Hydroponics involves growing your plants in an inert medium like a reservoir of water with all the required nutrients absorbed directly from the water. Hydroponic cannabis represents the weed plants grown in a nutrient-water solution and an inert growing medium and not the traditional soil. The grows can be as simple as watering pots of inert medium with a nutrient solution or an impressive setup complete with sophisticated systems consisting of multiple pumps, and reservoirs. Hydroponic weed growing is preferred as it maximizes yield, speeds up growth, and is much easier to control-something absent with indoor soils based grows.
Why Hydroponics
Weed plants grow faster and you can harvest over a shorter time. The weed plants grow up to 20% faster than when grown in soil. The plants are also less likely to get bugs, pests, or weeds during growth. The buds are also way more potent.
The delivery of nutrients is much more precise as you mix up the nutrients with water and change new water a few times a month introducing new water with more measured nutrients.
Automated hydroponic cannabis growing will give you more control over the nutrient levels, pH, PPM, and you can customize your growth. This close monitored process yields 20-25% more yield than that of soil-grown weed and in an even smaller space.
Growdirector hydroponic system in the growth process.
Equipment needed
A grow environment: a grow tent is recommended but you can also set up your grow in your home from scratch in a designated space.
Grow light; you can get the specific grow light or a 250W 400W or 600W HPS grow light when you are starting out.
Inert medium; sustainable alternative for soil and they provide better aeration and moisture retention. Can be clay pebbles, Rockwool, Perlite, or Coco coir.
Hydroponic Nutrients: there are different nutrients you can get like GH Flora trio, Calimagic (Cal-Mag supplement), and Hydro guard. Plants will require Macroelements like Nitrogen, and Microelements Like Iron.
The seeds: Hydroponic strains include white widow, Royal dwarf,
Hydroponic garden system:
Aeroponics; growing without a medium. Plants are suspended mid-air inside a chamber kept at 100% humidity and fed with a fine spray of nutrient solution.
Continuous flow: uses PVC tubes with holes at the top for plants in a holder and nutrients fed down the pipe.
Deep Water Culture DWC-plants submerged in root nutrient system with an air rock.
Ebb and Flow- nutrient solution fills tray set above the reservoir and ebbs back into reservoir feeding plants and roots located on the tray.
Setting up your garden
Set up your reservoir where your nutrient solution will be held.
Build your grow table where excess runoff water will be collected and returned to the reservoir.
Add your inert medium and check whether the drain is properly connected.
Connect the air pipe and drip line emitters then check whether the setup is running perfectly.
Create your nutrient water solution and then insert your plants. Connect the water source and check moisture distribution.