Grow Cannabis Using an Aeroponics System

In this article, we look at how to grow cannabis using an aeroponics system. Growing cannabis with an aeroponics system employs a soilless medium which uses a spray nozzle and an open-air chamber for the roots of a cannabis plant to suspend in air. Below is our guide to growing Cannabis using an aeroponics system and everything you need to know!

Cannabis aeroponics vs hydroponics

So what is the difference when we compare aeroponics vs hydroponics? Typically a hydroponic system will allow roots to be submerged directly into a nutrient solution (Deep Water Culture), or to grow into an inert medium such as rockwool, coco, or hydroton clay balls. Aeroponics differs by allowing the roots to hang down into an open chamber, sitting inside of a net pot with hydroton (or a Cannabis clone rooted into a small rockwool cube). The use of growing medium is minimal, which is one of the upsides to growing Cannabis using aeroponics

What is an aeroponics system for growing cannabis?

As the name suggests, the use of oxygen is a big part of the system (the main difference between aeroponics vs hydroponics). This is systematically timed so the roots can be sprayed with nutrient solution from as little as 30 seconds to 15 minutes. In between the spraying, the open space inside the chamber will provide the air that roots will freely hang, encouraging air pruning and a fish-bone effect.

What do you need for a cannabis aeroponics system?

• Net pots to sit the Cannabis clone inside
• Reservoir tank
• Pump
• Spray nozzles
• Timer
• Nutrients

Does the nozzle size make a difference in a cannabis aeroponics system?

Similar to how diverse and adaptable existing hydroponic systems are, growing Cannabis using aeroponics can also vary. The size of the nozzle can determine if you are actually growing with low pressure aquaponics or high pressure. 5-50 microns of pressure is the difference between a fine cloud of mist and thicker water droplets. Below is a better explanation of the two.

Low Pressure Explained:

When using nozzle heads that spray at 90,180 and 360 degrees, the amount of spray created is much larger than mist size as these spray nozzles are generally used for dripper lines. It does not mean that this size of water droplet of nutrient solution is less superior to using a mister or fogging system. It is best to use a timer and set spray intervals at 15 minutes on, and turned off for 45 minutes every hour without any concern of drowning the roots.

What To Consider

• All of the parts can be purchased at a hardware store.
• A standard timer using 15-minute segments is perfect.
• You could customize the system to use various spray nozzles.
• Maintenance is minimal and ideal as an entry-level system for growing Cannabis.

5 Top Tips Growing Cannabis Using Aeroponic Systems.

Top Tip #1: Cannabis plants will grow very fast during the growing phase (18/6) and will outgrow anything inside your garden, so our top tip here is to keep the vegetative times to a minimum, and incorporate plant training if need be.

Top Tip #2: Provide plenty of space to let the plants grow when starting your Cannabis seedlings or clones inside the aeroponic system. Our top tip here is to allow for at least 60cm width between each plant. You can expect large-sized plants and yields, so similar to the first tip, give your girls plenty of room.

Top Tip #3: Check your E.C. using a digital pen to make sure that the nutrient solution is exactly where it needs to be. Our top tip here is to take a sample of the nutrient solution at various times of the day and assess how much your Cannabis plants are drinking and if you need to top up the reservoir.

Top Tip #4: Having the correct pH levels is just as important as E.C as the two go hand in hand. Our top tip here is to keep the pH level between 6.0-6.5 and to use a digital pen to check.. This is the optimum range and anything above or below this sweet spot will have a negative effect on nutrient uptake.

Top Tip #5: The temperature of your nutrient solution should always be as consistent as possible and should be between 16-22 degrees approximately. Our top tip here is to use an aquarium heater and an air stone together, so create a reservoir environment that is both better for the Cannabis plants and highly oxygenated.