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What is Hydroponic Weed?
May
You may have heard the term ‘hydro’ or ‘hydroponic weed’ when consulting with your favorite budtender or looking for your next go-to strain. As the cannabis industry has evolved over the years, new growing methods have emerged with the common goal of producing the highest quality cannabis at a price that is affordable to the everyday consumer. Hydroponic marijuana allows growers to minimize risk and more efficiently control the plant’s environment.
Hydroponic marijuana growing techniques have dramatically improved with the legalization of cannabis. Optimizing the growing environment allows cannabis companies to pump out incredible amounts of top-shelf cannabis in short time frames.
Weed grown in a hydro environment is usually of high quality, but there is much more to producing superior flower than the journey from seed to harvest.
What is Hydroponic Marijuana?
Cannabis grown with hydroponics uses nutrient-rich water that is constantly cycling through the irrigation system giving the plant roots the nutrients they need to thrive. The word ‘hydroponics’ literally means ‘working water.’
The history of hydroponics is as rich and complex as the story of cannabis consumption. Ancient civilizations known for their ingenuity, from the Aztecs to the Chinese to the Egyptians, have utilized the growing method. In recent history, hydroponic grow systems were used during WW2 by US sailors to grow fresh produce on desolate islands in the Pacific. In 2015, NASA astronauts added a hydro system to the International Space Station, allowing crews from around the globe to enjoy fresh food beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
We may not be growing cannabis in space (not yet anyway); the legal cannabis market is responsible for revolutionizing the hydroponics industry. No other crop has the marketability of cannabis; the demand has created the need for growers to develop the most sophisticated growing systems ever conceived by humanity.
The Benefits of Hydronic Vs. Soil Cannabis
Cannabis growers using a hydroponic system are given more control leading to higher yields. Removing the soil nearly eliminates the need for pesticides because the water is constantly cycled through the irrigation system.
Nutrients are much more accessible and effectively delivered to the plant. The roots are suspended in nutrient-rich water, allowing the plant access to all the necessities needed to develop into the dankest cannabis possible.
Another benefit to hydroponic grows as opposed to using soil is versatility. Many parts of the world aren’t blessed with the mineral soil of Northern California. Producing high-quality cannabis in most environments is physically impossible.
Hydroponic weed is necessary for many legal cannabis areas because they are a closed market. The current federal status of cannabis doesn’t permit the transportation of cannabis across state lines. Many states would be plagued with low-quality cannabis because their soil cannot produce the pungent strains we’ve grown accustomed to in LA. Thankfully hydroponics and indoor environments allow cannabis users all over the US to enjoy the gift of top-shelf cannabis.
The Effects – Hydroponic Weed vs. Regular Weed
The weed produced by a hydroponics grow system is usually cleaner because a massive amount of pesticides isn’t needed. The final product reflects the ultra-clean environment.
While sun-grown cannabis from American soil is more appealing to some cannabis users, it simply realistic considering the size of the legal cannabis market. Commercial cannabis growers are attracted to hydroponics because it allows them to maximize their available space and produce the most cannabis they can.
We think of hydroponics and indoor grows as always being one and the same, but that isn’t true in many situations. Many farmers have hydro systems outside, allowing the plants to soak up the sun. Other growers utilize hydroponics in the beginning stages of a plant’s lifecycle and replant it outside in soil to speed up production. This method is also used in inverse depending on the grower’s needs. Plants can be safely moved from soil to water or water to soil if the grower knows what they are doing.
What Does Hydroponic Weed Look Like?
Growing incredibly potent, fire weed is 100% possible in soil. However, it is rare. Usually, you can spot hydroponic weed pictures just by the impressive, visible quality. Cannabis covered in crystals with an array of intricate colors is most likely grown in a hydroponics system.
Other than just being amazing looking, hydro weed can be spotted by its density. Most well-produced hydroponic growers will get their nugs nice and tight, covered in glistening trichomes. If the weed is in hand, it’s usually going to be stickier and have a more potent smell than cannabis grown in soil.
How to Tell if You are Buying Hydro Grow Weed?
While a trained eye can usually tell if their weed was grown hydroponically, the only way to be sure is to look up the grower. All cannabis dispensaries are required by law to clearly state where they source their cannabis. Most growers have a website that will give you an insight into how your cannabis is produced.
One of the many aspects we love about the cannabis industry is the transparency by established growers. They are just as excited about the product as you are and happy to share their process.
Growers producing highly potent cannabis from the soil will let you know. Getting the quality we are accustomed to in LA from traditional growing methods is challenging and only possible in certain parts of California. Expect to pay a premium for top-shelf buds grown in soil.
To Infinity and Beyond!
Hydroponics allows us access to more incredible potent cannabis. People in climates that aren’t blessed with the perfect growing conditions of Humboldt country can still produce a superior product. Even in states like California that do have an ideal climate, supplying the entire state with soil-grown cannabis isn’t feasible. Hydro weed requires fewer nutrients, pesticides and delivers high yields, giving all Californians access to the best wee possible.
Advanced growing systems are an intricate part of the legal cannabis industry; once we become an interplanetary species, it will be our only option to enjoy cannabis in other worlds.
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