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Growing Hydro
Deep Water Culture
by Jason Mispagel , contributing writer
Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden , a grower ’ s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016 . His extensive growing experience in hydroponics and soil dates to the early days of legalization in Colorado , where he served as one of the state ’ s early caregivers . Year-Round Garden . 1225 W 103rd St , Kansas City , MO . 816.216.6917 – FB : yrroundgarden ● IG : @ yrroundgarden
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quick online image search for the term “ hydroponics ” spits back an entire page of nothing but pristine corridors of white PVC piping , gloved hands , crisp greens , translucent roots , radiant full-spectrum lighting , and neatly organized pumps , cords , and flexible tubing . It is medical lab meets data center meets greenhouse . Perfectly sterile . Overwhelmingly complex . Massively efficient . And without a doubt , that scares people away from hydroponics . If growing your own should be therapeutic , the perceived stress of managing that type of system is an easy non-starter . Fortunately , all those stock photos and Instagram-able snaps aren ’ t the reality of everyday home hydroponics . They may be either a vision that we strive towards or a well-designed large-scale facility we admire . But mirroring the complexity and precision of such a grow IS NOT necessary for success .
By definition , hydroponics is simply growing plants using nutrient solutions without the benefit of the minerals and organic matter found in soil . It ’ s a concept that ’ s been around for thousands of years , and it might even be something you ’ re already doing unconsciously today with your houseplants . While some plants are better suited for hydroponics than others based on their physical structure and unique needs , cannabis happens to be among those that do particularly well .
Over the next few editions , we ’ ll provide step-by-step , detailed instructions for setting up some of the most common hydroponic growing methods on a manageable scale . In addition to being a tutorial for the firsttime hydroponic grower , we ’ ll also touch on concepts that ’ ll hopefully inspire further exploration as your comfort level with hydroponics increases .
◄ Deep Water Culture ( DWC ) bucket with air pump and air stone .
Let ’ s kick off the series with one of my favorite methods for getting started in hydroponics , Deep Water Culture ( DWC ). The concept of a DWC system ( image above ) is fairly straightforward — your plant ’ s roots are suspended in a solution of water , nutrients , and oxygen rather than soil . What I love most about DWC is that it ’ s a natural transition for someone who has previously grown in soil , requiring a similar amount of space and essentially no change in the surrounding environment ( i . e ., lighting , tents , fans , trellis support , etc .).
Start your seeds or clones in any type of starter pellet or cube , Rockwool or biodegradable foam . Oasis cubes are my favorites because they are a little less messy , but peat pellets , coco coir bricks , or root riot starters would all suffice .