What Is The Best Growing Medium For Hydroponics?
When you think about plant cultivation, you probably visualize plants growing in nutrient-rich soil. But with hydroponics, you don’t use soil. Rather, the plants are fed by a water-based mineral nutrient solution. However, they still need a growing medium, that is, material to grow in, also known as the substrate.
Why is it so important?
The growing media are to help provide plants' roots with moister & oxygen they need. It also supports the plant weight and holds it upright.
Another role of the media is to allow plant's roots to have maximum exposure to the nutrient. People will moister the growing media with the nutrient solutions. And the wet media will transfer the nutrient to the root system.
Using these media other than soil gives gardeners fewer worries over the threat of soil-borne diseases and pests. This allows them to grow healthier and better plants.
Rockwool
Rockwool (sometimes called stonewool) is a long used hydroponic growing medium, especially when it comes to starting seeds or clones. It retains moisture extremely well, while remaining porous enough to allow for aeration.
Rockwool is engineered by melting basalt rock and spinning it into long, thin fibers, similarly to cotton candy. Rockwool is a sterile, porous, and non-degradable hydroponic growing medium. However, it does need to be pH balanced prior to using. This is simply accomplished by soaking the cubes or sheets in pH balanced nutrient solution before use. The length of the soak will depend on the size of the cube.
Coco
Coco is used in traditional gardening as well, but there are varieties specific for hydroponics.
Coco coir goes by a number of different names, and is 100% organically derived from coconuts.
It features a perfect balance of drainage and water retention.
Oasis Cubes
Oasis cubes, also referred to as hydroponic foam, are a popular way to start clones hydroponically.
They are probably the most simple way to grow hydroponically, and support the roots very well.
The aeration provided through the foam is unrivaled by any other hydroponic growing medium.
3 Important factors when growing with a DWC System
When using a DWC grow system, there are 3 things that you should constantly check: the pH levels of your water, nutrients in the water, and the temperature of the water.
Ph level
While it may seem tedious, you should check the pH levels of your water often; at least once a week. For a DWC system, you’ll want to aim for 5.5-6.5 pH. Cannabis thrives in slightly more acidic levels.
Nutrients
Nutrients will be feeding your cannabis, ensuring its growth. It’s recommended that you change your reservoir water and put in new nutrient rich water every ever one to two weeks, depending on your strain. Some strains are more high maintenance and require a change every week.
Temperature
Optimally, your water should be around 60-70°F. If your grow room temperature is within a good range, your water temperature should also be okay. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check the water temperature every now and then.
For every plant you grow you will need one Deep Water Culture system for each. The plant itself is suspended above the water in the mesh cup which allows the roots to submerge beneath the nutrient-rich water and grow towards the air stone.
Multiple plants have been considered by DWC manufacturers and contain multiple buckets yet share the same water supply to make things easier. If you are experimenting with nutrients you may want to purchase multiple separate DWC systems to isolate better nutrient levels between individual plantings.
When you think about plant cultivation, you probably visualize plants growing in nutrient-rich soil. But with hydroponics, you don’t use soil. Rather, the plants are fed by a water-based mineral nutrient solution. However, they still need a growing medium, that is, material to grow in, also known as the substrate.
Why is it so important?
The growing media are to help provide plants' roots with moister & oxygen they need. It also supports the plant weight and holds it upright.
Another role of the media is to allow plant's roots to have maximum exposure to the nutrient. People will moister the growing media with the nutrient solutions. And the wet media will transfer the nutrient to the root system.
Using these media other than soil gives gardeners fewer worries over the threat of soil-borne diseases and pests. This allows them to grow healthier and better plants.
Rockwool
Rockwool (sometimes called stonewool) is a long used hydroponic growing medium, especially when it comes to starting seeds or clones. It retains moisture extremely well, while remaining porous enough to allow for aeration.
Rockwool is engineered by melting basalt rock and spinning it into long, thin fibers, similarly to cotton candy. Rockwool is a sterile, porous, and non-degradable hydroponic growing medium. However, it does need to be pH balanced prior to using. This is simply accomplished by soaking the cubes or sheets in pH balanced nutrient solution before use. The length of the soak will depend on the size of the cube.
Coco
Coco is used in traditional gardening as well, but there are varieties specific for hydroponics.
Coco coir goes by a number of different names, and is 100% organically derived from coconuts.
It features a perfect balance of drainage and water retention.
Oasis Cubes
Oasis cubes, also referred to as hydroponic foam, are a popular way to start clones hydroponically.
They are probably the most simple way to grow hydroponically, and support the roots very well.
The aeration provided through the foam is unrivaled by any other hydroponic growing medium.
3 Important factors when growing with a DWC System
When using a DWC grow system, there are 3 things that you should constantly check: the pH levels of your water, nutrients in the water, and the temperature of the water.
Ph level
While it may seem tedious, you should check the pH levels of your water often; at least once a week. For a DWC system, you’ll want to aim for 5.5-6.5 pH. Cannabis thrives in slightly more acidic levels.
Nutrients
Nutrients will be feeding your cannabis, ensuring its growth. It’s recommended that you change your reservoir water and put in new nutrient rich water every ever one to two weeks, depending on your strain. Some strains are more high maintenance and require a change every week.
Temperature
Optimally, your water should be around 60-70°F. If your grow room temperature is within a good range, your water temperature should also be okay. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check the water temperature every now and then.
For every plant you grow you will need one Deep Water Culture system for each. The plant itself is suspended above the water in the mesh cup which allows the roots to submerge beneath the nutrient-rich water and grow towards the air stone.
Multiple plants have been considered by DWC manufacturers and contain multiple buckets yet share the same water supply to make things easier. If you are experimenting with nutrients you may want to purchase multiple separate DWC systems to isolate better nutrient levels between individual plantings.
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