Creating the Best Environment for your Hydro Setup Growing marijuana already has its challenges and when you grow hydroponically, it doesn’t get any easier. The important thing to remember is that all plant life needs a grow medium with the correct acidity, proper nutrients, and water. These three fundamentals work hand-in-hand to help your plants grow. The acidity (pH) of the growing medium determines the quality of the bacterial life as well as the metabolic rate of the marijuana plant. The bacteria are necessary because they help convert fertilizers into absorbable substances. In addition to maintaining a healthy environment for bacteria, your plant also needs to absorb nutrients from its water. This ability is measured by its level of dissolved salts (EC). When you aren’t growing hydroponically, you can purchase premade growing mediums that guarantee the proper pH and EC. In a hydroponic setup, however, that environment must be created and carefully maintained. This guide will teach you the best PH and EC values for marijuana plants and provide guidance on how to maintain them.
Premium Hydroponic Nutrients Nutrients are one of the basic components of any hydroponic system. With Hydroponics the grower has complete control over the implementation of fertiliser, regarding type and concentration. Whilst also having the ability to immediately monitor and maintain consistency. The composition of the nutrients is important and there are over twenty elements that are needed for a plant to grow. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are absorbed from the air and water. Plants must obtain the following mineral nutrients from their growing medium: the macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg) the micronutrients (or trace minerals): boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni). and cobalt (Co) Easy Grow stock a range of high quality hydroponic nutrients, from the hugely respected Green Planet and Remo range, to the unique RAW soluble powdered elements and bio-stimulants.
The pH of Hydro Growing pH is the rate of positively and negatively charged water ions. It measures absorption within a solution. Acidity represents the number of positively charged ions. If the negatively and positively charged molecules are at a balanced ratio, then the environment is considered neutral. Depending on what materials are added to a solution, the acidity level may become more alkaline or acidic. How well positively charged ions absorb into a solution determines the pH level (Wikipedia). No matter which nutrient brand you’re using, even with chelated nutrients, cannabis roots are better able to absorb some chemical forms of nutrients better than others. This is where pH comes into play. When the pH at the roots is too high or too low, it actually
changes the chemical form of the individual nutrient compounds, making it more difficult for your plant to absorb the nutrients it needs. The pH scale goes from 0 (acid) to 14 (alkaline). For a solution to be neutral, which means it is non-alkaline and non-acidic, it needs to be at pH level 7. This is a mathematical scale with a consideration of 10. For every point that the pH level shifts, the solution either increases in acidity or becomes more alkaline. When you have a pH level of 7, a liquid that has a pH level of 6 is literally 10 times higher in acidity. As for a pH 5, it would be one hundred times higher in acidity. When growing hydroponically, the ideal pH is around 5.5 to 5.8. However, 5.3 to 6.5 is good, and 5.0 to 7.0 is acceptable. If you start to see numbers under 4.5 or higher than 8.0 you will begin to have nutrient absorption problems. If the pH reaches 3.5 or 9.0, there’s likely permanent damage to your roots.
Marijuana Lighting Since the modern hydroponic systems began, most people used HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights such as High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide lights for growing, and lately LED lights. The closest to the regular room light is a metal halide light and it is best for vegetative phase of growth. High pressure sodium lights offer more of the orange, red and amber light and these are best for use in later, flowering stages. These two are usually used together for different phases of growth or at the same time. HID lamps provide enough light for proper growth of your plants but they also waste a lot of energy in a form of heat which has to be managed with a proper ventilation system. These lamps also require a ballast, so you need to buy that too. Professional growers have turned to full spectrum LED lights lately because they give you much more control, and they don’t use as much electricity as the HID lamps do. Also, space and the heat issues are decreased. The LED lamps offer a spectrum tuned perfectly for all growing stages, they don’t require a ballast and are generally a better solution than the HID lamps.
