Hydroponic Weed: Pros, Cons, Methods, and More

Growing your own cannabis is a labor of love, and hydroponic weed has become one of the most popular techniques for indoor growers all around the world.

Whether you live in a state where growing your own plants is legal or have to keep things low-key, hydroponic cannabis cultivation may aid your business.

What Is Hydroponic Weed?

Hydroponic cannabis is a form of agriculture that grows plants in a soilless yet nutritious manner. In place of dirt, hydroponic farmers use media like sand, pebbles, or water with nutrients as their primary approach for hydroponics.

Hydroponics are one of the most effective methods for growing, especially indoors.

Hydroponics, as a result of their increased focus on nutrient and oxygen uptake, provide growers greater control over the growth process. They’re also less prone to be infested (requiring no pesticides), and they assist plants in growing faster.

If you have the time and patience to focus on your plants’ development, growing hydroponic cannabis may be a fantastic alternative for you. If you want to take a more hands-off approach, don’t have much money, are new to gardening, or just have an amazing old-fashioned green thumb, however, growing with dirt might be a better option for you.

Fortunately, we’ve already done the legwork for you, breaking down the benefits and drawbacks of hydroponics farming so you can make an informed decision.

Best Hydro Weed Strain

Over the internet, there are hundreds of cannabis strains to choose from. However, we believe the following five are a fantastic mix of being simple to produce and having a lot of yield:

• Gorilla Glue
• Black Diamond
• Jack Herer
• Blue Dream
• Amnesia Haze
• Bubba Kush

The Pros of Growing Hydroponic Cannabis

Before we get into the complicated mechanics of this sort of operation, let’s talk about the benefits of growing cannabis hydroponically versus in soil.

• Because of the closer management of the process, your plants typically produce more output from smaller growth areas.
• For the same reason, hydroponic marijuana may lead to higher-quality plants.
• You may have a better chance of saving weaker, at-risk plants by monitoring their feeding schedule and nutrition.
• You may grow weed hydroponically without using pesticides because there is no soil to worry about.
• Hydroponic cannabis matures far more quickly, allowing you to harvest up to six times each year.
• Water stress is unlikely to affect a hydroponic system for weed since you will be monitoring it regularly.
• Hydroponics allows you to grow your plants in less space, which is great for people with limited growing area or who wish to keep their operation a secret.

The Cons of Growing Hydroponic Weed

Like any other type of agriculture, growing cannabis in a hydroponic technique has its own set of drawbacks. While there are several disadvantages to cultivating cannabis the traditional way, hydroponic grow operations also have certain drawbacks that might be unpleasant depending on your requirements and expectations.

Here are some of the most prevalent drawbacks that growers have encountered when growing with hydroponics:

• Hydroponic systems for cannabis may be pricey, especially if you get into the nitty gritty. If you’re producing wholesale marijuana for the adult-use market or just for personal use, hydroponics might not be cost-effective for your requirements.
• To get the most out of growing cannabis hydroponically, you must first have a thorough understanding of the technicalities involved. For recreational/personal use growers, this may not be worth it for you.
• Pesticides, pests, and water stress are all less prevalent in hydroponic systems as a result of the absence of soil. Water-borne illnesses are also more likely to occur in hydroponic systems, and when they do, they can be extremely hazardous and difficult to control.
• If your system is powered by electricity or timers, you run the danger of losing everything if the power goes out.

Different Types of Hydroponic Systems for Weed

Now that you know about the major advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic marijuana cultivation, you’ve probably already decided whether or not this approach will work for you. If a hydroponics system seems like the best way forward for a grower, there are numerous options to consider.

The distinction between active and passive hydroponic techniques is one of the most crucial things to bear in mind.

Passive methods, on the other hand, will require a “medium,” which is simply a soil substitute that contains the nutrients, water, and oxygen your roots need to flourish. Rockwool, expanded clay, perlite, or vermiculite are all common media.

Active methods, on the other hand, require a little more involvement. In these instances, the grower will apply the nutrients to the plant actively, resulting in a more hands-on, customized approach for the plants’ requirements.

A mixture of the following nutrients and minerals is required for both methods:

• Copper
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Nitrogen
• Iron
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Chlorine
• Boron
• Manganese

You can implement any technique you want as long as you have the necessary nutrients. You’re free to experiment with any approach if you have these critical nutrients (and don’t misuse them). Here are a handful of popular hydroponic systems produced by growers all around the world:

#1) Drip System

The most common technique to cultivate plants without soil is by utilizing a drip system. The nutrients in this system are intended to “drip” down the top of the pot via a tube or anything similar.

