Soil vs Hydro for Cannabis, Which is Better

Cannabis, like many plants, can be grown in more than one way. Most people think of roots growing in soil, but hydroponics offers the ability to work in smaller spaces with more control over your green’s food source. If you’re looking for flavor and forgiveness in the occasional mistake, take up the traditional soil method. Of course, any experienced grower will have a preference with first-hand accounts of why they stick with their technique. If you’re looking to plant a marijuana seed and help it grow, there are a few things you should consider before planning things out.

What is the difference between hydroponic and soil cannabis cultivation?

In general, cannabis that is grown hydroponically is grown inside and plants grown in soil are grown outside. There may be some growers that use soil indoors but this will usually be mixed with coco coir or other similar substance.

Growing cannabis in soil is a pretty similar experience to any other gardening you might do and is the most traditional and natural method of growing. Hydroponic is a term that is frequently used to describe any other medium used for growing cannabis that is not soil, but is most often referring to cannabis that is grown within a water solution that has nutrients added to it.

SOIL

Soil has to be one of the most forgiving systems of growing cannabis out there, and is the most natural way you can do it – just like Mother Nature intended. As you would probably expect, a soil grow involves having the roots of your cannabis plant buried in soil, supporting and feeding the plant. This soil is then supplemented by the gardener with water and extra feed.

The Pros of Soil:

- Growing in soil is super easy, and is by far the most beginner friendly option out there.

- Many cultivators claim that soil grown cannabis has a much better taste.

- Soil acts as a buffer when it comes to maintaining pH, making it harder to damage your cannabis.

- Cannabis grown in soil tends to be more forgiving of neglect.

- It is as natural as you can get – especially if you grow organically.

The Cons of Soil:

- Using soil tends to be the slowest method of growing cannabis.

- Soil needs to be well drained.

- It is harder to flush soil, and it can cause salt build up – hence the point above.

- Growing cannabis in soil as opposed to other methods can result in lower yields of marijuana.

- Soil can increase the risk of disease and parasite infection for your cannabis.

- It takes a lot longer for plants to show signs of a problem, and can take longer to recover.

HYDROPONICS

Hydroponics is growing cannabis by using any growing medium other than soil. These alternatives (which are often combined) include gravel, coco coir, sand, mister air, vermiculite, peat moss, perlite, hydroton, and/or just water. During the entire process you must provide the plant with all its nutrients by way of its water supply.

Hydroponic systems come in different forms, here are the top 5 common forms: aeroponics, deep water culture, drip irrigation, nutrient film technique, and ebb-and-flow.

1. Aeroponics

Aeroponics uses a grow chamber to suspend roots in the air with no medium inside of a closed-loop system. Water, rich with nutrients, douses the bases of these plants as they hang in the air. By providing an oxygen-rich environment, the microbes on the plant are able to digest and process the nutrients for its circulatory system.

2. Deep Water Culture

Deep Water Culture is a method of growing which uses a bucket of nutrients, also called bubblers. The plants are suspended over the nutrients as the roots grow into the nutrients below. The bubblers’ mixture is filled with air using an aquarium pump and pays off by speeding up the growtime. The oxygen and fertilizer enriched mixture work wonders for the end product.

3. Drip Irrigation

The drip irrigation system feeds each plant individually in its own chamber. Nutrients are administered by a dripper, and then the solution is recycled, much like the already mentioned methods. Each plant is located in separate chambers where the nutrients are fed to the medium by means of a small dripper.

4. Nutrient Film Technique

The Nutrient Film Technique is a hydroponic method which involves a nutrient solution being pumped onto a tray or gulley to form a shallow and slow moving film that moves through the plant’s roots. These roots grow into the solution, creating a large root mat in the tray. Having round the clock access to water and nutrients along with more than enough oxygen for the roots, makes for rapid development with maximum yields.

5. Ebb-And-Flow

Ebb and Flow replaces soil with a medium like rockwool to produce very large yields. This type of system stimulates a natural cycle of rain and the time in between it, therefore giving off a more natural environment for your grow.

The Pros of Hydroponics:

- Hydroponic systems offer a great deal of control over the pH and feed of your cannabis

- There is a real potential for bigger yields

- Cannabis grows much faster in a hydro system.

- Growing cannabis using a hydroponic system is much more efficient than soil, requiring less feed.

- No risk of soil based disease or pest infestation.

- Less likely to require pesticides.

- As long as it is maintained properly, a hydroponic system can cause much less water stress to your cannabis than a soil based system, despite being water-based.

- Cannabis in a hydroponic setup shows signs of, and recovers from, problems much faster.

- It is easier to tailor your grow to the specific needs of a strain. Whilst this may be beyond the novice grower, it is a huge advantage to the veteran.

The Cons of Hydroponics:

- Growing weed using a hydroponic system is much more complicated than soil, and requires precise control. If attention slips, or the cannabis plant is neglected, it will greatly suffer.

- pH control has to be very precise.

- All nutrition comes from supplements, there are no natural nutrients in water. As such, it is harder to grow organically – though not impossible if you use compost tea.

- Buying a hydroponic system can be expensive.

- Some say weed from a hydro system doesn’t taste as good as its soil counterpart.

- A hydroponic system must remain sterile. Although there is no risk from soil based diseases, water can become infected with other types of disease if not properly maintained.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, there are benefits and disadvantages to growing with each method. Which to choose will depend largely on your situation. You should consider a soil grow if you are not confident in your skills, want a natural or organic grow, want the flexibility of being less attentive to your plants, or feel that soil based weed tastes better. Consider using a hydroponic system if you want absolute control, are happy to dedicate the time and effort required, are confident in your skills, want more flexibility to experiment, or want larger faster yields.

Better yet, if you are really up for a bit of experimentation, why not try combining the two into an automated drip feeding soil system! It can be a great way to introduce you to some of the mechanism behind hydroponic growing without jumping in head first! Either way, there is no right or wrong answer here, you just have to choose what suits you.

Are you ready to grow marijuana? If you like we suggest you to choose a indoor grow package, a complete indoor grow package will contain cannabis grow tents, cannabis grow lights, inline fans for cannabis, carbon filters and some other necessary tool you will need. It can save your time for choosing growing equipments and it is really cheaper than buying separately, the most important thing is the grow package is professional for a beginner.