Intro to Hydroponics

Hydroponics is an excellent way to achieve astonishing yields from your plants in a controlled environment. While the methods used to grow hydroponically are different, the goals are always the same: Increased yields, faster growth, & consistent results.

While Russ' advice applies to almost any type of plant, hydroponics is synonymous with high-end marijuana production and we will assume most people are interested in growing their own cannabis. Growing cannabis at home is currently legal in many states, but please research the rules where you live. No matter what you grow or what state you live in, everything Russ sells is 100% legal in every state and can be used for growing almost any type of plant.  

Types of hydroponic systems

Deep Water Culture (DWC)

DWC is probably the simplest way to get into Hydroponics, and the least likely to end in frustration. With this method, your roots are completely submerged in deep, nutrient-rich water all of the time. Air is supplied to the roots by a simple air-stone attached to an air pump. The plant is supported by a net or mesh bucket, often filled with your choice of fibrous material that drains well and is not consumed by the plant, usually coconut coir, perlite or rockwool. The roots grow through the mesh bucket and sit directly in the aerated nutrient solution 24/7. 

This is a pretty solid way to grow bigger plants, and is one of the best choices for tomato or marijuana cultivation. Probably the biggest benefit is the simplicity of the system. You just need a light, a bucket, a basket, and an inexpensive air stone to start growing. Each bucket is independent, so you don't have large tables, reservoirs, or complex plumbing to deal with. The systems are also easy to expand: just add another bucket.

The biggest drawbacks have to do with the fact that you have standing water. If you lose an air stone, your roots will quickly rot. Light bleed can quickly create Algae problems. No system is without drawbacks, but DWC systems tend to give you more time to discover the issues and resolve them before you lose your crop. They are an excellent choice for the beginning hydroponic grower.

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
Deep Water Culture buckets with root baskets Air pump with air stones Inert Medium Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to buy your DWC hydroponics system

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Recirculating Deep Water Culture (RDWC)

This is basically the same as DWC, but adds a reservoir and a pump to circulate water throughout the different DWC pots. A system of tubes carry nutrient-rich water from the reservoir to each bucket. Each pot uses gravity to drain the excess water out and send it back to the reservoir via a drain pipe. The Dutch Bucket system is basically a version of RDWC that uses an inert medium throughout the bucket instead of a filter basket and water.

The fact that water is moving and circulating inside the buckets usually cuts down on algae growth and root problems inherent with standard DWC growing. Also, you only have to maintain Ph balance and add nutrients in the reservoir versus each individual pot since the water is constantly circulating through all the plants all the time.

RDWC's main drawback is it's complexity. RDWC adds a considerable amount of plumbing to the otherwise simple DWC system.  

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
Full DWC setup Reservoir bucket with water pump Air pump with air stones for each bucket Lots of hose Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to buy your RDWC hydroponics system

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Ebb & Flow (aka Flood & Drain)

Ebb and Flow utilizes a drain table or container with multiple plants in it. Nutrient-rich water is flooded into the table and drenches the roots on a predetermined schedule. This solution then slowly drains back into the reservoir, ready for the next soaking. This system requires the roots to be wrapped in some sort of medium that holds the moisture and drains slowly so that the roots don't dry out between each flooding.

This is a popular method of hydroponic cultivation, often utilized by commercial growers. It's usually automated through timers and gives excellent results. It is also very popular during the earlier stages of plant development (sprouting/cloning and veg stages).

The advantages of this system lie in the amount of air you can get to your plants' roots. Ebb and Flow systems are also very simple to set up and easy to clean. The plants don't have any individual pumps or hoses, so they are easily accessible. When it's time to clean, just give the table a quick scrub and you're ready for the next crop! The flood tables do cost a bit to set up initially. The tables often take up a considerable amount of floor space, so you'll need a larger dedicated area for your garden.

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
Drain Table & Reservoir Pump Pump timer Inert medium Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to see Russ' selection of hydroponic ebb & flow systems

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Drip

This is an older form of hydroponic growing, but still widely used. It's a little fiddly, but still an excellent way to grow hydroponically. In this system, a constant drip of nutrient-rich water is applied to the individual plants from a single reservoir and then excess water drains back into the reservoir.

It's great for large scale production in greenhouse settings, but is usually not the choice of home users. Its biggest benefit is that it is fairly foolproof. If there's a problem with a drip system it's pretty obvious (it won't be dripping). But, there's lots of plumbing and complexity, without offering any real growing benefit over other hydroponic systems.

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
Pots with a grow medium Pump & tubing Drip emitters for each plant Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to see Russ' selection of hydroponic drip systems

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Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

NFT systems are designed to provide a constant shallow stream of nutrient-rich water that flows over the plant roots. It uses channels or pipes that are set at a slight slope so that the small film of water drains over the roots then empties back into the reservoir. There is no growth medium for NFT so the roots get lots of air, but are vulnerable if there are problems.

NFT systems are generally not too difficult to set up and are very productive, but any disruption (like a power outage or bad pump) can dry up the roots and ruin a crop very quickly.  This system is popular for growing leafy greens and plants with smaller root systems. 

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
NFT setup (often PVC drain pipes) Root baskets Pumps and tubing Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to buy your NFT hydroponic systems

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Aquaponics 

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Aeroponics

Aeroponics means growing in air. Literally. This is the most cutting edge way to grow indoors at home. You have the same light source and a reservoir of nutrient-rich water as any other form of hydroponics. The difference is that the roots don't grow in any medium and don't touch the water. The nutrient-rich water gets periodically sprayed onto the roots in a fog. This happens often in order to keep the roots wet 100% of the time. Excess water collects in the bottom of the root chamber and is drained back to the reservoir. Because of this continuous water recycling, it has been claimed that aeroponics only uses 5% of the water consumed by traditional farming. 

You will see the fastest growth, the biggest plants, the best root production, reduced time to harvest, and increased yields. Russ has seen up to 6 inches of growth in a single day. It's insane.

Aeroponics also has the distinct advantage of being able to grow plants much more densely, even vertically. You may have seen the towers of lettuce or vertical walls of flowers? That's often aeroponics. You can do this more easily because you have a hollow root chamber that only has to contain your mist, not soil or water. So the form factors of your structures often revolve more around maximizing light exposure or space constraints of the building than the physical requirements of other systems.

Aeroponics is amazing. However, when things go wrong, plants die quickly. If you have a clogged jet, the affected plants will likely be dead in less than a day. If a pump goes out while you aren't looking, you can lose an entire crop overnight. Aeroponics is primarily used for herbs, flowers, leafy greens and other plants that have smaller roots. Most cannabis growers steer clear because the long growth cycles + huge root balls often = issues before harvest, which usually result in dead plants.

What you'll need:	What you 'll want:
Aeroponics tank (often a plastic tote) Root baskets High pressure pump High pressure tubing (usually PVC) Misting nozzles Nutrients Light with Adjustable light hangers	Tent Vent fans Pruning shears Reverse Osmosis water filter

Click here to see Russ' selection of aeroponics systems