It is standard procedure to grow cannabis in water or in soil, but growing weed suspended in air is unconventional. Aeroponics involves suspending the roots of the cannabis plant in air, and delivering the nutrients directly to the roots by spraying them on. Read this article to find out more about using aeroponics to grow cannabis.
Aeroponics is an unusual yet extremely effective way of growing weed. Whereas most cannabis plants are grown in soil (indoors or outdoors) or water (such as a hydroponic system), aeroponics involves suspending cannabis plants and allowing them to grow just in air. This system is quite complicated and involves a lot of attention for it to be the success it has the potential to be. It is not really a system for those growing cannabis for the first time.
The reason aeroponics is so effective is because it uses less water and fewer nutrients than other growing methods. There is nothing between the nutrients and the roots of the plant, meaning nothing is lost in the translation of the nutrients from the soil into the cannabis plant. The space given to the roots to grow also allows for increased plant growth and better yields. Aeroponics is extremely successful if it is pulled off correctly.
How does aeroponics work?
Aeroponic systems are grown in net pots. These pots act very much like a support structure to hold the cannabis plants suspended in the air. The roots are exposed in a chamber below, in which the environment is enclosed and managed carefully. In another chamber is a high-pressure water system which is used to spray the roots of the cannabis plants with nutrient-rich water. Other factors, such as CO2 and light, are used to assist the growth of these plants, too.
The closed environment of the chamber in which the roots are suspended allows for an oxygen-rich environment to occur. This encourages the roots of the plants to grow better, which is going to encourage better growth. The nutrient-rich mist is sprayed onto the roots of the plants where it clings. On the roots begin to grow little microorganisms that contribute to the environment in the chamber and encourage root growth. The frequency with which the roots are sprayed is very carefully timed to make sure that the roots do not dry out and maintain the nutrient levels of the cannabis plant.
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Why is the aeroponics method effective?
Because of the closed loop system of the nutrient-rich water, these systems use less water and fewer nutrients than other methods of growing weed. This means that the plant is also far more efficient at processing the nutrients that are given to it than in the circumstance of other systems. If an aeroponic system is built properly, then only the stems will come through the cap of the chamber, and that means very little condensation occurs. That, paired with the fact that light does not penetrate into the root system, means that it is also next to impossible for the problem of algae to arise.
This is one of the cleanest environments to grow weed in and is generally disease resistant. This method also allows growers to have more plants in smaller areas, as they grow much denser. There is the opportunity to grow more plants per square meter in an aeroponics system than in any other system of growing cannabis.
Challenges with the aeroponics system
There are challenges with building an aeroponic system and it is definitely not for beginners. A very extensive knowledge of the nutritious requirements of the cannabis plant is known before something like this can be attempted. Maintaining perfect levels of nutrients in the spray is critical to this system being successful. If the right balance of nutrients is not there, the very delicate environment of microbes required for good plant growth will not grow on the root system. The factors of light and CO2 also play an enormous role in this.
This can also be quite a costly way to grow weed. The equipment required, as well as the amount of money spent on lighting, is quite hefty, and that is another reason it is not recommended for beginners. This growing method is unusual because it is difficult and requires quite a lot of attention. It is, however, one of the most successful growing methods if it can be done well!
