How to Build a Hydroponic Grow Room

When it comes to growing marijuana, there are two ways in which you can grow it – there’s either the old-school, traditional way of growing marijuana using soil as a medium or there’s another way, in which you can provide water directly to the roots, via hydroponic growth. Hydroponics is quickly becoming quite popular among growers and many of them are now looking forward to building their own hydroponic grow room. Over the course of this article, we shall attempt to answer the big question: How to build a hydroponic grow room.

There are many elements that need to be taken care of when you are building a regular grow room, and a hydroponic grow room requires even more attention and a higher level of knowledge to build one! Over this article, we first understand what hydroponics is, how plants grow in this technique of growth, followed by a look at what a hydroponic grow room is. We also take a closer look at the benefits of growing marijuana in a hydroponic grow room, where we discuss all the advantages of why this is a good technique for growing your plants.

Next, we take a look at how to build a hydroponic grow room – a detailed look at all the elements that go inside it with a description of all of them. This will then be followed by an attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about hydroponics, followed by some concluding remarks! We hope that this article helps the growers understand how to build a hydroponic grow room in a much better manner. 

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics comes from the words Hydros + Ponos, which, when put together, mean ‘Water Labour’. Basically, this is a medium where water does all the work and the plants do not grow in a traditional medium that soil is. The purpose of soil is to retain water and allow the roots to grow. However, hydroponics replaces soil with other mediums such as rockwool cubes or peat moss and instead focuses on a water-based solution as the primary medium of growth. 

Here nutrients are mixed with water and they reach the roots directly instead of having to go via the soil to the roots. Not only are the roots of your marijuana plant in direct contact with nutrient-rich water here, but they are also in a position where they get a sufficient amount of oxygen. Put together, both these reasons amount for a better and faster growth of the plants than compared to a traditional soil-based medium of growth. 

While growers say that growing marijuana indoors gives them a higher level of control than compared to growing it outdoors under the natural factors, using hydroponics takes things one step further as you get a much greater level of control when growing indoors via the hydroponic system of growth. There are a number of other benefits of growing via hydroponics which we shall take a detailed look at in a bit.

What is a Hydroponic Grow Room?

A hydroponic grow room is basically a place where plants can grow hydroponically. Growing weed via hydroponics involves dealing with a lot of water and hence it is advised to set up a grow room in a place where there is sufficient access to water. A hydroponic grow room has many elements which are similar to a traditional grow room such as a grow light, odor controllers, reflective layers, ventilation systems, carbon filters, ducting, etc. 

However, there are some elements which are specific to a hydroponic setup which need to be taken special care of. We shall be taking a detailed look at these elements further down the line. However, a grow room is needed because it ensures that the room is created in a manner that maximizes the growth potential of the plants while also providing growers with a better level of control over their plants. Imagine the grow room as a simulation – where ideal conditions are created for the plants to grow in a better manner. Let us now see how to build a hydroponic grow room.

How to Build a Hydroponic Grow Room?

To answer the question for which you perhaps came to this article, let us now take a closer look at how to build a hydroponic grow room. Here, we shall be detailing out some of the elements which are needed to in this room and a look at the functions and benefits of all these elements.

1. Grow Lights

Grow lights are the most important part of any setup for growing plants indoors. When it comes to marijuana, the plant requires between 11 to 18 hours of light depending on which phase of its growth cycle it is at! When you grow marijuana outdoors, this light comes from the sun. However, in an indoor setup, there is no proper access to the sun. Some growers might have windows via which light comes in – but that’s clearly not enough when you are growing a plant because it requires a higher amount of light.

Hence, grow lights are critical. For those wondering how to build a hydroponic grow room, deciding which grow light you should get is perhaps one of the first steps. Your grow lights need to be big enough to provide light to the entire setup and they should also be energy efficient and have all the proper wavelengths and be a full-spectrum system. Grow lights are important for growing marijuana plants because the plants grow in the direction of the lights, and the lights are also helpful in ensuring that all the chemical compounds needed for processes such as photosynthesis are being produced timely. Grow lights also provide some level of warmth to the plants.

2. Reflective Layer

A reflective layer is very important for growers. This is because it ensures that all the light that comes from the grow light is bounced back on to the plants. This reflective layer can be of various substances, usually a diamond mylar layer is preferred by most growers. These layers make sure that no light is absorbed and it all bounces back on to the plant, giving it maximum possible exposure and thus faster growth. These layers tend to cover all the walls of the grow room so that there is no portion which can absorb the light. Apart from giving the plants a better growth, this also ensures that you are getting the maximum potential out of your grow lights making them cost effective as well. 

3. The Hydroponic Growth System

You need to get the hydroponic growing systems of your choice – be it a deep water culture setup, a nutrient film setup, an aeroponic system, ebb and flow mechanism, a drip system or wicking, growers have to ensure that they have bought the kit and set it up right. The size of the room also depends on the size of the kit (or the reverse). However one of the biggest advantages of using a hydroponic grow kit is that it ensures that you can grow more plants in a lesser area than compared to a traditional setup. If you are wondering how to build a hydroponic grow room, you need to ensure that you have the actual grow kit there in place.

4. Hydroponic Nutrients

Considering that the whole idea behind hydroponics is to provide the plants with the best possible access to nutrients, growers usually prefer to use the best quality premium nutrients while growing hydroponically. Both, macronutrients as well as micronutrients are important for growing marijuana hydroponically. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Sulfur and Magnesium are the key macronutrients which are needed for better growth. Micronutrients that a plant requires are Boron, Chlorine, Manganese, Iron , Zinc , Copper, Molybdenum, Nickel and Cobalt.

