I have always loved growing my own food (when I could), even in soil. I've just always considered it a way of life to grow plants, rather than a hobby. For me I have a hard time calling it a hobby. But living in the desert now, and with the deserts soil and weather conditions. I consider growing hydroponically, really the only way to grow anymore. But I'll have to say I spend a lot of time researching things like plant diseases, pest and insect control,
nutrient deficiency and toxicity symptoms, beneficial microbes, cost effective ways to control the nutrient solution temps, as well as greenhouse environment etc. etc. etc.. If it has to do with plant biology or hydroponics, it's of interest. Even researching specific crops, growing them commercially, if their grown hydroponically in commercial farms. If so, finding out details about how commercial farms do it. As well as low cost economical methods they use, including the type of
growing medium they use etc..
I probably spend about 4 hours a day on the computer researching hydroponic related topics, not to mention the time I spend in the forum. I've wound up comping much more information than I even have time to read. That dosen't even include the books I want to get. Or the fact that I've been working on, and almost finished with a business plan for starting a year round hydroponically grown "live fresh herbs" farm for selling to our local community. Even though I don't have anything growing at the moment, I still somehow seem to manage to spend a few minutes each day on the ""hobby.""