How to Scale Up your Grow Operation

Sometimes, the hardest part of a grow project isn't starting out -- it's building on an initial success and building out into a larger grow space.

So how do you practice growth in hydroponics? It's an excellent question, and one that different growers address in their own ways. For some people, it's an easy equation, while others struggle with it. Here are some things that we've suggested to growers about how to ramp up hydroponic production and increase yields after starting out with a smaller gardening project.

Increase pump power and air and water handling capacity

One of the biggest aspects of growing in any hydroponic project is to invest in adequate pump equipment. Think of it the same way you would think of a fish aquarium design -- tanks with inferior pumps and lack of pumping power tend to get dirty and grimy, and have serious chemical problems, while those with excellent modern pump design benefit from a clean and sanitary interior. Bring the same principle to hydroponics to make sure you have enough equipment to really get water going from the reservoir to plant roots and back again. The same holds true for oxygenation equipment as well as air handling fans that keep air from stagnating in the grow space.

Build out space designs

You also need more space for these additional plants. One easy way to do this is with vertical or A-frame stacking. You can also build out in a larger floor area, but make sure that you're not going to come up against a limited number of square feet as a restriction on growth.

Get nutrients

In addition to light and water, plants need nutrient solutions to thrive. Make sure you have enough for your new plants or adjusted chemical balance accordingly for a different sized reservoir.

Keep planning

In general, it's important to keep anticipating the maintenance needs of the larger hydroponics space. That may mean more time spent altering the reservoir chemicals, more time spent pruning plants, or more hours reserved for general grow space monitoring, for example, looking at pests, adjusting lighting etc.

These are some good tips to practice when building out a hydroponics system for future yields.