Hydroponics
Category: Cultivation · Level: Intermediate
Hydroponics is a method of growing cannabis in nutrient-rich water solutions without soil, enabling precise nutrient control and faster growth rates.
Hydroponic cultivation involves growing cannabis plants with roots directly in or exposed to nutrient-enriched water solutions, without traditional soil media. Common hydroponic systems include Deep Water Culture (DWC), Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Ebb and Flow, and Drip systems. Hydroponic growing allows precise control over nutrient delivery, pH levels, and root zone environment, often resulting in faster vegetative growth and flowering, and potentially higher cannabinoid yields compared to soil growing. However, hydroponic systems require greater technical expertise, equipment investment, and are more sensitive to power outages or system failures. Hydroponics is widely used in commercial indoor cannabis cultivation.
Also known as
Soilless growing, Hydro, Water culture
Usage
- Cultivation
- Industrial
Related terms
- Autoflowering — Autoflowering cannabis plants begin to flower based on age rather than changes in light cycle, derived from Cannabis ruderalis genetics.
- Curing — Curing is the post-harvest process of slowly drying cannabis in controlled conditions to develop flavor, enhance potency, and extend shelf life.