The right hydroponic cabinet can make your indoor urban gardening much easier and provide much greater control over the process. This is especially important if you are a city apartment dweller with limited space. Hydroponic cabinets - also called hydroponic grow boxes - are not expensive, and can easily pay for themselves by producing an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

Following Nature's Lead
Although the idea of hydroponics and hydroponic grow cabinets can sound very high-tech and "sciencey," the basic concept is grounded in simple good gardening practices. Hydroponics grow boxes allow us to imitate Nature.

Consider that in order to grow in a healthy manner, a plant requires only three things:
- light
- water
- food

Hydroponic grow cabinets make it possible to reproduce these conditions in virtually any environment while giving complete control of these elements to you, the hydroponic gardener. It is no coincidence that the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is taking a close look at incorporating hydroponic cabinets into the design of outer space habitats.

Let There Be Light
Control over lighting is the most important aspect of a hydroponic cabinet. Although all plants use light energy in order to convert nutrients into food throughout their lives, different plants have different light requirements and various growth stages. In the spring and summer, when the sun is high in the sky, the predominant end of the spectrum is blue. Just as it would be in an outdoor situation, blue light in hydroponic cabinets provide the young plant with a strong foundation and large blooms. Later, when these plants mature and it's time for bearing fruit, you will want to switch the lights in your hydroponic grow boxes to the red spectrum - which is the type of light predominantly available during the late summer and fall.

Of course, the advantage here of hydroponics grow boxes is that you are not bound by the calendar. Plants grow much faster in hydroponics grow cabinets and you could enjoy multiple harvests each year!

Costs
The price of a hydroponic cabinet is less than you might think, and can save you tremendous time and energy (not to mention expense) when starting a hydroponic garden. However, it pays to do some comparison shopping; not every hydroponic cabinet is the same, and you may do well to pay extra for a quality unit rather than trying to save money purchasing a lower-priced one that may not be as dependable.