Many people around the world that enjoy the benefits of using marijuana both recreationally and medically do not have the slightest clue as to how the plant grows. Unlike many plants that you can grow anywhere, cannabis requires the highest standards to attain the best quality. One of the most common methods of growing marijuana is by using a hydroponic system. The technique has been available for numerous years and has evolved to multiple different systems giving you the chance to choose any that suits your preference and lifestyle. Is hydroponics the best way to grow marijuana?
If you intend to grow the best grade of marijuana, then it is! Several benefits follow with using hydroponics when growing cannabis. By using hydroponics, you can achieve the highest potential yield than when you use any other method. One of the benefits that you get with using the technique is that you can control the nutrients your plant will need to keep it upright. Since the roots are open, the nutrients are easily absorbed further improving the plant efficiency. Most growers look towards achieving high yields whenever they start planting cannabis. By using hydroponics, you are confident of not only getting the best returns but also an increase in the growth speed.
With that said, there are certain items you require to get if you plant to start growing marijuana using a hydroponic system. One of the main elements in a hydroponic system is identifying the BEST HYDROPONIC TRAY to use. A hydroponic tray, also known as a grow tray is a container that comes in various shapes and sizes whose purpose is to accommodate more than one plant in a hydroponic growing system. Hydroponic trays are made with enough room to contain the root structure and the plant. How to use a grow tray depends on the type of hydroponic system you use. Here are some of the best hydroponic trays you can choose from for your cannabis garden.
Best Article About Hydroponic On 04- 2024
Best Hydroponic Trays On the Market Reviews
Living Whole Foods Plant Growing Trays
The Living Whole Foods Plant Growing Trays are best for use as seed starting trays to help with the germination of marijuana seeds. The grow tray has a top measurement of 20.5 inches by 10.1 inches and a bottom of 19.7 inches by 9.3 inches. They come in 10 packs, 50 packs and 100 packs where one tray can accommodate up to 10 seedlings. The HYDROPONIC TRAYS comprise of 35-gauge plastic making the durable but at the same time flexible. You should be careful whenever you want to move them when they are fully loaded. The trays do not have drain holes, but they have drain channels that can help to safeguard the seedling from overflowing. The grow trays are a precise fit for micro-mats and grow pads. The grow trays can stack up together, and you can easily re-use them.
Hydrofarm 7.5 Inch Dome Jump Start CK64060 Hot House with Heat Mat
If you are looking to get started with the growing of marijuana seeds you may need to acquire the Hydrofarm Hot House that comes with a seedling heat mat. The grow tray comes with a 7-inch dome that is made specifically to support growing plants that are slightly taller and bigger from seeds. It provides cannabis seeds with a regulated environment of the right humidity, light, and heat. The tray can hold up to 72 seedlings at one go. It has a watertight base that measures 22 inches by 11 inches and a heat mat that will keep the seedlings cozy and well protected. The grow tray comes with full detailed instructions as well as some growing tips.
Botanicare Low Tide GTLT12X48X4B Tray
The Botanicare GTLT12X48X4B Trays are enormous and can sustain a massive production of cannabis seedlings at once. The flood trays are made from thick ABS plastic production contain a depth of 5 t 6 inches. It is durable and able to withstand impact. The Tray measures 1 foot by 4 foot a size that is almost twice that of an average 1020 tray. You can find the hydroponic tray in both white and black color as well in measurements of 2 by 2 foot as well as three by 3 foot. It comes with diagonal drain grids that help to direct water out of the tray. It has sidewalls that have a trimmed edge which measure 3.5 inches high. The grow trays come from the USA, and they contain 80 percent of recycled materials.
Viagrow Complete Ebb & Flow Hydroponics System
The Viagrow Complete Ebb & Flow Hydroponics System is made up of a full kit required to set up a growing station. A growing station is an area that you place your seeds right until the roots and primary leaves develop. The flood and drain kit comprises of all the items you would need when starting a hydroponic plant growing scheme. This system is best suited for new cannabis growers that are not sure of how to establish a string and working growing station. The flood and drain kit can accommodate around 25 plants since it comes with 25 nursery pots that all measure 1 gallon. The kit comprises of a 50-liter bag of grow rocks, a submersible pump as well as a 40-gallon reservoir. The tray is strong and durable, and it comes with a convenient self-draining feature.
Fast Fit 706120 Tray Stand
The Fast Fit 706120 Tray Stand measures 2 feet by 4 feet is a quick assembly stand that does not require any tools to set up. You can put together the tray stand in 5 minutes or even lesser time. The tray stand can accommodate any famous brand of reservoirs or hydroponic trays. The tray stand has an outer measurement of 53 inches by 28.5 inches and an internal dimension of 51 inches by 26.5 inches. Tray stands with castors measure 240 pounds for those with four legs and 360 pounds for those with six legs.
