Hydroponics Vs.

Compost
Mustard Greens
By: Connie Williams
Sustainable Agriculture 2014

What is Hydroponics ?
A method of growing plants using mineral nutrient
solutions, in water, without soil.

What is Compost ?
Is organic matter that has been decomposed and
recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.

The Purpose of this Experiment

To see if Mustard Greens will grow indoors with
limited space.
To determine the nutrient content that the greens
will have using Hydroponics vs. Compost.
How long it will take to grow using both methods.
To save money and have fresh local vegetables.

The Materials of this Experiment

Mustard Greens Seeds
Compost (Soil), Miracle Grow
2-6ct Starter Container
1 Gallon size Container
Fish Tank
Water
Styrofoam
7 Cotton Balls
Filter Pump

Brix Reading (reading for sucrose

content)
1 Mortar w/ Spoon

The Methods of this Experiment

Fill compost in both starter containers . Place 6-10 seeds half-way in soil.
Use a gallon-size container to make plant food mixture. Fill water up to the gallon line and place
one scoop of plant food and continuously shake to mix.
Pour plant food mixture into compost containing seeds.
Next, take fish tank and fill tank with a gallon of water and one scoop of plant food, stir and let set
for 20 minutes.
Cut the Styrofoam into a size that comfortably fits in the fish tank, and make seven holes at 1 inch
length and 3 inches length away from each hole. Be sure that there is enough space for the Filter
Pump to fit as well.
Place cotton balls in each hole. Next place a few seeds on each cotton 6-10 seeds.
Place Filter Pump on the side and plug it up.
Water the soil plants every 3-5 days, In fish tank one small scoop of miracle growth every 3-5 days.
Once plants have gotten to its destination size, take brix reading
To take brix reading, cut a few of the mustard green tops off, place top of greens in a bowl mash
greens with spoon to get juices from plant. Next place 2-3 drops of juices from plant into the brix
hole and record its reading. This will be the sucrose level of your product.

Hypothesis
Growing food in urban neighborhoods requires that we
maximize space and get the largest amount of nutritious
food from a small area of land, or maybe even a balcony. My
experiment seeks to determine which growing methods
yield more produce: soil based production or hydroponic
production. Furthermore, I am testing compost since many
urban settings have soil contamination problems and food
would be grown in box gardens above the surface. To ensure
that my comparison is realistic, I am using compost that was
obtained from the UDC Farm because its all natural.
My hypothesis is that the mustard greens with grow quicker
and thrive using the compost method.

Week One & Week Two

Week Three & Week Four

Week Five & Week Six

Bar Chart: Greens

Hydroponic vs. Compost
3.5
3

2.8

2.5
2

Growth Inches

2.6

2.5

1.5

2.2

2.2

Week 5

Week 6

1.2
1

1
0.5
0

Week
0 01

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Hydroponic
Compost

Brix Reading
A device used to measure
the refractive index of
plant juices in order to
determine the
mineral/sugar ratio of the
plant cell .
Brix reading Chart
compared to Lettuce
Hydroponics was 4 (poor)
Compost was 7 (average)

Results
Both are great ways
to grow foods indoors

Week 1 &
2

Hydroponics needed
more nutrients added. Week 3 &
Compost grew faster
and had the highest
sucrose contents.

Week 5 &
6

Hydroponi
Compost
c
No
No Growth
Growth
2-2.5
inches
1-2 inches
the soil
More
contents
nutrients
held
were added
nutrients
longer
2.5-3
2-2.2 inches
inches
Plant
Most
started to
successfu
wilt
l

Conclusion
I concluded that the
compost grew faster
and had more
nutrients/sucrose
contents
For the hydroponics I
concluded that the
nutrients got filter out
thru the pump

Water

Mustar
d
Greens
Sunlight

Nutrient
s

References
http://www.highbrixgardens.com/brix-chart-mobile.html
https://
www.hydroponics.net/learn/hydroponic_gardening_for_begin
ners.a
http://
www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/growing-compo
st
Urban Farming: Sustainable City Living in Your Backyard, in
Your Community, and in the World (written by Thomas Fox)
http://www.urbanfarming.org

Questions