How a Deep "Water Culture Works"

   Deep water culture

 (DWC) is a hydroponic method of plant production by means of suspending the plant roots in a solution of nutrient-rich, oxygenated water. Bubbleponics is a related method of plant production that involves a top-fed Deep Water Culture system. A more accurate definition for the acronym DWC is Direct Water Culture. Direct Water   Culture can be performed in deep or shallow water.

Recirculating Direct Water Culture System

Recirculating direct water culture systems (also known as RDWC) use a reservoir to provide water for multiple buckets. Traditional methods using unconnected buckets require individual testing for pH and conductivity factor (CF). This has led to innovations that have seen the removal of air stones in favor of connecting multiple buckets together and recirculating the water. As the water is reintroduced to the bucket it is broken up and aerated with the use of spray nozzles. Constant recirculating oxygenates the water and ensures a good mix of nutrients CF and stabilizes pH throughout the entire system so testing is required only at one point, which would be at the 'Tub' like reservoir. The Deep Water Culture system requires adequate water + oxygen nourishing solution.

The solution is oxygenated  from an air pump combined with porous stones. With this method the plants may grow faster because of higher amounts of oxygen that the roots receive, verses other forms of deep water culture.

Super-saturation of water, i.e., increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) level well above saturation of the source water (ex., DO of 40 ppm [mg/L] at 75'F), is unnecessary for the 'best' plant growth. And has been found to hinder plant growth verses saturated water (ex., DO of 8.4 ppm at 75'F) and slightly-more-than saturated water (ex., DO of 9 ppm at 75'F).

Bubbleponics

The term "Bubbleponics" describes a top-fed Deep Water Culture hydroponic system. Basically, the water is pumped from the reservoir up to the top of the roots (top feeding). The water is released over the plant's roots and then runs back into the reservoir below in a constantly recirculating system. As with traditional Deep Water Culture, there is an airstone in the reservoir to help add oxygen to the water. Both the airstone and the water pump run 24 hours a day.

The biggest advantages with Bubbleponics over Deep Water Culture involve increased growth during the first few weeks. With Deep Water Culture, there is a time where the roots haven't reached the water yet. With Bubbleponics, the roots get easy access to water from the beginning and will grow to the reservoir below much more quickly than with a Deep Water Culture system. Once the roots have reached the reservoir below, there is not a huge advantage with Bubbleponics over Deep Water Culture. However, due to the quicker growth in the beginning, a few weeks of grow time can be shaved off.^[1]

The difference between hydroponics and soil growing is amazing.