Hydroponics has become a preferred growing method among professionals that are growing cannabis indoors.
There’s a reason this method is as popular as it is. Hydroponics comes with several benefits including producing a higher quality flower, higher consistency and a lower risk of bugs or mould.
Whether you’re just starting with hydroponics or you’ve been using this method for a while, here is 4Trees’ guide to everything you need to know about hydroponics.
Most Common Methods of Hydroponics
Hydroponics can be broken down into different methods that vary slightly in how the system is set up, how much involvement is required and the level of difficulty of managing the system.
The most common methods of hydroponics for commercial cannabis growth are all active hydroponic methods. Active hydroponics are systems that use electrical pumps to automate the system.
Drip Rockwool (Drain-to-Waste)
Drain-to-waste is a method of hydroponics that is great for both beginners and professional cannabis growers. Drain-to-waste uses a growing medium called Rockwool (hence the name Drip Rockwool!).
This method is easy to set up, maintain and scale for large-scale productions. It’s actually used in a variety of hydroponic systems for crops like flowers and vegetables, but it is especially good for cannabis cultivation.
FEATURES OF DRIP ROCKWOOL (DRAIN-TO-WASTE)
Cannabis growers who use Drain-to Waste hydroponics benefits from the following features:
- Easy to transplant cannabis plants
- Less equipment is needed for this method
- Highly scalable and easy to add or remove plants
- Quicker crop turnover rates
- Fully automated
Nutrient Film Technique
A Nutrient Film Technique is a type of hydroponics system where you have a very shallow stream of water containing nutrients required for cannabis plant growth. The nutrient solution is re-circulated past the bare roots of the plant over a non-absorbent medium such as clay or PVC pipe.
FEATURES OF NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
If you’re looking to take your hydroponics system to the next level, you can benefit from features including:
- Grow large plants
- More versatile to build & scalable
- Fast growth speed
- No mediums to change regularly & medium is reusable
- Can be built in a stadium or tier formation
Deep Water Culture
A Deep Water Culture hydroponics system is one method that consists of the cannabis plant sitting in a net pot and the roots grow into a bucket of aerated water. This method is one of the more advanced methods since it requires a bit more equipment for water control.
The water is then recirculated through the entire hydroponics system. The roots sit in the nutrients and oxygen is brought to them.
The cannabis plants are commonly suspended in 5-gallon buckets and are best for growing in bushes or trees.
FEATURES OF DEEP WATER CULTURE
For more experienced cannabis growers, Deep Water Culture is an advanced method with the following features:
- Over 90% reduction in nutrient/water waste
- Grow large bushes indoors
- Fill a large space with minimal plant numbers
- The best system in case of a power outage
- Flush with ease
4Trees Cannabis Building Ltd – Our Experience With Growing Cannabis Using Hydroponics
4Trees Cannabis Building specializes in hydroponics with over 20 years of experience.
We have spent years fine-tuning a range of fully automated hydroponics systems that are perfect for large-scale cannabis cultivation. We provide you with fully automated, turnkey designs that are made specifically for your space.
If you’re interested in working with 4Trees Cannabis Building, contact us today!