Among the different ways you can grow marijuana, hydroponic systems are both the best when it comes to getting the most yield out of your cannabis plants and the fastest in getting them to mature.
The only caveat is that hydroponic systems are quite expensive and require a lot of know-how to maintain.
Fret not, ILGM.com contains all the basic information you need to set up your hydroponics system.
We’re also providing a list of hydro weed strains for you to try out.
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What is Hydroponics Cannabis Growing?
Unlike the traditional way of growing marijuana, which uses nutrient-rich soil to feed your cannabis plants, hydroponic systems use a nutrient-rich solution paired with a type of inert growing medium.
This system eliminates the need for plants to grow out their roots in search of nutrient-rich pockets in the soil.
This leads to hydroponically grown cannabis growing faster than the traditional soil methods.
All the energy focuses on growing the plant itself rather than developing a complex root system.
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Because your marijuana plants are directly getting the nutrients they need from the solution, higher quality, and better-tasting buds produce.
However, it works like a double-edged sword.
If you get the number of nutrients wrong, you could instead end up with a small, unimpressive yield.
Another deciding factor affecting your cannabis plants is the time that you feed them.
Regardless of whether you’re using deep water culture (DWC), drip irrigation, or aeroponics, all hydroponic systems require you to put a time for when your plants are going to receive nutrients.
Timing avoids nutrient burn, but it could affect the rate your plants grow, leading to stunted growth if your timing is off.
How To Grow Cannabis Seeds With Hydroponics
Despite the general assumptions around hydroponic systems, they’re not at all that complicated or expensive to set up.
You can build your own with just a few pots, the inert growing medium of your choice, and a reservoir that will hold the nutrient-rich solution.
The only reason why hydroponics is expensive (and in some cases complicated) is because of the additional features that help with optimizing and automating the system, such as power and nutrient consumption.
Lastly, the cost of constructing and maintaining a hydroponics system also depends on how large it is. A bigger system will cost a lot more than a smaller one.
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Constructing a simple hydroponic system won’t cost you too much, and it also won’t be as complicated to make. The general idea is that you have a reservoir that you’ll use to put nutrients into and a growing tray that contains the inert growing medium on top of it.
At this point, it’s up to you whether you use a water pump or an air pump in your hydroponics system.
If you want to periodically drain the nutrient-rich solution into a separate reservoir, use a water pump so your plants don’t drown.
However, a more accessible alternative is using an air pump which doesn’t require you to drain and flood your reservoir.
A hydroponic system that uses an air pump is called deep water culture, and true to its name, the roots of your cannabis plants will remain submerged in the nutrient-laden solution from sprout to harvest.
You don’t need to worry about your plants drowning as the air pump will ensure that the roots are well oxygenated.
Best Cannabis Strains for Hydroponic Growing
Amnesia Haze Strain
Amnesia Haze is one of the weed strains good for hydro growing because it feeds off the extra attention that hydroponic growers provide.
Amnesia Haze is extremely sensitive to pests and is known to grow quite bushy, requiring trimming.
It may seem like this strain will have your work cut out for you, but your efforts will be rewarded.
The strain will offer a hefty harvest of 21 to 25 ounces per plant.
However, you can expect more than that since that’s only the average yield you get from growing Amnesia Haze traditionally.
| Plant type | 20% Indica 80% Sativa |
| THC | Up to 21% |
| CBD | Insignificant amounts |
| Climate | Indoors | Mediterranean |
| Plant size | Tall |
| Flowers | 9 – 12 weeks |
| Yields | 21 to 25 oz per 3x3ft |
| Taste & Smell | Citrus | Earthy | Lemon | Sweet |
| Effects | Creative | Energetic | Euphoric | Happy | Uplifted |
| Awards | Cannabis Cup | Sativa Cup |
Buy Amnesia Haze Seeds
- 20% Indica 80% Sativa
- THC levels up to 21%
- Very high yielding plant
- Feminized seeds for guaranteed bud
Jack Herer Strain
Jack Herer is a strain recognized for being a “grower’s dream” because of how resistant it is against diseases.
If you’re looking for a hardy strain to grow on your hydroponics system, then Jack Herer is one of the best hydro weed strains around.
Outside of being highly resistant to common marijuana issues like powdery mildew, Jack Herer also has a considerable yield.
Upon harvest, growers may see 16 to 18 ounces per square foot.
