MarijuanaItems Required To Grow Hydroponic Marijuana
growing hydroponic marijuana index
Optional Items
Introduction Expect to pay about $1000.00 to $2000.00 for lighting, hydroponic garden, seeds, grow books, and other mandatory items needed for a basic personal hydroponic marijuana garden. Once you get things set up you can continue to grow hydroponic marijuana with your set up and only have to spend money on nutrients, bulbs, and other maintenance. A very wise investment of money for any consumer. The mandatory items listed are necessary for any grower. As you gain experience, you can get some of the optional items with the money you save by producing your own marijuana instead of buying it. Floor Covering: The area where the hydroponic system is placed should have some kind of floor covering that will protect it from water and nutrient spills that will happen. A thick drop cloth (the thick plastic sheets painters use to protect items from paint damage) will do a good job. Get something that is larger than the area of the hydroponic garden. If your garden covers a 4 foot by 4 foot area, an 8 foot by 8 foot (or larger) drop cloth will be good. If it is too big, you can cut it to any size you need. A plastic drop cloth should be 2 mills or thicker but this might not be stated on the package. You should be able to find a drop cloth in the paint section of a local hardware or department store. Be sure to get something made of thick plastic or another material that will repel water so you can mop it up. Stay away from canvas or anything that will absorb liquids. If you can't find one at a store near your home, you should be able to find something suitable online Fluorescent Lighting: If you are using 1 grow area for both the seedling/vegetative and flowering phases, a standard 48 inch fluorescent shop light that holds 2 bulbs (rated at 30-60 watts each) will provide enough light for 20+ clones or seedlings to grow for the first two weeks (or longer), after which mh or hps light can be introduced. If you are using 2 grow areas (one for the seedling/vegetative phase and another strictly for flowering), a standard 48 inch fluorescent shop light that holds 2 bulbs (rated at 30-60 watts each) will provide enough light for 6-8 plants in the seedling/vegetative area to grow until they are 8-12 inches tall and ready to be moved to the flowering area. A standard 48 inch fluorescent lighting fixture that holds 2 bulbs (rated at 30-60 watts each) should be available at a local department or hardware store for under $50. When you purchase the fixture, get 'cool white' bulbs for it. 40 watt cool white fluorescent bulbs are cheaper than most other wattage bulbs. Try to get a fluorescent fixture that can run 40 watt bulbs and you will save money over the long term. Get a basic fixture with no light cover. If you buy one with a light cover, remove it prior to use so no light energy is wasted. Make sure to get bulbs that will fit the fixture. There are different types of bulbs like T5, T8, and T12 (T5 are most efficient, T12 are least efficient). The type of ballast on the fluorescent fixture you get will determine the type of bulb you need. Only put T8 bulbs in a T8 fixture. Most fixtures can only run one type, but some can run more than one type of bulb. Grow Books And Movies: If you haven't purchased any of the materials needed to setup your hydroponic operation, watch a movie or read a book to get a good understanding of everything involved before spending a lot of money. They will show you how to plan your grow room and the steps involved in growing marijuana. This is a very cheap way to decide if growing marijuana is something you wish to try. If after reading or viewing them you are you sure you want grow, you can invest in the items you will need. A full list of marijuana growing books can be found here but here are a few ideas. An alternative to books is the ultimate grow dvd. This movie shows step by step instructions covering the basics involved in growing a crop of marijuana indoors, with hydroponics or soil. It won't teach advanced techniques but it will show you how to set up a grow room and raise your first crop. Running time is about 100 minutes. If you find instructions and books about growing hydroponic marijuana overly technical and hard to follow, grow great marijuana is the easiest to understand. It will explain the steps involved in growing hydroponic marijuana from start to finish (with text and images). Recommended for beginners only. The book marijuana horticulture is over 500 pages long and has more than 1000 color images. If you were only going to get one book about growing, this book would probably be the best choice. Describes growing marijuana outdoors or indoors (with hydroponics or soil). Also provides information that you can refer back to when things go wrong. Recommended for beginners and more advanced growers. The cannabis grow bible is also a good book that explains growing marijuana indoors or outdoors. It is not as comprehensive as marijuana horticulture (described above), but it has better information about breeding marijuana. Recommended for intermediate and more advanced growers. Residents of Canada can find a good selection of marijuana growing books (in addition to the books that are described above) at amazon.ca Hydroponic System: A crucial decision when growing hydroponic marijuana is the type of system you decide on. The cost of a hydroponic system can be very high. Cheaper models tend to be too small while larger models tend to be too expensive. Rather than buying a commercial unit, you can build a low budget deep water culture system yourself. They are not hard to make if you understand how they