Advanced Growing Techniques

Drip Irrigation: Everything You Need To Know

Your garden is beautiful and bountiful, however, it can be too much to manage and water on a daily basis. As your garden grows it becomes more important to find an easy way to water your plants.

Drip irrigation systems are a popular way to water plants in outdoor gardens, greenhouses, and even indoor hydroponic gardens. Here at Hydrobuilder we highly recommended this method to water plant and vegetable gardens. 

Organic Hydroponics: How To Grow Soilless Plants Organically

One of the most hotly contested debates in agriculture has been that of organic hydroponics. Is it truly possible to cultivate soilless plants organically?

You may be thinking, of course it is - I can just feed my hydro plants an organic nutrient solution, right? In the past, this wasn’t really possible because organic nutes were thick, and clogged systems.

But these days, natural plant nutrition has evolved to the point where this is less of a concern. There are all kinds of organic formulations that claim to be suitable for hydroponnics.

And yet, many growers claim that organic growing will never actually be possible through a hydroponics system.

We’ll explore this debate in depth, and take a look at arguments from both sides of the fence to finally put this debate to rest.

We’ll then give our recommendation on how you should proceed if you’re interested in giving this approach to horticulture a try! Let’s start with some definitions.

How To Foliar Spray: Feed & Protect Plants At The Leaves!

Whether you're battling a pest or disease outbreak, or struggling with nutrient uptake at the roots, a foliar spray can help save your grow.

Oftentimes, growers will actually undertake foliar spraying on a routine basis to keep their plants healthy, actively preventatively instead.

There are all kinds of health benefits you’ll unlock when you start spraying your plants foliage with nutrients or some form of plant wash/insecticide. 

But, this isn’t a simple task that you can just undertake blindly. There are specific instances in which you should or shouldn’t do this.

That’s why we are writing this guide, to help you feel confident in your gardening abilities.

We’ll explain what exactly this is, and the two main instances in which you would do it.

Then, we’ll cover exactly how to do it, along with all kinds of other important intricacies you need to be aware of to get the best results.

12/12 From Seed - Quicker Harvests With Smaller Plants

Whether you have a small closet grow setup or you just want to try something new & unique, the 12/12 from seed approach to indoor growing is for you!

This style of cultivating plants is very different from what you may be used to, and can help you maximize your space and time, while fitting more harvests into a year. You can experiment with more strains this way, too.

But, this method isn’t going to cultivate huge yields like you may have heard - at least, not when you do things the traditional way. We have our own little twist to this method we want to share with you to help you take full advantage of it.

Before we get to how to actually implement this strategy, we want to cover some basic information on it. 

We’re going to discuss what exactly this method is, and why you should consider trying it.

Then, we’ll cover things you need to know such as average 12-12 from seed yield, how long the average harvest will take, whether this works with autoflowering varieties, and more.

We have a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in!

High Stress Training - Complete HST Guide

High stress training your plants sounds counterintuitive - why would you purposely induce harm to your garden?

However, this plant training technique has garnered more and more interest over the years, as it becomes a more mainstream gardening tactic.

Those who HST their plants can manipulate the way their grow room looks, getting the most out of their space and pushing as much yield as possible.

Some growers also claim they increase potency and overall quality (terpenes, flavonoids, bag appeal, etc.) with this method.

There are a few different ways you can induce high levels of stress in your plant to achieve these benefits, each of which will be covered in depth throughout this complete guide.

Before we get into the how, though, we want to cover what exactly these techniques entail - and exactly why you need to give it a try!

Low Stress Training: Step By Step LST Guide

For growers looking to increase yields and make the most of a limited growing space, low stress training, or LST, is a must learn tactic.

This is one of the two types of plant training out there, and a better approach for newer growers or those looking to manipulate the way in which their plants grow.

Whether you’re growing indoors or outdoors, you can implement this approach to your next grow and watch in amazement as you dictate the direction of your plant’s growth, while increasing yields per plant.

In this complete guide, we’ll explain why so many growers swear this is the best ‘hack’ in the garden, along with when and how to do it. Before all that, we need to explain what exactly it is!

Root Pruning Techniques To Keep The Roots Healthy

While you may prune and train your plants above ground to promote healthy, explosive growth, are you aware that root pruning can increase yield as well?

While this gardening technique is certainly less commonplace, it is sometimes an essential practice - especially in hydroponics. But sometimes, soil grown plants need their roots pruned as well!

Read on to discover everything there is to know about root pruning, including what exactly it entails, why its important, how to do it, and more!

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Definition, Methods, & More

Integrated pest management, referred to as IPM for short, is the number one way to protect your garden from infestations.

But the best part about this methodology? It doesn’t always involve chemical intervention. This is a win-win for all involved, from you and your consumers to the environment.

So why aren’t more commercial growers implementing their own integrated pest management methods and strategy? The short answer is it’s far more complex than simply spraying your plants with an insecticide at the first site of bugs. Spraying is easy.

But, in the interest of producing the best crop possible, and protecting your brand image in the long run, an IPM strategy is a must for your operation.

We’ll define integrated pest management, and explain all the benefits of IPM. Then, we’ll help you come up with your own techniques and strategies you can employ on your farm or garden.

Monster Cropping: Achieve More Harvests By Revegging

When you first hear of the training technique known as monster cropping, it may sound really strange.

It involves a weird process known as revegging, and requires you to be strategic with your grow room space.

But this technique has grown in popularity over the years, and for good reason.

It’s a bit different than other styles of high stress training, such as super cropping, but it still may help you increase your yield when done correctly.

We’ll teach you everything you need to know about monster cropping, including what it actually is, how to do it, and why you may want to do it.

Super Cropping - How To Increase Yield & Quality With This Training Technique

Techniques like topping and pruning are great for beginners, but as you become more advanced you may want to consider super cropping your plants.

The name alone implies this form of plant training is a bit more intense. And if you are looking to increase your yield without increasing the plant count you are growing, it is a great option.

But not only will it increase the weight of your harvest - it will even enhance the potency and overall quality of your flower!

We’re making some bold claims here, so let’s not waste any more time. We’re going to teach you how to super crop your plants, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this style. First, let’s explain what super cropping even is!