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Why DWC is the Best Way to Grow Cannabis 2020 Update

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Why DWC is the Best Way to Grow Cannabis 2020 Update
What you Need to Grow Cannabis in DWC
We will assume that you already have your grow tent, and equipment ready to go, and you are just deciding what medium you are going to grow in. If you need help to decide on the right grow tent for you, then take a look at our grow tents section.
For growing in DWC, you do not need a lot of equipment, and what you need is easily sourced:
  • Large Container for Root Zone
  • Air Stones
  • Rockwool Cubes
  • Clay Pebbles
  • Your choice of Salt Based Nutrients
  • Reservoir Cooler (Possibly
Advantages of DWC
  • Rapid growth
  • Plants can be left unattended up 2 weeks without requiring watering
  • Minimal moving parts: plants will live for weeks if the air pump dies (unlike in flood and drain systems)
  • Low Cost: you don’t need to buy new soil every grow
  • Plants grow 2-3x faster
  • Higher yield
  • Perfect for working within 4 or 6 plant maximums
  • No nutrient waste
  • Continuous pH and nutrient monitoring is possible
  • Don’t need put your pH meter in soil runoff
Disadvantages of DWC
  • Water temperature must be kept below 72F (ideally 65-68F)
  • Root rot can kill plants if sanitary practices are not maintained
HOW TO SET UP A DWC GROW
For growing cannabis in a DWC, you will need these things:
  • Water reservoir (shared or individually for each plant)
  • DWC net pots to hold your plants
  • Hydroponic nutrients
  • Air pump (and air stones) for the aeration of your nutrient water
Now, let’s take a look at each of these DWC components in more detail:
THE RESERVOIR
One difference of using a DWC system as compared to growing in a medium such as soil is the reservoir. In this setup, plants themselves will be suspended above the reservoir containing the feeding solution, while the roots will stretch down where they will be fully immersed in the nutrient-rich “deep water”. Since the roots should not receive any light (to prevent issues such as the growth of algae), the reservoir is normally a light-proof container.
There are different types of DWC systems: Some setups may have one large shared reservoir for a number of plants. Other setups may consist of several smaller DWC reservoirs for each plant. Separate reservoirs like this have the advantage of allowing more control over each individual plant. Otherwise, if you grow multiple plants that share one reservoir, it can become tricky when you grow different strains or when your plants flower at different rates. Therefore, you should grow only the same type of strain if you have a system that uses one large reservoir.
Recirculating DWC systems make use of one large tank that is connected to a number of individual smaller reservoirs for each plant. The feeding solution is fed from the large tank to each of the plants, and is recirculated back into the tank. Some systems may just have one air pump and an air stone in the large tank, while others may have an air stone in each container for each plant. Air stones create bubbles to ensure proper gas exchange.
Simpler systems for single plants may consist of one reservoir, a small pump, and an air stone for one plant. Due to the dramatic growth of a plant in a DWC, a small, single-plant DWC system could be sufficient to fill-out a small tent in just a few weeks.
DWC NET POTS
In well-sorted grow stores that carry products for hydroponics, you can get so-called “net pots”, which are suitable for DWC systems. As compared to normal planting pots, these pots have a wide mesh so that the roots can easily reach the water below.
Alternatively, you can make your own DWC net pots out of almost anything by creating a number of large holes in containers or plastic flower pots. The difficulty here, however, is that cutting or drilling might result in sharp edges that could damage the sensitive roots. One good way to go about this is to use a soldering iron where you burn holes in the sides, rather than cutting or drilling them. (Do this outdoors since the fumes from burning plastic can be hazardous). You can also use baskets or nets for your DWC system.
Fill your net pots with an inert growing medium with low-water retention such as perlite, clay pellets (hydroton), or lava rocks. For germination, it’s best when to start out your seeds in Rockwool and transfer them over to your DWC after a couple of days.
Note: When your seeds have just germinated and are now sitting in pots in your DWC, the roots will obviously not be long enough yet to reach into your reservoir. Until this happens, you will have to top-water your plants. Some more elaborate DWC setups do top-feeding/top-dripping where water from the reservoir also trickles directly over the seedling’s roots. However, top-feeding will provide a benefit for about two weeks when your plants have just sprouted, which is why many growers forgo this addition in their DWC setup.
AERATION FOR YOUR DWC SYSTEM USING AN AIR PUMP
Your cannabis plants need oxygen to grow, which makes the air pump in your DWC a most critical component. In fact, many growers keep a backup emergency air pump should one stop working. Understanding that just one day without a working pump could likely kill your crops, having a backup pump will be smart and provide you with peace of mind.
  • Choosing An Air Pump For Your DWC
When looking around online, you will find lots of different air pumps offered that are not very expensive. You can get quite powerful pumps for less than €30 today. A problem, however, can be choosing the right one for your DWC system. Air pumps mainly differ in how much air they can pump per hour.
As a general rule, you should get an air pump that can supply at least double the litres per hour of the volume of your reservoir. For example, if you have a 100l tank, get a pump that can supply 200l/hour. Know that an air pump costing you no more than a few euros will likely not last a lifetime, so get the backup pump as well. And while you’re at it, also get some more air stones. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
  • Air Pumps And Noise
Modern air pumps can be quiet, yet the overall noise from a DWC system from vibrating parts can still be a concern, especially if you want to keep things stealthy and under the radar. Your air pump will likely be the noisiest part in your setup, but there are things you can do to make it even quieter. You could hang the pump instead of putting it on the floor, which can help minimise unwanted vibrations and noises. When you glue on any loose and wiggling parts from your DWC system, such as tubes or whatever else might rattle and shake, this can also make a big difference when it comes to noise levels. For large pumps, you can put these into a noise-isolating chamber as long as you make sure that the pump can still get air to function.
 
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