Hydroponics is a cultivation method in which the plant grows out of the soil, with water as the primary substrate. The hydroponic culture allows producing cannabis in-door, without needing fertile soil, reducing the consumption of water and without pesticides. These are some advantages of choosing hydroponics, in this article, we explain how it works what the benefits of this type of cultivation are and why it has been successful in the world.

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Hydroponics, an ancient history

First of all, it is essential to know that this type of crop is not a novelty today, but has an ultra-millennial history. Do you think it seems that the hanging gardens of Babylon (historically dated around 590 BC) were structured as large hydroponic systems? Certainly, several pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Aztec one in the fourteenth century already knew the wonders of hydroponics and exploited it in many types of plantations. Even in Europe, the use of this technique is far from modern: the British scientist John Woodward was a pioneer who around 1700 experimented with the application of this agricultural science with different facets in local agriculture.

What does hydroponic cannabis cultivation look like?

Think of a large greenhouse with an infinite series of pots full of water from which many hemp plants sprout. Apparently, nothing innovative but the truth is that since its introduction, this system has achieved excellent results internationally. The secret lies in those water tanks filled with inert substrate: an entirely controlled environment to grow your seedling and very little inclined to the development of unexpected events that could damage it. This is because if the plant usually depends very much on the nutrients present in the chosen soil for its growth, in hydroponics, it is water that contains the necessary nutrients necessary for its survival, thanks to the human hand that “seasons” it, based on the plants’ needs.

Advantages of hydroponic cultivation systems

The main advantage of hydroponic cannabis cultivation is the optimization of resources and spaces. All the water introduced into the system is absorbed, there is no dispersion in the soil, and there is little evaporation. The total amount of water used for the life cycle of a plant is always incredibly lower compared to traditional soil methods. The space occupied by a hydroponic crop is still lower in percentage than that on the ground, the plants must not be arranged at specific distances from each other because the roots can obtain nutrients even in a small space if the water is used as a substrate. The secondary substrate is also inexpensive and requires a decidedly limited quantity.

There’s no nutrients dispersion in hydroponics, as the quantity of substances that reach the plant is that prepared by the grower. For that, it is possible to obtain a luxuriant growth and a remarkable quality, precisely because every manifested deficiency is straightforward provided for.

This also allows to accelerate growth times significantly and therefore have fast qualitatively valid and constant production cycles. Unlike ground systems (and outdoor systems in general), hydroponic systems are less exposed to stress, above all they are not susceptible to most parasitic invasions due to the presence of easily controllable and isolated environments. For this reason, the final products can be considered organic and natural (at least as regards parasitic control).

The disadvantages of hydroponics

As you may have guessed, the growth of cannabis in water tanks requires a powerful human intervention. This may please some growers more or less, depending on their inclinations. In addition to the personal and ideological factor, there is also the fact that this type of situation requires specific skills for which you cannot absolutely improvise, as the life of the plant is entirely in the hands of man: exposure to light, temperature, nutrients, substrate composition … In short, everything depends on our ability, and even the slightest mistake can have a devastating effect. Furthermore, it is necessary to calculate that the initial cost for the structure and machinery can be high and, even if quickly amortized, it may not be within everyone’s reach.

What is needed for hydroponic cannabis cultivation

As we said, hydroponic farming must be planned and implemented in a very meticulous way. The costs can be very high for the creation of a cutting-edge hydroponic system (fees that you will then cover with higher production and low maintenance costs). To understand this, these are the things you might need (in addition to the standard tools for indoor growth):

• inert substrate (the most common are coconut, perlite, vermiculite, rock wool)
• tanks for water and nourishment
• irrigation pipes (if you don’t want to water by hand) and tools to ensure the influx
• specific fertilizers for hydroponics
• instruments for water PH control
• tools for water temperature control
• tools for heating and maintaining the water temperature
• air pump to oxygenate the water