work. Almost any building supply store should have the majority of stuff required. It may take a bit of work but by learning how to put a system together yourself but it is worth the effort. Once you know how to construct a hydroponic garden yourself, you will be able to construct a custom sized unit that will use most of the energy your light source produces, for a reasonable price. If you would rather buy a hydroponic system, expect to pay $250 or more for a hydroponic system that will accommodate 6 or more plants to maturity. See the hydroponic system part of this grow guide before buying a hydroponic system. Rather than using a single large unit, you can use 2 separate hydroponic systems to cover a certain area. For example, a 400 watt light source will produce enough light to cover a maximum grow area that is 4 feet by 4 feet. Instead of a single 4x4 system, you could use 2 separate 2x4 systems to cover the same area. The hydroponic system you choose is a matter of personal preference. At the present time I use a deep water culture system, 400 watt hps light, and grow 6-8 plants at a time. If flowering is started when the plants are about 10-12 inches tall, the harvest size is about 1 ounce per plant (6-8 ounces total) with mainly indica strains. The harvested amount depends on the strain being grown. If grown in the same hydroponic system with the same 400 watt light supply, some sativa strains will yield as little as 1/2 ounce per plant while some indica strains yield over 1 ounce per plant, when grown under the same conditions. Lighting: You can use fluorescent shop lights or led grow lights for all stages of growth, except flowering. When it is time to start flowering, you will need a high pressure sodium or metal halide light source. Expect to pay $200.00 to $500.00 for a single 250, 400, 600, or 1000 watt lighting system designed for growing plants. See the lighting section of this guide before purchasing a lighting system for growing hydroponic marijuana. --- For someone who consumes less than 1 ounce of marijuana a month, consider a 250 watt hps There are grow light ballasts available that can run both standard mh and hps bulbs at different wattages. For example, a ballast like this can run either mh or hps bulbs. In addition, there is a switch that can alternate the output to either 400 watt or 600 watts. Although you can use metal halide and high pressure sodium lights that were meant to be used as flood lights (or for some other purpose), it is best to get a light designed to be used to grow plants (a grow light). An alternative to a single large fixture is two smaller fixtures that add up to a wattage similar to the single large fixture. For example, instead of a single 400 watt fixture, you could use two 250 watt fixtures (one mh fixture - one hps fixture). Instead of a single 1000 watt fixture, you could use a 600 watt high pressure sodium fixture and a 400 watt metal halide fixture. This will allow you to spread light more evenly over a larger area. It also enables you to use both metal halide and high pressure sodium light at the same time, and it will reduce the ceiling height needed since a smaller wattage bulb can be placed closer to the plants. The drawback is the higher cost of two or more fixtures compared to only buying one. When choosing bulbs, get an economy (cheap) bulb that will work with your grow light for your first few crops. When you gain experience and raise a few crops and have to replace your old bulb, think about buying a better bulb. More expensive bulbs usually put out more light energy, this results in a larger harvest. Light Hanger: As the plants grow the height of the light must be increased so as not to burn the tops of the plants. You can buy a pre-made light hanger or make one yourself with stuff you find at a hardware store. Pre-made light hangers may also be sold as 'vertical light movers'. Marijuana Seeds: Getting female clones from a from another grower might be an option for some people but most of us start from seeds. Keeping seeds from marijuana that you smoke is the cheapest source of marijuana seeds but it is better when you know the origin of the seed. At the present time, it is best to order seeds from England, especially if you are ordering from the United States or Canada. Media: Most types of hydroponics utilize media for the plant roots to grow in, but some types of systems do not require growing media. Aeroponics, for instance, does not use any media. Roots are suspended in the air and a fine spray of nutrient solution is applied. Wait until you get a hydroponic system and see what the manufacturer recommends before purchasing media. If you know what to get, you can find rockwool and other types of hydroponic media online at reasonable prices. Nutrients: See the page about nutrients and marijuana if you are not sure what to get. Most hydroponic stores have a wide selection of hydroponic nutrients, you can usually find dry and liquid types. Make sure the nutrients are for use with hydroponic gardens. Oscillating Fan: A good way to circulate air in the grow room is an oscillating fan. The fan or fans should be aimed at the plants so that all the plants show some leaf movement when the fan blows over them. A gentle breeze is better than a strong gust of wind. Depending on the size of your grow room, one or more 12" to 16" units may be used. If space is a consideration, look for oscillating tower fans. Tall oscillating tower fans can move a lot of air but have a small footprint. Oscillating fans are used during warm weather by most people that don't have air conditioning in their home. In the summer, they can be found easily in almost any local department store. However, they