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Hydroponics
Definition: Hydroponics is a way of growing plants without soil, where roots get water, oxygen, and dissolved mineral nutrients directly from a solution. Roots either sit in an inert medium such as clay pebbles or rockwool or hang in water. Because nutrients reach the roots immediately, hydroponic cannabis often grows faster than soil-grown plants.
How Hydroponics works
Soil buffers mistakes. Hydroponics removes that buffer, which is both its strength and its risk. Plants respond to every change within hours, so a well-run system grows quickly, and a neglected one declines just as quickly.
Main system types
| System | How it works |
|---|---|
| DWC | Roots hang in an aerated reservoir |
| Ebb and flow | A tray floods with solution, then drains back |
| Drip / top feed | Emitters drip solution onto a medium, excess drains away |
| NFT | A thin film of solution flows past roots in a channel |
| Aeroponics | Roots hang in air and are misted at intervals |
Numbers to manage
- pH: 5.5 to 6.2.
- EC: matched to stage and strain, checked daily.
- Water temperature: 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C) to keep dissolved oxygen high.
- Reservoir changes: every 7 to 14 days, topping off with plain water in between.
Risks
Pump failures and power outages can starve roots of oxygen within hours. Warm reservoirs breed pathogens that cause root rot. And because there’s no soil to absorb mistakes, a mis-mixed batch of nutrients shows up fast. Battery backup air pumps and a reservoir chiller in hot climates are worthwhile insurance.
Many growers try coco first to learn precise feeding, then move to a full hydro system once they’re comfortable reading pH and EC daily.