EQUIPMENT & SETUP
Best Air Pump for Hydroponics: My DWC Aeration Buying Guide
If you want the short version: for hobby DWC the best air pump is a commercial-class linear-piston or dual-diaphragm pump…
Grow Guides Library
Detailed tutorials, research-backed theory, and step-by-step instructions.
EQUIPMENT & SETUP
PEST & DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Controlling Fungus Gnats in Hydroponic Systems
To control fungus gnats in a hydroponic system you attack three life stages at once: yellow sticky traps to knock…
EC, PH & WATER CHEMISTRY
Masterblend for Lettuce and Leafy Greens: My EC Targets by Stage
Masterblend runs lighter for lettuce than for fruit. I keep my leafy reservoirs at EC 0.8-1.4 mS/cm depending on stage…
EC, PH & WATER CHEMISTRY
Calcium Nitrate in a Masterblend Mix: Why It Goes In Last
Bottom line up front: In a Masterblend mix, calcium nitrate goes in last because its calcium ions react with sulfate…
EQUIPMENT & SETUP
Rockwool Starter Cubes for Hydroponics: How to Use Them
Rockwool starter cubes are the propagation backbone of hydroponics: spun mineral fiber that holds water and air in the exact…
EC, PH & WATER CHEMISTRY
Masterblend vs General Hydroponics Flora: Dry Salts or the Liquid Trio?
I run both on the same bench: Masterblend dry salts on my DWC totes and the General Hydroponics Flora trio…
EC, PH & WATER CHEMISTRY
Storing Dry Hydroponic Salts: Keeping Masterblend and Cal-Nit Dry
Storing dry hydroponic nutrients well comes down to one variable: moisture, not age. Dry mineral salts effectively never chemically expire,…
PEST & DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Beneficial Insects for Indoor Hydroponic Grows
The best beneficial insects for an indoor hydroponic grow are predatory mites for spider mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus),…
EQUIPMENT & SETUP
Hydroton Clay Pebbles vs Rockwool: Which to Use
Hydroton clay pebbles vs rockwool comes down to one question: do you want a reusable, free-draining medium or a high-retention…
PEST & DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Spider Mites in Hydroponic Systems
The only spider mite control that reliably works in a sealed hydroponic room is biological plus environmental: release predatory mites…
SCALING & COMMERCIAL HYDROPONICS
Hydroponic Farm Profitability Basics: The Honest Numbers
Hydroponic farm profitability comes down to one uncomfortable truth: you make money by selling everything you grow at a premium,…
EQUIPMENT & SETUP
Perlite in Hydroponics: Uses, Mixing & Aeration
Perlite is the workhorse of aeration in hydroponics: a sterile, lightweight volcanic glass that holds almost no water, never touches…