may be hard to find during the winter months. If you need a fan but can't get one locally, you can find oscillating fans online all year round. For the first time grower, a model designed for home use (costing about $25-$75) is preferred over an expensive heavy duty industrial unit. pH Related: pH should always be kept between 5.0 and 7.0 when growing hydroponic marijuana. A pH level between 5.5 and 6.5 is better, and in most cases pH in the range of about 5.8 to 6.2 is optimal. To measure the pH of your hydroponic nutrient solution you will need a pH meter or a pH test kit. To adjust the pH of your hydroponic nutrient solution you will need pH up (increase) and pH down (decrease) solution. See the page about pH and marijuana for more information. There are several options when it comes to checking the pH level of your hydroponic or soil garden: --- A pH Control Kit contains a pH test kit to measure the pH of liquids like water or hydroponic nutrient solution, pH-up to raise the pH, and pH-down to lower the pH. First time hydroponic marijuana growers should consider getting a pH control kit. It contains everything you need to monitor and adjust pH. Included are a pH test kit that will allow you to check the pH level, and pH-up and pH-down to adjust the pH when necessary. A pH test kit for liquids works by putting a small amount of nutrient solution in a container then adding a few drops of pH test liquid and mixing them together. The combined mixture will turn color. This color is then matched with the color on a pH chart (included with the test kit) to determine the pH level of the nutrient solution. A pH meter can measure the pH of water (and other liquids), hydroponic nutrient solution, hydroponic media, and soil. If you have been growing hydroponic marijuana for a few years and you are tired of buying and re-buying test kits, it might be best to invest in a pH meter. A pH meter is long lasting, and in general they give more accurate results than other methods of measuring pH. But the price may make them out of reach for first time growers on a budget. Besides the pH meter itself, you also need to purchase pH calibration solution (rated at about 4.0 and 7.0) to calibrate the meter with. In addition, you may need to get electrode storage solution and electrode cleaning solution to extend electrode life and ensure accurate readings. The various solutions required can end up costing as much as the meter itself. pH meter probes and batteries will also eventually need to be replaced. For accurate measurements always follow the manufactures instructions for calibrating, cleaning, storing, and using a pH meter. Calibrating the meter is especially important because all measurements will be wrong if the unit is mis-calibrated. Soil growers should get a soil pH meter to measure the pH level of soil in their garden. They work by inserting the probes of the unit directly into the soil you are growing in, and taking a reading. Follow the manufacturers instructions included with the soil pH meter you have, and you will get years of accurate measurements. An alternative for soil growers is a soil test kit. These are easy to use and reliable kits that contain separate tests for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They give instant results on the soil conditions in your garden. A single soil test kit will have a certain number of tests that can be preformed before you run out and have to buy another. For example, one company makes a soil test kit that can be used to check pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in soil 10 times. Scissors: A small pair of sharp scissors for cutting off dying leaves and other small jobs will be needed. Also a pruner or some other cutting tool will be needed to cut down plants. In most cases the stems will be 1/2 of an inch or thicker at harvest time. Only use these cutting tools for working on your marijuana garden and keep them clean. Scissors can be found at any department store. Garden pruners should be available in the garden section of most stores during summer months. They maybe harder to find out of season. If you aren't sure how thick the stem will be at harvest time, you should wait till your plants are ready to harvest before buying something to cut them down. To be safe and get yourself through all stages in the life cycle, you could get a scissor set that includes shears. Thermometer: A thermometer will be necessary to monitor temperature. A normal household thermometer that can measure between 50-90 degrees F will work. You can usually find them in the housewares section of a department store. Some hygrometers have built in thermometers so you can measure the temperature and humidity together. Timers: You will need a timer to turn your light on and off. Some systems require a pump and another timer to circulate the nutrient solution. If you have a lighting systems that is 400 watts or less, get a heavy-duty grounded timer rated at 600 watts or higher and 10-15 amps. You can find these for $30 or less at most hardware stores in the U.S. and Canada. A 600 watt lighting systems would require a timer rated at 800 watts or more and 12-15 amps. A 1000 watt lighting systems would require a timer rated at 1400 watts or more and 15 amps. You can find these for $50 or less at most hardware stores in the U.S. and Canada. Outdoor timers are recommended for turning your lighting off and on in a hydroponic environment because they are more rugged (and water resistant) than indoor models. The model shown here is good for any light system up to 1000 watts. An indoor timer can be used but if you haven't bought a light timer yet, get an outdoor model. Timers used strictly to turn on a pump that circulates nutrients will generally only need a light-duty timer because they don't consume much power. Make sure to get a timer rated at least 200 watts higher that the load it will run. You can use a heavy-duty timer to run a small load, but a timer designed for small loads might be cheaper. You should be able to find a timer intended to be used for small loads (like to turn room lighting on and off or for some other use) at any department store. Water Containers: Tap water has to be aged for at least 3 days before being used with plants. 