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control what nutrients are available to the plants at the different stages of plant growth. Watering
can be automated to some degree with simple and cheap drip system apparatus, so take
advantage of this when possible.
Hydroponics will hasten growing time, so it takes less time to harvest after planting. It
makes sense to use simple passive hydroponic techniques when possible. Hydroponics may not
be desirable if your growing outdoors, unless you have a greenhouse.
CAUTION: it is necessary keep close watch of plants to be sure they are never allowed to dry
too much when growing hydroponically, or roots will be damaged. If you will not be able to
tend to the garden every day, be sure the pans are filled enough to last until next time you return,
or you can easily lose your crop.
More traditional hydroponic methods (active) are not discussed here. I don't see any point
in making it more difficult than it needs to be. It is necessary to change the solution every month
if your circulating it with a pump, but the reservoir system does away with this problem. Just
rinse the medium once a month or so to prevent salts build up by watering from the top of the
pot or rockwool cube with pure water. Change plant foods often to avoid deficiencies in the
plants. I recommend using 2 different plant foods for each phase of growth, or 4 foods total, to
lessen chances of any type of deficiency.
Change the solution more often if you notice the PH is going down quickly (too acid).
Due to cationic exchange, solution will tend to get too acid over time, and this will cause
nutrients to become unavailable to the plants. Check PH of the medium every time you water to
be sure no PH issues are occurring.
Algae will tend to grow on the medium with higher humidities in hydroponics. It will
turn a slab of rockwool dark green. To prevent this, use the plastic cover the rockwool came in to
cover rockwool slab tops, with holes cut for the plants to stick out of it. It's easy to cut a
packaged slab of rockwool into two pieces, then cut the end of the plastic off each piece. You
now have two pieces of slab, each covered with plastic except on the very ends. Now cut 2 or 3
4" square holes in the top to place cubes on it, and place each piece in a clean litter pan. Now
your ready to treat the rockwool as described above in anticipation of planting.
If growing in pots, a layer of gravel at the top of a pot may help reduce algae growth,
since it will dry very quickly. Algae is merely messy and unsightly; it will not actually cause
any complications with the plants.
RECYCLING
Use pots made from squarish containers such as plastic water jugs, etc. More plants will
fit in less space and have more rooting area if square containers are used. This makes your
garden a recycling centre, and saves you tons of money.
2-litre soda bottles work great, but are not square. 13 will fit in a kitty litter box, and
these will take a 3 foot plant to maturity hydroponically. If you can get 4 litter boxes in a closet,
you can grow 52 plants like this vegetatively. Spread them out more for flowering.
Old buckets, plastic 3-5 gallon containers (food and paint industries, try painters' and
restaurant dumpsters), paper paint buckets, old plastic garbage cans of all sizes, and garbage
bags have all been used successfully by growers.
Do not use paper milk cartons and juice cartons for reservoir hydroponics, since these
are difficult to sterilize, and they introduce fungus into your reservoir trays. Inert materials, such
as plastic is best.
Be sure to sterilize all containers before each planting with a chlorine bleach solution of
2 tbspn. of bleach to one gallon of water. Let container and medium such as rockwool soak for
several hours in the solution before rinsing thoroughly.
PLANTING OUTDOORS
Outdoor growing is the best. Outdoor pot by far is the strongest, since it gets more light,
it's naturally more robust. No light leak problems. No dark periods that keep you out of your
grow room. No electricity bills. Sunlight tends to reach more of the plant, if your growing in the
direct sun. Unlike growing indoors, the bottom of the plant will be almost as developed as the
top.
Outdoors, outside of a greenhouse, there are many factors that can kill your crop. Deer
will try to eat them. Chipmunks and rodents too. Bugs will inhabit them, and the wind and rain
can whip your little buds to pieces if they are exposed to strong storms. For this reason, indoor
pot can be better than outdoor, but the best smoke I ever tasted was outdoor pot, so that tells
you something; nothing beats the sun.
Put up a fence and make sure it stays up. Visit your plot at least once every two weeks,
and preferably more often if water needs demand.
It's a good idea to use soil if you don't have a green house, since
hydroponics will be less reliable outside in the open air, due mostly to evaporation.
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