Why do cannabis growers use hydroponics

The weed plants are placed in pots holding a medium such as rockwool. The pots are then rested on an inclined channel, preferably made of PVC pipe. Nutrients flow in a single direction within the pipes, with the excess flowing back into the reservoir with the help of a submersible pump. The system has several shortcomings. Debris and roots of plants with long growth cycles may block the pipes, causing nutrients to stop flowing. Exposing the roots to light destroys them leading to the death of the cannabis plants.

A hydroponic medium is a soil substitute for the hydro grow system. Its purpose is to hold water, nutrients, and oxygen. A medium should be inert so that it does not react with the nutrients to produce substances that could destroy the plant roots. Below is a list of the main mediums you can use to grow hydroponic weed. Air is easy to use as a medium provided you maintain the correct humidity to ensure the plant roots do not go dry.

The NFT system uses air partially, while aeroponic systems use it in entirety. Rockwool is the most commonly used medium as it holds air and water easily. However, it requires regular pH checks since it has high pH levels. In case you need a lighter medium, you can use perlite. It is made of glass or sand and does not hold nutrients for a long time. Also known as hydroton or expanded clay, these clay pellets have tiny holes for holding air and nutrients.

Expanded clay is reusable after harvesting by sterilizing it in a hydrogen peroxide-water mixture. The non-construction type of vermiculite contains traces of Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, and Magnesium minerals that will nourish your hydroponic weed even more. It has good water and air holding capacity. If you opt to use water as the primary medium for your hydroponic set up, always ensure it stays aerated using an air stone or pump to supply the roots with enough oxygen for optimal plant growth.

Other than supplying water and oxygen, you need to provide the following minerals or nutrients for your plants. To set up a simple hydroponic system, you will need equipment like water tanks, PVC pipes, timers, reservoirs, submersible pumps, and holding pots.

Depending on the type of hydroponic system you choose, the following extra equipment will come in handy. This article would be incomplete if we do not consider some of the best marijuana strains that you can grow indoors on hydro systems. These five will be a good start. The AK strain is a hybrid that gets ready for harvesting from 50 days. It has a mini Sativa dominance. A hybrid of Indian Indica and Brazilian sativa, the White Widow strain is a bit difficult to grow especially for beginners.

However, its picky nature makes it a good weed strain to grow indoors in a controlled hydro environment. It takes roughly 60 days to grow to fruition. This is a forgiving marijuana strain that still thrives despite the many mistakes you make when growing it. It is a very strong weed strain and is thus not recommended for beginner users. It has a flowering stage of 10 or more weeks hence becomes an indoor beauty to behold. Like most other Kush breeds that love hydro installations, OG Kush grows to incredible heights and may be inconvenient if your space is limited.

However, it takes less time to reach maturation when grown in hydro setups than in the traditional soil cultivation. The Afghan Kush is well resistant to pests, mold, and branch breakages if mishandled. Instead of soil, growers utilize mediums such as sand, gravel, or water with added nutrients — the most common approach for hydroponic cultivators. Hydroponics are considered to be one of the most efficient ways to cultivate, especially for indoor growing.

Because of the extra attention on nutrient and oxygen uptake, hydroponic systems offer growers more control over the cultivation process. However, if you prefer a more hands-off approach, have a limited budget, are new to growing, or just have a major old-fashioned green thumb, then you may prefer growing with soil.

Just as there are a fair amount of cons that go along with growing your cannabis the old-fashioned way, hydroponic grow operations also come with a few negatives that may be off-putting, depending on your needs and expectations.

Here are some of the most common cons that growers have come across when growing with hydroponics:. And if a hydroponic system sounds like the right path, there are quite a few different ways to approach it as a grower. One of the most important things to keep in mind is the difference between active and passive hydroponic methods. Popular mediums include rockwool, expanded clay, perlite, or vermiculite. Alternatively, active methods involve a little more attention.

Either method requires you to use a combination of the following nutrients and minerals:. Here are some of the most common hydroponic systems yielded by growers around the world:. Utilized by most hydro growers, a drip system is one of the most common ways to grow your plants without soil. This system requires a lot of attention, as the nutrient strength levels and shifts in pH levels need to be checked frequently.

Hydroponic growing is a method of growing plants without soil. This means that water rather than soil does the work, providing life to the plant with the addition of added nutrients.

In traditional growing methods using soil, the roots of the plants have to find their nutrients in the soil, whereas with hydroponic growing methods, the nutrients are dissolved directly into the water and plants sit in what is called a wet grow environment, like clay balls. Hydroponic horticulture systems also tend to take up less space than traditional growing methods, and the plants grow quicker and bigger.

When it comes to determining which is best for growing cannabis, there are pros and cons to both soil and hydroponic growing. Cannabis plants like soil that is slightly acidic and drains well. There are pros to using soil to grow cannabis, such as the fact that it has been subjectively said it makes marijuana taste better, and it is easier to grow in dirt than with hydroponics, especially for those new to producing cannabis plants.

When it comes to using a hydroponic method, some of the greater pros tend to be that you have more control over the nutrients than you do with using soil, which is why craft growers have perfected this art to create small-batch cannabis harvests using special proprietary nutrient recipes.

It also harvests faster and is less likely to fall victim to pests and soil-borne diseases. When it comes to hydroponic growing methods, there is deep water culture, ebb and flow, drip system, nutrient film technique, and the wick system. Deep Water Culture: This method is when cannabis plants are placed in buckets filled with water, nutrients, and an air pump, allowing for a constant supply of oxygen.

The simple version: Hydroponics is a way of growing plants with a blend of water and nutrients instead of soil. While humans have been growing plants without soil for eons, technology has developed in the last century.

It was used to feed troops in World War II, and later, it would be used to grow lettuce in space.