3-5 gallon containers do a good job. 5 gallon water bottles are very good and can be found at most supermarkets. Do not use containers that might have been used to store anything toxic. If the tap water is really bad in your area, you may have to use distilled water or water that has been treated with reverse osmosis. Optional Items Air Cooled Lighting: Grow lights can produce a lot of heat. Sometimes this heat raises temperatures above a safe limit for the plants. An air cooled The unit pictured here is an example of a system that is used to convert a standard grow light to an air cooled system. The enclosed light has an air intake supply and an air exhaust. When the air exhaust is fed to another room or outside, most of the heat produced by the light is expelled from the grow room. See through plastic or glass is fitted to the bottom of the unit so light can pass through but heat doesn't. Heat resistant duct (like the stuff used on clothes dryers) is usually attached to the air intake and air exhaust openings. An inline fan is then hooked up to the duct on each end. Heat can be quickly expelled through the air exhaust and replaced with cooler air from the air intake. Make sure to get a kit to fit your light if you are converting from standard to air cooling. There are some air cooling systems that can only be used with hps bulbs because mh bulbs usually have a larger diameter than hps bulbs and won't fit in. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Can be obtained by buying or leasing cylinders from local welding supply houses. If you are questioned, say you need the CO2 for a welder you are using. If you find that you are making lots of trips to the same supply house, try alternating the places you buy from. Alternatively, you can get a carbon dioxide generator. Someone interested in monitoring carbon dioxide levels can purchase a carbon dioxide monitor, but they tend to be rather expensive. A reliable CO2 monitor will usually cost $200 or more. A good model to start with is something like this. Besides carbon dioxide it monitors the temperature and humidity of the room it is in. It also has an alarm that allows you to set low and high carbon dioxide warning levels. When the carbon dioxide level gets too low or too high an alarm will sound. Cloner (Clone Machine): If you are going to set up 2 grow areas (one for the first stages of growth and another area strictly for flowering), a cloner would be a good idea. A plant cloner is a unit designed to be used during the first stages of growth to start clones or seeds in. When the plants have grown to a point where they are large enough, they are transplanted from the cloner to the hydroponic garden. After being placed in the hydroponic garden, they are allowed to grow larger (by supplying 18 to 24 hours of mh or hps light per day) or they are forced to flower by cutting the light to 12 hours on and 12 hours off per day. Because clones and seeds only need a small amount of light, led or fluorescent lighting is recommended. Fluorescent lighting fixtures are cheap and can be found at almost any store with a lighting section. The bulbs don't use as much electricity as hps and mh lights so a cloner and its light supply won't cost a lot to run. EC Or TDS Meter: EC and TDS meters measure the amount of dissolved solids in nutrient solution. EC meters are preferred because they are more accurate than TDS meters. See this ec, tds, ppm info before buying a meter for measuring dissolved solids in your nutrient solution. EC meters and TDS meters that are accurate can be found for a reasonable price. I was doubtful before trying a relatively inexpensive EC meter like this or TDS meter like this, but for the past 6 months they have both provided readings that are as accurate as more expensive models. Most EC and TDS meters are calibrated prior to leaving the factory. When cared for properly, no calibration will be needed for a year or longer. You only need to calibrate the meter if you are sure the readings it gives are wrong. If you need to calibrate a meter, it is best to follow the manufacturers instructions. Hygrometer: A hygrometer is used to measure humidity. If you think humidity is a problem and would like to know how humid the grow room is, get a hygrometer. You can usually find them in the housewares section of a department store. Some hygrometers have built in thermometers, you can use them to measure both the temperature and humidity. Light Mover: A light mover (or light rail) is a tool that keeps a lighting system in constant horizontal motion. This is a very efficient way of using metal halide or high pressure sodium lights. By moving the lights, a larger area can be covered than would be with a stationary light. This means a light is able to cover more plants in a larger area than a stationary light of the same wattage. With a light mover, you can use a lesser number (or smaller wattage) of lights to cover a garden. A moving light will also be able to pass closer to a plant without burning it, so plants get stronger light that penetrates more of the lower branches. Plants tend to grow towards light and a moving light provides