If you want Jack Herer to be one of the fastest hydro weed strains to flower, we highly recommend you choose autoflowering seeds.
It’s generally known that autoflowers mature faster than feminized seeds.
But their growth is further accelerated when grown in hydroponics, allowing you to harvest faster than most autoflowers.
| Plant type | 40% Indica 60% Sativa |
| THC | Up to 20% |
| CBD | Insignificant amounts |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Climate | Indoors | Mediterranean | Mold Resistant |
| Plant size | Tall |
| Flowers | 9 weeks |
| Yields | 16 to 18 oz per 3x3ft |
| Taste & Smell | Earthy | Fruity | Lemon | Pepper | Pine | Spicy | Woody |
| Effects | Creative | Energetic | Euphoric | Happy | Uplifted |
Buy Jack Herer Seeds
- 40% Indica 60% Sativa
- THC levels up to 20%
- Highly resistant to diseases
- Feminized seeds for guaranteed results
Northern Lights Strain
With hydroponic systems generally designed for indoor setups, a lot of indoor weed strains can benefit from it.
Still, nothing comes close to making the best of this combination other than Northern Lights.
It grows relatively short (28 inches at best), making it great for cramped setups that don’t offer a lot of verticalities.
Don’t let it fool you, though, you’ll still get a great yield.
This weed strain has an average yield of 18 ounces per square meter (10 square feet), which is the amount you’d typically expect from taller hydro weed strains.
Outside of the considerable yield that Northern Lights offers, it can also be one of the fastest hydro weed strains to flower since it has a flowering time of around 7-9 weeks.
| Plant type | 90% Indica 10% Sativa |
| THC | Up to 18% |
| CBD | Insignificant amount |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Climate | Indoors | Steppe | Mediterranean | Mold Resistant |
| Plant size | Average |
| Flowers | 9 weeks |
| Yields | 12 to 16 oz per 3x3ft |
| Taste & Smell | Citrus | Earthy | Lemon | Pine | Skunky | Spicy | Sweet |
| Effects | Euphoric | Happy | Relaxed | Sleepy | Uplifted |
| Awards | Cannabis Cup |
Buy Northern Lights Seeds
- 90% Indica, 10% Sativa
- THC levels up to 18%
- Easy growing in- and outdoors
- Feminized seeds for guaranteed results
Bubba Kush Strain
Capping the list of the best hydro weed strains is Bubba Kush, a moderately tricky strain to provide nutrients to because of how much it needs.
For this reason, many growers who want to cultivate it circumvent the nutrient problem by growing it hydroponically.
Doing this lets you provide the exact amount of nutrients that Bubba Kush plants need, rewarding you with 17 ounces per plant.
This is quite generous since these plants will only grow up to 56 inches.
Despite its mediocre returns, Bubba Kush at least is one of the best-tasting on this list, offering a deep flavor and pleasant fragrance of coffee and chocolate with a hint of earthiness.
| Plant type | 100% Indica |
| THC | Up to 22% |
| CBD | Insignificant amount |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Climate | Indoors | Steppe | Mediterranean |
| Plant size | Average |
| Flowers | 8 weeks |
| Yields | 14 to 17 oz per 3x3ft |
| Taste & Smell | Chocolate | Coffee | Earthy | Sweet |
| Awards | Cannabis Cup | Copa Cannabis Uruguay |
Buy Bubba Kush Seeds
- 100% Indica
- THC levels up to 22%
- Does well in dry climates
- Feminized seeds for guaranteed results
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for weed strains good for hydro growing or other strains such as Durban Poison and Sour Diesel, you can find all of them at ILGM.com.
We offer a growing catalog of feminized, autoflower, and CBD cannabis seeds.
We also have a couple of other tips and tricks for hydroponic systems on our blog so you can grow like a pro.
FAQ’s About The Best Hydro Strains
Deep water culture hydroponics (DWC) is a type of hydroponics system. You keep the roots of your cannabis plants wholly submerged in the nutrient-rich solution in your reservoir. Unlike other hydroponic setups where you drain and flood your plant’s roots, DWC instead keeps the roots submerged from sprout to harvest. The system avoids drowning your plants using an air pump, which oxygenates the water and ensures your plants can breathe.
Hydro weed strains are popular because it’s believed that they produce denser, smellier, stickier buds with more trichomes. More trichomes mean the buds are packed with THC, and more THC means the high it gives is a lot more potent.
