Choosing A Growing Medium

Soft Secrets
02 May 2019

One of the first pieces of your hydroponic puzzle to figure out is simply what growing medium to use. I’ve seen everything from aquarium gravel to a childhood marble collection used as the growing medium, so perhaps take a moment to ponder this.


Part of the fun of growing cannabis hydroponically is that it is entirely your own creation. If you want to use glass marbles as your growing medium, then more power to you. The growing medium used in a hydroponic environment should be as inert as possible. The aforementioned glass marbles are actually a good choice. They don’t dissolve in water or caustic environments and will anchor the roots of your pride and joy firmly. Keep away from a medium that soaks up nutrient such as a sponge-like material. There are a few exceptions to this rule – peat & perlite is the major one. Perlite is a blown glass product that has micro-crevasses where moisture gets locked in.

The roots absorb nutrient directly from these tiny imperfections in the glass via cilia on its newest growth. Peat grows naturally in the wild and is harvested in great bundles meters long and wide. It does absorb some of the nutrient solution, but controlling the moisture level of peat and perlite is easy. Simply pour less nutrient on the root area if the growing medium is too moist. You’ll know if your peat and perlite set up is too moist by pushing your finger into the growing medium. If it’s dry up to the first knuckle you’re doing good. You would perform this check every time you feed your plants, before pouring on the nutrient solution.

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Soft Secrets