Bootstrap Farmer 1020 Trays
The Bootstrap Farmer 1020 trays are of highly durable plastic free from BPA that can last you for many years. The grow trays do not have draining holes but rather come with drain channels that help with regulating flooding. The grow trays come in 2 packs, five packs, ten packs and 60 packs with each package containing a humidity dome. The humidity dome helps by providing ideal growing conditions for your marijuana seedlings and sprouts during spring. The trays measure 2.5 inches deep, and you can easily stack them together. They are durable and long lasting making them one of the strongest in the market. The trays come with a two-year guarantee of breakage to help you focus more on growing your plants rather than performing replacements.
Yield Lab 10 x 20 Inch Black Plastic Propagation Tray
The Yield Lab 10 x 20 Inch Black Plastic Propagation Tray is one of the top options in the market if you are looking for a seed starter kit that comes with a grow light for the growing of cannabis. The kit contains a 24-LED all blue light with a spectrum of about 430 to 460 nm that helps in triggering the plants vegetative growth. The package as well includes a heat mat, a humidity dome, a thermostat controller and a propagation tray. It comes with a clear plastic dome making it easy to observe the growth of the plants without the need of removing the cover hence not tampering with the plant growing environment. The dome has two ventilation point at the top.
Garland Giant Plus Garden Tray
The Garland Giant Plus Garden Tray is a favorite tray among many private and commercial cannabis gardeners as it provides a large platform to act as an irrigation table for several potted plants. You can fill the grow tray with capillary malting or grit. It consists of polypropylene that is durable and measures 21.65 inches wide by 44.24 inches long by 1.57 inches deep. The grow tray has an internal capacity of about 7.4 gallons. The size of the grow tray ensures that the plants receive water within a short time.
TO Plastics 50 Cell Plug Flats
If you are looking to attain a consistent growth and constant quality, you need to consider getting the TO Plastics 50 Cell Plug Flats. The plug tray measures 11 inches wide and 21 inches long and comprises of 50 cell plugs where each cell plug is 19.inches square by 2.3 inches deep. The grow trays come with optional top surface ventilation. It is an excellent option for starting indoor marijuana vegetation. The grow tray comes with a precisely centered drainage hole in all the cells that help you to achieve higher yields.
What To Consider When Choosing a Hydroponic Tray
When choosing a HYDROPONIC TABLE or tray, you want to get one that offers a safe and healthy place for the development of the plant roots. Healthy plant roots are what helps a marijuana plant to grow and thrive since they are responsible for the retention of water, anchoring of the plant, absorption of nutrients and helping with vegetative growth of the plant. Therefore, you need to consider a grow tray that can offer the cannabis plant roots access to proper drainage to keep them from withering or dying. The hydroponic tray also needs to facilitate providing the plant roots with oxygen without overexposure through different styles of perforation. Your plants require well-aerated roots to function appropriately. Also, they should be in a position ready to absorb nutrients.
With all the information above in mind, you should consider getting one that is big enough to hold your reservoir but still small enough to fit in the allocated growing environment. The best grow trays are made of durable plastic and come with a diagonal grid that can control water to the drainage. You should select shallow hydroponic trays if you are looking to grow seedlings and small plants. However, go for hydroponic trays that are deeper and larger if you intend to use it as a growing bed. Deeper hydroponic trays can hold more grow medium and are best suited to accommodate plants with more root mass. Depending on the type of plant, you may get hydroponic trays that come with pre-drilled holes for more convenience. However, you may also consider drilling your holes to give you more flexibility and control in designing your hydroponic setup. When choosing a grow tray, the price is the last item you want to consider. You should compare all the grow trays that lie within your budget and choose the best that adds value to your hydroponic system.
Types of Hydroponic Grow Systems
There are various types of hydroponic systems that differ in complexities and benefits. Even so, these systems perform the same function of introducing nutrients to the plants in a different way rather than using soil. The nutrients are added to a hydroponic system through passive and active methods. Passive methods make use of growing mediums to hold the water, oxygen, and nutrients required by the roots to develop. Active methods, on the other hand, focus more on the grower as they involve the consistent application of nutrients. Here are six major hydroponic systems in use today.
The Different Hydroponic Systems for Your Marijuana Garden
Aeroponics System
An aeroponics system works by transporting oxygenated water nutrient solution from the reservoir through misting valves that spray a fine mist into an encasement that contains roots that are exposed. This system introduces a high percentage of oxygen to the plant roots without continually soaking them in water. Even though the system may be costly to set up, it is highly effective on large scale marijuana farms as it supports vertical growth hence maximizing the plant growing space. It is essential always to ensure that the misting valves do not clog if you use this method. Your plants may quickly die when the roots stay without moisture.
