In several countries around the world, the coronavirus pandemic caused panic buying when it all started. People were hoarding all the essential items in their carts like food, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer.
But, do you know what else flew off the shelf as well? Marijuana.
Since the strict lockdown began, businesses and companies are experiencing downtick in their sales. Moreover, most companies are facing a severe setback, and that has also negatively impacted the cultivation of cannabis.
Cannabis Cultivation – An Alternate Solution
There is always a way of solving the problem, right? Why consider buying cannabis when you can grow marijuana hydroponically by using an indoor grow kit?
This self-isolation period is an ideal time to learn indoor hydroponic growing of cannabis. If you are driven to grow marijuana yourself, continue reading.
A Basic Guide to Grow Hydroponic Cannabis Indoors
The word “hydroponics” means you will not need any soil. It implies that you will be able to grow plants only in water enriched with nutrients and minerals.
Moreover, you can also grow these terrestrial plants in an inert medium. These substrates can retain water and minerals. Some of these materials include coconut fibers, vermiculite, clay pellets, hydro corn, perlite, grow rock, and rock wool.
Benefits of Hydro Plant Growing
- The growth of the plants, especially in their vegetative stage, is much swifter in hydroponic setups.
- The absence of soil reduces the chances of pests and other soil-borne diseases.
- It saves a ton of your space since the plants do not spread their roots because they are always surrounded by nutrient-rich and oxygenated water solution.
- You do not have to worry about controlling nutrient levels.
- It saves a lot of water since the use of the reservoir does not allow the water to seep out. Also, plants use the exact quantity of water they need.
- Hydroponic setups provide bigger yields, about 20 to 25% more in contrast to the soil.
Different Hydroponic Setups and How They Differ From One Another
There are six types of hydroponic systems from which you can choose from. These are:
- Deep-water culture or DWC
- Ebb and flow
- Wick system
- Drip
- Aeroponic
- Nutrient film technique (NFT)
These multiple variations of hydro systems only differ in how they deliver oxygen, water, and nutrients to your marijuana.
According to several cannabis growers, deep-water culture hydroponic system is the easiest to use because it needs the least amount of supplies and materials. During a boring self-quarantine, buy yourself a DWC to grow your cannabis and be productive.
What You Will Require for Cannabis Cultivation in DWC
There are five significant gears and supplies that you will need to get started. These are:
Use Seeds or Clones
You can buy seed, or you can start from a plant clone. However, using a plant clone is easier because it eliminates all possible things that may go wrong.
Nutrients
Vitamins and Minerals (nutrients) are the primary foundation for successful marijuana cultivation. Since plants get nutrients from the water, the nutrients will keep the water well-stocked with various required nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, oxygen, and nitrogen.
A Growing Environment
Opt for a grow tent or stealth grow box to grow your plants. These stealth grow boxes allow you to thrive your marijuana indoors privately. Also, a grow tent does not allow light or smell to escape; thus, it enables a perpetual harvest.
A Grow Light
You need to buy a proper lighting system with correct intensity, a spectrum of light, and power. If you do not own a grow light, get yourself a 250 wattage, 400 wattages, or 600 wattages HPS grow light. These types of lights are consistent and show excellent results in the DWC system.
A DWC Tank
You can either build a DIY DWC tank or buy an indoor grow kit at a much lower price. Moreover, it is not that hard to create your own DWC tank at home. You need a few materials to get started.
After you have collected all your materials, it’s time to set up the reservoir and begin growing!
Set Up Your Reservoir
After setting up your reservoir, add water and the required seedling nutrients. However, if you are using a plant clone, rinse the clone’s roots, so it doesn’t contaminate water.
Moreover, fill your reservoir with nutrient water regularly to prevent low nutrient levels.
pH is Crucial
The pH scale shows acidity and alkalinity. For your marijuana, it is essential to have an environment that has a pH between 5 to 6. Usually, a cannabis plant efficiently absorbs nutrients when a pH level is close to 5.2.
Choose RO (Reverse Osmosis) Water
It is essential to use RO water. Otherwise, it can harm your plants. How is that so? Because if your water already has other ingredients, you’ll end up with an unbalanced nutrient solution.
Conclusion
Self-isolation can be too stressful since the economy is in a downward spiral. All the businesses are at a halt. People at this time are conserving money instead of spending it. So in this global pandemic, indoor cultivation of cannabis hydroponically seems like a good idea.
Leave a Reply