Growing a marijuana plant seems to be liked and loved by tons of individual nowadays. And because of the fast-growing change in the marijuana industry, many marijuana users (recreation or medication) were now opting to grow their very own marijuana to get an instant access for their special needs.
However, since growing a marijuana is not as simple as you might think, you need to consider doing an extensive research first before going directly to the actual process of growing because there are several methods, tools, and learning that are available from different sources.
So let’s just say that you want to grow your marijuana by means of hydroponics – are you aware that the nutrients, feeding schedule, light schedule, and growing mediums of this technique is totally different from growing a marijuana thru soil?
If you are still unaware of these hydro styles and techniques, then you need to take a deep breath before you continue on the next part of this article because growing marijuana plants hydroponically is a bit challenging when compared to the regular growing methods. So get your coffee now and read the simple guide on how you can grow a marijuana hydroponically.
What Is Hydroponics and Why You Should Consider It in Growing a Marijuana?
Hydroponic growing is one of the best ways for you to successfully harvest a marijuana crop with higher yields. You are growing your marijuana plant by means of water that contains soluble nutrients and fertilizer.
The presence of soil is not needed when using the hydroponics, but instead, you will use perlite, vermiculite, Rockwool, clay pellets, and coco coir as your growing medium. Also, these substrates are known for their ability to hold or retain minerals and water which is highly important when growing a marijuana in hydro.
Hydroponic growing is a bit complicated at first, but once you have learned the basics of it, you will surely enjoy using this method because hydroponics system will help you from achieving your desires such as by harvesting bigger and fatter buds in a much faster way since oxygen and important nutrients were directly supplied to the roots of your marijuana plants.
That being said, before you start considering the hydroponics system, you need to ensure first that you will allocate a bigger budget for this growing method because this set-up will really require you to spend lots of money.
Additionally, before trying this one, you have to get a full blast knowledge about the basics of growing a marijuana, choosing your strain, checking the pH level, etc., to lessen the trouble of preparing or choosing your hydroponic set-up.
So if you are totally ready to get started your hydro journey, let us now discuss first the different types of hydroponic systems.
Different Types of Hydroponic System
- Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Deep Water Culture or otherwise known as “Bubbler” works by means of an air pump, net pots, and reservoir. This is the easiest hydro system according to hydro experts because its setup is actually the same with an aquarium where you have to provide a consistent air to allow your plants from continuing its living.
So all you have to do to successfully do this is to submerge the roots of your marijuana plant using the net pot into the reservoir. Then the air pump will push all the nutrients going to the roots until absorbed.
Make sure that the air pump will not be interrupted because, without the air, your marijuana plants will die. So always prepare a power generator with you to avoid unexpected occurrences.
Ideal grow medium to use: Clay pebbles or Rockwool
- Nutrient Film Technique
You have to prepare a tray, the reservoir, an air pump, and nutrients to achieve this method. Then put your marijuana plants in a row, line them up, then slightly angle your tray downwards to allow the constant flow of water together with its nutrients with the use of a water pump.
So while the nutrient is flowing, and the roots are absorbing it, the unused nutrient flow will go back to its reservoir to be pumped again and flow back to its growing channel. When doing this, make sure that your tray is properly slanted to avoid root issues.
Ideal grow medium to use: Coco coir or Rockwool
- Top Feed
Top or drip feed needs some emitters or tubes because they will be the one who will supply the nutrient solution into your growing medium. This growing technique is very efficient because the water and nutrients were being saved since the supply of water are just dripping.
The only disadvantage of this is that the tubes can be clogged by the build-up of nutrients. So regularly check your tubes to avoid issues.
Ideal grow medium to use: Coco coir, Rockwool, or Clay pebbles
- Ebb and Flow
The idea behind this is to flood your growing container with your nutrients and water at a certain level for about 30 minutes until it drains. That means you need to set up a timer while it is being flooded with water and while it is draining to allow your plant from absorbing nutrients while getting some fresh oxygen.
Ideal grow medium to use: Coco coir or Rockwool
- Aeroponics
This setup is a bit complicated and their size is a bit larger when compared to another hydro setup. But despite these complexities, this is the best and most effective hdyroponic system that is ideal for growing a marijuana.
So the idea of this setup is to provide the nutrients thru a mist pump and special nozzles and spray it to the plant roots which are suspended in a chamber with a 100% humidity. This setup will allow your plants to absorb oxygen while maintaining the moist from the water which will help in increasing the growth rate of your marijuana plants.
Ideal grow medium to use: Hydroton Clay
Tips When Growing Hydro
- Check the pH level
The pH level when growing hydro should be between 5.5 to 6.8 pH range. But of course, you need to ensure what could be the best pH according to your chosen strain to avoid complications.
- Maintain the proper temperature
The temperature of your water should be between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit since this is the most comfortable for your marijuana plants when being grown hydroponically.
- Soften your water
You can only do this by means of a reverse osmosis machine. This is important to be used because this will help in reducing the excessive calcium and magnesium which will result in build-up if not fixed.
- Measure the nutrients
It is very important to check the amounts of nutrients that were being added to your water to avoid nutrient issues. So to avoid such, you need to buy a TDS meter to measure the nutrients.
- Replace your reservoir every two weeks
You need to drain and replace your water with nutrients every 2 weeks to avoid mold growth and other possible issues.
Conclusion
Growing hydroponically is a bit tedious when you are just starting to grow a marijuana. But once you have learned and master the techniques, you will surely love this most especially the crops that you will harvest after all the long hard work that you have done. So if you are planning to grow your marijuana soon using the hydroponic system, make sure to do further exploration to get more guidance which will help in achieving your desire.