Deep Water Culture System (DWC)
The Deep water system is one of the most common methods in the growth of cannabis. The plants hang on top of the nutrient solution. The system is best suited for beginners as it is cost effective and effortless to operate. Here, Cannabis is set in separate containers which are then placed in a grow tray which hangs over the water. There is an air pump in the water tank that oxygenates the water and adds nutrients so that the roots can absorb them easily. It is essential always to give the roots enough dry time whenever you use this method.
Wick System
This system does not contain any movable parts making it a hustle-free method to implement. It makes use of a wick made of cotton or yarn to introduce nutrients to the grow tray where the roots of the cannabis absorb easily. This method of growing plants is recommended for use only on smaller plants as the larger plants tend to up us more water finishing up the nutrient solution faster than the supply. You can use multiple growing mediums when using this method.
Drip System
The drip system is one of the best for commercial-scale aquaponics farms. Each plant has an individual dripper that delivers an equal amount of oxygenated water with nutrients solution. All the excess water that is not absorbed by the plants flows down through the growth medium to the reservoir where it is pumped back up through the dripper system. You can swap out plants or harvest very fast by only removing the dripper. The dripper system allows you to control the amount of nutrient solution that a plant needs. You are also in charge of the watering schedule of the plants allowing you can change the watering frequency by considering the needs of the plants.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
In the NFT method, oxygenated water that contains nutrients travels to the planting tubes from the reservoir. The technique uses a PVC tubing with a large circumference where it is placed at an angle of a slight decline to allow the nutrient solution water to flow down the drainage pipe passing by the roots before being recycled back to the holding tank. The nutrient-rich solution should not remain stagnant since it may lead to the growth of bacteria causing death to your plants. To prevent this from happening, always ensure that the pipe is at an angle that allows it to drain entirely. You should also remember that the density of the roots may cause clogging of the pipes leading to stagnation of the nutrient-rich water.
The NFT system allows you to add more plants and expand your grow by adding more holes on the planting tubes just as long as your pump and holding tank can take care of the extra work.
The EBB and Flow System
In the ebb and flow system, the roots of the plant are not all covered continuously by water just as it is for the DWC and NFT systems. Here, oxygenated water with nutrients fills up the grow tray that contains the growing medium and the plant. Once the grow tray is full, the pump switches off, and the water drains back the reservoir. The process involves continuous flooding to desired levels ensuring the roots receive large portions of oxygen in between the flooding. Denser mediums are best for this method as they will help with stabilizing the plants an ensuring that they do not topple and fall over. The best grow material for this method would be Rockwool. It is essential that to ensure the pump system keeps running at all times to ensure that the tray does not flood for more than 30 mins giving the plant roots time to breathe.
Benefits of Using Hydroponics to Grow Cannabis.
Better and Bigger Yields
A grow tray plays a vital role in setting up an excellent growing environment for marijuana. It helps in the delivery of the right amount of nutrients to the plant roots hence leading to faster and bigger plant yield. However, to achieve the best returns, you need to set up the hydroponic system correctly. An excellent system will deliver a harmoniously balanced mix of nutrients and oxygen to the roots leading to perfect growth.
Control
Unlike growing plants in the soil where you are never sure on the outcome of your plants, a hydroponic system gives you control over the growth of your plants by allowing you to take charge over the nutrients and oxygen getting to the roots of your cannabis plants. You are also able to control the amount of lighting and temperature by finding the best grow light to use.
Control of Pests
A grow tray in a hydroponic system gives you control over the growing environment of your cannabis helping you to get rid of the risks of pests and diseases. It works exceptionally well if you are operating from indoors since you can control the growing environment. It may not be so if you are growing the plants outdoors.
Growth of weeds
Weeds are known to sprout and pop up out of nowhere whenever you use soil. When growing cannabis in a hydroponic tray, you use a growing medium such as perlite, Rockwool and vermiculite instead of the soil thereby allowing you to control the growth of weeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some of the materials used in a grow tray as growing mediums?
In a hydroponic system, there is no use of soil. You not to make use of another material that contains the ability to retain water and minerals as well as hold the plant in place. Some of the materials include coconut fiber, perlite, clay pellets, and vermiculite.
Which is the best plant propagation tray to use?
There are numerous cell trays with different sizes that you can choose to start propagating your marijuana seedlings. However, you should always consider your immediate need when making the selection.
Conclusion
Irrespective of whether you are a new or expert cannabis grower, you need to identify the best grow tray and use the required hydroponic system for the plants to grow efficiently. A hydroponic table or grow tray is just one of the many items that you need. Hydroponic trays that are small and medium-sized are best for germinating seeds. The seeds grow in these trays until a small number of leaves and roots appear. Then, you should transfer them to the main growing beds. Your hydroponic farm will be a success when you choose one of the trays listed above.
You also need to find a good grow tent, as well as suitable, LED grow lights to help especially with the germination of cannabis. Whenever you have all the items that you need, you can choose to use one of the six hydroponic systems depending on your plant needs. We surely hope that this guide will be beneficial in setting up a successful marijuana garden.
