Deep Water Culture Cannabis Growing Technique: Pros and Cons
Deep Water Culture or simply DWC is one of the most popular cannabis growing techniques. Using the basic principles of hydroponic systems, DWC grow system allows you to grow strong and healthy marijuana plants without putting any unnecessary efforts into the process.
How does DWC hydroponic system work?
Just like any other hydroponic system, DWC uses a mix of water and nutrients instead of soil. The main difference about the Deep Water Culture system is that the roots are kept in the nutrient-rich water on a constant basis. You just put a cannabis plant in a grow cup filled with medium and let the roots grow down right into the reservoir with a nutrient solution.
There is one tricky thing, though: you cannot just keep the roots in the water without your plants becoming overwatered and roots starting to rot. One way to circumvent this is to add some oxygen into the mix.
The main secret of any DWC hydroponic system is that the nutrient-rich water where you keep the roots is well-oxygenated. Cannabis growers use an air pump and air stone, similar to those you usually see in aquariums, pumping the air into the reservoir with a nutrient solution. As a result, the roots receive everything they need, from water to nutrients to oxygen, in the most absorbable form possible.
Deep Water Culture system: what to pay special attention to?
Since the basic idea of a DWC hydroponics system is to grow cannabis as if you were constantly watering your plants, you need to invest your money into some decent equipment: timers, monitors, air pumps, lighting systems. It will not only help automatize most of the processes but will also make it easier for you to create a comfortable environment for your cannabis plants.
The water needs to be clean, fresh, and well-oxygenated. Plus, it should contain all the nutrients the plants need. Depending on the strain you grow, you will need to refresh the nutrient-rich solution in the reservoir once in a week or two.
Growing cannabis in a DWC grow system also makes your plants quite sensitive to any changes of the water temperature. Therefore, you should consider using a chiller and a reverse-osmosis machine in order to make sure that the water you use remains in the optimal condition for your weed garden.
DWC systems: pros and cons
The main plus of using a DWC cannabis growing technique is that it is easy to set up and customize. This kind of hydroponic system works well for almost any format of cannabis growing facilities: from a small at-home grow with one or two plants to a large commercial grow with hundreds of weed plants.
Secondly, by using a DWC system you may significantly speed up the growth of your cannabis plants during the vegetative stage. Since the roots have full access to everything they need, a plant does not have to waste any energy on building a large root system and searching for nutrients, or water, or oxygen.
While having a lot of plus sides, DWC grow systems also have some drawbacks. All DWC systems require constant monitoring of various factors: pH levels, oxygen levels, nutrient concentration, temperature, etc. You can partially solve this problem by automatizing the whole system and installing high-quality equipment, but it will increase the final cost of your weed.
Next, all DWC systems are power-dependent. If a power goes off, your timer and air pump will probably stop working and it will put your entire crop in danger. So, it would be better for you to have a backup power source.
But usually, working with a DWC system is worth the effort: some growers report having up to 20 percent increases in overall yields after switching from growing in soil to DWC. And what about you? Have you ever tried to grow weed using a DWC system? How did it go? Tell us about it and leave a comment below.
