Hydroponics, hydroponics, aeroponics

Hydroponic or also called hydroponics is the soilless cultivation of plants. Cultivation in rockwool is also a hydroponic growing method. In hydroponic growing, control over the nutrient content of the nutrient solution, pH value and humidity is essential.

Hydroponics requires some requirements, but if these are met, greatly increased and rapid harvests can be achieved. The planting media used are always inert, i.e. they do not contain any nutrients themselves. The vital nutrients are given to the cannabis plants via a nutrient solution. In the process, the nutrient solution is brought to the roots and the excess water then runs off again.

With hydroponic cultivation, the cannabis plants can absorb and utilise nutrients particularly quickly. Because of the increased oxygen content in the root area and around the fine root hairs, the plants grow faster than when grown in soil.

A hydroponic grow requires more time and effort than the usual cultivation on soil. It is not a self-runner that you have to set up once and the rest runs by itself. On the contrary, a lot of effort is required in terms of cleanliness and cleaning and because of the fast growth of the plants.

It can take some time to get a ready-made or self-planned hydroponic system running well and set up correctly. In general, fewer mistakes are forgiven than when growing on soil and one has to be very conscientious. While soil always acts as a kind of buffer and can store nutrients, inert planting media cannot.

Aeroponic growing systems manage completely without a planting medium. The roots are constantly sprayed with a nutrient solution from below. The root area is dark so that no algae can form.

With hydroponic cultivation, if everything has been done correctly, you can harvest a few days earlier than with soil.

Various hydroponic systems

There are active and passive hydroponic systems. It depends on how the nutrient solution is supplied. In passive systems, the nutrient solution is brought up to the planting medium with the help of the capillary action of a wick. From there it can be absorbed by the roots. In passive systems, the medium remains very moist, so there is little oxygen in the root area and nutrient uptake is correspondingly slower. These types of systems do not belong to the highly professional systems, but they do have some advantages:

• Mechanics less susceptible to faults
• very cheap
• make little work

Active hydroponic systems use a pump to deliver nutrient solution to the roots of the plants. Active systems include:

• Ebb and flow system
• Dripping systems / Top feed systems
• Nutrient film technology

In principle, active systems are preferable to passive ones for cannabis cultivation.

In hydroponics, a further distinction is made between drain-to-waist systems, in which the nutrient solution runs off and is discarded, and recirculating systems, which reuse the nutrient solution. Systems that use the same nutrient solution only once are less prone to errors and problems, but they use a lot of water and are also less practical and more costly.

In hydroponic cultivation, the pH value of the nutrient solution should be checked daily and corrected if necessary. The pH value is absolutely important here.

Further information on the subject of hydroponics and the individual hydroponic systems can be found in our grow encyclopaedia (see top left).