If you know the truth about the marijuana industry that had legal sales of $1.2 billion in 2015, would you hesitate? The 2015 figure is thrice the 2014 sale. Maybe people still waver because marijuana continues to remain federally illegal in America in spite of the fact that almost half the country has ratified medical marijuana. Post November and the Presidential elections, things are changing for sure though we cannot say yet how.
In what way is a lawn and garden supplier called Scotts Miracle Gro connected with that mega industry? More and more start-ups and entrepreneurs are busy setting up shop to cash in on the green rush as many call it! Scotts practices hydroponics that can grow plants from liquids alone without the use of soil, an immense advantage to growers who can multiply growth potential with indoor cultivation.
Analyst Jeffrey Zekauskas with JP Morgan upped the target price for Scotts stocks to $85 from $70. With the marijuana and hydroponics magic, the company growth option increases dramatically, he said. Just as anticipated, Scotts reached $80.14 for an eternal high.
Scotts has not been doing so well and blamed difficult weather conditions for the shortcomings some months ago. Now CEO Jim Hagedorn speaks of a third acquisition in the hydroponics realm. Return of cash to shareholders will happen soon, he said, as the company stocks grow 23% year to date.
Wall Street too has been singing marijuana praises and we know the reason why. Perhaps marijuana can mint more money through legal medical and recreational marijuana sales than many financial institutions combined!
Comparing marijuana soil grows and hydroponics grows
Growing in outdoor soil is certainly easier with water and fertilizer, sunlight for photosynthesis, and prevention of disease. With hydroponics, you need pumps along with hoses and buckets and some other stuff. Hydroponics is sensitive, but results in better looking plants that appeal to many with a uniformity of buds, appearances being everything! Dispensaries and recreational outlets would love those sparkling, crystal covered buds.
With hydroponics, algae might flourish in the water and affect the plants, causing immense loss. Organic hydroponics is a possibility, but very hard indeed. One major difference is that instead of fertilizer in the traditional soil grows, nutrient solutions would be directly applied to the root in hydroponics. Otherwise, the requirements are light, oxygen, water and carbon-dioxide along with nutrients.
Deep Water Culture, Top Feed, Ebb and Flow, Nutrient Film/Flow Technique, Aeroponics, and Misting are some procedures adopted to grow marijuana in water.
