Aside from its quality, the abundance of the yields is of utmost importance in the cannabis cultivating industry especially if the aim involves immense commercial sales with dispensaries. It is in this regard that growers turn to deep water culture (DWC) as a sea of green growing method for massive growth.
At first, it may seem like an elaborate method, but as a matter of fact, it entails less effort in maintenance. Furthermore, it poses as a great alternative of growing without soil – a practice that deviates away from the norm.
What is Deep Water Culture
As the name suggests, DWC is a technique wherein the plant’s root system is immersed deep in aerated water. The root zones are given free and easy access to essential nutrients since they are suspended in a nutrient-rich solution. This kind of set-up paves the way for faster growth and thicker foliage of the plants because there is no need for the roots to be in constant search for water, oxygen, and nutrients. Thus, it can focus on growing large yields of buds instead.
The success of this hydroponics setup lies in three vital elements: water, oxygen, and nutrients.
Water
In hydroponics, water serves as the growing medium instead of the soil. It is essential to keep the potential Hydrogen (pH) level of the water between the range of 5.5 and 6.5.
Oxygen
Cultivators must continuously supply the DWC system with oxygen. Otherwise, the roots submerged in it would drown. Thus, air pumps and air stones are used to infuse oxygen into the water-nutrient solution.
Nutrients
There are nutrient products specially tailored for the deep-water method. It comes with specific instructions which indicate the feeding schedule, nutrient ratio, and dosage. Plant growers incorporate these chemical or mineral nutrients in the water solution to provide the plants with abundant resources. Doing so will increase the plant growth and yield.
Why Growers Prefer DWC
The root system of any high thc seeds requires oxygen to thrive and be able to perform its functions. In a typical soil growing method, the roots don’t relish much of the oxygen needed because most of the time, there isn’t enough of it in the ground – especially when budding in an unsuitable growing medium.
Moreover, there are other unwanted elements in the ground such as pathogens and pests that may pose a threat to the plant. Additionally, nutrients have to be converted into another form before plants can benefit from them. Such is the case with nitrogen; it has to be converted to ammonia and nitrate through the tedious process of nitrogen fixation cycle before the plants can absorb it as nutrients. Plant growers can elude inconveniences such as these with the use of another technique: the Deep Water Culture.
Ease of Setting Up
Despite appearing to be an elaborate and complicated setup at first, deep water culture is, in fact, quite simple to do. This growing system can be made using materials from home, and D-I-Y shops since minimal moving parts are needed, and there are ready-made arrangements, too.
Low Maintenance
Once it is already set up, DWC requires minimal maintenance and effort because plants won’t need fertilizers or pesticides. There is also no need for digging and weeding. Overall, it entails less effort in tidying up the place.
No More Watering
In DWC, there is no need to water the plants as the roots are already submerged in water. Plant growers need not worry about wilting or drooping plants because they won’t run the risk of overwatering or underwatering the plants anymore. Using this method is also a great way to save water in the long run.
Accelerated Vegetative Growth
The roots play a crucial role in determining whether the plants will flourish or not. In this type of growing scheme, the roots tremendously grow because it is directly submerged in oxygen and nutrient-rich water. As such, the roots don’t have to exert much effort in searching for oxygen and nutrients because it is already directly supplied by water in a DWC setup. Consequently, this leads to accelerated growth and abundant yield of the plant.
Minimized Pest Risk
There are many soil-borne pests and harmful microorganisms that can harm a plant in a traditional growing medium. Conversely, when using hydroponics, the plants are usually less prone to insects, pests, or microbial growth because these plants are self-contained.
Portability
Where conventional farming is not feasible, a deep-water culture arrangement plays a significant role. It can be executed anywhere — in small gardens, vacant warehouses, rooftops, or even in old shipping containers. Because of this versatility and portability, it enables planting all year-round as there is no need to adjust to growing seasons.
