Can't decide whether to set up your indoor cannabis garden for soil or hydro? Perhaps this list of advantages and disadvantages can help answer some of your questions.
Issues & Tradeoffs Common To Both Methods
Running costs for consumables aren't much different after the first crop
Both take experience to manage fluently
Both require mixing:
For soil - amendments are mixed into the soil
For hydro - nutrients are mixed into the water
Good indoor sanitation practices should be followed with both
Headroom needed is about the same considering pot sizes and reservoir dimensions
Hardware for both is generally universally available at garden centers or home centers
Both can produce poor tasting buds if improperly managed
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Soil Advantages
Fertilizers are universally available
Less costly for initial setup
Swift changes in nutrient chemistry usually don't occur, depending on care, but are difficult to correct
Soil Disadvantages
Messy
More likely to encounter pests
Not well adapted for automated irrigation and long periods of unattended use
No options are available for mediumless cultivation
Growing medium is not reused, and needs to be replaced with each crop
Requires larger pots and greater quantities of medium
Medium quality or content (nutrient deficiencies/toxicities) are difficult to treat once in use
Chemical imbalances take much more time to correct
Growth rate is slower
Often requires the addition of chemical fertilizers once soil begins running low on essential nutrients
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Hydro Advantages
Cleaner, better suited for use in the home
Less likely to encounter pests
Is well adapted for automated irrigation and long periods of unattended use
Options are available for mediumless cultivation
Growing mediums are commonly reused, and don't need to be replaced with each crop
Smaller pots and less medium are used
Medium quality or content (nutrient deficiencies/toxicities) are easy to control during use
Chemical imbalances are instantly corrected by replacing the nutrient solution
Growth rate is faster
Additional supplementation beyond the nutrient mix isn't required, medium never runs low on essential nutrients
Hydro Disadvantages
Fertilizers are usually found at specialty hydroponic sources
More costly for initial setup
Swift changes in medium chemistry can occur, depending on care, but are simple to correct
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By definition, soil refers to an earthen growing medium (substrate) in which all the nutritive elements needed to sustain plant life are self-contained within the medium and activated by the addition of plain water. Hydro refers to a variety of inert growing mediums that can use a variety of irrigation methods in which all the nutritive elements needed to sustain plant life are self-contained within the water via the addition of a soluble fertilizer. Hydro can also refer to water culture, where no substrate of any kind is used. It can be important for the inexperienced grower to understand those simple differences because soil and hydro are both often viewed as meaning this method or that method (the singular), where hydroponics (the plural) actually refers to any one of several methods depending on which hydroponic growing medium and irrigation method one chooses.
Issues & Tradeoffs Common To Both Methods
Running costs for consumables aren't much different after the first crop
Both take experience to manage fluently
Both require mixing:
For soil - amendments are mixed into the soil
For hydro - nutrients are mixed into the water
Good indoor sanitation practices should be followed with both
Headroom needed is about the same considering pot sizes and reservoir dimensions
Hardware for both is generally universally available at garden centers or home centers
Both can produce poor tasting buds if improperly managed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soil Advantages
Fertilizers are universally available
Less costly for initial setup
Swift changes in nutrient chemistry usually don't occur, depending on care, but are difficult to correct
Soil Disadvantages
Messy
More likely to encounter pests
Not well adapted for automated irrigation and long periods of unattended use
No options are available for mediumless cultivation
Growing medium is not reused, and needs to be replaced with each crop
Requires larger pots and greater quantities of medium
Medium quality or content (nutrient deficiencies/toxicities) are difficult to treat once in use
Chemical imbalances take much more time to correct
Growth rate is slower
Often requires the addition of chemical fertilizers once soil begins running low on essential nutrients
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hydro Advantages
Cleaner, better suited for use in the home
Less likely to encounter pests
Is well adapted for automated irrigation and long periods of unattended use
Options are available for mediumless cultivation
Growing mediums are commonly reused, and don't need to be replaced with each crop
Smaller pots and less medium are used
Medium quality or content (nutrient deficiencies/toxicities) are easy to control during use
Chemical imbalances are instantly corrected by replacing the nutrient solution
Growth rate is faster
Additional supplementation beyond the nutrient mix isn't required, medium never runs low on essential nutrients
Hydro Disadvantages
Fertilizers are usually found at specialty hydroponic sources
More costly for initial setup
Swift changes in medium chemistry can occur, depending on care, but are simple to correct
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By definition, soil refers to an earthen growing medium (substrate) in which all the nutritive elements needed to sustain plant life are self-contained within the medium and activated by the addition of plain water. Hydro refers to a variety of inert growing mediums that can use a variety of irrigation methods in which all the nutritive elements needed to sustain plant life are self-contained within the water via the addition of a soluble fertilizer. Hydro can also refer to water culture, where no substrate of any kind is used. It can be important for the inexperienced grower to understand those simple differences because soil and hydro are both often viewed as meaning this method or that method (the singular), where hydroponics (the plural) actually refers to any one of several methods depending on which hydroponic growing medium and irrigation method one chooses.