The hydroponic system set ups There are a few different hydroponic systems and the most popular one is the Ebb and Flow system. It is the most popular because it’s very simple and extremely easy to use. This system uses a reservoir that contains the nutrient solution and it’s placed under the growing tray. The plants are supported by the soil-free medium that can be used as an anchor for the roots. The mediums are usually made of stone or fiber and are made porous so they can retain water and air. The plants are in a tray that contains the growing medium (lava rocks or Rockwool). The system requires a growing bed which is filed with a solution of nutrients by a pump connected to a timer. The pump is then shut down by the timer and the solution is slowly drained back to a reservoir.
Ebb and Flow hydroponic system Ebb and Flow hydroponic system is quite simple and most popular choice because it doesn’t require too much work, it’s low maintenance, and it’s very productive. This system is ideal for beginners.
There are some things you need to pay attention no matter which hydroponic system you use. First of all – the reservoir. The reservoir holds the nutrients and the water that you need for the growth of your plants. Make sure that you pick large enough reservoir so it can hold enough water and nutrients for one or two weeks. Also, make sure that your reservoir has a lid so you don’t lose too much water to evaporation. Locate your reservoir near the water source so you don’t have to use hoses or buckets. Make sure that you buy a sturdy reservoir and always buy 3 of them. One reservoir you’ll need to hold the water and nutrients for your system. The second one is for holding the tap water in for 2-3 days so the chlorine can evaporate and neutralize the pH. And the third one is a spare one in case one of the two reservoirs you are using breaks. The reservoir should be insulated so you can control the temperature of your nutrient solution and it’s probably best if you can elevate it a bit so the air can flow all around it. Essential pieces of the hydroponic system that you most definitely need are pH and PPM meters and nutrients for both vegetative and flowering stage.
Deep Water Culture This is one quite simple but very effective way for growing marijuana. It is pretty similar to the aeroponic system in some ways, but in this case, the roots are completely submerged into the nutrient solution.
We all know that without oxygen your plants will die. This problem is solved by simply adding an air rock that is used for fish tanks and there you have it- enough oxygen for the root of your plant.
This system is ideal for beginners because it is extremely easy to build and you can practically make everything from the items you already have at home. It is one of the cheapest systems and it guarantees the fast growth.
Aeroponics
Aeroponics is a hydroponics method by which the roots are misted with a nutrient solution while suspended in the air. There are two primary methods to get the solution to the exposed roots. The first method involves a fine spray nozzle to mist the roots. The second method uses what’s called a pond fogger. If you decide to use a pond fogger then make sure you use a Teflon coated disc, as this will reduce the amount of maintenance required. You may have heard of the AeroGarden, which is a commercialized aeroponics system. The AeroGarden is an excellent entry point to aeroponics. It’s a turn-key system that requires little setup. It also comes with great support and supplies to get you started.
Drip System
A hydroponic drip system is rather simple. A drip system works by providing a slow feed of nutrient solution to the hydroponics medium. We recommend using a slow draining medium, such as Rockwool, coconut coir, or peat moss. You can also use a faster draining medium, although you will have to use a faster dripping emitter. The downside to a system like this is that the drippers / emitter are famous for clogging. We prefer not to use drip systems, but it can be an effective method for growing if you can avoid the clogs that plague this type of system. The reason the system gets clogged is because particles from nutrients that build up in the emitter. Systems that use organic nutrients are more likely to have this kind of issue.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
The NFT is the most accessible hydroponic system because all you need to set it up are pipes, a framework to hold up the pipes, a small pump and a small reservoir for the nutrient solution. – NFT is highly recommended for beginners due to its ease of construction and its relatively high success rate for most types of vegetables. – If you’re using only a single frame with three to four pipes, you will only need a small, motorized pump to recirculate water throughout the system. The natural drainage system will distribute nutrients to all parts of the system. Growth rates will remain excellent and additional nutrients can be added as needed.
Why Choose Hydroponics? Hydroponics is an excellent choice for all types of growers. It is a great choice because it gives you the ability to meticulously control the variables that effect how well your plants grow. A fine tuned hydroponic system can easily surpass a soil based system in plant quality and amount of produce yielded. If you want to grow the biggest, juiciest, yummiest plants you can possible imagine, then hydroponics is the right choice for you. It may seem intimidating at first with all the equipment and work involved, but it will all seem simple enough once you get the hang of the basics. Start small, keep it simple, and your hydroponic system will never cease to amaze!