Traditional Potting Soil vs. Hydroponic Systems
Plants are grown most commonly in either soil or a hydroponic system.
When plants are grown in soil, the soil can either contain some of the nutrients the plants needs or it organic nutrients can be added directly to the soil. When plants are grown in a hydroponic system, the water contains a mixture of nutrients that feed the roots directly.
You will find that many online resources will tell you that hydroponic systems will produce crops at a faster growth rate. This is true because the root systems are free and aren’t cluttered down with soil so they have more energy to put towards growing the plant instead of the roots pushing through the soil looking for nutrients.
Marijuana can be grown to its maximum potential in both a soil and hydroponic medium. Hydroponic systems require a heavy initial start-up cost and can seem complicated to the novice grower. However, if setup correctly a hydroponic system can offer greater control over the plants health and less overall maintenance as one water reservoir can feed over 12 plants.
I prefer hydroponics systems to grow marijuana because the benefits of hydroponics out weigh the benefits of soil mediums by far.
For one, growth rates can nearly double when marijuana is grown hydroponically.
Hydroponic systems also eliminate insects or pesticides that live in soil that can kill or destroy plant growth.
Hydroponic systems allow for greater control over the PH stability and monitoring of the plant. Nutrients can easily be added to the water depending on the plants needs and then is feed directly to the plants roots.
When looking for nutrients to add to the water for a nutrient solution in a hydroponic system, I use the General Hydroponics Flora Series.
The Flora Series comes in 3 parts; FloraGro, FloraBloom and FloraMicro.
FloraGro is used during the vegetative stage, FloraBloom is used during the flowering stage and FloraMicro is used through the plants entire life cycle.
For the grower just starting out, take the time to do some research on this site or Google about the benefits of growing marijuana in soil versus a hydroponic system.
I started my first plant from a seed in a pot filled with soil in the attic. Now I use a custom built hydroponic DWC (Deep Water Culture) system.
If you have the time, money and patience to learn hydroponics and build or buy a hydroponics system, then that’s the way to go.
Your marijuana plants will grow faster and healthier in a hydroponic system if cared for properly.