The roots of your plant will also be bathed in a timer-controlled nutrient solution, and any extra nutrients that didn’t previously go down the plant’s root system. This method needs constant monitoring since the nutrient strength levels and pH changes must be checked on a regular basis.

#2) Deep Water Culture

The Deep Water Culture System is a very basic hydroponic cannabis grow system. It’s something that beginning or cost-conscious growers tend to use. Each plant is contained in its own pot with a deep water culture system.

The pots are put in a tray and submerged in water. Nutrients will be added to the water, which is kept oxygenated with air pumps.

You’ll also want to be sure that your roots aren’t continuously immersed in water and have adequate access to oxygen with this method.

#3) Wick System

This system is simple to set up and requires no moving components. A cotton or yarn wick will supply nutrients to your plants. Larger plants might consume the nutrients too quickly, so this technique is best for smaller plants.

A flood and drain system is simple but not very efficient, especially if you have a big-scale grow operation in mind. A wick system is better suited to a low-maintenance, personal-use grower who isn’t required to fulfill any commercial demands.

#4) Ebb and Flow System

The principle of ebb and flow systems is easy enough for farmers to comprehend. These hydroponic systems are powered by a pump that floods the grow tray with vital nutrients, which then drain back into a reservoir.

A timer will also ensure that the roots soak up nutrients and oxygen throughout the day, thanks to a submerged pump.

The pump timer is prone to power outages, time failures, and pump failures, which is something to bear in mind if your business has a lot of money riding on it.

#5) Nutrient Film Technique

The Nutrient Film Technique method is best suited to the more seasoned grower who has a technical understanding of hydroponic cultivation.

This method, which is frequently known as the ebb and flow system, uses a medium like rockwool to keep plants supplied with nutrients as they grow.

However, if you don’t take other measures to protect your plants’ roots from drying out too fast, this procedure might result in their dying.

Because it necessitates constant temperature and oxygen monitoring, as well as the possibility of a power outage destroying everything,

Hydroponic Weed: Tips And Tricks For Success 

There are a lot of different strategies to make growing hydroponic cannabis work for you, whether you’re a long-time grower, a beginner, or somewhere in between. But, before you start your new cannabis journey, remember to keep some of these suggestions in mind for optimal success.

• Keep your equipment sterile. This can’t be emphasized enough – to prevent bacteria from growing and spreading, your hydroponic system must be absolutely sterile. Keep your plants safe from water-borne illnesses, which are more likely to spread in hydro gardens.
• Keep a close eye on water pH. Maintaining the proper pH levels for your hydro grow system is critical to its success. A somewhat acidic pH level encourages beneficial fungus growth, which is advantageous to cannabis.
• Keep just as close an eye on temperature and oxygen levels. The two are inextricably linked: excellent air circulation helps to maintain ideal temperature levels, which are beneficial for healthy cannabis plants.
• Make sure the right humidity levels are maintained. This can be difficult, but it’s critical for indoor operations to develop. You’ll start with a high humidity level and decrease it over time as plants grow.
• Make sure your light setup is working for you (and your plants). Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem, but adequate lighting is critical for plant development. Assess your circumstances (room size, temperature, natural light exposure, plant size, etc.) and make any necessary adjustments.

Conclusion, hydroponic cannabis growing can be difficult to beat!

Many individuals that have made the transition to hydroponic cannabis cultivation never look back. The capacity to grow bigger plants, increase production, and save time on the growing cycle are all appealing advantages. Especially for commercial hydroponic cannabis growers.

If you’re already familiar with cannabis cultivation, making the switch to hydroponic cannabis growing shouldn’t be a problem. Our top advice for anybody considering hydroponic cannabis production is to look at several systems and choose the one that works best for your situation, capabilities, space, and time.

We also recommend growers devote more time and effort to their plant maintenance when switching to hydroponics. When you switch to hydroponics, take greater care and attention with your greens. Verify the accuracy of your pH and EC readings on a regular basis, calibrate your meters as needed, and have extra replacement meters on hand in case your current ones fail.

Once you’ve gotten into a rhythm, however, a hydroponics cannabis grow provides an immensely pleasurable grow experience as well as exceptional growth rates for your plants.