Marijuana Horticulture Fundamentals. K of Trichome Technologies
As seen in this picture, multiple trays and tables can be set up side-by-side and use common reservoirs. Another possibility is for each to have its own reservoir.
Photos: K
A system such as this requires a medium amount of effort and attention, and is best for the intermediate grower. Pathogens and bacteria can rapidly infect systems such as this if proper air and water temperatures are exceeded.
Recirculating NFT bucket system utilizing five-gallon buckets.
Recirculating NFT Bucket System
This five-gallon bucket system works very well, is simple to build and maintain, and is fairly inexpensive. The beauty is that you can plug in and unplug buckets as you want or need them—as many or as few as you desire, quickly and cleanly, and with little effort. Most five-gallon bucket systems require a bucket that is completely filled with clay pellets. This to me is a waste of time and energy, because clay pellets have to be decontaminated and disinfected after each harvest. I would much rather clean and decontaminate a 3½-inch container full of clay pellets than a whole five-gallon bucket.
This system is considered a recirculating NFT drip / deep water culture system. The system works like this: rooted clones are placed into round 3½-inch mesh baskets and covered with clay pellets. The basket is then placed in a three-inch hole cut into the five-gallon bucket lid. A water / nutrient drip emitter is then placed securely on the bucket. The water that comes out of the drip emitter is constantly running through the clay pellets; it exits through the basket and cascades down the developing root system to the bottom of the bucket. At the bottom of the bucket is four inches of water that is constantly draining from the bucket via a half-inch drain at the side of the bucket. Because the buckets are higher than the reservoir (thanks to the milk crates), the water drains back to the reservoir where it is heated or cooled, depending on what is required to keep it at 72°F, filtered, oxygenated, and sent back to the base of the plants using a submersible water pump. The water must constantly circulate to keep the plant roots moist or else the plants will die. Because there is so little media, and the clay pellets do not retain much moisture, the water must constantly circulate.
Use oscillating fans to keep air constantly circulating throughout the room.
Photos: K
The four inches of water at the bottom of the bucket will quickly fill with healthy white roots relaxing in the oxygen- and nutrient-rich water and absorbing all they need to thrive. Plants are grown vegetatively until they reach one foot tall, at which point they are switched to 12 on / 12 off (the flowering stage). The plants in these photos have been in the flowering stage for approximately two weeks; they will mature and finish flowering between two and three feet tall, requiring no stakes or nets to keep them up because of the shorter plant stature.
All of the materials required to construct this system are available from your local hardware store. There is no need to buy an overpriced hydroponic system unless you really want to or don’t have the time or ability to build your own. This system is simple to construct and tear down, as well as to store while not in use. The negatives to using this system are that the water temperature needs to be precisely maintained, as mentioned previously, and that the water must be properly oxygenated to keep the roots from being deprived at the bottom of the large bucket. Furthermore, if the water fails to circulate, plant death will rapidly occur. Plants left without water in this system can die in as little as one or two hours in hot environments. Growers wishing to plug in a system and leave it unsupervised should not build this type, as it requires daily supervision—not constant work and attention, just somebody to check to see if everything is working properly, i.e., if the water pump is working correctly, whether there are any leaks or clogged drippers or drains, and so on.
After harvest, the clay pellets are placed in a plastic garbage can with bleach and water and allowed to sit for 24 hours, at which point they are rinsed and ready to use again. The mesh baskets are reused as well. The whole system should be wiped off with hydrogen peroxide, and ONA cleaner (a bleach substitute) or Flora Kleen should be run through the drip line system and the rest of the system, allowing the whole thing to disinfect. After everything is rinsed with clean water the new plants are installed—ultimately, a short, hassle-free bit of work when compared to other systems. Remember, you don’t have to have an expensive system to get incredible buds.
Good example of a home-built aeroponic system from 1991.
This is a very good example of a typical aeroponic system. Home built, not store bought; anyone can build a system like this, but it requires a skilled grower to make it produce properly and maximize plant growth and yield. Growth rates and yield can be dramatically increased using aeroponic systems, but all environmental parameters and growth controls must be perfect in order to benefit from such a system.
The premise of aeroponics is that air (oxygen) and nutrient-enriched water are misted onto thriving plant roots. The roots absorb any oxygen, water, and nutrients they need at that particular moment and the remaining nutrients recirculate back to a reservoir to be re-aerated, temperature adjusted, and sent back to the plant roots to begin the process again. The mist is sprayed onto the plants’ roots with two (in case one gets clogged) four-gallon per hour misters, which are placed directly across from the roots, mounted in the side of six-inch PVC tubing. The tubes are capped at one end and joined at the other, draining into the common reservoir.
This system is not for somebody who wants to plug it in and leave it for long periods of time. It requires constant attention to make sure that misters aren’t clogged, the pH and PPM are correct, water and air temperatures are adjusted, and CO2 levels and water oxygen levels are optimum. This system requires multiple inspections each and every day; no “holidays.” Excess water temperature or a broken water pump will result in total and devastating crop failure.
Closet system set up for clone production.
Photos: K
Within reason, any space can be used to produce clones, as long as you monitor and control environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to oxygen-rich air. In this case, a spare bedroom was used as well as the lower portion of the closet. The clones are under domes that retain moisture and humidity, and the temperature is kept up with a common household thermostatically-controlled air heater. If the humidity or temperature of the room exceeds desired levels, a humidistat-controlled filtered intake and exhaust fan will bring the levels back to acceptable ranges.
For small gardens, just the closet can be used to produce as many clones as you need, anytime you need them. A very small air heater, fluorescent lights, a humidity dome, and a few other items are all that you need. Three or four clones can easily be placed on the shelf on the top of the closet, in a small tray with a humidity dome, if you only need a few clones every once in a while.