Hydroponic Dragonfruit Pay-off

@Hoocho says:

There’s no plastic in the dragonfruit system… I mean other than the pots and the watering can or hose that I use to water them…
But that’s present in most gardens in general.

@Hoocho says:

@@stevem8611 the short answer to your question is no, hydroponic produce doesn’t not have a higher risk of microplastic contamination than soil produce.

Because the hydroponic method has nothing to do with plastic materials.
It’s a way of delivering nutrients

If the hydroponic system is made of plastic you can ask the question of whether the individual plastic chemistry leeches or breaks down.

So if your system is made of UV stable PP (like the hooch buckets) it is completely safe.

The 3D printed material I use is PETG which is the same material coke bottles are made of.

The question is nuanced and people tend to have a double standard demonising it in a hydroponic system… as they wander out and water their soil plants with a 20 year old PVC Garden hose that has been sitting in the sun and add bags of compost out of plastic bags they bought from a hardware store.

@Hoocho says:

@@stevem8611 the question needs to be asked, and I’m working on making all the products and materials I use to be as safe as possible to move away from materials that are more questionable.
Mainly just stay away from recycled material, and non UV stabilised stuff.

The grow bags (the ones that look like felt) are terrible… they’re basically pre formed microplastic. 🤣