Religious too I bet.
I think Sarah must re do her research.
First of all, there is no such thing as true organic hydroponics. This is because of the classification of chemicals and compounds listed as truly organic is a very short list.
Second, I’m inclined to lean towards Hobby Baker’s way of thinking. Hydroponic grow methods can produce (and do produce) much higher nutrient levels. Maybe you should look up farms like eurofresh, hydrohuts or 3 boys farm to gain a realistic perspective on closed hydroponic systems. Hydrohuts for example utilizes a system of monitoring that you simply can not achieve with soil farming. Making the end result precise and delicious. Not over water filled or bland, and lacking in nutritional value.
Lastly, you certainly can grow plants just as good indoors as you can outdoors. Of course things to consider when running an indoor operation include temperature control (heating/cooling) and energy costs. Most of the major commercial operations in the Netherlands for examplem, are indoor.
I just got the brix meter today and tested all the fresh produce I have. It all tested at the higher end of poor except for the apples – they tested good. I get all my produce from a local, organic farm (CSA.) I'm incredibly bothered by this as I expected to at least get an average reading on the produce. It's definitely frustrating.
Tina
You need to research things a little more before you believe them (no offence)
Read the post by ‘Hobby Baker’ he explains what you need to know about Brix measurements. They are NOT indicative of nutrient levels in the plant.
It just makes intuitive sense that plants grown in rich organic soil would be better-tasting and better for you than the same crops grown in a nutrient solution. It's like the difference between eating whole foods and taking a multi-vitamin pill. There are complex synergies going on in food and soil that we don't yet understand nor have the tests to measure.
Hi Sarah – is this the post you are talking about?
http://www.agriculturesociety.com/?p=4921
Hopefully that's it. I think this is the only one I've done on soil yet, but this topic is really important, so I hope it's something people start paying attention to improve the nutritional value of foods they are growing, as well as being mindful of where the food they are buying comes from with regard to the quality of soil and farming methods used. 🙂
I agree that hydroponics produce larger, more watery vegetables. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the nutritional value is less. I used Brix refractometers in school and my job and ºBrix is simply a measure of sugar content, specifically sucrose content. Of course the hydroponically grown produce will have a lower reading: ºBrix is inversely proportional to water content because the water dilutes the sample. But you also have to take into consideration the maturity, ash content (which would tell you more about the mineral content than brix), storage conditions, and processing of the sample. I may not want my produce watered down, but side by side measurements simply tell me one tomato has more sugar than the other. Of course the sweeter one will taste better and we naturally prefer it that way. I have actually put a bit of sugar in the soil when planting tomatoes as an old wives way of sweetening the harvest. ☺ I don't mean to be contradictory but this perked up my science ears. I spent years working in various food labs and doing proximate and component analyses so I question the current validity of this use of refractometers. I would want to normalize samples for moisture content or water activity and use a conversion factor to get comparable results. Truly though, I would be much more interested in ash value. You'd need access to an ash oven (muffle furnace) though and that's something you'd only find in a lab or food production facility. I think a better understanding of any relationship between Brix values and vegetable quality parameters is needed before ºBrix value can be accepted as a quality indicator of vegetables. I'd certainly be interested in seeing those studies though. That's the kind of interesting subject that made me choose food science in the first place. ☺
Sarah, you increase the brix rating of soil and plants by increasing the nutrients in the soil.
This is usually done by adding natural soil enrichers such as kelp and compost. Also used is humic and fulvic acid, which is basically ancient decayed plant matter. One grassfed farmer I know actually poured the milk from his cows into the ground, though he mainly used humic and fulvic acid.In couple of years, he doubled the grass yield from his land, and the grass was particularly sweet, indicating a high brix content.
Oh, nevermind – you just brix the grass??
Sarah nice article. Although it seems you are dogging hydroponics altogether. I agree organic hydroponics is a new and challenging method vs traditional hydroponics which uses the purest chemicals prepared exactly to the levels and in the form the plants need to absorb and hence producing high brix. To say traditional hydroponic grown food is not as healthy as soil grown food is not true. Remember the chemicals used in traditional hydroponics come from nature also, they are just prepared to a nitrate form for plants to absorb vs the sulfate form in nature that plants cannot absorb but this feeds the micro ecosystem in the soil that then poops out the nitrate form the plants then absorb. In the end, traditional hydroponics or organic soil farming, the plant is absorbing the identical chemical ions and if they are the right amount available for the plant to absorb, then high brix food is the out come. Since this article was written 3 years ago, I can see that the organic hydroponic farming techniques are developing, using vermicompost etc so the produce should be better. Have you tried aquaponically grown produce? High brix too if the system is set up right.
Chris,
Can you post some Brix results from High Brix Aquaponics or Hydroponics – that way we would have something to quantify.
All in all produce quality is horrible, regardless of growing method… It is sad that we have to hunt the good stuff, usually without good results!