Hydroponics are something gorgeous that we see all the time online. However, most pictures are shown with them being under a bunch of grow lights or using electronics to power it. However, hydro growers are able to thrive in other areas outside, and also inside as well. 

Making cannabis grow hydroponically is actually not bad for it. It’s the most efficient way to use water, offers faster growth, better yields, and you control the nutrition of the plant.  Outdoor growth is something that can really take you cannabis to the next  best level. 

Hydroponics Vs. Soil-Grown 

There are a few differences between each of these. 

Whether you’re using a special growing medium, or some synthetic or organic fertilizer, you’re going to be feeding the soil to feed the plants. 

However, with hydro, some water-soluble nutrients are fed directly into the roots, making contact with your root systems. There, instead of letting the roots expand directly into the soil location, they go into air or water, and those that are completely submerged get oxygen through air stones, and the roots then hand free using techniques such as ebb and flow. 

It might seem like hydroponic isn’t totally necessary, since it does use a ton of water.  However, if you use different ways to help with reduction of water, it can also help to educe the amount used. Hydro systems including Kratky and DWC do require that the water to be single-grown within a reservoir, and other techniques to help keep the solution constantly flowing helps with this. Soil growing actually ends up using far more water due to evaporation and runoff. 

Hydroponic have come a long way, with many agriculturists using them as a way to help with cannabis growth, including the growth of cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, and even other herbs as well. This system stacking does mean that the producers of food can as well grow a lot more in much less space, and it does save on large amounts of water as well. 

Indoor or Outdoor? 

There are different aspects that go into growing hydroponic mediums, and there are some variables that go into it. 

First is cost.  Hydroponically growing items does require a large investment, especially depending on the setup. Some of the indoor growers may use a tent, or they need to also use lights that are high-quality, so that their electric bill doesn’t get terrible in the process. You also need fans and dehumidifiers, and that as well eats the setup costs. 

There is also a major contrast between this and outdoor growing.  You don’t need a ton to work with this, and usually, the Kratky method is one of the best to help with this, but you do need to run various pumps. 

As for space, growing outdoors offers much more space, as you can grow more usually, and it also helps reduce mold and other overcrowding. However, with more space, you can also choose more selections. You can go with smaller varieties or even sativa plants that go along with the big, bushy indica.  Usually, the indoor growers have a lot less to choose from. 

As for control, that’s where indoors shrines. Although outside growing does offer less costs and more space, you don’t get to control the temperature, air circulation, or the humidity. Outdoor growing does expose your plants to many more elements, so you need to factor in winds, torrential rainfall, and even droughts and heatwaves. 

Both have their pros and cons, and here, we went over the benefits and drawbacks of each, and why growers may use it.