5. Automatic pH Dousing Pump

When it comes to hydroponic growth, the acidity of the solution and getting the right balance is extremely critical. Getting an automatic pH dousing pump ensures that the pH value does not go too high or too low, either of which can cause serious damage to your plants. Using a dousing pump will make sure that these levels are always appropriate and the acidity remains stable. When looking at how to build a hydroponic grow room, this is something that is quite important for the overall setup of the room.

6. CO2 Bags

While oxygen is quite important for a marijuana plant (or any plant for that matter) to grow, there is a strong need of Carbon Dioxide being provided to the plants as well. Carbon dioxide has a major role to play when it comes to processes such as photosynthesis and even helps boost yields and the growth of the marijuana plant by as much as 20% by some estimates. CO2 bags are a great option for growers who want to ensure that their marijuana plants grow to their maximum possible extent inside a hydroponic grow room setup.

7. Cleaning Equipment

Cleaning equipment, particularly those which can wipe up water are very important in a hydroponic grow room because growers need to be aware that they are dealing with quite a water-based system of growing plants and there is always a chance of spillage. Hence, equipment needs to be handy. This includes mops and wipers, as well as gloves and aprons that you might want to use while dealing with these systems so that water does not fall on you.

8. Carbon Filters

Carbon filters are very important for growing marijuana in a hydroponic setup, as well as in a traditional setup. This is because the primary function of these filters is to trap all the odor that comes from the plants. Given how distinct and strong the smell of marijuana is, growers should ensure that they are getting good quality carbon filters to trap all the smell that comes from them. Marijuana plant’s smell comes from chemical compounds called terpenes which are basically released to repel insects and pests away from the plants. Using carbon filters will ensure that the smell doesn’t escape the grow room and people don’t get suspicious!

9. Air Purifiers

One thing that every plant needs to grow properly is good air! Using air purifiers is one of the best ways to ensure that your plants are getting the best possible air which is free of all pollutants and allergens. Furthermore, any and all elements such as dust, pollen and molds are also sucked in by these purifiers, ensuring you get the best quality weed as the end product! 

10. Air Conditioners

For those wondering over how to build a grow room, you need to get hold of air conditioners too! Air conditioners are important because they keep the temperatures cool. Elements in the grow room such as grow lights, carbon dioxide pumps and dehumidifiers tend to generate heat and it needs to be countered via air conditioners to keep the temperatures cool. 

11. Exhaust Mechanism

An exhaust mechanism will make sure that fresh air circulates inside the hydroponic grow room. Given how most of these rooms usually do not have access to much of an open space, an exhaust mechanism will make sure that fresh air circulates into the grow rooms. Apart from providing fresh air, they also help cool down the temperatures and create a breezy sort of an environment which is good for the stems to grow stronger.

Recommended: Best Dehumidifier for Grow Tent

Benefits of Growing Weed in a Hydroponic Grow Room

There are a number of benefits of growing marijuana in a hydroponic setup while growing it indoors. Here’s a detailed look at all these advantages:

• First off, it ensures that you can grow more marijuana in a lesser space! Especially when you compare it to the traditional method of growth, hydroponic setups allow you to grow a much larger number of plants in a limited space. Given how the plants are often placed in multiple racks or layers, this is a clear advantage for hydroponic growers over traditional growers

• Another major advantage that growers who decide to grow their marijuana inside a hydroponic grow room have is that their plants grow at a faster pace when compared to a traditional setup. This is because they have direct access to water, nutrients and oxygen as opposed to the roots having to seek them out from the soil. 

• Growers who grow plants in a hydroponic setup don’t really have to be worried about soil-borne diseases which tend to affect their plants otherwise. 

• No soil is needed in this medium of growth and growers do not need to be worried about mixing the soil and adding nutrients to it and they also save on the whole cost of buying the soil. Moreover, no soil means lesser insects and lesser soil-related spillage as well.

• No soil also means that there are not going to be any weeds which you need to look out for. Weeding is often a time-consuming process and weed can hamper the growth of your plants too! However, growing marijuana hydroponically means weeds won’t really be a problem.

Recommended: Best Grow Tent Ventilation Kits

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know how to build a hydroponic grow room, here are some of the frequently asked questions about hydroponics and grow rooms:

1. What are the alternative methods of growing marijuana other than hydroponics?

You can choose to grow marijuana in soil, just as how most growers grow it inside their grow rooms. In addition to that, you can also choose to grow your marijuana in a greenhouse, or you can choose to simply grow your weed outdoors where the natural forces come into play and the plant grows on its own with little maintenance needed! 

2. Are there any disadvantages of growing hydroponic plants?

While there are a number of advantages of growing marijuana via hydroponics, there are some disadvantages as well:

• First off, growing marijuana via hydroponics requires much more time and attention than compared to growing it via a regular soil-based method.
• While it is immune to soil-based diseases, growing marijuana hydroponically brings it under risk of water-borne diseases which tend to travel faster up the plant’s body and affect a larger number of plants at the same time.
• Considering that you use water along with electricity here, you need to be extra cautious of any electric-related incidents.
• A hydroponic grow room is often costlier to set up when compared to a traditional grow room because it requires using more elements.

Recommended: Best Portable Air Conditioners for Grow Rooms

Conclusion

We hope that this article on how to build a hydroponic grow room helped you gain a better insight on exactly that! By the end of this article, we hope that you have a much better idea about everything that goes inside a hydroponic grow room and all the elements that you need to set up before you can start off with the actual growing process. Do let us know in the comments or drop us an mail if we’ve missed out on some aspects of this or if there’s something more that you would like to know about how to build a hydroponic grow room!

Happy Growing! 🙂