Are you harboring a pre-conceived notion that cannabis can only be grown indoors or outdoors? That too with the conventional method of using soil as the primary medium? But that is not entirely correct.
That is not the only way you can grow cannabis in a small area. There is another method known as hydroponics.
Yes, the process is as fun-filled as the name itself! Hydroponics is growing weed without the conventional method of using soil. Instead, water is used as a primary medium for cultivation. Cultivators get to see a double bonanza with such an approach. The plant gets all the essential nutrients and utilizes only 1/4th space compared to traditional farming.
Want to know more about this interesting method? Then read on!
For the hydroponics method of growing plants, the weed seeds are cultivated in small buckets or baskets filled with pure water. Then the basket is filled with an inert growing medium and later on suspended over a tank full of water.
The water has all the essential nutrients needed for good survival. Some stones are placed in the tank to aerate the tank.
Different people have different approaches to constructing their system for growing weed using hydroponics. Growing weed using the hydroponics method also has some advantages.
Now comes the money-minting statistic that will keep you riveted enough to read ahead! Hydroponics methods will guarantee you 60% profit all the time. Today, we have covered all the important things regarding hydroponics in detail.
History of growing weed using hydroponics method
For many people, growing weed using hydroponics methods may seem like an idea that resulted from modern advances in technology. However, this is not the case.
Not only weed, but there have been many instances in recorded history of people growing plants and other food items using water as a primary medium.
Let’s look at some examples of vintage uses of hydroponic plant growing
In 600 BC, the well-known Hanging Garden of Babylon was created using hydroponics methods. The Aztecs from the 10th and 11th-century civilizations had new and innovative methods to grow crops using hydroponics.
They used to construct rafts with soil and crops. The water would enter into the roots below, and the crops would grow through the tap layer.
Coming to the latest example, John Woodward, in 1699, explained through his works of cultivating plants in water. He concluded that the crops grown using the hydroponics method grew twice as fast and gave excellent yield.
Types of hydroponics systems
Now that we have got your full attention, we move to the exciting part that will attract the attention of a serious cannabis grower.
There are mainly two types of hydroponics systems; active hydroponics and passive hydroponics.
- Active hydroponics system- This method uses modern technologies to ensure that the crops are well-fed, watered, and get plenty of air. To achieve this goal, air tones and pumps are used.
- They are assigned to ensure that the plant’s roots get all the nutrients and ingredients needed for survival. Since electronics are used, the growers can customize them accordingly and reduce the workload on them.
- There are several benefits of using active hydroponics, such as they are more water-efficient, give the plants plenty of oxygen, and can be customized to do the work automatically.
- Passive hydroponics system- This method does not make use of fancy electronic pieces of equipment. The grower need not invest more in this type of method. A simple capillary action is used.
- The advantage of using the passive hydroponics method are that they can be easily set up. They are a good choice for beginners and use minimal electricity.
How costly is it to grow weed using hydroponics?
To put it simply, the amount you have with yourself is the amount needed to start growing weed using the hydroponics method. Some people with bigger budgets can afford equipment such as automated switches, timers, flashing lights, etc.
Some smart cultivators get maximum outcomes from smart growing techniques. Some people start their hydroponics method using nothing but a plastic bucket. Over time they invest in several methods such as self-draining types of equipment, flooding systems, etc. You can also buy a starter hydroponics kit.
Let’s do some number crunching to ascertain the cost-efficacy of the method.
To put the cost of hydroponics in perspective, a small vertical farm that is less than 10,000 sq. ft. will spend an average of $3.45 per sq. ft. on energy. That amount is equal to 12% of the operating costs.
A large vertical farm that is more than 10,000 sq. ft. will spend around $8 per sq. ft. on energy. This accounts for 25% of total operating costs.
When you grow using the hydroponics method, the average revenue you earn is around $21.15 per sq. ft. When you use a vertical farm, you earn between $2 to $100.
Wow! That’s a real solid impetus to dive deeper into the hydroponics method, right?
What items do you need for hydroponics farming?
There are several DIY methods available on the internet that shows you how to start hydroponics farming. But there are certain materials you need for proper and smooth functioning.
The materials needed are lights, mainly LED or HPS, tents for growing, hydroponic reservoir, air stone, pump, planting pots, cannabis seeds, fans for ventilation, carbon filter, nutrients, pH meters, PPM meters, and a hygrometer.
How to start hydroponics farming?
To begin with, you will need a growing medium. This is responsible for holding together the stems and roots. The items used in the growing medium are the grower’s personal choice. The most common items used are clap pebbles, Rockwool, perlite, and coco coir.
In addition to the growing medium, you need to decide the growing setup for the plants. You can buy several types of growing setups. Some of the common setups are as follows: –
- The Kratky method- The plants are placed in a cup, and the roots are allowed to reach the nutrients below. The gap between the lid and the roots gives the plant ample air. The grower should fill the cup before plants use all the nutrient solutions.
- Deepwater culture- This method adds air stone and pump, and the rest is the same as the Kratky method. The plants are placed onto holes in the Styrofoam sheet, and the plants float on water while the roots get the nutrients from the water.
- Drip method- In this approach, the plants are placed in small holes, and the roots are exposed to air. Each plant has a dripping pipe, and with the help of a tank, the water reaches the plants. The water is then dripped onto the plants, and at the bottom, a reservoir collects all the excess water and supplies it back to the outside tank.
You should also take care of few things, such as maintaining the ideal temperature. The temperature most suitable for the hydroponics method is around 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
The nutrients in the solution should be proper. Plants need different nutrients during the flowering and vegetation process. The idea is to fill the gaps due to the lack of soil nutrients. The first thing to do here is to have the right balance of the three vital macro-nutrients of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium or N-P-K. Nitrogen is responsible for the green color in the plant leaves. Phosphorus is vital for the proper growth of other parts of the weed plant, like stem and roots. Potassium too contributes to the proper growth of buds and roots. The proportion of these three macro-nutrients will be determined based on the stage of growth of the cannabis plant. Follow this general rule of thumb
1 – During growth stage – Nitrogen is high, phosphorus is medium/high, potassium is high
2 – During the flowering stage – Nitrogen is considerably lower, phosphorus is high, potassium is high
Plus, hydroponics need more quantity of crucial micronutrients. These include iron, copper, and magnesium.
Final thoughts
This was an overview of growing weed using the hydroponics method. Of course, your work is cut out since you need not worry about soil nutrition and quality. But to compensate for this, you need to arrange proper nutrients.
Hopefully, this post helped you get adequate information on everything you need to know about hydroponics. So go ahead and be a superstar cannabis grower with this exciting technique of cultivating marijuana. Get your seeds from a reliable store like Homegrown Cannabis Co to get started.
