What is a Hydroponic Growing System for Cannabis?

Did you know you can grow any plant, including cannabis, without using soil? Through the process of hydroponics, you don’t need to bury the plant’s roots in dirt, instead, the plants are submerged in a liquid solution containing abundant nutrients.

You might be wondering: how is it possible to grow cannabis without soil? While hydroponics seem to defy the laws of nature and agriculture, there is a scientific explanation that will help you understand how it works.

With that said, True North Cannabis Co. is here to provide you with the fundamentals of hydroponic cannabis. Continue reading to satisfy your curiosities about cannabis hydroponics systems!

Defining the Hydroponics System

As mentioned earlier, a hydroponics system is a form of plant cultivation without soil. It involves planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables in an inert medium such as Rockwool. From there, the plant’s roots are submerged in water mixed with a nutrient-rich solution. When adequately exposing a plant to its needs, you can achieve rapid growth and better quality yields!

The Benefits of Using the Hydroponics System

So, why choose hydroponics over traditional soil planting? To answer that question, here are the benefits of the hydroponics system to give you an idea of why it is an excellent plant cultivation method:

1. Less Labour Required

When planting in soil, you need to do a couple of things first before seeding or transplanting seedlings. Tilling, weeding, and applying insecticide must be done first to ensure that your plants have a good growing environment.

In hydroponics, you don’t need to worry about the labour involved with maintaining your soil. All you’re doing is placing your plants in an inert medium before putting them in a water reservoir. The most time spent will be ensuring that you’re pruning frequently in order to avoid tipping or breaking—your plants are growing at a quicker rate than traditional methods, after all!

2. Achieve Higher and Better Quality Yields

Providing the ideal environment for your plants allows them to perform exceptionally. In hydroponics, you’re exposing plants to abundant water, oxygen, and the exact nutrients they need. As a result, they can produce more yield with better quality than traditional soil planting.

3. The Option to Have a Micro-Climate

Another good thing about using the hydroponics system is being able to grow all your plants in temperature-controlled facilities or greenhouses. This, in turn, allows you to cultivate a variety of strains without worrying about the weather or climate conditions outside.

On top of that, creating a micro-climate for your plants lessens pest infestations. Consequently, you don’t need to worry about spraying your flora with insecticides that can impact their growth.

How Do Hydroponic Cannabis Systems Work?

Given the number of benefits you can get from hydroponics, it is no wonder many growers opt for this method. Moreover, this system has allowed people to grow cannabis indoors, which makes production more accessible, especially in Canada.

Basically, cannabis hydroponics systems are divided into two types: active and passive hydroponics. Get to know each one in detail as well as their differences below:

Active Cannabis Hydroponic Systems

Active cannabis hydroponics require electricity and machines to ensure that the plants are fed, watered, and aerated. Usually, the standard machines used for this type of cultivation are air pumps and air stones. With these, growers can fully automate their cannabis hydroponics to lessen labour.

Moreover, active cannabis hydroponics can be carried out in different ways, such as the following:

• Deep water culture;
• Ebb and flow;
• Nutrient film technique;
• Drip system; and
• Aeroponics.

Passive Cannabis Hydroponic Systems

On the other hand, passive cannabis hydroponics requires capillary action instead of electric pumps. All you have to do is hang your plants inside a water reservoir.

In terms of execution, you can do it in two ways: The Kratky Method or The Wick System.

What Materials Are Needed for Hydroponic Cannabis?

Hydroponics requires a particular set of materials for successful growing. Here is a list of the equipment that’s usually needed:

• Five gallons of water;
• pH and EC metres;
• A grow tent or room;
• Adequate grow room lighting;
• An air pump with air tubes or air stones;
• Growing medium;
• Carbon filters; and
• A moisture meter.

Types of Cannabis Hydroponic Systems

If you plan to grow crops consistently and successfully, you need to use a hydroponics system that works best with your logistics and current environment.

To help you reach a decision, here are two tables that compare the pros and cons of both active and passive hydroponic systems:

    1. Active Cannabis Hydroponics

    2. Passive Cannabis Hydroponics

Get Quality Seeds at True North Cannabis Co.

Looking to grow quality weed? True North Cannabis Co., Ontario’s fastest-growing retail shop, has got you covered!

Not only do we offer a wide selection of premium seeds, but you’ll also find flowers, pre-rolls, vapes, topicals and essential cannabis accessories that’ll make incredible additions to your stash.

Unsure where to start? Send us a message so we can provide the guidance you need to get started with hydroponic cannabis production.