[Deep Water Culture] All about the bubbles!

If yield's what you're after, DWC is the best growing method there is. More growers are switching to it every day. Find out why.

It's a growing method.

DWC = Deep Water Culture.

As the name implies, roots are submerged in an oxygen rich nutrient solution.

It's easy to keep the nutrient aerated (with air stones, air line and an air pump).

The bubbles!

With so much oxygen in your rootzone:

• Plants and their roots grow bigger in less time
• Water & nutrient uptake speeds up
• Root diseases struggle to survive

The bubbling action itself keeps your feed well mixed, so it doesn't stagnate.

With all of these benefits, all plant functions speed up. There's no growing method quite like it!

There's always a downside. But by choosing and using your system carefully, you don't have to worry.

When using a standalone bubbler (e.g. Oxypot, Oxypot XL, Oxypot 4 or Oxypot Vegging System), your plants are literally growing in the reservoir.

Since this reservoir is small:

• Your pH and CF fluctuate more
• You need to top up more often

All of this means that you have to pay your feed a lot of attention. And the only way to reach it, is to physically lift your plants out of the way.

This can be tricky with full size plants.

If this becomes a problem - the answer's easy - grab a recirculating DWC system (like the IWS R-DWC System). In these systems, you manage your nutrient from a single tank that doesn't have a plant growing in it. Life is a lot easier!

As in all hydro systems, there's no media to protect roots. As long as you keep your nutrient aerated, this isn't a problem.

BUT

If your air pump fails or you have a power failure, you're in for it. Roots will deteriorate very quickly – ultimately threatening the life of your plants.

That's why we always recommend that you:

• Keep a spare pump
• Use Silver Bullet Roots to ward off diseases

For a while, we refused to stock any specific DWC systems because those available were either overpriced or poor quality.

Then Nutriculture's Oxypot came along – a tried and tested bubbler system that comes with an 18 Litre pre-drilled bucket, lid and net pot combined. An air pump, air line and air stone are all included, too.

These days, we stock a range of:

• Vegging Systems
• Standalone bubblers
• R-DWC systems (multiple bubblers connected together, with feed that circulates)

For a couple of plants, standalone bubblers are all you need. Any more than 4 plants, and you're best off moving onto an R-DWC system.

To increase yield, veg up to 9 plants in an Oxypot Vegging System while your current crop finishes flowering.

With the overlapping cycles, you'll get more crops out of every year. You can transplant straight into any Oxypot or R-DWC bubbler.

They're easy to use and excellent value. In a small tent, you don't need to make space for a tank - the unit's self contained.

If you've only got a couple of plants, this is ideal.

If you've got a lot of plants, go R-DWC! Pots are connected and you've got just one tank to manage. 

Your pH, temperature and EC won't fluctuate as much - feed mixes as it recirculates, and there's a bigger body of water.

Note: In IWS R-DWC systems you will also need an IWS R-DWC Systems Air Kit