more even source, plants tend to grow straight up. There are 2 types of light mover designs. One system works by moving the light on a rail system by means of a motor. The other type rotates the light in a circular motion that is similar to the way a ceiling fan works. The circular type is recommended for growing areas that are roughly the same dimensions (a square growing area) while the rail type is better suited to long and narrow grow rooms (a rectangular growing area). Some rail types can be purchased in sections, this allows you to choose a custom length. You should choose the length of track based on the shape and size of your garden and the amount of light you have. Different wattage lights will be able to cover different size areas. Stronger light will allow longer track lengths. These are approximate distances of the maximum length of rail that different wattage lights will cover. a 250 watt light - 3-4 feet of rail Don't base the length of track solely on the amount of light you have. A 400 watt light will produce enough light for 6 feet of rail. But if your garden is only 3 feet by 3 feet, a 4-5 foot section of rail might be a better choice. Circular light movers are usually made to cover a grow area of about 9x9 to 12x12 feet. They come with arms for 1-3 lights (some allow more lights to be used). Both types of light movers start in price at about $200-$350 and can be found at hydroponic stores. Light Reflection: If something that will reflect light back onto plants is needed, there are several options. Painting walls white or covering them with visqueen plastic will reflect some of the light that would have been wasted back on the plants. But commercial reflectors like mylar are the most effective. Measuring Spoons: When nutrients are being put in the reservoir that will feed the plants, some type of measuring device is needed to ensure the correct amounts are being added. The most common instrument employed for this purpose is a set of measuring spoons. The size of spoons you need will be dictated by your nutrients and the size of the reservoir they are added to. For example, if the nutrient you use is added to water at a ratio of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon and you have an 8 gallon reservoir, the total amount of nutrient you need would be 2 teaspoons. For the purpose of this example, a measuring spoon set with 1 and 2 teaspoon sizes would be appropriate. However, in real world applications some smaller sized spoons would also be needed for times when you only wanted to mix up mild or small batches of nutrient solution. The smaller size spoons are especially helpful for clones and seedlings, when a very mild nutrient solution is required. They also come in handy when mixing up small batches of nutrients or when odd amounts (like 1/4 gallon) are needed. The small measuring spoon set that I use most often consists of spoons marked tad, dash, pinch, smidgen, drop. By taking some rough measurements with an eye dropper and some water, the values below were obtained. tad = approximately 1/4 teaspoon Ozone Generator: If the smell of the growing plants is strong you can use ozone to decrease or eliminate it. If you would like to buy a commercial unit, you can compare prices online. Scales: Some people may wish to know the weight of the marijuana they produce. Digital scales are inexpensive, small, and accurate but any scale that is accurate (and can hold the material to be weighed) will work. Some small scales include a tray that is put on the weighing platform. If you plan on getting a digital scale to measure the weight of dry herbs and plants, look for a model that has a tray (with sides) included. A scale with a tray like this or this would be a good choice if you plan on using a scale for measuring small amounts of marijuana (or any other herb). A scale like one of these is recommended for weighing a few grams of dry plant material at a time. If you need a scale to weigh items that are larger than a few grams, a kitchen scale that can weigh several grams to several pounds at a time will work. When you need a scale that will weigh larger amounts, a fish scale is recommended. The kitchen scale here is very good. It can accurately weigh items as small as 1 gram, and items as large as 11 pounds (in 1 gram increments). When needed, a bowl can be placed on it and set to 0 (by pressing the tare button). Anything added to the bowl that weighs over a gram will register on the display. Some scales will require a minimum weight to register a reading. A friend had a particular scale that would only register when a gram or more of material was being weighed, even though it read in 1/10th of a gram increments. Sometimes the owner wished to weigh items weighing as little as 1/10th of a gram. When weighing items that weighed less than a gram, the owner turned on the scale and set it to 0. A calibration weight (5.0 grams) was placed on the scale and the weight was noted. The material to be weighed was then added to the scale until the difference between the original weight of the calibration weight and the amount of material added was equal to the desired amount. In easier to understand terms. Turn on the scale and set it to 0. Place a calibration weight on the scale and note its weight. Assume the weight of the calibration weight is 5.0 grams. If 1/10th of a gram of material is required, add the material to the scale (with the calibration weight still on it) until the scale reads 5.1 grams. © copyright - www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/ Marijuana Related Books About Growing Marijuana More Marijuana Articles Various Marijuana Links |
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